MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Despite pouring rain thousands turned out in Buenos Aires demanding 'Justice' and honoring Nisman

A river of umbrellas along the road from Congress to Plaza de Mayo march peacefully.

Thousands of Argentines demonstrators participated worldwide, under different climatic conditions, in the rally led by federal prosecutors to honor late AMIA special prosecutor Alberto Nisman, one month after his death. Demonstrators carried Argentine flags, chanted the national anthem and called for “Justice” and an independent judiciary branch.

 The Wednesday “silent march”, as the rally was baptized after the decision of demonstrators to march in silence, started in Buenos Aires next to Argentina's Congress and ended peacefully, under pouring rain in the emblematic Plaza de Mayo, where Government House is located but also the building that housed Nisman's offices.

It is estimated over 250.000 people marched in Buenos Aires and thousands more in other Argentine cities, while residents overseas in Paris, Berlin, Spain, United States, Australia, Uruguay among others staged symbolic marches under northern hemisphere freezing winter or scorching sun.

Prosecutors Julio Piumato, Guillermo Marijuan, Carlos Stornelli, Josa Maria Campagnoli and Ricardo Saenz headed the rally together with Nisman’s family: her mother Sara Ganfurkel, her former wife Sandra Arroyo Salgado, and her eldest daughters Iara.

Argentine politicians from the opposition also participated in the march as did members of the Jewish community. A large group gathered in front of the AMIA building and then headed to the National Congress.

Marchers showed signs that read “We are all Nisman” and “Justice”. Although the motto of the rally was to march in silence, the Argentine National Anthem was sung several times. Demonstrators also clapped while heading to the Pink House, Government House.

The head of the court workers union Julio Piumato made a small speech once the rally arrived at Plaza de Mayo square. “Our only motto is to march in silence. I ask to please lower your signs and let everyone see,” Piumato said.

“This is our homage to Alberto Nisman. We hope this serves as transition to go past the pain and suffering his death caused us. We accompany his family and we thank the hundreds of thousands that gathered here today,” Piumato concluded.

After the speech, a minute of silence was observed in honor of the late AMIA special prosecutor. Demonstrators then sung the Argentine National Anthem and yelled “never again”.

The rally was recreated in other Argentine cities such as Rosario, Cordoba, Mendoza, Posadas, Mar del Plata, plus other cities from the southern region of the country with big turnouts.

The march in silence had wide coverage in the world media and was followed closely by several governments, including the White House which pointed out it was monitoring the situation in Argentina, according to spokesperson Josh Earnest.

He emphasized that the Obama administration is “concerned” about issues regarding “the rule of law and justice” that have been raised surrounding the apparent suicide of the prosecutor last month, in a country with “strong ties” with the US.