# Mar del Plata security protests

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/mar-del-plata-security-protests
> Updated: 2026-08-11T11:17:00.000Z. Sources: 14. Developments: 3.

In late July 2026, residents of Argentina’s coastal city of Mar del Plata organized a citywide cacerolazo, ringing pots from their homes at 9 p.m. on July 30. Promoted on social media with the slogan “Cacerolazo ante la total falta de seguridad en Mar del Plata,” the protest highlighted a surge in robberies, break-ins and assaults that locals said affected every district and hour of the day. Organisers demanded greater police patrols and an effective security strategy.

On 5 August, after three murders occurred within 24 hours, the community staged a march to the provincial police headquarters. Demonstrators confronted police barriers, calling for increased patrols, faster investigations, stronger security measures and changes to laws they claim protect perpetrators. Governor Elías Suárez responded by convening an expanded cabinet meeting to review public policies, including security initiatives. Former Buenos Aires provincial police chief Marcelo Di Pasqua criticised the authorities for criminalising demonstrators and for broader systemic shortcomings in patrol resources and security policy.

By mid-August, insecurity continued to escalate in specific neighborhoods. In Tolosa, residents have begun installing electric fences after finding traditional measures like alarms and cameras insufficient. Local assemblies expressed frustration after a planned meeting with officials from the Buenos Aires Ministry of Security failed to materialize, alongside concerns regarding the reassignment of local police officers. In the Bernardino Rivadaviano neighborhood, residents reported recurring thefts of water, gas, and electricity meters, with security footage capturing individuals on bicycles stealing water meters and causing local flooding.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-11: Insecurity rises in Mar del Plata neighborhoods

Residents in Mar del Plata neighborhoods are facing increased crime, leading some in Tolosa to install electric fences and others in Bernardino Rivadaviano to report frequent utility meter thefts.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/insecurity-rises-in-mar-del-plata-neighborhoods

### 2026-08-05: Mar del Plata residents protest insecurity, demand police action

Provincial officials in Argentina held a cabinet meeting, while residents in Mar del Plata protested rising crime, demanding more police presence. Balcarce’s mayor sought a new security force, and Chacabuco’s ‑

8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/mar-del-plata-residents-protest-over-rising-violence

### 2026-07-29: Mar del Plata residents hold citywide cacerolazo over insecurity

Mar del Plata citizens organized a citywide cacerolazo on July 30 at 9 p.m., banging pots from their homes to demand stronger police presence and action against rising crime.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/mar-del-plata-residents-hold-citywide-cacerolazo-over-insecurity

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Cite as: Mar del Plata security protests. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/mar-del-plata-security-protests