Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Mexico City to protest against criminal violence and the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum.

The demonstration was organized by youth groups of "Generation Z" and had the support of Citizens are demanding answers for high-profile murders, including that of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo, which occurred just weeks ago. He had called for a crackdown on the cartels. Sheinbaum stated that the marches, which also took place in other cities, were financed by right-wing politicians who opposed his government. On Saturday, protesters removed sections of the fence protecting the National Palace, where the president resides, and police guarding the compound used tear gas against the groups. Some protesters paid tribute to the mayor of Uruapan: they waved banners with slogans such as "We are all Carlos Manzo," and others wore cowboy hats in their memory. Manzo was shot dead on November 1 while participating in a Day of the Dead celebration. He was known for openly denouncing the presence of drug cartels in his municipality and the acts of violence they generated. She demanded, without mincing words, decisive action against the armed members of the criminal groups that plague the country. President Sheinbaum has taken action against the cartels, but has resisted launching what would be a new frontal assault on drugs. Similar initiatives by her predecessors ended in bloody episodes. Days before the march, the mayor asserted that the demonstration was being instigated by online bots. “We agree with freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate if there are young people with demands, but the question here is who is promoting the demonstration,” she declared at a press conference. “People need to know how this protest was organized so that no one is being used.”Sheinbaum maintains approval ratings above 70% in her first year in office and has made progress in the fight against fentanyl trafficking, a key issue also for her US counterpart. However, she has been criticized for failing to stop the violence plaguing the country and faces growing hostility from neighboring countries. This month,Peru's Congress voted to declare Sheinbaum persona non grata, days after Peru severed diplomatic relations with Mexico following the latter's granting of asylum to a former Peruvian president accused of a 2022 coup attempt. Click here to read more stories from BBC News Mundo. Subscribe here to our new newsletter to receive a selection of our best content of the week every Friday. You can also follow us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook, and our WhatsApp channel. And remember that you can receive notifications in our app. Download Install the latest version and activate them.