the protests were highly polarizing. the government argued that the new taxes would allow for a better redistribution of wealth, and keep down the food prices. it also claimed the farmers were staging a coup d'état against kirchner. farmers argued that the high taxes made cultivation unviable. the activist luis d'elía interrupted one of the demonstrations leading stick-wielding pro-government supporters, who attacked the participants. minister lousteau resigned during the crisis, and the peronist governors opted to negotiate on their own with the farmers, ignoring kirchner's approach. her public image plummeted to its lowest level since the election in october 2007.