Contingents of the Generation Z march arrive at the Zócalo and tear down fences

Although the march was scheduled to start at 11:00 a.m., participants began arriving at the Angel of Independence at 8:30 a.m. The majority dressed in white and wore hats as a sign of mourning and solidarity with the Michoacan mayor.

As the minutes passed, Paseo de la Reforma – the emblematic avenue of the protests in the capital – was filled with banners with messages such as “We are all Carlos Manso” and “You are not alone”, in addition to images generated with artificial intelligence that showed the former mayor riding a horse with a Mexican flag.

At 11:00 a.m., the contingents were organized in the central lanes of Reforma, between Ángel and Glorieta del Ahuehuete. Minutes later they sang the National Anthem, an act that marked the formal beginning of the mobilization.

During the passage of the contingents, different protesters raise slogans in which they requested the revocation of the mandate of the president, Claudia Sheinbaum.

Juan, a participant in the demonstration, came with a blanket that he hung from his neck on which was written in both Spanish and English, a request for support for President Donald Trump to improve security and the fight against corruption in Mexico.

“We are defenseless before the government, before the Navy, before the deputies, that is why we are here, to ask for help,” he stated.

Voltage in the Socket

When the vanguard of the march reached the first square of the city, there were some verbal confrontations with supporters of the federal government and former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

On Avenida Juárez, near Alameda Central, a woman rebuked the protesters in defense of the project of the former president and founder of Morena, while questioning the legitimacy of the contingents. “This is a march of hate, López Obrador was not afraid to take away their privileges,” she claimed, while on the other side they asked to allow Generation Z to express their ideas.

At the intersection of Avenida Juárez and Eje Central, a man also rebuked attendees with comments about the #15N mobilization. “You’re not Zeta, you’re old. Where are the young people who were going to march?” he said.

Immediately, the protesters responded and discussions broke out that included reproaches about political positions and even religious beliefs. Although tension grew, the exchange did not lead to physical attacks.

Upon arriving at the Zócalo, a group of hooded young people broke into the contingents and began hitting the metal fences that protected the National Palace. Some threw objects and firecrackers at the capital police officers guarding the building. In response, officers used fire extinguisher powder and pepper spray to try to disperse the protesters.

Some participants were also observed removing manholes and concrete drains from the plaza, which they slammed against the floor with the intention of breaking them and using them as projectiles.

After almost two hours of tension, the young protesters managed to remove part of the metal fence in front of the National Palace. Given this, the police regrouped, formed a line of shields and advanced to contain and retreat the hooded men.