Argentine Security Forces Disperse Protest Against 'Inviolability of Private Property' Bill

Security forces used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons against demonstrators in downtown Buenos Aires on Thursday, eventually dispersing the crowd which was protesting a new law pushed by the government of President Javier Milei. Several thousand demonstrators, mobilized by left-wing groups and labor unions, rallied outside the Argentine Senate against the "Inviolability of Private Property" bill, which is currently under debate. According to EFE news agency, the protest had been peaceful before police intervened. AFP news agency, however, reported that some protesters threw stones and other projectiles at officers. Why are Argentinians opposing Milei's private property bill? The new bill aims to streamline eviction procedures, change the rules on rural land use and install new limits on government seizing private property. The proposal would have also raised the limit of land that could be owned by foreign buyers from 15% to 25%. Amid growing backlash, however, the ruling party removed the chapter on foreigners buying land. Milei's government hopes the reform would help the country attract investment, but rivals of the libertarian leader warn against "colonization, fragmentation, fracture and balkanization" of Argentina. On Thursday, protesters carried placards reading: "The homeland is not for sale." "Defending our territory is crucial … We must take to the streets to protest. It is our Argentina that we must defend; it is not for sale," Marcela Arin, who traveled from the southern province of Neuquen to join the protest in Buenos Aires, told EFE. Nearly 5% of Argentina's territory — an area similar in size to England — is already foreign-owned, according to a 2025 study by researchers from the University of Buenos Aires and other academic institutions. The study said that in some districts the percentage of foreign owners already exceeds the current 15% cap. Edited by: Darko Janjevic