The 2020 Argentine protests were a series of demonstrations that occurred as of May 2020 in different parts of the country. The reasons were diverse, with the common denominator being dissatisfaction over the successive extensions of the isolation measures adopted to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease. For this reason, some media describe the protests as "antiquarantine." Other slogans expressed opposition to the government, denial of the existence of the pandemic and demands for more freedom, among others. In general, the participants in these protests did so from their vehicles in order to keep their distance from other people, although in some cases the attendees did not comply with the prevention measures established by the authorities.
There were also other marches and mobilizations in various parts of the country in protest for various issues.
Background
The first confirmed case of the COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina was announced on 3 March 2020. On 19 March, President Alberto Fernández ordered the first stage of quarantine, initially until the 31st of the same month. At the time of adopting these measures, the positive image of the president was 72%. A week later, approval was still on the rise and was estimated at 82%. The isolation measures – with differentiation in different parts of the country according to the dynamics of the spread of the virus and the decisions of the local authorities – were extended over the months. The positive image of the president fell to values around 60% in July 2020, and remained practically stable for a time. By mid-October 2020, the approval of the discharge of the health emergency reached only 43%.
Timeline
May
On 25 May, a small group of people gathered in front of Plaza de Mayo, in the city of Buenos Aires. The call was made through social networks. Those attending the march – some 100 or 200 people according to different sources – expressed their dissatisfaction with the extension of the quarantine, demanded greater freedom, and in some cases adopted denialist positions regarding the existence of the pandemic. The protest included Cacerolazo of a group of people around the Obelisk and in some neighborhoods of the city.
June
On 6 June, a small group of people gathered in the vicinity of the Obelisk. Most of the attendees demanded the implementation of protocols that would allow the reopening of shops, gyms, and other activities. Other heterogeneous slogans were added to this claim, such as the rejection of a supposed "new world order", and a claim "for freedom", among others. On 20 June there was a demonstration called #BanderazoNacional.Various claims were added to the usual slogans such as "promoting the Republic" or that the country "does not become Argenzuela". It was called through social networks by opposition leaders, and included caravans of vehicles that circulated in the center of the city of Buenos Aires. The march, which gathered a few hundred people, occurred at a peak in the number of infections registered in the metropolitan area.
July
On 8 July 2020, former President Mauricio Macri gave an interview to journalist Álvaro Vargas Llosa during which he expressed his criticism of the management of his successor Alberto Fernández and declared himself firmly in favor of "freedoms" that in his opinion were in risk in Argentina. The following day, coinciding with the celebration of Independence Day, a protest march was organized with an epicenter in the city of Buenos Aires and replicas in some parts of the country. The slogans were similar to those of previous protests, with the addition of demands for "freedom of expression" and "defense of private property". The demonstration was generally peaceful, but a group of people attacked CNN journalists who were covering it and damaged the vehicle that was transporting them, without the security forces intervening to preserve order. The march received criticism from various sectors, basically due to the fact that in general the distance between the attendees was not respected and many of them did not wear masks or chinstraps. About two weeks later, spikes of confirmed infections were registered in the country, which was interpreted as the consequence of the 9 July demonstrations.
August
On 1 August, a group of about 300 protesters gathered in the center of the city of Buenos Aires. The call was made through social networks under the hashtag "1AYoVoy", with the aim of expressing the rejection of a reform project — presented by the national executive and not yet discussed in the National Congress — centered on federal justice.