More than 100 people were injured and 20 arrested during a mass protest Saturday in Mexico City against the president’s handling of violent crime, local government officials said.
Thousands of people marched in the capital’s historic main public square, the Zócalo, in a demonstration driven by young Mexicans linked to a global wave of Generation Z protests, as well as supporters of the national “Sombrero Movement,” which emerged after the recent assassination of a mayor known for his fight against organized crime.
AFP He observed participants of all ages taking part in the rally in front of the National Palace, where President Claudia Sheinbaum lives and works.
Several protesters, some wearing balaclavas, tore down metal barriers protecting the palace and threw cobblestones at riot police, who responded with tear gas, according to AFP journalists.
“For many hours this mobilization passed and developed peacefully, until a group of hooded men began to commit acts of violence,” Pablo Vázquez, head of security for Mexico City, told reporters.
Twenty protesters and 100 police officers were injured and 40 officers were hospitalized for cuts and bruises, he added.
Police arrested 20 people for robbery and assault, Vázquez said, and also launched an investigation into the attack on a journalist from The Day newspaper, who alleged that police officers were behind the incident.
Inspired by the murdered mayor
Sheinbaum, in power since October 2024, maintained approval ratings above 70 percent in his first year in office but faced growing criticism of his security policies in the wake of several high-profile murders.
“This is one of the most corrupt governments we have ever had,” said Valentina Ramírez, a student interviewed by AFP. “It is a corrupt narco-government that wants to defend the corrupt and the cartels instead of the people.”
On Saturday, several protesters wore hats similar to the style made famous by Carlos Manzo, a mayor of the western state of Michoacán who was assassinated on November 1. He was known for his crusade against drug gangs in his hometown of Uruapan.
The murdered mayor’s widow, however, distanced her husband’s movement from Saturday’s demonstration.
Bernardo Bravo, leader of lime producers in the same region, was also shot dead at the end of October.
Earlier this week, Sheinbaum questioned the motivations for the demonstration, saying at his regular morning press conference that the protest was “inorganic” and “paid.”
“It is a movement promoted from abroad against the government,” he said.
Protesters displayed banners with messages such as “We are all Carlos Manzo” along with the iconic pirate flag from the Japanese manga One Piece, which has become a symbol of youth protest around the world, from Madagascar to the Philippines and Peru.
“You should have protected Carlos Manzo like this!” Some protesters shouted at security forces, who responded with fire extinguishers and tear gas.
