Argentine police evict protesters occupying contested land
Argentine police clashed with a group of protesters on Thursday while evicting them from makeshift homes on a contested property south of the capital, Buenos Aires. Six police officers were injured and at least 30 people were arrested, according to authorities.
Hundreds of families had been living in shacks on the land in the town of Guernica for more than three months, in a reflection of the growing poverty and lack of housing for many people in Argentina. The pandemic and lockdowns aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19 have aggravated the country’s economic problems.
The owners of the occupied land in Guernica had gone to court to reclaim the property.
Many people left peacefully when security forces entered the property early Thursday after negotiations between authorities and the occupants failed. Some resisted, throwing stones at police.
Police then demolished the homes, some of which were made of wood, cardboard and sheet metal.
Some 600 families had previously signed an agreement with authorities to leave the property. In return, they received building materials and money to pay rent.
A shack home goes up in flames as police evict people from a squatters camp in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Makeshift homes set up by squatters cover a field in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
A woman carries a mattress as police evict people from a squatters camp in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
The air is filled with smoke coming from shack homes set on fire by police evicting people from a squatters camp in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
A man builds a shack home at a squatters camp in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Monday, Sept. 14, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Police stand in formation as they carry out evictions at a squatters camp in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
A man sits inside his makeshift home at a squatters camp in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
A police officer aims his weapon as security forces fire tear gas and rubber bullets during clashes with squatters as police break up their camp in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Women are detained by police as police destroy up a squatters camp in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Police destroy shack homes as they evict people from a squatters camp in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Veronica Martinez and her partner stand in an embrace near their shack home in a squatters camp in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Police burn shack homes as they evict people from a squatters camp in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
People go to a soup kitchen from a squatters camp in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Monday, Sept. 14, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
A police officer peers into a shack home during the eviction of people from a squatters camp in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Jorge Gomez walks alongside a polluted ditch at a squatters camp where he lives in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
A squatter protects himself with a makeshift shield through tear gas fired by police breaking up a squatters camp in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
A youth stands on a shack home as police carry out evictions at a squatters camp in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Police detain a man during the eviction of a squatters camp in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
A bulldozer destroys a shack home as police evict people from a squatters camp in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
A family and pet dog stands with their belongings after their shack home was destroyed by police as they are evicted from a squatters camp in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Squatters confront police carrying out an eviction on their camp in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Police burn and destroy shack homes as they evict squatters in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
A family stands with their belongings after their shack home was destroyed by police at a squatters camp in Guernica, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Text from AP News story, Argentine police evict protesters occupying contested land.
Photos by Natacha Pisarenko