Picket leader Luis D' Elía today rejected charges before a court accusing him of blocking traffic and obstructing public services during a massive march to support the government ahead of the June legislative elections.

D'Elía is the head of a pro-government social organization that has repeatedly blocked the streets of the City during demonstrations.

In his testimony before the court, D'Elía rejected the charges aganst him and said he had contacted the head of the SIDE intelligence Bureau Héctor Icazuriaga and Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo to inform them about the protest.

The picketer said that when he asked the officials of the Kirchner administration if any further requirements were necessary, "they answered no."

D'Elía meanwhile testified that it was imposible to ask picketers to free a lane of the avenue during the demonstrations, because "it was very difficult communicate with the others, because we are poor and we don't count with the technology necessary for that purpose."

As he was entering the Court House in downtown Buenos Aires today, he used a threatening tone against City Mayor Mauricio Macri, who D'Elía holds responsible for the charges pressed against him.

"I want to tell Macri: we will never ask permission to carry out a demonstration, because he lacks the power to request it. We will never ask Macri nor anybody else for permission to stage a protest," he said.

The picket leader did not request an authorization of the City government ahead of the demonstration on May 7, when his supporters marched for hours on Rivadavia Ave. - one of the main arteries in the city - between Liniers and Plaza de Mayo, to show their support for the government ahead of the June legislative elections.

They were also pressing the government for more members of their organization in the pro-government slates. The statements in the trial started today and are scheduled to end tomorrow.

D' Elía is charged with obstructing traffic, which is fined in up to 1,000 pesos, and the obstruction of public services, which could send him to jail for up to 10 days, and pay a 5,000 peso fine.