AP (with additional material by Ananova). 11 January 2002. Argentine Riots Precede Peso Test.
BUENOS AIRES -- Rioters ransacked banks, destroyed ATM machines and set fires across downtown Buenos Aires early Friday after a night of street protests against a government freeze on bank deposits turned violent. The latest protests came after a largely peaceful nighttime demonstration by thousands of middle-class Argentines demanding access to savings trapped in accounts. Rowdy gangs of youths rampaged on the fringes of Friday night's demonstration, where Argentines banged pots and pans and demanded their savings back. Riot police used tear gas to disperse the marauding gangs. The demonstration was the first popular protest against the government of Eduardo Duhalde, who took office on Jan. 2. Argentina's last elected president, Fernando de la Rua, was driven from office in December amid deadly street riots and a massive economic crisis that pushed unemployment above 18 percent. Argentine depositors formed long lines outside shattered banks to see if they could get their hands on any of their savings. They had expected the restrictions on bank withdrawals to be ended Thursday and were enraged by the further clampdown. "They promised us our money. Let's see!" said a middle-class housewife, Graciela Herrera, who stood in a long line outside a vandalized branch of Banco Frances. Only one of the facade's 10 large plate glass windows was left intact and all three automatic teller machines were trashed. She failed to get any of her savings. Arching her eyebrows as she left the bank, she said, "There are only pesos, there are no dollars." Streetsweepers in Buenos Aires cleaned up the broken glass and began boarding up bank windows and wiping away spray-painted slogans against the government and the banking freeze. The destruction trailed away on elegant boulevards leading from the Casa Rosada government house, the main focus of overnight protests. "Banks, give us our money now!" and "Duhalde, thief!" the slogans read. Thursday's protest turned violent as riot police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at dozens of lingering demonstrators. There were no immediate reports of injuries. "We want our money and we want it now!" shouted Ruben Orlando, a 46-year-old doctor who beat trash can lids together during the protests. Others shouted demands that the government call immediate elections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews
