A protest by Mexico's Gen-Zers turned violent at the National Palace, injuring 20 civilians and over 100 police officers. The march was sparked by the murder of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo.
A peaceful protest by Mexico's Gen-Zers ended in violent clashes at the country's National Palace on Saturday, leaving 20 civilians and more than 100 police officers injured and around 20 people arrested.
The demonstration, which brought together thousands of people in Mexico City, was one of simultaneous marches held in 52 cities across Mexico and in the United States, Canada, the Netherlands and Germany.
The movement was triggered by the murder of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo on 1 November. Manzo had repeatedly called on the federal government to address organised crime in Michoacán, but his requests were ignored.
The march began peacefully at the Angel of Independence, but when it reached the capital's Zócalo, a group identified as the "black bloc" broke through demonstrators and attacked fences guarding the National Palace with hammers and stones, according to Secretary for Citizen Security of Mexico City Pablo Vázquez.
The fences were knocked down, provoking a confrontation with police who responded with tear gas and fire extinguishers.
Of the injured police officers, 60 received treatment on site, while 40 were transported to hospitals, four of whom required specialised care. None were in life-threatening condition. The 20 injured civilians were attended to by paramedics at the scene.
Those arrested were brought before the Public Prosecutor's Office on charges of "violent acts," while 20 others are being processed for administrative offences. Vázquez said authorities are working with the Mexico City Attorney General's Office to identify all individuals who committed criminal acts during the demonstration.
President Claudia Sheinbaum called for protests to continue "peacefully" and rejected violence. "Violence must never be used for change; always peacefully," she said from Tabasco. However, she downplayed the movement's importance, saying "very few young people" marched, despite the thousands who gathered.
Gen-Z-led protests in Mexico define themselves as a civic, realistic and non-partisan movement born out of collective weariness. Its slogan states: "We are neither left-wing nor right-wing, we are the generation that is tired of bowing our heads."
On Friday, before the national march, the collective published a 12-point petition titled "Because we are not for any party. We are for Mexico."
The demands include a citizen recall mechanism that can be initiated by a citizens' initiative, direct election of replacements in the event of a recall, prohibition of partisan interference in recall processes, strengthening autonomous institutions through independent citizens' councils, and judicial system reforms.
Other demands cover combating corruption through citizens' audits, public security and demilitarisation, total transparency in public resource use, job and educational opportunities for young people, access to decent housing and combating gentrification, inclusion of figures with moral authority in citizens' councils, and public consultation to expand the petition to a maximum of 15 demands.
The movement is not unique to Mexico. Generation Z protests have erupted in countries including Nepal, Mongolia, Togo, Madagascar, Morocco, Paraguay, Peru, Bangladesh and Indonesia. Young people use platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and X to organise, dispensing with traditional media.
The causes include dissatisfaction with governments, economic problems, falling living standards, corruption and few opportunities. In Nepal, protests have toppled governments. In Mexico, the movement is calling for a fundamental shift in how the country is governed.