Argentine Photojournalist Critically Injured Amid Violent Anti-Milei Protest

March 13, 2025 – Agentina – 

Argentine photojournalist Pablo Grillo was critically injured while covering a protest in Buenos Aires against President Javier Milei’s austerity measures. Grillo, a member of the Association of Graphic Reporters of the Argentine Republic (aRGra), was struck in the head by a tear gas grenade fired by police during clashes between demonstrators and security forces. He underwent emergency surgery and remains in critical condition.

The protest, primarily organized by retirees demanding higher pensions and the restoration of certain free medications cut by Milei’s government, escalated when football fans joined the demonstration. Riot police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons, leading to at least 45 injuries and 124 arrests.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the attack on Grillo, highlighting it as part of a broader pattern of police repression against journalists under the “anti-picket protocol” implemented by the Milei administration. The Buenos Aires Press Union (SiPreBA) reported that at least 15 journalists were obstructed from reporting during the protest, with several injured by rubber bullets, others suffering the effects of tear gas, and some beaten with batons.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Argentine authorities to investigate the incident and hold those responsible accountable. The attack on Grillo has raised concerns about the safety of journalists in Argentina and the increasing use of force against media workers.

This incident underscores the growing tensions between the Argentine government and the press, with increasing reports of violence and intimidation against journalists covering protests and dissenting voices.