Peaceful protests hit G20 in Argentina

That's what the black posters say as they call for a national protest of rejection against the G20 and the International Monetary Fund (IMF, in Spanish FMI). Angela Merkel arrived late after technical issues forced her to switch planes. She joined the leaders of other industrialized nations such as China, Russia, and the US, at an annual summit on world trade that also draws counterprotesters.

Argentina is the first South American nation to host the G20 summit, and national officials said they would not tolerate violence or disruptions. Last year's summit in Hamburg featured violent and destructive protests as police struggled to contain militant anti-capitalist demonstrators. Some 22,000 Argentine police were standing at the ready in case the weekend protests escalated.

Police, coast guard and border patrol officers roped off a 12-square-kilometer (5-square-mile) area near the Buenos Aires convention center, where the summit is taking place. Much of the capital was placed on lockdown, with public transport suspended. Argentine politicians recommended locals leave town ahead of expected protests by labor unions, rights groups and left-leaning activists.

Left-wing activists from France, Germany, Italy and other countries came to Buenos Aires to protest what they see as free-trade practices that are detrimental to individuals' well-being around the world. Some painted themselves as national flags.

Many protesters took aim at Trump, chanting, "Go away Trump" and creating effigies of the US president, such as this rendition above made of recycled materials. An inflatable blimp showing a baby Trump in a diaper, like the one that flew over London this summer, also made an appearance. While foreign officials say Trump is blocking global trade, protesters accuse him of exploitative capitalism.