Photo: Indymedia

A Factory in Danger- A Mobilized Citizenry Responds
By Carolyn Sattin

(Buenos Aires, April, 21st. 2003)

On Saturday, April 18, sixteen months to the day after 21 factory workers, a majority women, took steps to secure their future by "recuperating" Brukman Brothers' retail clothing factory where they had been worked for many years-often without pay-Brukman workers once again found their livelihood in danger. When the morning shift arrived just before six a.m. last Saturday, they were faced with a barricade of over 600 federal police officers, who, with a judicial order of eviction, blocked their entry into the building which they had begun to vandalize.

Brukman's emergency communication system went immediately to work, alerting workers of other "recuperated" factories, neighborhood assemblies, student organizations, and left-wing political parties that form the core of their support group. Once again, thousands came out in full force to protest a violent eviction that threatens the groundbreaking work of this emergent factory workers' movement, a movement that includes over 200 factories across the country that have been "recuperated" by their workers.
A large crowd quickly assembled outside of Brukman, staring down the armed police officers and chanting "The factory belongs to the workers," and "Work, dignity, justice." Meanwhile, the workers demanded to speak with the police chief or anyone authorized to begin a negotiation.

Throughout Easter weekend, confrontations between police and civilians escalated as masses of supporters, at one point reaching 7000 people and including representatives from the internationally renown human rights organization Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo as well as other factory workers from as far as 1200 kilometers away, gathered in solidarity and pledged not to leave the busy commerical area until the police retreated. Their primary demand: that Brukman be returned to its rightful owners- the 54 workers who have been running the factory as a cooperative since December of 2001.
By mid-afternoon on Monday, April 21 over 70 people had been arrested and dozens wounded after the police began spraying tear gas and firing rubber bullets, reinforcing troops with tanks and dogs to prevent the public- armed only with wooden sticks and shielding itself with street signs- from advancing.

Photo: Indymedia

After negotiations with the police failed late Monday, Brukman workers requested to speak personally with Minster of Work, Graciela Camaño. They were not given audience until Tuesday morning, and by that time, the number of people detained by police had risen to over 120 with many more wounded as well. At the height of the caos on Monday evening, the police chased the crowd of protesters for approximately 25 blocks, where they eventually sought refuge in a nearby hospital. Police attacks did not end there, and in fact, some of the children interned in the hospital inhaled tear gas that the police continued to spray at the crowd inside the hospital doors. Other activists and workers ran into the psychology building belonging to the University of Buenos Aires system, only a few blocks from the factory.

On Tuesday morning, April 22, 2003 the police returned with more backup and blocked off the entire six-block radius surrounding the factory. Brukman workers did not show at their scheduled Tuesday morning meeting with Ms. Camaño, and instead decided to hold another workers' assembly to discuss their next steps. Contrary to Brukman workers' desires, Ms. Camaño had invited a number of other participants, including vice minister Noemí Rial, chief of workers' bureau Jorge Rampoldi, a representative of Brukman's original owners, as well as officials from the textile union. Ms. Camaño and other public officials have expressed their hope that Brukman workers will be willing to negotiate and maintain "social peace" without any more arrests or injuries.

Brukman representatives have announced their intention march to Argentina's main congress building in the center of Buenos Aires on Tuesday afternoon, and thousands, including many of the main groups of "piqueteros" and neighborhood assemblies have committed their support. Although all of the people previously arrested have been released, activists are expecting more police repression to accomany this next act of protest. Brukman worker and spokesman Sergio Gimenez explained why they continue to take to the streets: "Our objective is clear. We want to reoccupy our factory and we want the government to call off the repressive police forces. This is our work. This is our life. The factory belongs to the workers."

As Argentines across the country anxiously await this Sunday's presidential election- the first one since former President De la Rúa was forced to leave the executive office in a dramatic helicopter escape amid massive protest and calls for his resignation on December 20, 2001- they watch the latest chapter of social conflict unfold. Brukman and its supporters are determined to protect workers' rights to making a living. Business owners fear for their rights as private property-holders. Argentina has been in a state of constant flux for the past two years, and with its newly mobilized citizenry ready to make demands, recent history in this country has proven that almost anything can happen.