cry protest

There are frequent protests on Avenida 25 de Mayo. That's the avenue that leads to the Casa Rosada, the presidential palace.

Hospital workers, transit workers, teachers—everyone wants higher pay and better conditions. According to Valerie, many protesters are professionals, meaning they get paid to protest. The government responds to unions by giving money to the organizations which in turn use the funds to pay protesters to demand more money.

This is not always the case, I suppose. There are legitimate grievances. But my sense is that the system is corrupt and broken. There is little sympathy from the general public because 1) the tactics used by the protesters cause serious damage to innocent bystanders (like absent teachers and severe traffic disruptions) and 2) the protests are so commonplace that hardly anyone notices the reasons for the protests anymore, just the nuisance of the demonstrations.