Clashes erupted in Mexico City’s anti-crime protests, resulting in 120 injuries.
By Ayush Sachan
Other marches took place in various cities across Mexico, including in the western state of Michoacan, where anger has flared over the murder on November 1 of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo, who was shot dead.
Several thousand people took to the streets of Mexico City on Saturday (November 16, 2025) to protest crime, corruption and impunity in a demonstration organised by members of Generation Z, which ended with strong backing from older supporters of Opposition parties.
The demonstration, which was mostly peaceful, ended in a clash between young people and the police. Protesters resorted to attacking the police with stones, fireworks, sticks, and chains, even grabbing police shields and other equipment.
The capital’s security secretary, Pablo Vázquez. said 120 people were injured, 100 of them police officers. Twenty people were arrested.
In several countries this year, individuals born between the late 1990s and early 2010s have organized protests against inequality, democratic regression, and corruption.
The largest “Gen Z” protests occurred in Nepal in September, following a ban on social media. This led to the resignation of the nation’s Prime Minister. In Mexico, many young people express frustration with systemic issues such as corruption and the lack of accountability for violent crimes.
“We need more security” said Andres Massa, a 29-year-old business consultant who carried the pirate skull flag that has become a global symbol of Gen Z protests.
The march was attended by people from several age groups, with supporters of the recently killed Michoacan Mayor Carlos Manzo, attending the protest wearing the straw hats that symbolise his political movement.
Rosa Maria Avila, a 65-year-old real estate agent from the town of Patzcuaro in Michoacan State, expressed concern, stating, “The state is dying.”
She recounted, “He was killed because he was a man who sent officers into the mountains to confront delinquents. He had the courage to do so.”