Mexico: Gen Z Protests Over Crime, Corruption

Thousands of protesters swarmed Mexico City Saturday, attacking police officers and attempting to breach a security barrier around the National Palace, which houses the federal government's executive branch.

Plumes of tear gas filled the street as hooded protesters dragged riot police out of formation, beat them with hammers and chains and threw explosive devices at them, as they were stripped of their shields and communication radios.

The Secretariat of Citizen Security of Mexico City announced via social media that at least 60 police officers had minor injuries, and 40 officers were taken to hospitals.

Of the 40 officers hospitalized, 36 had contusions, cuts and minor injuries, and four are receiving specialized care for trauma and other injuries that are not life-threatening.

As of Saturday night, at least 20 people were detained, and 20 others were referred for administrative offenses.

The anti-government march, which became violent at Zocalo Square, was organized by members of Gen Z, those born between the late '90s and early 2010s.

Protesters told The Associated Press they were rallying against corruption and safety concerns.

The Secretariat of Citizen Security noted Mexico City Police only carried out containment work and did not repress protesters or respond to the provocations.

Arizbeth Garcia, a 43-year-old physician, told the outlet she was marching for increased security and additional funding for the public health system.

"[Doctors] are also exposed to the insecurity gripping the country, where you can be murdered and nothing happens," Garcia said.

Another demonstrator, Rosa Maria Avila, 65, of Pátzcuaro in Michoacán, told the outlet she was marching in support of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo, an anti-crime activist who was assassinated at a public event earlier this month in Michoacán.

"The state is dying," Avila said. "He was killed because he was a man who was sending officers into the mountains to fight delinquents. He had the guts to confront them."

Manzo was shot seven times after condemning Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum for her alleged lack of effort in combating cartels.

"We need greater determination from the president of Mexico," Manzo told local media in September. "I do not want to be just another mayor on the list of those who have been executed and had their lives taken away from them. … I am very afraid, but I must face it with courage."

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who took office in October 2024 as Mexico's first female president, recently came under fire after a series of high-profile murders.

Critics accuse her of tolerating organized crime and failing to support anti-cartel efforts.

In May, Sheinbaum publicly confirmed she rejected U.S. military assistance from President Donald Trump, who was looking to help the country fight drug trafficking and violent cartels.

She allegedly told Trump the country will "never accept" the presence of the U.S. Army in its territory.

"No, President Trump, our territory is inalienable, sovereignty is inalienable," Sheinbaum previously said. "We can collaborate. We can work together, but with you in your territory and us in ours. We can share information, but we will never accept the presence of the United States Army on our territory."

The Heritage Foundation, a top conservative group, claimed Mexico was unlikely to change its stance when Sheinbaum was elected despite the escalating threat from cartels.