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Murder of anti-drug mayor sparks protests from Generation Z in Mexico
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Murder of anti-drug mayor sparks protests from Generation Z in Mexico

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More than 100 people were injured and 20 arrested during a massive protest Saturday in Mexico City against the president’s handling of violent crimes, local government officials said.
Thousands marched on the capital’s historic main public square, the Zocalo, in a demonstration sparked by young Mexicans linked to a global wave of protests by Generation Z and supporters of the domestic “Sombrero movement,” which emerged after the recent killing of a mayor known for his fight against organized crime.
Participants of all ages joined 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.

“For hours, this mobilization proceeded and proceeded peacefully, until a group of hooded individuals began committing acts of violence,” Pablo Vazquez, the head of Mexico City’s security service, told reporters.

Twenty protesters and 100 police officers were injured, while 40 officers were hospitalized for cuts and bruises, he added.

Police arrested 20 people for theft and assault, Vazquez said, and had also launched an investigation into the beating of a journalist from La Jornada newspaper, where police officers were alleged to be behind the incident.

The murder of the mayor leads to protests

Sheinbaum, who has been in power since October 2024, maintained an approval rating above 70 percent in her first year in office but has faced increasing criticism over her security policies in the wake of several high-profile killings.
“This is one of the most corrupt governments we have ever had,” said Valentina Ramirez, 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 sombreros that resembled the hat style made famous by Carlos Manzo, a mayor in the western state of Michoacan who was assassinated on November 1.
He was known for his crusade against drug gangs in his hometown of Uruapan.
However, the mayor’s murdered widow distanced herself from her husband’s movement on Saturday.
Bernardo Bravo, a leader of lime producers in the same region, had also been shot dead in late October.

Earlier this week, Sheinbaum questioned the motivations for the demonstration, saying at her regular morning press conference that the protest was “inorganic” and “paid.”

“It is a movement promoted from abroad against the government,” she said.
Protesters displayed banners with messages such as “We are all Carlos Manzo” next to the iconic pirate flag from the Japanese manga One Piece, which has become a symbol of youth protests around the world, from Madagascar to the Philippines and Peru.
“You should have protected Carlos Manzo like that!” Some protesters shouted at security forces, who responded with fire extinguishers and tear gas.

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