Within the framework of a massive protest by different actors from the audiovisual sector in front of the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (Inca), tension escalated for several hours in downtown Buenos Aires. Protesters and City Police officers clashed face to face, there were shoves, insults, shouts and blows. and at least two arrested.
as far as he could tell THE NATION According to City Police sources, two people were arrested for “Attempting and resisting authority”. “Everything was calm, we freed up a lane so that they could demonstrate and the cars could pass,” he warned himself, adding: “One of the protesters began to strongly attack the police and he was arrested.”
This afternoon, in what seemed like the last minutes of the protest, the confrontation between the protesters and the Buenos Aires Police unfolded. The conflict occurred when the mobilization was already in full deconcentration, when a handful of people began to insult the agents.
“There is no reason for them to arrest him, this is a provocation,” exclaimed a man, while a young man from the march was taken prisoner.
Pineapples, pushes, kicks. The same protesters hugged the young man while the police tried to move forward with the arrest. After several minutes of struggle, the detainees were transferred in patrol cars.
In a brief and impromptu press conference, the Minister of Culture Tristán Bauer of the Nation appeared in front of the cameras. “I just spoke with city authorities about this issue,” he anticipated, and stated: “The first thing is to stop the repression.”
After the disturbances, the Incaa issued a statement. “We want to repudiate the repression by the City Police of those who were demonstrating”, it was indicated, and it was emphasized: “Whoever gave the order to advance must take responsibility for this action, from the Institute we are against everything kind of violence, and the rally was taking place peacefully.”
In particular, regarding the claim, the Incaa warned: “There are people who called themselves today who are producers who have their own businesses, who have always carried out their projects with INCAA funds and We are not willing to allow ourselves to be blackmailed with resignation requests by them.”
The demonstrators demanded, among other issues, the resignation of the head of the agency, Luis Puenzo.
“The cinema is going through a really critical and worrying moment, on the one hand in December of this year the taxes assigned to Culture expire and this directly impacts cinema, theater and music”explained producer Paula Orlando, a member of the Collective.
And he remarked: “If we only let large platforms produce content, we are talking about the loss of looks, the loss of identity, the loss of cultural sovereignty -and he adds- on the other hand we learned of a decree promoted by the current management of the Incaa proposes to limit the subsidies received by the cinema, making it more exclusive”.
The Filmmakers Collectivethrough an open letter sent to the Minister of Culture, Tristán Bauer, listed reasons why they question the functioning of the Incaa.
“It did not establish any measure aimed at reversing the enormous gender inequalities when it comes to directing or occupying central roles in technical teams,” they indicated, among other issues.
In addition, it was warned that “national festivals were defunded”, while it was denounced that the Incaa Spaces network was not promoted and the National Image Archive and Cinematheque (Cineain) was not launched, among other claims.