Five people were detained on Sunday in Buenos Aires after anti-Semitic demonstrators violently confronted members of Argentina’s Jewish community outside the Israeli embassy. The attack, which occurred during celebrations marking the 61st anniversary of the founding of Israel, left four people injured and provoked concerns of rising anti-Semitism.
According to Israel’s ambassador to Argentina, Daniel Gazit, the protestors came equipped with clubs, a knife and a pistol for what he described as a non-political demonstration and “violence for the sake of violence.”
The government was quick to denounce the violence and contend that it is being perpetrated by a small, isolated group. However, further protests broke out on Tuesday demanding the release of those detained after Sunday’s violence. The protestors are members of a group called the Revolutionary Action Front.