Pope Francis took a jab at the Argentine government for last week’s police crackdown of protestors marching outside Congress while lawmakers inside voted to uphold President Javier Milei’s veto of the pension raise. 

“Workers, people pleading in the streets for their rights. And the police went after them with something that is very expensive, top-notch pepper spray,” the pope remarked, adding ironically that they had “no right to demand what was theirs because they were communists, trouble makers.” 

“The government stood firm: instead of paying for social justice, they paid for pepper spray. It was in their best interest, keep that in mind.”

The pontiff made these remarks at an event on Friday at the Vatican commemorating the 10th anniversary of the first World Meeting of Popular Movements. Among those present at the event was social leader and former Argentine presidential candidate, Juan Grabois, who is close to Pope Francis. 

The protests the pope was referencing caused fury in Argentina due to the fact that a police officer was seen tear gassing a 10-year-old — an episode that caused further outrage after some media outlets and government officials disseminated a misleading video pinning the blame on protesters.

During his speech, Pope Francis lauded the labor of social movements, calling their work “transformative.” He criticized wealth concentration, describing it as a “vice,” and said that “inequality is the root of social problems.”

Along those same lines, the pope once again reiterated the importance of social justice, an idea that President Milei has attacked repeatedly, calling it “unfair” and a way of taking away things from those who are successful. 

“If we don’t have good social justice policies so that everyone can have a roof, work, and food […] the logic of human discardment will grow, leaving violence and desolation in its path,” he stated.