Gen Z Protests Erupt In Mexico City Over Crime And Corruption, Barricades Breached At Presidential Palace

Several thousand demonstrators flooded Mexico City streets Saturday in a Generation Z-organized protest against crime and corruption that descended into violent clashes with police outside the National Palace.

Young protesters wielding stones, fireworks, sticks and chains attacked officers and seized police shields during the confrontation, The Associated Press reported. The demonstration drew supporters across multiple age groups, including elderly backers of opposition parties who joined the youth-led movement.

Mexico City Security Secretary Pablo Vázquez reported 120 total injuries, with 100 police officers hurt in the melee. Authorities arrested 20 people and cited another 20 for administrative violations. (RELATED: Trump Reportedly Planning Ground Troops, Drone Strikes On Cartels In Mexico)

Youth groups led thousands through Mexico City, protesting against government inaction and security lapses after a rise in violence and high-profile killings, including the recent assassination of Uruapan’s mayor pic.twitter.com/rWVDCdGHGd

— Reuters (@Reuters) November 16, 2025

Andres Massa, a 29-year-old business consultant, carried a pirate skull flag that has become a global symbol of Gen Z protests. “We need more security,” Massa said. Arizbeth Garcia, 43, a physician marching for healthcare funding, said doctors “are also exposed to the insecurity gripping the country, where you can be murdered and nothing happens.”

The protests gained momentum following the November 1 assassination of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo in Michoacan state, according to Reuters. Hooded demonstrators tore down fences around the National Palace, where President Claudia Sheinbaum resides, and chanted “Out, Morena” and “Carlos did not die, the government killed him.”

Sheinbaum accused right-wing parties of infiltrating the Gen Z movement and using social media bots to boost attendance. Some Gen Z influencers withdrew their support before Saturday, while former President Vicente Fox and billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego backed the demonstrations.

Manzo was shot dead at a public Day of the Dead event after criticizing Sheinbaum’s cartel policies. “I do not want to be just another mayor on the list of those who have been executed,” Manzo told local media in September, Fox News reported.