On Thursday at noon, the militants of Partido Obrero met near
Congress. The call to the mobilization had been issued together with
the piqueteros organizations and the left, under the slogan "Down
With De la R*a-Cavallo." At 14:00 PM there were already columns from
different left organizations, the MIJP and some locals of the Suteba
union. Meanwhile news arrived of the brutal repression against those
who tried to reach the seat of government (Casa de Gobierno) and
called for the overthrow of De la R*a.

It was clear that the march was about to engage in a battle with the
repressors. The PO argued before the rest of the left organizations
for the line of action it would carry into practice during all that
afternoon: it was necessary to march on the Plaza de Mayo and support
by means of organized columns the demonstrators which were fighting
against the government. With this position, the PO began to march
towards Plaza de Mayo, together with the teachers and the unemployed
organizations. We suffered then the first attacks from the
repressors, which forced us to regroup near Corrientes and Callao
streets.

There, the PO marched again resolutely through Corrientes street
towards the Obelisk, followed this time by other organizations (IU,
PTS, MAS) and the column of the teachers' union (Asociaci*n de
Docentes Universitarios: AGD) from the University of Buenos Aires.

When we reached the Obelisk, it was clear that we were in
the "frontier" dividing the area where there was still no repression
from the one, close to Plaza de Mayo, where there were open battles
for the control of the streets (later the zone around the Obelisk
would get involved in the struggle). The Partido Obrero advanced
through Diagonal Norte towards the Plaza, followed by some
organizations (MAS, Convergencia, PTS). IU remained near the Obelisk.

PO in the Battle for the Microcentro

In a few minutes, the PO column was brutally attacked by police
horsemen using tear gas. But the attempt to disperse us was futile:
time and time again we regrouped on Diagonal, repelling, with
barricades, bonfires and stones, the attacks of the "Cossacks" of
major Mestre. From the flanks and in front of us, hundreds of
protestors – of those who fought isolated battles from the beginning –
followed expectantly the struggle between the PO and the repressors.
In one of the clashes, the PO guard, already steeled in the struggle,
brought down one of the "Cossacks," who fell noisily on Diagonal,
while the other mounted policemen drew back in disarray towards Plaza
de Mayo. It was a moment of popular euphoria: the isolated
demonstrators, the workers from the balconies, saluted this victory
of our column.

Shattered by tear gas and before the menacing presence of the armed
policemen without uniform (the same ones who would be later accused
of the 27 crimes), PO continued to struggle, advancing and regrouping
in different points of the city center. In front of Congress, defying
repression at its most savage moment, the PO carried out an act
repudiating the perspective of an "agreement" government with the
governors, which De la R*a was asking for before renouncing.

Balance

The PO participated actively in the "battle for the Capital" on
December 20. We fought in the streets stubbornly, without ever
lowering our party banners and our slogans: "Down with De la R*a-
Cavallo, Consitutent Assembly". At one time, some demonstrators asked
us to lower our banners. We didn't do it, because we believe that in
the midst of a crisis of power it is more necessary than ever a
revolutionary political orientation and an organization able to
confront the state on all the fronts.

That is to say: a Party.

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You can see pictures at
 http://www.po.org.ar/marcha/jueves20.htm
and at
 http://www.po.org.ar/english/735po.htm