Milei government warns journalists about ‘risk’ of covering protests

President Javier Milei’s government on Tuesday put into place unusual "security measures" for Argentina’s press, warning about the "risky" protests expected against the labour reform being debated in Congress.

A Security Ministry communiqué was issued after the CGT labour umbrella called a general strike for the day the lower house Chamber of Deputies debates the bill, scheduled for Thursday. The Senate approved the bill last week. 

The Security Ministry warned journalists that “with the aim of reducing situations of risk, [the press] is recommended to avoid positioning themselves between possible hotspots of violence and the security forces."

"Our forces will act against violence," says the text, informing that the media will have assigned an "exclusive zone" in the side streets of Plaza Congreso.

On February 11, thousands of people protested in the vicinity of Congress while the labour reform bill was being debated in the Senate. The demonstrations ended up in street clashes with the police and around 30 arrests.

The bill reduces severance, permits payment in kind (goods or services), extends the working day to 12 hours and limits the right to strike, among other points.

The trade unions grouped under the CGT (Confederación General del Trabajo) labour federation considers the changes to be "regressive."

Although the CGT initially called for a strike without demonstrations for Thursday, different trade unions and political groupings have announced that they will take to the streets again. 

"We repudiate this new threat of repression and hold President Javier Milei exclusively responsible for anything regrettable happening during the demonstration," communicated ATE (Asociación de Trabajadores del Estado) secretary-general Rodolfo Aguiar, the leader of the state workers union, via his X social network account last Wednesday.

"These people are dangerous and determined at all costs to pass the law demanded by big business and the IMF," he said, referring to the International Monetary Fund.

Since Milei came to office in December 2023, his government has stepped up the repression of demonstrations, putting into practice an "anti-picket protocol" prohibiting protests blocking traffic.

– TIMES/AFP