Gen Z Takes to Streets in Mexico Over Violence and Corruption
- By Thetripurapost Web Desk, Mexico City
- Nov 16, 2025
- 526
Thousands of young people, primarily members of Generation Z, took to the streets of Mexico City on Saturday to protest rising crime, corruption, impunity for violence, and a lack of public security. The demonstrations followed the shocking public assassination of Carlos Manzo, mayor of Uruapan in Michoacán, who was shot dead during a local event on November 1.
Angered by the killing and ongoing violence, protesters breached the security walls of the National Palace, the official residence of President Claudia Sheinbaum. Confrontations with police quickly escalated, with demonstrators throwing stones, firecrackers, sticks, and chains. Security forces responded with tear gas. Pablo Vazquez, the capital’s security secretary, reported that 120 people were injured during the protests, including 100 police officers, and 20 people were arrested.
The protests drew participants of all ages, not just young people. Andres Massa, a 29-year-old business consultant, stressed the need for increased security, while 43-year-old physician Arisbeth Garcia highlighted public health concerns. “Even doctors are unsafe. Someone gets killed here, and nothing happens,” she said.
President Sheinbaum has accused opposition parties of instigating the protests. Days before the demonstrations, she alleged that right-wing groups were using social media to exaggerate the size of the movement and infiltrate Gen Z activism. Despite this, some prominent social media figures withdrew support for the protests, while former President Vicente Fox and billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego publicly endorsed the demonstrations online.
A striking feature of the protests was the adoption of the character “Luffy” from the popular Japanese anime and comic book One Piece as a symbol of resistance. Protesters carried skull caps reminiscent of Luffy’s signature look. “Luffy goes from place to place, liberating people from corrupt and authoritarian rulers. The situation is the same here. We won’t remain silent any longer,” said student leader Leonardo Munyos.
Gen Z activists are part of a growing global wave of youth-led movements. Over the past year, protests in countries such as Nepal, Bangladesh, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, and Botswana have challenged corruption, inequality, and entrenched political regimes. In Madagascar, the president was removed; in Morocco, the military intervened; in Kenya, the government conceded to demands; and in Botswana, young voters ousted a 60-year-old regime.
Analysts say these movements reflect a generation mobilized by social media, demanding greater accountability, security, and economic opportunities. Santiago Zapata, a student protester in Mexico City, declared: “We are tired of the normalization of death and corruption. Our generation will not sit idly by. The government should fear the people, not the people the government.”
The Mexican protests underscore a rising global phenomenon: a generation unwilling to tolerate impunity, demanding justice, and using modern tools and cultural symbols to amplify their message.