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Gendarmerie forces face off with protesters on the Panamericana highway (Photo: Daniel Dabove/Télam)
The road block was set up around 30km north west of Buenos Aires by labour unions, social groups, and political activists to demand the reincorporation of 100 workers dismissed and 200 suspended by autoparts manufacturer Lear in May.
The protest began at around 5.30am, and was violently cleared by the gendarmerie three hours later.
“It was a disproportionate operation [by the gendarmerie],” said Jorge Medina, union representative at another company who had joined the protest. “They used water cannons and fired rubber bullets. We’ve got several colleagues injured – at least ten, for sure.”
The incidents marked the second day of violent clashes as security forces cleared protesters from major roads. Yesterday morning, the federal police also used water cannons and rubber bullets to remove workers from transport companies Emfer and Tatsa that had blocked General Paz in protest at alleged unpaid salaries.
After yesterday’s clashes, Security Secretary Sergio Berni said: “You can’t protest on a Monday at 7am in the main access road into Buenos Aires. The peaceful clearing of protests doesn’t exist – unfortunately it has to be done using the minimal force necessary.”
The post Several Injured in Clashes Over Panamericana Highway Protest appeared first on The Argentina Independent.
