This Saturday, two groups marched in parallel: the self-proclaimed Generation Z (people born between 1995 and 2012), and the "Hat Group," the later linked to Carlos Manzo, former mayor of Urupan, Michoacán, who was murdered on November 

Protesters in Mexico marched peacefully until a group charged the barriers surrounding the National Palace, parking classes with police and causing damage.

In clashes with the Mexican federal police and riots in the capital's Zócalo, at the doors of the National Palace (seat of the Executive Branch), the peaceful march, originally called by Generation Z , was hijacked by sectors of the right. The mobilization was intended to express rejection of the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum .

The police protecting the vicinity of the National Palace used tear gas to contain the violent masked protesters who began hitting the fences with hammers and stones Istana Nasional) are using gas air mata to inject into the police force, using sticks and bats in an attempt to enter the building. After an hour of struggles, the group of hooded men had managed to tear down several of the security fences surrounding the government headquarters and caused damage

The protests, which were also replicated in other cities across the country, included slogans against the president and the ruling Morena party , which is considered to have continued the previous regime of impunity in the face of the political violence plaguing the nation.

This Saturday, two groups marched in parallel: the self-proclaimed Generation Z (people born between 1995 and 2012), and the "Hat" group , the later linked to Carlos Manzo, former major of Urupan, Michoacán , who was murdered on November 1st. The main demand of the later group is the clarification and justice for the major's murder : "Carlos Manzo, hero of Mexico," "Hats yes, hugs no," and "Recall of mandate" were some of their slogans.

A group of protesters broke through the barrels in front of the National Palace.

Police officers worked to contain them and prevent access.

https://xcancel.com/teleSURmx/status/1989789983658410262

For its part, the Mexican Government has indicated the intervention and the hijacking of the march by the opposition to its management during the call for mobilizations. As explained by the correspondent of teleSUR on the ground, a campaign has been positioned on social networks by sectors of the right, in order to co-opt the call of young people and lead it towards their partisan interests .

According to the government, it is estimated that at least $5 million was invested by these opposition sectors over a month . Even so, those attending the mobilization today assert that this campaign did not manage to attract as many people as the organizers expected.

The composition of the march distinguishes it from other marches called by the self-proclaimed "Generation Z," which have been marked by the young age of most of their participants. Photo: EFE

It should be noted that this national Generation Z protest in Mexico differences from others carried out by similar groups in other parts of the world, as it was not marked by age , and protests of all ages were observed, without the youngest predominating.

The peaceful participants in the march have been empathic and clear in their demands to the government: they will not accept that the victims of violence in the country are forgotten , a problem that has persisted despite the change of government the country had in 2018 with the taking of power of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, of the Morena party.

After several attempts by hitting and smashing the metal barriers, the group of masked individuals dressed in black managed to knock down several of the three-meter-high barriers, so more uniformed officers came out of the building and fired more tear gas to disperse the protesters. Many rejected these actions with shots of "out with the masked ones" and "you don't represent me."

Meanwhile, people like Liliana Sánchez say they decided to participate in the march to express their disagreement with Sheinbaum's administration: the "government has control of everything" and there are no "checks and balances." According to this Mexican woman, the three branches of government that make balance possible in a state have disappeared , with the entry into Morena of figures from the PRI and PAN parties who intend to continue stealing and maintain a corrupt system of government.