The episode involving antisemitic chants during a graduation trip in Bariloche was not an isolated incident
Nuevo
Agregar La Derecha Diario en
Compartir:
The video in which a group of students sang "Today we burn Jews" during a graduation trip in Bariloche exposed a serious situation of antisemitism. According to attorney Jorge Monastersky, this was not an isolated incident, but rather the culmination of days of harassment against ORT students.Both schools arrived in Bariloche on the same day and shared a hotel. Since then, provocations and verbal assaults were repeated constantly. "Jew this, Jew that. There's no way to take it as a joke; these are antisemitic expressions," said Monastersky, who also reported that the mockery escalated into physical fights.
From taunts to violence
According to the complaint, there were two confrontations between the groups. The first ended with an apology considered insincere. The second, which occurred on the last night, took place in the hotel lobby after an incident with a water bottle. "Why do I have to ask you for permission, Jew?" was the phrase that triggered the fight, minutes before the chants were recorded on the bus.
For Monastersky, the young people "were fully aware of what they were doing, because they would stop when they realized they could be sanctioned."
Cánticos antisemitas: denuncian agresiones previas de alumnos a estudiantes de la ORT
Judicial complaints and legal framework
The events led to three complaints: one from DAIA, another from the Minister of Justice, Mariano Cúneo Libarona, and a third filed by Monastersky. The attorney pursued the case under Law 23.592, which punishes discriminatory acts and provides for sentences of up to three years in prison.
DAIA emphasized that "discrimination is a crime and the justice system will determine those responsible." Cúneo Libarona, meanwhile, also took action against the travel agency Baxtter and its coordinators, also requesting the removal of the video from social media.
Baxtter Viajes's response
Cánticos antisemitas: denuncian agresiones previas de alumnos a estudiantes de la ORT
The student travel company Baxtter, singled out because a coordinator appears encouraging the students, issued a statement on social media categorically rejecting the chants. However, it did not report any sanctions against the staff involved.
Later, they released images of a meeting with DAIA leaders, in which they claimed to have addressed the issue of antisemitism. In that context, a woman identified as Jennifer, responsible for another graduation trip, defended the company and stated that "they were not aware of the existence of the video" nor could they "take responsibility for comments made by 17-year-old students."
A case that reopens the debate on youth discrimination
The Bariloche incident raised alarms in Argentine society, where antisemitism is a criminal offense. The judicial investigation will have to determine the individual responsibilities of the students and the role of the travel company in supervision.
