Liam Payne’s Argentinian fans march for justice in death inquest

On By Littum

The echoing voices of a group of 30 Liam Payne fans – holding up signs and posters bearing the late One Direction star’s face – echoed through a busy street in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Saturday afternoon as they called for justice for the Paynes death investigation.

“¡Justicia by Liam! ¡Justicia af Liam!” they repeated in unison outside the courthouse, some holding back tears and others screaming in earnest: “No to impunity! No to impunity!”

The march, which included fans from all over Buenos Aires, called for significant and timely progress in the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Payne’s death. Wearing white T-shirts and holding up posters of Payne’s face, the fans first gathered in Plaza Libertad before walking to the courthouse.

Monday marked exactly two months since Payne died of multiple trauma and internal bleeding after falling from the third floor balcony of the CasaSur Palermo hotel. In November, prosecutors identified alcohol, cocaine and a prescribed antidepressant in Payne’s system at the time of his death, according to a toxicology report. But many questions still haunt the case and the circumstances that led to his death. Saturday’s march was sparked specifically after a photo leaked online appeared to show Payne being carried by three hotel workers back to his room, reportedly just minutes before he fell from the balcony of a third-floor room at CasaSur Palermo – the hotel in Buenos Aires.

Payne fans march and chant “¡Justicia por Liam!” in front of a courthouse in Buenos Aires on Saturday

Segismundo Trivero/Rolling Stone Argentina

“We were all very upset by those pictures,” says Valentina Loredanna Bracho, one of the march’s organizers. Rolling Stone. “You can tell by that picture that the hotel could have done more to save him… They cared more about the image of the lobby than the actual well-being of one of its guests.”

Just days before the march, two hotel workers – the receptionist and the hotel’s manager – were charged in the case and are being investigated for alleged negligence leading to wrongful death.

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“We also don’t have much faith in the justice system,” adds Jennifer Melian, another organizer. “It takes years for justice in some cases here, and it’s taking far too long in this one.”

Most of the fans who gathered on Saturday directed their anger at the hotel staff, with a fan poster that read in English: “Why did they take him passed out in the room and (not) call and wait for an ambulance?” Some fans pointed to Payne’s Argentinian friend, who recently spoke to TMZ, while others held up pictures of the two people accused of supplying the singer with drugs.

“We want to put pressure and show them that we’re watching,” said Alex Silva, who traveled three hours by bus from the Buenos Aires suburb of Alejandro Korn to lead the march and visit the memorial for Payne. “They think we’re stupid for not knowing what’s going on, but we’re very informed about the case and the investigation.”

For Silva, calling for justice in Payne’s death is more personal. In 2017, Silva’s nine-year-old brother Jonathan Gabriel was killed after being hit by a car after the two got off a bus. Silva says he was in a coma for four days after the incident and broke several bones. Amidst tears, Silva recounts how the case was ultimately thrown out and how the driver faced no consequences for the incident.

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“He took my brother away from me and now he’s just living his life,” says Silva. “Seeing that man free has motivated me to fight for Liam’s cause. I just want to know exactly what happened.”

One of the marchers, Karli Reyes, met Payne a few weeks before he died and has a laminated autograph he gave her in her purse. She also got a tattoo that she says Payne drew for her in his honor. She plans to come to future gatherings to support the cause.

“His music helped me when I needed him the most,” says Reyes. “This march helps me grieve. If justice comes, I will be able to find peace. The way he left us was so painful and I think it helps me get through the pain. “

Earlier this week, a separate group of about a dozen fans visited the prosecutor’s office in Buenos Aires as lawyers and prosecutors walked in and out of the building. The group, organized by a fan named Luana Bustamante, 26, has held two or three rallies outside to show the prosecutor and judge that “we are following the case closely.”

March organizers Valentina Loredanna Bracho, Jennifer Melian and Alex Silva lead a chant at Plaza Libertad in Buenos Aires

Segismundo Trivero/Rolling Stone Argentina

“I want this case to move forward and not remain stalled like so many other cases in Argentina. I want there to be real justice and for the truth to come out,” says Bustamante. “Justice to me means finding peace: I want the people involved to go to jail and that there is no corruption.”

The organizers of both the Saturday march and the rally the week before have taken it upon themselves to keep the memorial in front of CasaSur clean and protected. They say the hotel has generally allowed fans to mourn in the room, but many worry they will get rid of the posters and messages written to Payne at the tree flanking the hotel, which has served as a memorial.

“We want to be his voice now that he’s gone,” said Aldana Azmar, 22, one of the fans tasked with cleaning the area around the memorial. “This has become a safe place for us to support each other.”

Payne’s Buenos Aires fans have also created several group chats, organizing and sharing the tasks — and costs — of maintaining the memorial, and have raised more than $500 for the upkeep since the day Payne died. “We take care of that tree as if it were him,” adds Bustamante, who eventually hopes to convince the city of Buenos Aires (and the CasaSur hotel) to place a plaque there in tribute to Payne.

On Monday, fans also launched a fundraiser and non-perishable food drive for a local church to mark the two-month anniversary of his death. They want the charitable approach to remind people of Payne’s ties to charity, particularly during Covid, where he funded more than 360,000 meals for numerous English food banks.

“I’m going to remember him as an angel who does charity, is nice to us and shows that he loved us,” says Bracho.

Later this week, the five people charged in his death will be questioned by the city’s Department of Justice during several hearings.

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Regardless of what happens in court, Payne’s fans want the world to know they will stand vigil — and they plan to keep hosting rallies until they hear the truth about what led to his death.

“We’ll keep doing this until we don’t have to do it anymore,” says Melian.