Tens of thousands of Mexicans flooded the streets on Saturday in one of the country’s largest anti-government demonstrations in years, following the assassination of Uruapan mayor Carlos Manzo. The nationwide protests, marked by clashes between police and demonstrators, left at least 120 people injured, according to emergency services cited by major Mexican outlets including El Universal and Milenio.
The demonstrations, which broke out in Mexico City, Michoacán, Guerrero, Veracruz, Jalisco, and Nuevo León, were fuelled by rising public fury over escalating cartel violence, political assassinations, and what protesters say is the government’s failure to guarantee basic security. Organisers reported turnout exceeding 80,000 in Mexico City alone, with thousands more rallying in state capitals.
Witnesses told local media that confrontations began when riot police attempted to block a march heading toward the National Palace, where President Andrés Manuel López Obrador was holding meetings. Protesters threw stones and fireworks while police deployed tear gas and rubber bullets. Videos verified by Reforma showed paramedics treating people with head wounds and respiratory injuries.
The unrest follows the killing of Carlos Manzo, the recently elected mayor of Uruapan in Michoacán, who was ambushed by gunmen while travelling with his security detail. His assassination came just weeks after two council members in the same region were also murdered, highlighting a recent surge of targeted attacks on public officials. According to Mexico’s national security secretariat, more than 30 mayors, candidates, and municipal officials have been killed so far this year.
Michoacán, one of the country’s most violent states, has long been contested by rival criminal groups including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Familia Michoacana. Analysts told Associated Press that cartel expansion and weak law enforcement capacity have allowed armed groups to exert near-total control over local governments.
Protesters held signs reading “We are tired of fear,” “Stop the killings,” and “The government has failed us.” Many chanted for federal intervention, while others demanded accountability from state governors who they accuse of downplaying the scale of organized crime.
Security specialists say public anger has been building for months as homicide rates, kidnappings, and extortion cases continue to climb. Although federal authorities insist violence is concentrated among criminal groups, recent killings of local leaders and civilians have intensified concerns that the government’s security strategy is collapsing.
In a press briefing, Mexico’s interior ministry urged for calm, saying investigations into Manzo’s killing were underway and additional federal forces had been deployed to Michoacán. But opposition lawmakers condemned the administration for what they called “years of denial and failed policies,” arguing that the latest protests are evidence of a nation on the brink of crisis.
While the marches eventually dispersed late into the night, organisers announced plans for another nationwide mobilisation next week, signalling that public pressure on the government is likely to intensify ahead of the 2026 political season.
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