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How the attack on trans sex workers in the Palermo Woods unfolded
In the early hours of Sunday morning, a group of cyclists attacked transgender women who were working as sex workers in the Palermo Woods. The violence is on the rise.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina. In the same week that Buenos Aires prepares for the 35th Pride March, a group of men participating in a nighttime bike ride attacked transgender and transvestite sex workers in the Palermo Woods early Sunday morning. The incident was widely publicized and went viral after the attackers uploaded videos to social media, sparking widespread condemnation.
A trans woman who witnessed the attack told Presentes what she experienced that morning. The girls were “surrounded. It was like a whirlwind, a hurricane. They surrounded all of them at the corner of Ombúes and Bello. You couldn't go in to defend them because there were more than 150 cyclists,” Leticia told Presentes. “It was around three in the morning. I managed to escape because when I saw they were coming with that intention, that they started insulting and shouting and had things in their hands, I ran into the woods.”
The Ombudsman's Office of the City of Buenos Aires informed this agency that several transgender women were injured in the attack. "What we've been able to find out is that at least six of our colleagues were injured. One is quite seriously hurt. Her life is not in danger, but one of her ears is badly damaged," said María Rachid, head of the Institute Against Discrimination at the Ombudsman's Office of the City of Buenos Aires.
“We are working on it and speaking with prosecutor Andrea Verónica Scanga, the prosecutor specializing in discrimination, who has already opened an investigation. Tomorrow we will provide her with the testimony of the women who witnessed the attack, as well as the videos and screenshots we have,” Rachid added.
What is known about the facts
Some of the perpetrators changed their account privacy settings after uploading the videos, while others disseminated versions of events that they will have to prove in court. For example, they "suggested" that they reacted to an attack, when, to date, not a single video exists that records the alleged attack. On the contrary, several videos show the attacks on transgender people from different angles.
They also said that a group separated from the main route of the bike ride organized for Halloween night that toured the City.
The Argentine LGBT+ Federation (FALGBT+) filed a criminal complaint. “We will not tolerate violence or impunity. That is why we have filed a criminal complaint demanding justice and the immediate clarification of the facts. Faced with hatred and attacks, our response is organization and presence in the streets,” they stated on their social media and called for a march on November 7th: “Let pride in the streets be our resistance.”
Ongoing violence
This is not the first time sex workers in that area of the city have been attacked. For over a year, they have repeatedly reported instances of harassment and persecution by the Buenos Aires City Police.
The videos surfaced hours before the Sex Workers' Strike, in which, among other demands, they raised concerns about the attacks and assaults that have intensified in recent months. “We are facing a situation of constant violence. We are constantly receiving videos, messages, and audio recordings denouncing violence by the police and neighbors. In Palermo, in the woods, young men go to the sex work area to assault our colleagues, film them with their cell phones, and upload that content to TikTok or their social media,” described Georgina Orellano, general secretary of the Association of Sex Workers of Argentina (AMMAR). She herself has been arrested on several occasions.
The City's Public Prosecutor's Office , through the North Flagrancy Unit, headed by Ángel Palopoli, is investigating the incident and has ordered an inquiry into the alleged injuries. Sources connected to the investigation informed Presentes that the case is being investigated to determine what happened. A request has been made to access security camera footage from the area and to interview witnesses.
Artists and cultural figures expressed their solidarity with the trans and travesti sex workers who were attacked, using their social media accounts. Among them were María Becerra—who is part of the lineup for the main Pride stage on Saturday—Tini, Lali, and Emilia Mernes.
From the political sphere, provincial senator Mónica Macha (former president of the lower house's women and diversity committee) also spoke out. “They filmed and disseminated the attack as a form of discipline. Hate speech kills, and Milei and Jorge Macri are responsible for sowing hatred, escalating, and deepening the violence.”
Transphobic men attacked trans women because of their gender identity and filmed the assault as a performance to discipline them. We've said it before: hate speech kills, and the state is responsible. This 7th, we march because no one should be afraid to be who they are.
— Monica Macha (@MoniMacha) November 3, 2026
The attack comes amid a national context of defunding policies that include trans and gender-diverse communities, persecution of sex workers, and criminalization of LGBTQ+ people. Between August and October, four sex workers were murdered in the workplace. According to the Adriana Zambrano Observatory at Casa del Encuentro, nine transfemicides have occurred so far this year; while in 2025, according to the FALGBT report, there were 227 hate crimes.
Also amidst a campaign by the Buenos Aires City government, headed by Jorge Macri, of “Law and Order”, which persecutes workers in informal economies, and harasses residents of popular neighborhoods with large operations - as denounced in the last Pride March of the Slums and Trans Diverse in Villa 31 of Retiro.
Meanwhile, Clara Muzzio, the deputy head of government, constantly attacks sexual diversity and promotes the false idea of "gender ideology" to undermine Comprehensive Sex Education. On one occasion, she even stated that there are only "two sexes, male and female." As a result, Congressman Esteban Paulón, demanded that she retracther statement. Far from doing so, she reaffirmed her remarks.
If you were also outraged: how can you help
If this news has outraged you, you can add your condemnation and stop sharing the video of the attack. If you have any evidence that could help clarify the facts, please submit it to the Prosecutor's Office.
Trans and travesti communities need the solidarity of all of society. One way to show this support is by advocating for comprehensive reparations for trans people, demanding compliance with the trans and travesti employment quota, and participating in marches and other activities.
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