Riot Police Use Tear Gas, Rubber Bullets, and Water Cannons Against Protesters in Buenos Aires
Riot police deployed tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons to disperse demonstrators protesting pension cuts in Buenos Aires.
At least 15 people were injured and over 100 arrested in Argentina after clashes erupted between police, football fans, and retirees during a protest in the capital against economic policies, including pension cuts, implemented by President Javier Milei.
On Wednesday, riot police in Buenos Aires responded to stone-throwing protesters with tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons. Authorities reported that the injured were taken to hospitals, including a police officer who was shot and a protester hit in the head by a tear gas canister.
Retirees, who have been gathering weekly to protest the cuts to their pensions since Milei took office in late 2023, joined forces with football fans from various clubs for the demonstration. The protests gained momentum after a video went viral showing an elderly man in a football jersey being beaten by police, leading thousands to join the rally.
José, a pensioner who participated, told Al Jazeera that retirees have been denied access to medicine and faced severe pension reductions. Football fans were further incensed after Argentina’s Ministry of Security issued a resolution on Wednesday banning anyone involved in traffic disruptions, security breaches, or "violent behaviour" from entering soccer stadiums.
Protesters chanted, “Milei, garbage, you are the dictatorship!” comparing his administration to Argentina’s 1976-1983 military government. Clashes broke out near the Congress building and the iconic Plaza de Mayo. Among the injured, photojournalist Pablo Grillo sustained life-threatening injuries after being hit by a projectile while taking pictures. His father, Fabian, blamed Milei’s government for the incident.
Drastic Austerity Measures
The demonstrators, many waving national flags and images of the late football legend Diego Maradona, faced a heavy security presence outside Congress. Riot police, supported by officers on motorbikes, spent over two hours clearing a central avenue of protesters who threw firecrackers, stun grenades, and stones from broken sidewalks. A patrol car and garbage bins were set ablaze, and several streets were barricaded with debris.
A video of a police officer pushing and striking an elderly woman, who fell to the ground with a bleeding head, circulated widely on social media. Emotions ran high as the trial of seven medical staff accused of homicide in Maradona’s 2020 death began on Tuesday.
Maradona, who died alone in a rented house in Buenos Aires after brain surgery, is at the center of allegations of criminal negligence against his medical team.
Amid a year of severe austerity, pensioners have been hit the hardest, with pension increases lagging far behind inflation. Nearly 60% of retirees receive only the minimum pension, equivalent to approximately $340 per month. Last year, Milei vetoed a law that would have increased pensions, albeit by less than inflation.
The protests underscored growing discontent with Milei’s policies, as demonstrators continue to demand economic relief and justice for those affected by the austerity measures.
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