Argentines rally again over crime

Tens of thousands of Argentines fed up with rampant crime staged a huge protest rally outside a central courthouse to demand that authorities get tough on violent offenders.

On Thursday, Juan Carlos Blumberg, whose 23-year-old son Axel was slain by kidnappers last month, led long columns of marchers carrying white candles to the Tribunal building in downtown Buenos Aires, snarling traffic in an orderly but noisy nighttime rally.

Though smaller than an earlier rally on April 1 that drew 130,000 people to Congress, the peaceful outpouring signaled ongoing public outrage with the government's response to unchecked crime.

Kidnappings for ransom are frequent in Argentina, but they normally end in the exchange of the victim for the cash. The Argentine public was outraged at Axel Blumberg's slaying, the first murder connected with an abduction in eight months.

Blumberg exhorted Argentine's judges to prosecute more violent criminals and put them away for longer terms.

"I have come here to ask for justice for all!" Blumberg shouted, amid the glow of thousands of candles. "We all must fight to create a safer society."

He demanded that authorities declare a "judicial emergency" and dedicate new resources to bringing criminal cases to trial and conclusion.

"Some cases take years to solve and when justice comes late, it's no longer just," Blumberg added to loud applause.

In addition to higher prosecution rates, he also demanded more jury trials in cases of homicide and deadly kidnappings -- rather than trial before a judge.

"May the same people who suffer the consequences of crime be the jury!" he declared.

Blumberg's son's death shocked many Argentines and helped galvanize growing public anger in this country of 36 million against spiraling crime.

Many here say they are angry with politics-as-usual, police corruption and a seemingly endless spree of kidnappings, carjackings and brazen robberies.

Polls suggest rising crime and public insecurity are an even greater concern than the country's recovery from a deep economic crisis. Argentina had long prided itself on being one of the continent's safest.

Police statistics show that a kidnapping was reported every 48 hours in the Buenos Aires area.

More than 400 cases of kidnapping were reported nationwide last year.