At least 120 people were injured during Saturday’s protest against the government of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum in the capital. TASR informs about it according to the reports of the AFP and DPA agencies.
In short:
- The demonstration was directed against the government of Claudia Sheinbaum
- A protest in Mexico left 120 people injured
- The reasons for the protest included corruption and drug gang crime
- The demonstrators were commemorating the murdered mayor Carlos Manza
The demonstration against corruption, drug crime and Sheinbaum’s security policy was organized by representatives of young people – the so-called Generation Z.
Police and civilians
About 100 police officers were injured during the demonstration, 40 of whom were taken to hospital, Public Security Minister Pablo Vázquez said at a press conference. The rest of the wounded were civilians. Another 20 people were detained by the authorities, the minister added.
Many of the demonstrators carried banners in honor of Carlos Manza, the mayor of the city of Uruapan in the Mexican state of Michoacán, who was assassinated on November 1. This state has been plagued by drug cartel violence for years. Manzo, who became mayor in September 2024, occasionally joined security patrols on the city’s streets. In the past, he has also called on the government to do more to fight crime.
Murders of politicians
The politician was killed just days after Michoacán farmer representative Bernardo Bravo, who often criticized extortion by criminal gangs, was also shot dead.
Sheinbaum, who has been in power since October 2024, maintains support in her first year in office, but she also faces widespread criticism for her security policy as a result of the aforementioned and similar murders of politicians known in the media.
Accusations of the president
Earlier this week, the president also questioned the motives behind the announced demonstration, saying at her regular press conference that the call for protest was “inorganic” and “paid for”. “It’s a foreign-backed movement against the government,” she said.
Demonstrators gathered in front of the National Palace in the capital – where the president lives and works – and knocked down several metal fences protecting the building.
Clashes with the police
The police, who were guarding the area, took action against the demonstrators and used tear gas grenades and fire extinguishers. “This is how you should have protected Carlos Manzo,” some protesters shouted at security forces, according to AFP.
