Overview

• Retirees protesting pension cuts were joined by football fans in an unprecedented alliance outside Argentina's Congress in Buenos Aires.
• Police used tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons to disperse the crowd, which included elderly individuals and organized football fan groups known as 'barras bravas.'
• The protest escalated into violence, with cars set on fire, stones thrown, and barricades erected; over 100 people were detained, and dozens injured, including a photographer critically hurt by a tear gas canister.
• President Javier Milei's austerity measures, including pension cuts and reduced access to free medications, have drawn widespread criticism for disproportionately affecting retirees.
• Security Minister Patricia Bullrich defended the police response, labeling protesters as violent agitators, while opposition leaders condemned the government's handling of the situation as excessive and repressive.