Argentines protest in 'day of rage'

The protesters were from many different groups

Tens of thousands of protesters filled the streets of Buenos Aires on Tuesday to demonstrate against the government's handling of the country's economic crisis.

Braving freezing temperatures, a disparate group of unemployed people, unionists, students and human rights activists gathered for the peaceful demonstration to mark Argentina's Independence Day.

A coalition of protesters had called for massive rallies across the country to turn the holiday into what they described as a Day of Rage.

Entire families joined the peaceful protest

With Argentina in the fourth year of the worst recession in its history, street protests have become an almost daily event. But the BBC's correspondent in Argentina, Peter Greste, said this was clearly the largest demonstration this year.

Some of the protesters were demanding more jobs and the continuation of subsidies for the unemployed, while others called for the resignation of politicians, fresh elections and an end to talks with the International Monetary Fund.

Huge crowds

Our correspondent says it would be impossible to estimate how many people were at the demonstration.

But the vast crowd stretched as far as the eye could see, along at least a dozen blocks, and in a street five lanes wide.

The crowd was made up of local community councils, unions, professional associations, families, the unemployed and the elderly.

Marchers chanted "All of you - Go!", referring to the country's politicians, and demanded that legislative elections be pushed forward to March 2003 in line with the presidential election, which President Eduardo Duhalde has already brought forward.

Street protests have become an almost daily event in Argentina

Many people also want an end to what they see as IMF interference.

An IMF negotiating team is currently in Argentina trying to convince the government to toughen restrictions and shore up the financial sector before it releases more aid.

The IMF shut off billions of dollars last December as Argentina plunged into a crisis that saw the presidency change hands five times in two weeks.

It has since refused to resume aid, saying Argentina must first enact sweeping economic reforms and devise a sustainable financial and monetary programme.

But successive governments have been unable to implement the necessary but politically unpopular austerity measures.

Half of all Argentines have now slipped below the poverty line, and public anger has been fuelled further by a freeze on bank deposits and a collapse in value of the currency.