MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentines Bang Pots to Protest Crime.

Thousands of Argentines banged pots and pans on street corners and apartment balconies across the capital Friday to protest rising crime in Argentina.

The protests, led by mothers of recent crime victims, began noisily but ended peacefully in several neighbourhoods across Buenos Aires. Hundreds crowded in front of the Olivos presidential compound, demanding government action to stem the crime wave.

"The government has to do something and do it now!" one woman shouted.

Others carried banners with photos of men, women, and children victimized by a crime wave marked by an upsurge in ransom kidnappings, street hold-ups and robberies.

On the streets, many honked their horns in support of the protest.

This capital, once considered one of the region's safest, has seen crime escalate in step with a deep economic crisis. Bank heists, street hold-ups and taxi cab robberies make daily headlines since a recession began in 1998.

President Nestor Kirchner recently ordered more police patrols on the streets in a bid to improve security.

But complaints of police inefficiency and corruption within the ranks have fueled a groundswell of popular support for tougher policing of the country.