Gen Z Leads Mexico-Wide Protests Honoring Slain Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo
Youth protests erupt nationwide against escalating violence.
Thousands of demonstrators from various regions of Mexico converged on city streets on Saturday, rallying behind the Generation Z movement to condemn the relentless wave of violence and pay tribute to Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo, who was brutally assassinated earlier this month. Organized predominantly by young activists, the protests represented a powerful and coordinated national condemnation of the government's inability to curb insecurity, marking a rare scale of unified youth action in recent times.
In the heart of Mexico City, tensions rapidly escalated when a group of masked protesters forcefully dismantled metal barriers protecting the National Palace, the official residence of President Claudia Sheinbaum. Riot police countered with volleys of tear gas, leading to chaotic clashes that injured numerous participants. Public safety secretary Pablo Vázquez later confirmed that around 100 officers were wounded, with 40 requiring hospital care, while 20 civilians suffered injuries, and authorities detained at least 20 individuals alongside issuing citations for administrative violations.
The unrest was not confined to the capital; similar demonstrations erupted in cities throughout the country, with heightened fervor in Michoacán state, the epicenter of Manzo's killing on November 1 during a public Day of the Dead celebration. Attendees voiced sharp criticism toward President Sheinbaum's Morena party, employing pointed chants that accused the administration of complicity or gross negligence, exemplified by slogans declaring that the government itself was responsible for the mayor's death.
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The driving force behind the marches, Generation Z Mexico, outlined its mission in a widely circulated online manifesto, presenting itself as a non-partisan coalition of individuals born between 1997 and 2012, deeply disillusioned by pervasive corruption, abuses of authority, and unchecked criminal dominance. This demographic surge highlights an increasing determination among Mexico's younger population to directly confront and hold accountable the nation's political and security institutions.
Despite the government's efforts to discredit the protests by suggesting manipulation from right-wing opponents and artificial social media amplification, the sheer breadth and intensity of participation reveal profound underlying societal anxieties about the deepening security crisis. The events signal a critical juncture, pressing the Sheinbaum administration to address demands for meaningful change in a landscape where violence continues to erode public trust.
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