Buenos Aires ( CNN ) -- Throngs of people banged pots and pans Thursday , as they protested government policies in Argentina . The massive march was the latest in a series of `` cacerolazos , '' protests named for the cooking pots participants hit to draw attention to problems they say are growing in the South American nation , including crime rates , inflation and political corruption . Many demonstrators said a key issue drove them to the streets : the possibility that President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner could push through changes to the country 's constitution and run for re-election . `` The people got tired , they really got tired of the government 's lies , '' said Arturo Feldman , a 23-year-old student who joined the protest near Buenos Aires ' iconic obelisk . Demonstrators there packed a 14-block stretch on the city 's central avenue , waving Argentinian flags and signs that said , `` Enough Insecurity , '' `` No to Re-election '' and `` Liberty . '' It 's a scene that 's played out on the streets of Argentina 's capital for months . And on Thursday , it went global . The sound of clanking pans rang out in a Miami-area neighborhood known as Little Buenos Aires . Other marches were scheduled in international locations including New York , London , Madrid , Paris and Rome . Argentina 's La Nacion newspaper reported Thursday that protesters demonstrated in Sydney , Australia . Are you there ? Share your stories , images and videos . In Miami , protesters waved signs that said , `` We are not afraid '' and `` We do n't want a communist Argentina . '' `` We are here simply to support all Argentinians , '' organizer Christian Ferreyra told CNN en EspaÃ±ol . Protester Romina Daviani said a variety of reasons , including high crime and inflation in Argentina , had brought them to the streets . `` But above all , the need for dialogue , '' she said . `` We can not express ourselves . If you express a different opinion , they pursue you . '' Police estimated about 300 people turned out in Miami . The protests , which started in Buenos Aires in June , have drawn sharp criticism from supporters of the Argentinian president . Many took to social media on Thursday to denounce the demonstrations . Some decry what they call a right-wing push to defame the president or overthrow the government . Others say protesters have no clear message . Argentina 's government has avoided directly acknowledging the protests . But on Thursday morning , Fernandez 's official Facebook page noted that her country is a democracy where people are free to express their opinions . `` So the only thing I ask is that to each Argentinian , and mainly their leaders , let everyone really say what they think and what they want for the country , with sincerity . Nobody is going to be offended or be bothered , '' Fernandez wrote . `` Well , if there is a group that demands certain things , you have to take the lead and speak clearly . Now please , let no one pretend that I have become contradictory with my own policies , which I have defended since I was 16 years old , the policies and the country that I believe in . '' Past demonstrations have been nonpartisan , but this time some opposition leaders have made their opinions known . Buenos Aires Mayor Mauricio Macri tweeted Monday that he planned to participate . Fernandez 's popularity has been in decline since her re-election last year , due in part to economic problems . Officially , Argentina 's annual inflation rate is 12 % , but most analysts and consumers suspect it is much higher . In September , the International Monetary Fund gave Argentina three months to provide more reliable estimates . Thursday 's protests come about a week after Argentinian lawmakers passed a new measure lowering the nation 's voting age from 18 to 16 . Some critics have said the voting-age change , a year before a key mid-term election in Argentina , is an attempt by Fernandez 's party to garner more votes and increase the odds that lawmakers will change the constitution to allow her re-election bid . Many demonstrators Thursday said they would oppose such a move . `` The constitution should be respected , not be reformed , '' said Francisco Bugallo , who helped organize the Buenos Aires protest . Rosendo Fraga , a political analyst based in Buenos Aires , said that the cacerolazo protests will affect the country 's political future . `` They will without a doubt influence the mid-term elections . ... There 's a lot of time before those elections , '' he said , `` but this gives the opposition an opportunity . '' CNN 's Adriana Hauser , Jose Manuel Rodriguez , Gustavo Valdes and Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report .
Demonstrators pack a 14-block stretch in Buenos Aires . The protests are known as `` cacerolazos , '' named for the pots participants bang . Protesters criticize President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner 's government . `` The constitution should be respected , not reformed , '' one organizer says .