Arriving at the University of Buenos Aires sometime later, there was no one in my classroom. Not to worry; punctuality was not an Argentine virtue. Five minutes passed, then ten. Twenty. Thirty. Finally, someone poked their head into the room and informed me that the whole University was on strike. I chuckled appreciately. Those wacky Argentine professors, always going on strike because they don´t make any money.
Not exactly:
Via the BBC:
The main teachers' union is to strike on Monday in protest at the violence.
The teachers are demanding higher wages, arguing that inflation has reduced the spending power of their salaries.
The violence on Wednesday happened when police fired tear gas to disperse the several hundred-strong group of demonstrators, some of whom responded by throwing stones.
One protester, Carlos Fuentealba, was hit by a tear gas canister and taken to hospital but later died of his injuries.
Fuentealba's death is only likely to further fuel what is already a volatile protest over pay and conditions, says BBC Americas editor Will Grant.
Other teachers' protests have been reported around the country.
The government, though, has a fantastic diversion set up. 2007 being the 25th anniversary of the Falkland Islands war, a desperate and costly attempt by a crumbling and dictatorial regime struggling to hold on to power, there´s obviously alot of nostalgia. Thus, the following slogan has begun sprouting up on billboards all over the city (wait for it)...
The Falkland Islands Are Ours!
Unfortunately, even some of the left-wing groups are going along with it, under the pretense of fighting ´British imperialism´. Of course, the idea of a second Falklands - excuse me, Malvinas - war seems nuts, so did the first.
EDIT: I went back to school today, and the professor was out on strike again. This time, though, it seems like an ordinary salary dispute... though the last protest started as an ordinary salary dispute too.
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