Argentine retirees and football fans clashed with police on Wednesday during a protest outside Congress in Buenos Aires, voicing opposition to the economic policies of President Javier Milei's government.
What began as a peaceful demonstration quickly escalated into violence as protesters threw stones, prompting police to respond with water cannons, tear gas and rubber pellets.
For weeks, retirees in Buenos Aires have staged weekly protests demanding higher pensions due to their struggling living conditions. While past demonstrations saw minor incidents, including the use of tear gas against the elderly, Wednesday's protest marked an unprecedented escalation.
The government of far-right President Javier Milei, who has championed public spending cuts since taking power a year and a half ago, had warned of restrictions on entry to stadiums for those who cause disorder.
Police deployed shotguns and water hoses ahead of the scheduled 5 p.m. protest.
Clashes erupted when a large group of Boca Juniors fans, waving flags and chanting in support of the retirees, arrived. Police formed a cordon to block their advance toward Congress.
At the rear, a group of elderly protesters was pushed back by high-pressure water cannons fired by two tanks at the perimeter closest to the Legislative Assembly.
In an unprecedented show of unity, fans from Boca Juniors, River Plate and other Argentine football clubs joined pensioners, who gather outside Congress every Wednesday to protest the government's austerity measures.
Surrounded by police, protesters chanted, "Don’t touch the elderly." A man draped in the Argentine flag held a sign that read, "Help me fight. You’ll be the next elderly person."
A resolution published Wednesday by Argentina's Ministry of Security bans anyone who engages in violent behavior or disrupts security, traffic or public order from entering football stadiums.
This means that fans involved in Wednesday's riots will be barred from attending their team's games for a period set by the authorities.
