Today the judge Francisco Ponte has signed a eviction order for the ex-Mayo bank building located in the Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Barracas. The building was recovered in 2002 by the "Lezama Sur" popular assembly and has since been a major cultural and political center for the people of Barracas. Since June 2002 the Argentina IMC has been operating a open publishing office in the building.

A letter writing campaign has began to put pressure on the Buenos Aires city government and it's mayor Ibarra to stop the eviction. You can find a model letter in both English and Spanish as well as the email of the mayor. Dreams cannot be evicted.

In the shadow of the war in Iraq, the government in Argentina has declared war on grassroots politics in Buenos Aires. The global focus on the US-led war against Iraq is providing a smokescreen for a crackdown on progressive social movements everywhere, and in this moment specifically on the ‘okupas,’ the occupied (squatted) social centers of Argentina.

4.21.03 Buenos Aires. The war is on. The call rings from every media outlet in the world, and the media-space that can be profitably allocated for war coverage is practically unlimited. It is more or less clear to almost all, depending on what media one relies on, that the civilian population of Iraq is in mortal danger. Millions of people of conscience all over the world are in solidarity with the population of Iraq, but in the meantime their own terrible predicament is not the only face of the war. There is also a spirit of brutal opportunism rearing its head in the domestic policies of governments near and far from the conflict in Iraq. This logic shows itself in the escalation of force used in the repression of domestic dissent, and it can be witnessed in Israel, in the US itself, and as far away as Argentina, among doubtless others. The global focus on the US-led war against Iraq is providing a smokescreen for a crackdown on progressive social movements everywhere, and in this moment specifically on the ‘okupas,’ the occupied (squatted) social centers of Argentina.

In the shadow of the war in Iraq, the government in Argentina has declared war on grassroots politics in Buenos Aires. Seemingly every community space, residential squat, and cultural center is under threat of eviction, and more evictions are actually being carried out every day by the Federal Police – most often illegally. The crackdown is most intense in the areas with the highest density of these spaces: the neighborhoods of La Boca and San Telmo. Two of the thriving social spaces of La Boca are currently slated for eviction within two weeks: the cultural center of Tierra del Sur (host to free daily workshops on everything from puppetry to Brazilian martial arts), and the social center Lezama-Sur (the home of the local neighborhood assembly as well as host to an office of the media-activist group Indymedia Argentina). Two days ago, an occupied house just two blocks from Lezama-Sur, that had been occupied by the piquetero group MTL (who use direct action to secure aid disbursements for unemployed workers), was forcefully and illegally evicted by the police. A group of 40 local residents responded during the raid with peaceful protest, and in turn were answered with multiple beatings by police. Seven people were arrested, in a move that clearly outlines the police tactic of targeting activists: each of the seven were members of Lezama-Sur or Tierra del Sur. A peaceful solidarity protest outside of the police station followed. Three of the seven remain in jail today.

Friday morning, a recently occupied social center in San Telmo was the target. Occupied by MTD (the most horizontally-organized of the piquetero groups) on Feb. 24, the historic building – the oldest in Buenos Aires - was in ruins, mostly roofless, and filled with rubble, until it’s occupation. In the intervening month a prodigious work of cleaning, salvaging, and renovation by MTD members and neighourhood residents turned the space into a thriving social center, featuring a communitarian kitchen and bakery, with an organic garden on the way. At least until 9:00am today, when a lightning-fast police raid swept through the building, forcing the occupants out onto the street and arresting four males. As of this afternoon, a peaceful solidarity demonstration of approximately 40 people is situated across from the police station, awaiting the release of the prisoners.

This morning marks the second second eviction in three days. None of the local activists have slept much. The community here requests that activists all over the world spare some small part of their attention for what is happening here. Much support and help is needed, as it is needed in so many places, that not everything that has been painstakingly built up over the last several years be destroyed in the shadow of the war. It is important that these social experiments live on, that the laboratory of direct democracy and collective struggle that Argentina has become should endure. The continuation of the practice of new models for working, living, and struggling together (in Buenos Aires as everywhere) is as crucial as it is difficult. It requires a broad network of solidarity to order to survive the assaults of government repression. The easiest way to help is to translate news from Indymedia Argentina into any language possible, and post widely. While the community here is well aware that that embassies of the United States demand a lot of attention in this moment (witness the militant actions yesterday against the embassy here in Buenos Aires), directing some attention towards Argentinean embassies could go a very long way towards letting the government know that * international attention is indeed on Argentina,* even in the shadow of the war.

The timing of our response to the situation here is crucial. The activist community here widely believes that the escalation of repression will only worsen in the immediate future. Many are frightened: at the eviction of the MTL house two days past, a police officer drew his gun and took aim at an unarmed activist from Tierra del Sur. No shots were fired, but the message - of potential violence by a police force long schooled in the use of deadly force against unarmed civilians – is well noted by all. Some 48 hours later, in Buenos Aires the newspapers are full of information about the war on Iraq, and devoid of any mention of the domestic war against the neighborhoods and against the neighbors. As we raise our voices all over the world against the brute atrocity of George Bush’s war on a civilian population already without hope, let us also spare some of our attention and energy for the wave of criminal repression that many of our governments will attempt to advance in its shadow. We stand with the vast majority of the people of the world in opposition to war on Iraq. Let us also maintain our vigilance against each of those who would take advantage of the noise and spectacle of that tragedy in order to perpetrate another.

Lucha! Sueña! Resista!

Oppose the War! Fight the Evictions!

English and French URGENTE IMC Argentina Eviction URGENT Expulsion de l' IMC Argentine ENGLISH Repression of social movements in Argentina

(wednesday 19 february)
This is what the piquetero movement sang to the disproportionate police line, featuring bullets, one never knows if they're only rubber, gas, water cannon, police vans that look like ambulances, new motorcycles, shields, helmets and hundreds of cops with furious dogs.
The song was intented to remind the police of last weeks events in Boilivia, where the police joined the popular protests and fought against the army
The police opperation created the very "transit chaos" the commercial media likes to talk about whenever a mobilization blocks a road. If it had not been for the unconstitutional suppresion of the right of free expression, the march would have glided past the Ministry of Social Development, the Bolivian Embassy, the Ministry of Labor and wound up in Plaza de Mayo by one o'clock in the afternoon. But no, the State continues dealing with the piquetero movement to reward some and isolate others.
More than nine hours of absurd delay. Watching themselves face an exspensive military operation, the people, unemployed, young and old, familes, resisted. The Governments budget is more and more devoted to social control, disciplining social protest. The excuse the piqueteros were given for the face-off was the same as ever. The refusal to lay down the sticks and hoods.
As the tension increased, leaders of some of the organizations met with government officials. Leaders of Polo Obrero, Movimieto Territorial de Liberación, Movimiento Independiente de Jubilados y Desocupados, Barrios de Pié, Movimiento Teresa Rodriguez, Movimiento de Trabajadores Desocupados "Resistir y Vencer", Frente de Trabajadores Combativos, Unión de Trabajadores en Lucha, el Frente Barrial 19 de diciembre, la Cordinadora de Trabajadores Descopados "Anibal Verón" y la Coordinadora de Unidad Barrial met with met the vice-minister of the Interior, Cristian Ritondo, the head of cabinet of the Ministry of Work, Jorge Rampoldi, and the coordinator of Social Development, Gonzalo Calvo.
MTD Anibal Verón, a particpant in the plan of struggle, retired from the march, disgusted by the negotiations, which they said went against existing agreements.
The demands in defense of the subsidies and against impunity for assassins are still only hopes.
When the leadership delegations returned, with promises from the government that the march would continue at least the 300 meters seperating them from the Ministry of Social Development, the police refused to stand down. At last, a fantastic spectacle occured, A police line, taking up the entire width of Avenue 9 de julio, walking backwards in tiny steps as the piquteros advanced.
Opposed to the dark forces of repression, the mobilization of the piqueteros defended the democratic rights that supposedly rule in Argentina.

Updates and translations 19/12:
[Resume de tous les appels publies] [ Résumé des actions du 20] [LA PLATA: MARCH TO THE GOVERNMENT BUILDING AND "ESCRACHE" TO PHONE AND GAS COMPANY] [La Plata: Marche vers la Mairie et “escrache” à la téléphonique et la Gazifera [Actualizaciòn II: en italiano.] [English CTA- CCC] [Resumen de la Radio (Mp3- IMC Italia)] [Plaza de Mayo fenced, 1000 police control Buenos Aires ] [URBAN PIKET ACOMPLISHED ITS AIM. FINANCIAL ACTIVITY ALMOST SUSPENDED ] [TUCUMAN GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES 12 ARRESTS ] [URBAN PICKETEERS BLOCK FINANCIAL DISTRICT ] [Actualizacion I, de las movilizaciones. en italiano]

Another December 20th

One year after the protests and riots that on December 19th and 20th of 2001 led to 30 deaths and the downfall of the then-president De la Rua, the Argentine people prepare to take the streets again in what is expected to be two massive days of actions. The reason for the protests then and now is the catastrophic situation to which Argentina has been driven by strictly following IMF plans combined with widespread corruption in both the political and the judiciary level.

The situation has not improved since the curent interim president Duhalde's actions have only worsened the already catastrophic situation. While it is hard to put into words the extent of the situation, facts appear to speak for themselves in a country with 20% of children suffering from malnutrition, while dozens die each day of hunger. This happens in the context of 50% of the population living in poverty and 25% unable to even meet the minimal food requirements for survival.

The people, organised through piquetero groups and popular assemblies, however, remain strong and commited to the struggle. On this December 19th and 20th, tens of thousands prepare to take upon the streets all across Argentina. Protests range from piquetes allong all major highways to a urban piquete that will attempt to shut down the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange allong with the headquaters of many major corporations such as Microsoft, IBM, Telecom, Merryl Lynch, Bank Boston, Standards & Poor; a comprehensive list of the actions that will take place can be found here (english / español ).

The Argentina IMC and the Rosario IMC will be doing extensive coverage of the actions as well as a live radio webcast.

You can help the Argentina IMC by donating through paypal here

International Calls to actions
[Global Cacerolazo] [Cacerolazo in Italy] [Cacerolazo in Montreal] [Presentation in Berlin] [Events in San Francisco] [UK: 2 days of civil disobiedience] [British Columbia: Activities and Dossier] [D20 in Washington] [Statement by CALPA-Paris] [Italy Disobidience for Argentina] [Movilización en Montevideo]

Yesterday police arrested 30 [es] [en] activists with Greenpeace Argentina outside the national congress in Buenos Aires. The activists were protesting actions by the government which is trying to alter the constitution to allow for the importing of nuclear waste.

Police attacked activists from the neighborhood asambleas, piqueteros, and student groups who had gathered outside the police station in solidarity with the arrested activists [en] and to demand their release. Hitting the crowd with batons and firing rubber bullets in to the crowd at close range, the police tried to disperse the crowd. Three indymedia activists were injured in the attack.

Although all the greenpeace activists have been released [es] [en] this attack on the peaceful jail solidarity protest marks a scary increase in the violent repression of activists in argentina.

Photos: [ the action, arrests, repression at the police station ]

More coverage from Argentina Indymedia in English & en Espaol.