Argentines Storm Congress

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, December 30, 2001

Argentines Storm Congress

Riot police battled protesters who threw stones and briefly stormed Congress in Buenos Aires on Saturday as rage over government austerity measures erupted again, a week after deadly riots drove Argentina's president from office.

Police fired barrages of tear gas and rubber bullets at demonstrators before dawn as a large but peaceful protest against the government's handling of a deep economic crisis degenerated into violence.

At least seven police officers were injured, local television said, including one officer who was beaten bloody by a mob before he could be led away from the pitched street battles outside the Government House. Police declined to provide details on the number of injured.

Argentines are also angry over a weeks-old government move limiting cash withdrawals from banks in order to prevent a run on the financial system. Cash-hungry Argentines flooded the banks Friday after the government eased �� but did not end �� the restrictions that limit cash withdrawals to $1,000 a month.

Venting their anger, gangs clashed with riot police through the pre-dawn hours as the officers responded with volleys of tear gas and rubber bullets. Fleeing from the Government House with police in pursuit, youths looted stores and trashed banks along Avenida de Mayo, a broad boulevard stretching several blocks to Congress.

Several demonstrators later forced their way into Congress, setting small fires, smashing windows and throwing sofas and chairs out the main entrance. Smoke spilled out of the ornate century-old building before firefighters put out the blazes. The protesters were quickly driven from the building.

The clashes then tapered off toward sunrise as police fanned out downtown.

The protests marked the second week of social tensions over a four-year-old economic crisis that led Rodriguez Saa to announce that Argentina would default on at least part of its $132 billion public debt.

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