Young people organized more than 50 marches nationwide to demand an end to violence, corruption and government inaction.
Photo : Twitter
Hundreds of people marched down Paseo de Montejo on Saturday morning as part of a youth-led protest happening across Mexico. Young people organized more than 50 marches nationwide to demand an end to violence, corruption and government inaction.
Protesters in Merida started at Monumento a la Patria at 9 am and walked through the city dressed in white and carrying handmade signs.
Why Protests Happening?
The movement grew after the November 1 killing of Carlos Manzo, the mayor of Uruapan, Michoacan. Someone shot him seven times while he attended a Day of the Dead festival with his family.
His death shocked many young people who saw him as one of the few leaders willing to speak openly about cartel violence. He had urged President Claudia Sheinbaum to send federal help. His killing became the seventh mayor murdered in Michoacan since 2021.
Did The Protest Stay Peaceful?
The Merida march stayed calm. Families walked together and used umbrellas to block the sun. Police watched but did not interfere. Protesters followed a familiar route and ended at the Government Palace in Plaza Grande.
The scene was different from Mexico City, where police used tear gas when protesters tried to breach fences near the National Palace. It also differed from Morelia, where protesters stormed a government building days earlier.
People of all ages, from children in strollers to senior citizens, joined the march in Meride. Former Merida mayor Ana Rosa Payan walked with the group.
She said she joined because she worried about rising violence and wanted young people to lead the movement.
Local organizer Ramiro Grajeda Valencia said people marched to “save democracy” and warned that recent extortion reports show Yucatán is not fully safe from the problems facing other states.
Organizers say young people built the movement through social media. Government officials disagree. President Sheinbaum said the protest used a $5.3 million digital campaign with bots and coordinated posts. Government analysts linked the activity to hundreds of TikTok accounts and Facebook groups, some created recently or run from outside Mexico.
Former president Vicente Fox also helped spread the message. Sheinbaum said her government will respect free speech while investigating who paid for the campaign.
Mexican President Condemns Protests
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the Gen Z protests that took place outside Mexico City’s National Palace.
Sheinbaum said that disagreements should never be expressed with violence and urged young people to choose peaceful ways to demand change.
She added that the government is willing to listen but cannot allow groups to damage public property or create unsafe situations.