Argentina’s Milei rushed from rally after protesters throw rocks

Argentine President Javier Milei was forced to cut short a rally in Buenos Aires province on Wednesday after protesters hurled rocks, bottles and other objects at his vehicle.

Milei and his sister Karina, who serves as his general secretary, were standing on the back of an open pick-up truck in Lomas de Zamora when the crowd turned violent. Witnesses reported seeing objects fly towards the president as demonstrators tried to push through.

A photo shared by presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni on X circled what appeared to be a rock aimed at Milei.

Video showed the truck speeding away as chants of “Out with Milei!” rang out. One protester carried a mock suitcase stuffed with fake dollar bills and Karina Milei’s face on it, a jab at the bribery scandal that has dogged the president’s sister.

AFP reported that a Milei supporter was injured in clashes and taken to hospital with broken ribs. No officials in the truck were hurt.

Milei responded online, lashing out at his rivals:

“The empty-headed nutters throwing rocks resorted to violence again. On September 7 and October 26, let’s say at the polls: KIRCHNERISM NEVER AGAIN.”
In another post, he added: “Civilisation or barbarity.”

The incident comes just weeks before crucial elections: local races in Buenos Aires province on September 7 and national midterms on October 26.

Milei, elected in 2023 on a promise to slash Argentina’s bloated state, has since pushed through sweeping deregulation, austerity cuts and mass layoffs. He famously waved a chainsaw at campaign rallies to symbolise his war on bureaucracy. Supporters hail his efforts to tame inflation, but critics warn poverty and unemployment are worsening.

Adding to the backlash are bribery allegations against Karina Milei. Audio recordings surfaced of Diego Spagnuolo, then-head of the National Disability Agency and a Milei ally, claiming Karina pocketed a cut from state contracts. Milei has fired Spagnuolo and dismissed the claims:

“Everything he says is a lie. We are going to bring him to justice and prove he lied,” the president told reporters on Wednesday.

Despite the scandal, Milei stood shoulder to shoulder with his sister at the rally, both waving to supporters before being rushed away.