Protest at Buenos Aires Obelisk ends in demonstrator's death

A protest by the organisations Votamos Luchar and Rebelión Popular at the Obelisk on Thursday ended in the death of a man who passed out while being detained by the City Police.

According to the groupings, "they were holding a rally against the electoral farce and in favour of popular democracy when the Police charged against the demonstrators, seriously injuring one and arresting others."

"The seriously injured comrade is Facundo Molares. He was transferred without signs of life after having been savagely beaten up," underlined the organisations in a communiqué.

According to what could be observed in videos at the time, one of the demonstrators who was being arrested and pinned down by police officers on the ground, passed out and had to be administered artificial respiration until the ambulance arrived. His death was confirmed minutes later.

"We hold the governments of [Horacio Rodríguez] Larreta and [Axel] Kicillof responsible for the order to repress. In moments of profound crisis the governments are bent on advancing against those of us who struggle while they continue repressing and starving [people], " pointed out the groupings.

The SAME emergency service reported: "A man aged between 40 and 45 without documentation was transferred to Ramos Mejia Hospital from the Obelisk. For more than half an hour attempts were made to revive him until his death was confirmed. The causes of his death were related to a heart attack produced by risk factors. The corpse was transferred to the morgue for the corresponding autopsy." 

Confirmation of the death of the leftist militant demonstrator caused the protest to grow while tension grew. The organisations also assured that six arrests had been made.

– TIMES/NA