MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Tens of thousands rally against crime in Argentina.

Tens of thousands of Argentines rallied Thursday night in this capital for the second time in less than a month to express solidarity with the father of a young man slain by his kidnappers and demand they be brought to justice.

About 70,000 people gathered outside the Justice Palace, site of the Supreme Court, in downtown Buenos Aires.. They rallied to protest the high crime rate and insecurity in Argentina.

Textile engineer Juan Carlos Blumberg, who organized the rally in memory of his son, presented a petition to Cesar Belluscio, deputy chief justice of the Supreme Court, with a series of proposals to adopt tougher anti-crime measures.

The petition demands authorities take swifter and tougher action against "aberrant" crimes, including rape, kidnapping and murder.

Blumberg proposed electing by popular vote prosecutors and police commissioners, establishing jury trials for aberrant crimes and entrance exams monitored by independent panels for those seeking to work in the legal system to "prevent the appointments of relatives and friends." He became the driving force behind demonstrations for tougher anti-crime measures after the murder of his 23-year-old son, Axel, who was kidnapped for ransom on March 16 on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. Axel's body was found six days later with a bullet in his head.

A week after the murder, in the largest congregation of its kind in Argentine history, 150,000 people held a candlelight vigil organized by Blumberg in front of the Congress to demand tougher security measures and longer prison sentences for violent criminals. The massive rally, which was replicated in smaller numbers in cities across the country, forced lawmakers to deliberate before Holy Week, when the legislative building is normally virtually deserted, to address the citizenry's demands.

Lawmakers raised by a third prison sentences for armed crimes, rapes and kidnappings, and they repealed reduced sentencing and parole benefits for criminals convicted of kidnapping, rape or murder.

President Nestor Kirchner ordered Justice Minister Gustavo Beliz to draft a national security plan addressing some of the demands Blumberg included in his petition, which was signed by some 2.5 million people.