Protesters block roads, hold anti-government marches across country

With just 33 days to go until the presidential election, social organisations, trade unions and leftist parties took to the streets on Tuesday for another national day of protest against the austerity policies of Mauricio Macri's government.

The marches, which reportedly took place in more than 20 provinces across the country, was called by leftist groups organised under the banner of the Coordinadora Sindical Clasista.

Protesters are demanding the government do more to help Argentina's poorest, calling for salaries to be updated in line with inflation and for social programmes for those less well-off and the retired to be boosted.

With Buenos Aires City as the epicentre of the protests, demonstrators marched from the headquarters of the Argentine Industrial Union (UIA) on Avenida de Mayo and Lima towards the Plaza de Mayo.

he direct action also took on the form of roadblocks, with streets cut in 20 provinces across the country, according to organisers. Key traffic arteries for Buenos Aires, such as the Pueyrredón and Saavedra bridges, were blocked for hours by demonstrators from midday.

Eduardo Belliboni, of the Polo Obrero workers' group called on the government to "meet the needs of colleagues who are not being served."

The protests are the latest in a series of demonstrations. Last week, hundreds of people from the same and similar organisations marched on the Social Development Ministry on Avenida 9 de Julio, where they installed an overnight campsite, sparking traffic chaos.

– TIMES/AFP