Thousands of people protested across the country this Saturday (15) under the “Generation Z flag”, denouncing the increase in violence following the public murder of a mayor who worked to combat crime at the beginning of November.
Already Mexico Citya small group of hooded protesters tore down the fences around the National Palacewhere the president resides, causing a clash with riot police, who used tear gas, according to witnesses interviewed by Reuters.
The Secretary of Public Security, Pablo Vazquezstated at a press conference that 100 police officers were injured, including 40 who required hospital treatment. Another 20 civilians were also injured, the official told local media outlet Milenio.
Vázquez also reported that 20 people were arrested and another 20 “sent to respond to administrative infractions.”
Other marches took place in several cities in Mexico, including in the state of Michoacanin the west of the country, where outrage increased due to the murder of the mayor of Uruapan, .
Some protesters in Mexico City directed their ire at Sheinbaum’s party, chanting “Out, Morena!” Still others called for stronger state efforts to curb crime and violence, shouting, “Carlos didn’t die, the government killed him.”
A group that calls itself “Generation Z Mexico”responsible for the protests, stated in a “manifesto” circulating on social media that it is non-partisan and represents Mexican youth who are fed up with violence, corruption and abuse of power.
A refers to people born between 1997 and 2012, following the millennial generation, and protest groups in other countries around the world have adopted this label to push for social and political change.
Sheinbaum’s government has questioned the motives behind Saturday’s marches, saying they were largely organized by right-wing political opponents.
