Yesterday, I headed to the political heart of Buenos Aires, the plaza in front of the Casa Rosada, to attend a local solidarity event. The Pink House is the equivalent of our White House, home offices to the President, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, and the traditional location of protests of all sorts.
As I climbed the stairs out of the subway, I could hear drums beating and trumpets playing and what sounded like a huge crowd of people. I couldn't believe my ears and was more than excited to think that finally, after all these weeks, I would be participating in an event that, though not an Occupy Wall Street red, white, and blue protest, was about as close as I could get as an American living overseas.
The excitement didn't last long. On Avenida de Mayo, I didn't find a protest in full swing. Instead, I found a celebration of Latin American culture. A joy to find, on most days, but a disappointment in my heart. I walked the Plaza de Mayo in hopes of finding a few lost souls like myself but we all must have been swept up in the crowds of revelers and I decided that my best hope of salvaging the afternoon was to enjoy the festivities. I though I would share my pictures with you!
Seriously, the crowds coming off the subway were substantial, even for a sunny, spring Saturday afternoon. Though folks hadn't looked like your typical protesters, I wasn't sure absolutely sure what a typical protester in Buenos Aires should look like, so I wasn't too concerned and was actually feeling really good about the attendance.
When I got outside and saw the crowds, it didn't take long to figure out that something big was going on. Protest would have been limited to the Plaza de Mayo itself and this event had taken over the entire street. At first, I couldn't see for the hordes of people. Then it dawned on me that they were all watching a parade, one of the biggest parades I had seen in my entire life. The thing went on forever. I stayed for an hour and a half and only saw Bolivia make it to the reviewing stand.
The best pictures came from near Plaza de Mayo itself. Although the parade was officially finished, the participants marched for the rest of us wanting to see their beautiful costumes. Even the bands kept playing! It was marvelous.
As the parade was going on, previous marchers were relaxing around Plaza de Mayo. Some were relaxing near the political signs that always are at the plaza, others on the grass and the benches, and some were even still playing music and dancing for the crowds of watchers.
And as with all plazas in Latin America, folks were just sitting and hanging out, eating and drinking together. Normally when hanging out in Buenos Aires, there is a hint of Europe in the air but not on this day and at this time. I felt like we were truly living in South America.