Protests by the jobless happen almost daily

The crowd headed for the main square in the capital, Buenos Aires, to call for more benefits for the poor and jobless.

The square was the scene of violent clashes that finally forced President Fernando de la Rua from office.

His departure on 20 December 2001 followed weeks of demonstrations against economic austerity measures.

Firecracker

The current president, Nestor Kirchner, is hugely popular, but has faced protests by the unemployed.

Many Argentines, tired of traffic chaos caused by the protesters' blockades, have called on the president to take a tougher stance.

Saturday's march was the culmination of two days of protests. The crowd heard criticism the International Monetary Fund and rejection of a proposed continent-wide trading zone.

"Ours is a call for social justice and a job," Juan Carlos Alderete, leader of a militant unemployed group told Reuters.

The protests have been peaceful. In the only incident, a firecracker exploded in a dustbin on Saturday, reportedly injuring at least 21 people -11 of them seriously.

It is not clear who planted the device, or why.

Slow recovery

Demonstrations by groups of jobless - known as piqueteros or picketers - have become an almost daily occurrence since Argentina's economy collapsed in 2001.

The economy is slowly recovering but unemployment still exceeds 14%. Indeed, activists say it is much higher because the government counts welfare recipients as employed.

Two years ago, the violence left 27 people dead. Cabinet chief Alberto Fernandez urged people to protest peacefully as they recalled the events of December 2001.

"Today, Argentines should reflect on what happened because it was a tragic day in terms of the number of lives lost and its impact on the country's institutions," he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.