In the city of La Plata, the capital of Buenos Aires province, a protest was held on Friday morning. A group of relatives of police and prison service personnel gathered in the city center to demand salary increases and better working conditions. According to the Argentine News Agency, the rally took place around 10:00 AM in front of the headquarters of the Government of the Province of Buenos Aires, near Plaza San MartÃn. The protesters stated that their demonstration gained momentum after a protest by officers in the city of Rosario a few days prior, creating a 'contagion effect' among other security forces in the country. In this context, the relatives pointed out that many officers of the Buenos Aires Police and the Buenos Aires Prison Service earn salaries that do not reach one million pesos, which, they indicated, is below the poverty line. In addition to the salary demand, they highlighted the precarious working conditions and demanded the opening of dialogue tables with provincial authorities. "We are not leaving until the officials meet with us," one of the protesters stated during the demonstration. Although a larger turnout was expected, the organizers noted that fear of disciplinary sanctions and the opening of internal affairs files may have deterred many officers from participating directly, so in many cases, their relatives stepped in to represent them. They also recalled that in previous protests, some officers faced criminal charges for demonstrating, which has increased the climate of concern within the force. During the event, posters and flags with slogans related to salary increases and labor improvements were displayed, but as of now, no official responses or proposals for a solution have been reported from the authorities.
