A crowd of residents from Mar del Plata took to the streets this Wednesday to demand answers regarding the rise in insecurity and held the government of Axel Kicillof responsible following a brutal series of 3 homicides recorded in the last 48 hours.
The demonstration gathered family members of victims, delivery workers, merchants, and neighbors who have suffered various criminal incidents. The group marched nearly 2,000 meters through the city center and passed by the Municipal Palace before heading to the headquarters of the Departmental Police Chief, located at Entre Ríos and Gascón.
In front of the police station, moments of maximum tension and police repression were experienced. Around 150 protesters broke through the perimeter fencing and attempted to approach the authorities to demand explanations. Members of the Buenos Aires Infantry Corps blocked access, leading to shoving and scuffles.
The protest was driven by the families of the victims of three murders that occurred over the last weekend. One of them was the femicide of Mailén Antonich, a young woman who had attended a supposed job interview and was found dead a day and a half later, with a stab wound in her back and signs of an attempted sexual assault. Two people have been arrested in connection with the case.
Alberto Rodríguez, an Uber driver, was also killed when criminals shot him to steal his car and belongings. So far, there have been no arrests in this crime. The third victim was Ricardo Ruiz, the owner of a hardware store in the Islas Malvinas neighborhood. Two criminals on a motorcycle entered to rob him and shot him when he tried to resist.
The protesters also demanded action in front of the Municipal Palace, where they found the doors closed and a heavy police presence. Later, after the incidents and repression, a small group of representatives was received by authorities from the Departmental Police Chief's office.
The mobilization once again highlighted the growing social frustration regarding the insecurity plaguing the province of Buenos Aires. While families demand justice and concrete measures, Kicillof's Kirchnerist administration continues to fail to provide a response capable of halting the advance of criminals.
