Thousands march in Buenos Aires against G20 ‘imperialist leaders’

HAVANA TIMES – Thousands of people on Friday demonstrated against a G20 summit taking place in Buenos Aires, accusing the group of industrialized nations of imperialism and exploitation.

“Out with [US President Donald] Trump and imperialist leaders,” protesters chanted while marching through a central boulevard towards Congress.

Some of them carried placards reading: “They want war and we won’t leave them in peace.”

The demonstrators included bare-breasted women who had G20 flags painted on their chests.

The protest was peaceful except for an incident in which some of the demonstrators set fire to a wooden construction they had brought with them.

“Capitalism and the G20 want to exploit the natural resources and force us to work from 12 to 14 hours a day,” said Osmar, a Bolivian protester who lives in Argentina.

The textile worker said he earned so little that “not even a cat” would live on it.

Security forces earlier seized about a dozen petrol bombs in a burned-out taxi in the city centre, radio station Mitre reported.

Argentina has deployed around 25,000 police officers and soldiers to prevent violence similar to that seen during last year’s G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, when hundreds of police officers were injured.

Parts of Buenos Aires have been cordoned off.