Riot police clashed with Generation Z protesters at Mexico City’s National Palace on November 16, 2025, as demonstrations over cartel violence and corruption turned violent. Police deployed tear gas and barricades to prevent demonstrators from breaching the presidential compound’s perimeter, while protesters threw objects and attempted to tear down metal barriers protecting the seat of government.
The confrontation erupted during nationwide protests organized by young activists demanding an end to impunity for violent crimes. The movement gained momentum after the November 1 murder of Carlos Manzo, mayor of Uruapan, Michoacán, who was shot seven times during Day of the Dead celebrations. Manzo’s death marked the seventh mayor assassinated in Michoacán since 2021, sparking outrage across Mexico.
President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration blocked access to the National Palace with metal barriers ahead of Saturday’s march, anticipating unrest. When protesters pushed toward the palace, riot police responded with force, creating chaotic scenes of tear gas clouds filling downtown Mexico City. Protesters chanted “the state is dying” and waved pirate skull flags that have become a global Gen Z protest symbol.
The protests reflect broader frustration with Mexico’s security crisis. Official data shows 1,024 intentional homicides in Michoacán between January-September 2025, though civil society groups believe the true figure is higher. Cartels like Jalisco New Generation have expanded extortion rackets targeting lemon and avocado farmers, while assassinations of local officials have become commonplace.
Sheinbaum accused opposition parties and billionaires of financing the protests through a $5.3 million digital campaign using bots and coordinated social media posts. She claimed former President Vicente Fox and billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego helped spread messages supporting the marches. The president also alleged some recent protest organizers staged her recent groping incident to distract from security failures.
Former Merida mayor Ana Rosa Payan, who joined Saturday’s march, said she participated because “Yucatán is not fully safe from the problems facing other states.” Local organizer Ramiro Grajeda Valencia warned the movement aimed to “save democracy” from narco-state influences.
The Gen Z protests, inspired by similar youth-led movements in Nepal and Kenya that toppled governments, represent Mexico’s most significant youth-led uprising in decades. While some demonstrations remained peaceful, the Mexico City clashes show the movement is increasingly willing to confront state power directly.
