More than 100 police injured after violent clash at Mexico's National Palace
Thousands of demonstrators flooded Mexico City on Saturday, clashing with police and attempting to force their way past a security barrier surrounding the National Palace, the seat of Mexico's federal executive branch.
Video and witness accounts describe hooded protesters pulling riot officers out of formation, striking them with hammers and chains and throwing explosive devices. Clouds of tear gas hung over the area as some officers were reportedly disarmed of shields and radios during the clashes.
Official figures: The Secretariat of Citizen Security of Mexico City said via social media that at least 60 officers sustained minor injuries and 40 were taken to hospitals. Of the hospitalized officers, 36 were treated for contusions and cuts, while four received specialized care for trauma and other non-life-threatening injuries.
By Saturday night authorities reported at least 20 people had been detained and another 20 referred for administrative offenses in connection with the unrest.
Organizers, motives and public reaction
The anti-government march, which turned violent at Zócalo Square, was organized by activists from Generation Z (those born in the late 1990s through the early 2010s). Protesters told the Associated Press they were demonstrating against corruption and rising insecurity.
Participants included Arizbeth García, a 43-year-old physician who said she was calling for increased security and more funding for the public health system: "[Doctors] are also exposed to the insecurity gripping the country, where you can be murdered and nothing happens," she told reporters.
Several marchers invoked the recent assassination of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo, an anti-crime activist killed earlier this month in Michoacán. Supporters said Manzo had publicly criticized the federal government for insufficient action against cartels; local reports say he was shot multiple times after condemning President Claudia Sheinbaum's approach to fighting organized crime.
Political context
Claudia Sheinbaum, who took office in October 2024 as Mexico's first female president, has faced intensified criticism after a series of high-profile killings. Critics accuse her administration of tolerating organized crime and not doing enough to support anti-cartel operations.
In May, Sheinbaum publicly rejected an offer of U.S. military assistance from then-President Donald Trump, saying Mexico would cooperate and share information but would not accept foreign troops on its soil. "Our territory is inalienable, sovereignty is inalienable," she said.
Sources: Secretariat of Citizen Security of Mexico City, Associated Press and local reports. This account synthesizes official statements and eyewitness reporting; investigations and official tallies may be updated as authorities continue to review the unrest.
