Despite the pervasiveness of electoral democracy in Latin America, the police continue to repress political protests. Why? Does the majority of the public support the repression of protests? If not, whom do they hold accountable, and how? Michelle Bonner offers a new perspective on police reform and democratic accountability by analyzing how people talk about the policing of protests in Argentina and Chile. Tracing the history of policing protests in the two countries and exploring current discourses, practices, and media coverage, she finds that talk most definitely does matter.