Street sellers, labelled ´manteros´ clashed with police today in the city neighbourhood of Once, as police carried out a sweep against illegal vending.
Clashes between protesters, street vendors and police were wreaking havoc today as shop owners from different neighbourhoods demanded illegal street vending be abolished.
Metropolitan police officers were carrying out a sweep operation against illegal clothing trading in the city neighbourhood of Once, while Florida street shop owners blocked off Corrientes Avenue.
As police in the Once neighbourhood discovered various sites selling items of clothing illegally, shop owners protested and were blocking off Rivadavia Avenue.
However, Met police officer Rubén Fernández, assurred that the proceedings were being carried out “in completion of a court order issued by Judge Natalia Molina.” Furthermore, he explained that different types of merchandise were seized, as part of the investigation into the illegal vending in the City, by street sellers or travelling vendors.
Meanwhile, for the third consecutive day, shop owners and staff from stores along the famous Florida shopping street were holding a protest blocking off Corrientes Avenue, demanding the pavements in front of their shops be freed of street sellers.
In addition to these roadblocks, travelling across the city of Buenos Aires by car today has been made more difficult due to the various protests and marches crossing different parts of downtown Buenos Aires.
The Barrios de Pie movement marched earlier, from the Social Development Ministry (Ave. 9 de Julio and Moreno) down to the Labour Ministry (Ave. Leandro N. Alem at 600), to demand the incorporation of different social assistance programmes.
In addition, doctors, health professionals, nurses and technicians from the Children’s Hospital Ricardo Gutiérrez began their protesting today.
Similarly, health workers from other centres across the city, will get together in front of the Mayor’s office in order to demand “adequate working conditions to be able to offer a service of quality public health.”
Later this afternoon, at 5.30 pm, a group of social organizations and leftist parties will march from the Congress down to Plaza de Mayo.
buenosairesherald.com