At least 120 people — including 100 police officers — were injured on Saturday during clashes at large anti-government protests in Mexico City, authorities said.
Thousands marched in the capital to denounce rising violent crime and to express dissatisfaction with President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration. Similar demonstrations took place in several other cities across the country.
Sheinbaum accused right-wing political opponents of financing the marches, saying they were attempting to undermine her government. The rally was organized primarily by Gen Z youth groups and drew broad support from citizens angered by a series of high-profile killings, including the recent assassination of Carlos Manzo, the mayor of Uruapan. Manzo, who had openly called for stronger action against cartel violence, was shot dead on 1 November during a Day of the Dead celebration.
In Mexico City, protesters partially tore down barricades surrounding the National Palace, where Sheinbaum resides. Police guarding the building deployed tear gas as confrontations escalated. Authorities later arrested 20 people on charges including robbery and assault, city security chief Pablo Vázquez said.
Demonstrators carried signs reading “We are all Carlos Manzo” and many wore cowboy hats in his memory. Manzo had long been vocal about the power of drug-trafficking organizations in his region and had urged the federal government to intensify its fight against armed groups terrorizing local communities.
While Sheinbaum has expanded operations targeting cartels, she has resisted calls for a renewed nationwide military offensive, noting that similar strategies by previous administrations resulted in significant bloodshed.
Days before the protest, Sheinbaum suggested the march was being amplified by automated online accounts. “We support freedom of expression and peaceful demonstration,” she said, “but people should know who is promoting the march so that no one is used.”
Despite criticism over the country’s persistent violence, Sheinbaum maintains over 70% approval in her first year in office. She has also taken steps to curb fentanyl trafficking — a key issue in diplomatic discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Tensions with regional governments, however, have grown. Earlier this month, Peru’s Congress declared Sheinbaum a persona non grata, following Lima’s decision to sever diplomatic ties with Mexico after it granted asylum to a former Peruvian prime minister accused of involvement in a 2022 coup attempt.
