Buenos Aires, December 23 (teleSUR-RHC)-- Argentinian military police used clubs and water cannons against workers occupying a busy Buenos Aires highway on Tuesday, the fifth day of their protest over unpaid wages.    

Security forces attacked the demonstrators, employees of the poultry company Cresta Roja, and injured several with rubber bullets.  Cristian Villalba, a workers’ delegate, called the crackdown "brutal."

Labor Minister Jorge Triaca accused the workers of having violated a judge’s decision on Monday to re-open the highway.    

A large brigade of military police arrived at the highway with water cannons and clubs, leaving the employees to defend themselves with stones and other objects until they relented and withdrew.     

Secretary of Security Eugenio Burzaco warned that the government will seek "to end the total blocking" of roads, highways and avenues and claimed that "the law exists to be executed." 

Employees began the protest on Wednesday last week, took a weekend break and resumed the rally on Monday, still without a solution. The delegates marched to the central Plaza de Mayo after negotiations with government failed on Monday.

Police troops reportedly assaulted workers physically and verbally in an attempt to shut down an arts center.   

When councilor Juliet Martinez Molto joined policymaker Gustavo Matias at the site, both suffered physical abuse, according to Daniel Ruiz, an activist who was also assaulted.        

"They beat Matias and handcuffed him then he was beaten again and detained at the police station. There were three others already there who were brutally attacked. Another group was taken to the police station in Munro," he said. "It should be noted that one of the them is a disabled person ... Two members of the infantry appeared, as well as police cars without license plates," he continued.     

The shutdown and repression were ordered by the mayor of the Vicente Lopez municipality, Jorge Macri, he added. 

President Mauricio Macri swore in 12 days ago, but his policies have already caused a series of demonstrations that criticize his economic, social and international stances.   Macri’s debut in MERCOSUR was dedicated to attacking Venezuela, and other public speeches focused on negotiating with vulture funds and the European Union.