Massive protest against cuts to public universities in Argentina: It is our future as a society, as a people'

"Enormous banners erected across Plaza de Mayo and the surrounding avenues in downtown Buenos Aires repeated the same slogan: Milei, comply with the law. Hundreds of thousands of people chanted it this Tuesday as they marched to demand that Argentina's hardline government halt its cuts to public universities and release the funds approved by Congress. The funding of the national university system is in a critical state, and the main cause is that the national government is failing to comply with the basic democratic and constitutional rule: to uphold the university funding law, which establishes a minimum level of resources that ensures the normal functioning of the system, denounced academic authorities, faculty members and students in a joint statement read at the main protest event."

"The administration of Javier Milei labeled the federal university march an opposition act and reiterated that it will not release the requested funds. Organized by the universities themselves, teachers' unions, and student federations, the mobilization drew a massive crowd in the Argentine capital and was replicated in numerous cities across the country. According to the organizers, more than 1.5 million people demonstrated nationwide. The march headed towards Plaza de Mayo, in Buenos Aires."

"From midday onwards, columns of educators, students, and university employees filled the main streets of downtown Buenos Aires. The rhythm of drums could be heard from various points as they marched towards the historic Plaza de Mayo. Teenagers and adults carried flags identifying their universities, unions, or political groups from across a spectrum ranging from the center to the left."

Hundreds of thousands of teachers, students, and academic authorities marched in Buenos Aires and other Argentine cities demanding implementation of the university funding law and release of allocated funds. Large banners in downtown Buenos Aires called for the president to comply with the law. Protesters said the national university system is in a critical state because the government is failing to meet constitutional and democratic requirements to uphold the law’s minimum resource level for normal functioning. Academic authorities, faculty, and students issued a joint statement at the main event. The government labeled the march an opposition act and said it would not release the requested funds. The mobilization was organized by universities, teachers’ unions, and student federations, with organizers claiming more than 1.5 million participants nationwide.

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