The Lawyer for the Buenos Aires Police Officers Who Protested Reported Threats and Coercion.

Yesterday, the ultra-Kirchnerist government of Axel Kicillof decided to dismiss and file criminal charges against 18 members of the Bonaerense Police who in recent days carried out a protest related to salary and workplace improvements.

The officers, who served in the districts of Ituzaingó and Tres de Febrero, were also judicially accused of the alleged "crime of sedition".

Today, when interviewed by the media outlet La Nación, Rodrigo Tripolone, the defense attorney for the Bonaerense Police officers who protested against Kicillof over insecurity and poor salaries, revealed that there are liberated zones because Kicillof continues to remove officers.

"They were charged with a criminal case for breach of public official duties and public intimidation. It's absurd what they did with the aim of intimidating the Force, at a time when insecurity is hitting the people of Buenos Aires very hard," the lawyer commented.

"Yesterday Ituzaingó was left with uncovered areas because there were no officers to cover them, because the entire shift was removed from the Force," he added, criticizing the actions of Kicillof's Kirchnerist government.

Additionally, the lawyer reported threats and pressure toward him or the police officers protesting against Axel Kicillof. "Gabriela is at Puente 12. She is a retired police officer and is suffering the consequences of demanding her rights. But today, they went further and she reports that she was allegedly called and threatened with being killed along with her daughter if she didn't desist," he reported on social media.

The protests

During the protest, the officers publicly expressed their demands, which include a 100% salary increase, better working conditions, freedom to choose their health insurance, and free access to psychological assistance.

They also requested the reinstatement of sanctioned officers by the Kirchnerist government in previous protests and the end of reprisals against those who participated in the mobilization. However, the warning of a possible lockdown was what caused the greatest concern in the provincial Ministry of Security.

The discontent within the police force is not new, but this time the demands were presented with a list of specific requirements. Among them are:

• Initial salary of $1,600,000 for newly graduated officers.
• Increase in overtime hours (known as "Cores").
• Retirement with 100% salary after 25 years of service.
• Provision of two complete sets of uniforms annually.
• Creation of housing plans and access to low-interest loans.

Additionally, the protesters pointed out that the base salary of an officer is currently 512 dollars (about $600,000 at the current exchange rate), a figure completely insufficient for those who risk their lives for good citizens, and it's not enough to cover the cost of living.