Mexico City: Thousands of people took to the streets of Mexico City to protest rising crime, corruption and impunity in a demonstration organised by members of Gen Z, which ultimately drew substantial support from older backers of opposition parties.
The protest, however, ended in violence, leaving scores injured and dozens detained.
According to the Secretary of Citizen Security of the capital (SSC), Pablo Vazquez Camacho, a total of 100 police officers were injured during Saturday’s march, with 40 of them requiring hospitalisation.
Of those hospitalised, 36 sustained contusions, while the remaining four are being treated for trauma and other injuries. Reports from the leading local media outlet, El Universal, also noted that 20 civilians were hurt amid the clashes.
Authorities confirmed that 20 people were arrested and brought before a Public Prosecutor, while another 20 were detained for administrative offences and presented before a Civic Judge.
Addressing the media after the Gen Z march, Vazquez Camacho said he condemned the violence that erupted.
“We condemn the violent events that occurred during the march and we denounce the existence of these organised groups, which often validate, endorse, and support these acts from a distance,” he said.
The protest drew participation from a wide range of age groups, including supporters of the recently slain Michoacan Mayor Carlos Manzo, who attended wearing the straw hats symbolising his political movement.
Manzo was fatally shot November 1 in Uruapan, and police have said that a 17-year-old boy addicted to meth, identified as the shooter, was killed after being arrested.
Images captured from the capital showed the march progressing through the city before turning into confrontations with officers from the Secretariat of Citizen Security upon reaching the Zocalo square.
This demonstration added to a growing wave of Gen Z-led protests worldwide. Across several countries this year, young people born between the late 1990s and early 2010s have mobilised against inequality, corruption and democratic backsliding.
The largest of these protests occurred in Nepal in September after a social media ban, ultimately leading to the resignation of the prime minister. Last year, such protests were also seen in Bangladesh.
In Mexico, many young people say they remain deeply frustrated by systemic issues such as corruption and the widespread impunity surrounding violent crimes.
IANS
