Sixty thousand people marched through the city streets in defense of public universities and national science at the same time that the Chamber of Deputies met to ultimately reject President Milei's veto of the university funding law with 174 votes.
Students with their families, teachers, non-teaching staff, and various social organizations joined together to demonstrate their support for the Public University. They sang songs and marched with banners such as "Why so much fear in educating the people?" "Universities are the engine of development," "Without a Public University there is no future," "An educated people is a free people," "There is no veto that can stop our future," and "Those who only have individual aspirations will never understand the collective struggle."
The massive rally began at 16 p.m. in Plaza San Martín and then marched along Moreno, San Lorenzo, and San Martín streets to Puerto Joven (Av. Belgrano 950), where a ceremony was held and the UNR Rector's speech was broadcast at Plaza del Congreso in Buenos Aires.
Before thousands of people, a visibly emotional Franco Bartolacci emphasized that it would have been impossible to reach this moment without the collective commitment of Argentine society. "Hold on to the Argentine public university, hold on to the Garrahan, to the just causes, to the noble and good people of this country who once again put things in their rightful place so we can form a country in which we all belong."
“The country's university and scientific community had to endure mistreatment, disregard, and neglect, yet under these conditions, they continued to do everything necessary to sustain the universities. There are many of us across the country, tremendously diverse, and that is our greatest asset. We are aware that it is what unites us and what we must protect.”
He also emphasized that "what makes us equal and free" is quality public education. "There is a fundamental discussion that goes beyond the budget. What Argentine society has made clear is that education is an important pillar, and that it is where we will find the solution to many of the problems we face as a country. It is necessary to prioritize it as a public policy."
On Belgrano Avenue, facing the river and the warehouses where the Expo Carreras 2025 is being held, the crowd applauded Bartolacci's speech and proudly raised their slogans: "Public education cannot be vetoed", "The only fight that is lost is the one that is abandoned", "Let privilege not cloud your empathy", "May the rights we were able to achieve be eternal", "No one is fulfilled in a community that is not fulfilled", "Investing in the University is investing in our future".
As the National Interuniversity Council has been stating, "passing the law is supporting the country," because this university financing law includes guaranteeing resources for the operation of Argentine universities, restoring the salaries of teaching and non-teaching staff, updating the amounts of educational scholarships, and creating a fund to promote strategic careers for Argentina's development.
Representing non-teaching staff, Sergio Acuña of APUR stated that more than 60% of university workers earn salaries below the poverty line, and that's why they took to the streets "to defend the Public University and reject President Milei's veto, which is intended to destroy the foundations that formed the community." "We thank the representatives and now we must demand that the senators once again rise to the occasion and vote in favor of the people, in favor of public education."
The president of the Rosario University Federation, Alejo Rossi, stated that today, "the message we are sending throughout the country is that in the face of indifference, students, teachers, non-teaching staff, and all of society are uniting to uphold the banner of public education, health, and national science."
“Behind every student and worker is a dream, the dream of thousands of kids from the interior like me, the dream of every family to open the door of their home and welcome a university graduate. It's the dream we have as an Argentine society, which is why we will not be the young people who let the public university die.”
Representing the teachers, COAD Secretary General Federico Gayoso highlighted the massive mobilizations that took place across the country and thanked the social organizations that are accompanying them as workers. “I celebrate that society still has collective values, defending health, education, and the retirees who are beaten every Wednesday. Today we won a very important battle, but there is still a long way to go. The only way to twist the arm of a government like this is through struggle, and that's what we did today.”
Finally, UNR Vice Chancellor Darío Masía thanked the 60.000 people who mobilized in Rosario and those who took to the streets across the country to defend public education. “This is the heritage of society, of the democracy that brought us a university with unrestricted, tuition-free admission so that everyone who wants to study can do so.” “There are many people who made it possible for us to get this far, which is why the public university will remain standing. No one will turn it off, it will be lit, the light will always be on because it belongs to all Argentines.”
Journalists: Victoria Arrabal and Gonzalo J. García/Photographer: Camila Casero