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Police used water canon and batons against peaceful protesters in Buenos Aires as they campaigned to know the whereabouts of ‘disappeared’ human rights activist Santiago Maldonado. Maldonado was last seen at an indigenous-rights demonstration in Patagonia last month, where border police arrived to dismantle a roadblock that had been erected by protesters. Friends and family of Maldonado have accused the Government of allowing Army personnel to forcibly remove him from the protest in August 1. Police deny arresting him, and there are no official records showing he was detained.

Human rights campaigners, union leaders and left-wing groups gathered under the slogan "Donde está Santiago?" (Where is Santiago) as they called for President Mauricio Macri's government to do more to find him. Maldonado's disappearance last month has sparked fury and fear among people in Argentina, who have compared it to 'the disappeared' from the 70s. Under the military junta dictatorship between 1976 and 1983, state repression left more than 30,000 disappeared, according to human rights organisations.

GETTY Police has beaten up protesters and reporters at a demonstration asking for Santiago Maldonado

GETTY Santiago has been missing since August 1

The current government of President Mauricio Macri has said this figure has been 'exaggerated and that the number is far less', sparking a wider conflict with activists and the families of victims. And last week Argentine Security Minister Patricia Bullrich said things had changed since the restoration of democracy in the early 80s. Mrs Bullrich said: "The police are not the same as 40 years ago."

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NC Police used water canon and batons against protesters in Buenos Aires

She added that because protesters had their faces covered, there were no real indications Mr Maldonado had been at the Mapuche raid. During the 1970s dictatorship, police and army forces unlawfully kidnapped and tortured activists, students and journalists, most who have never been found. As Friday's protest disipated, police responded to reports of a small group of people vandalising the streets and burning bins. But now journalists have called Friday night events an attack on the free press as police arrested reporters covering the protest.

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TWITTER • MATIAS COLOMBATTI Journalists were identifying themselves yelling their full name during arrests

Thirty people were detained, including reporters and 23 were wounded, according to the Buenos Aires Press Union (Sipreba). The union has released a statement saying reporters covering the events were badly beaten by police officers before being taken away. Footage shows police marching with water canons and violently throwing protesters into police vans.

GETTY Police in riot gear in the streets of Buenos Aires