With massive demonstrations, Argentina’s educational community took to the streets on a historic day in defense of state universities and against President Javier Milei’s budget-slashing policies.
In Buenos Aires City, large crowds filled Plaza de Mayo and the parks facing the National Congress, as well as adjacent streets. Organizers estimate 800,000 people turned out in the capital, and a million and a half crosscountry.
The protest, which was replicated in many Argentine cities, was organized conjointly by the National Universities’ Union Front, representing over two million students, and the National Interuniversity Council (CIN, by its initial in Spanish), that gathers authorities of 57 state-run and 14 provincial-run universities.
Educators, non-teaching support staff, authorities, researchers and university students led the unprecedented nationwide protests. While the epicenter was at Plaza de Mayo, demonstrations took place in every Argentinian province, as well as a national strike and activities in defense of Argentina’s state university and scientific system, against President Milei’s defunding policies.
The most important leaders of the educational community marched right behind a banner with the slogan: “In defense of state universities”. Behind them, leaders of human rights organizations, such as Mothers and Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, the most important trade unions and social movements.
The march advanced along Avenida de Mayo, singing the National Anthem as well as chants comparing Javier Milei’s administration to the 1976-1983 dictatorship. Some of the slogans read in banners were “There can be no universities without a budget, there can be no future without universities”, “Education is not a business”, “State education is not for sale”, and “Why so afraid of education?”
Many protesters held books and academic records aloft.
Among the political leaders present in the march were Unión por la Patria former presidential candidates Sergio Massa and Juan Grabois; Buenos Aires governor Axel Kicillof; La Cámpora leaders; Unión Cívica Radical president Martín Lousteau and Frente de Izquierda leader Myriam Bregman.
Also, the Argentinian Actors Association, Malvinas’ Ex Combatants, scientists, district assemblies and high school students backed the protests.
The main rally began at 6 PM in Plaza de Mayo, but protesters, among which the presence of entire families and young students stood out, were gathering there from much earlier in the afternoon.
The document signed conjointly by the National Universities’ Union Front, FUA and CIN, called society to “defend” higher education institutions.
“State universities in Argentina are going through a critical situation, as a result of the policies carried out by the national administration. We appreciate the support of our entire society and call citizens to work to keep universities open, by teaching, and researching. State-run universities are one of the engines of democracy, production and social bonds”, leaders expressed in a text called “State universities: the foundation of democracy and social development”, which was read to the crowd in the iconic Plaza de Mayo.
Along the same line, they emphasiezed that universities “have suffered brutal cutbacks regarding operating expenses, which is the monthly remittance that universities receive from the National Government to be able to operate”.
“We don’t want our dreams to be taken away: our future does not belong to you; we are proud children of Argentinian universities; we are a public, tuition-free university with unrestricted entry; we are a university for the great Argentinian people. That is why, we will fight, in an unfailing democratic and peaceful resistance, for the education we want, for the country we long for”, the message concluded.