People identified as Generation Z march from the Angel of Independence to the main square of Mexico City. Photo / Getty Images
People identified as Generation Z march from the Angel of Independence to the main square of Mexico City. Photo / Getty Images
More than 100 people have been injured and 20 arrested during a massive protest in Mexico City against the President’s handling of violent crime.
Thousands marched on the capital’s historic main public square, the Zocalo, at the weekend in a demonstration fuelled by young Mexicans with ties to a globalwave of Generation Z protests as well as supporters of the domestic “Sombrero Movement”, which emerged after the recent assassination of a mayor known for his fight against organised crime.
Participants of all ages took part in the rally in front of the National Palace, where President Claudia Sheinbaum lives and works.
Several protesters, some wearing balaclavas, toppled the metal barriers protecting the palace and threw paving stones at riot police, who responded with tear gas, according to AFP journalists.
“For many hours, this mobilisation proceeded and developed peacefully, until a group of hooded individuals began to commit acts of violence,” Pablo Vazquez, Mexico City’s security chief, told reporters.
About 20 protesters and 100 police were injured, with 40 officers hospitalised for cuts and bruises, he added.
Protesters linked to the "Sombrero Movement" demonstrated against President Claudia Sheinbaum's handling of violent crime. Photo / Getty Images
Police arrested 20 people for theft and assault, Vazquez said, and had also launched an investigation into the assault of a journalist from La Jornada newspaper, which alleged police officers were behind the violence.
Sheinbaum, in power since October 2024, maintained approval ratings above 70% in her first year in office but faced growing criticism of her security policies after several high-profile murders.
“This is one of the most corrupt governments we’ve ever had,” said Valentina Ramirez, a student interviewed by AFP. “It’s a corrupt narco government that wants to defend the corrupt and the cartels instead of the people.”
Several protesters wore sombreros similar to the style of hat made famous by Carlos Manzo, a mayor in western Michoacan state who was assassinated on November 1. He had been known for his crusade against drug-trafficking gangs in his hometown of Uruapan.
Protesters clash with police in the Zocalo, the city's main square, protesting violence in Mexico and the assassination of Michoacan Mayor Carlos Manzo. Photo / Getty Images
The assassinated mayor’s widow, however, distanced her husband’s movement from the demonstration.
Bernardo Bravo, a leader of lime producers in the same region, was also shot dead in late October.
Last week, Sheinbaum questioned the motivations for the demonstration and said at her regular morning news conference that the protest was “inorganic” and “paid for”.
“It is a movement promoted from abroad against the government,” she said.
Demonstrators displayed banners bearing messages such as “We are all Carlos Manzo” alongside the 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.
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