At least 120 people, 100 of them police officers, were injured in clashes during anti-government protests in Mexico City, police said.
Thousands of protesters marched in the Mexican capital on Saturday to protest against violent crime and the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Sheinbaum said the marches, which also took place in other cities, had been financed by right-wing politicians who oppose his government.
The demonstration was organized by Generation Z youth groups and garnered support from citizens protesting high-profile murders, including the assassination just weeks ago of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo, who had called for tough measures against the cartels.
Protesters dismantled parts of a barrier protecting the National Palace, where Sheinbaum lives. The police protecting the venue used tear gas against the crowd.
Authorities arrested 20 people for crimes including robbery and assault, Mexico City security chief Pablo Vázquez told reporters.
Protesters waved signs with messages including “We are all Carlos Manzo,” while others wore cowboy hats in tribute to him.
Manzo was shot on Nov. 1 while attending a Day of the Dead festival.
He was known for speaking openly about drug gangs in his city and cartel violence.
He had been demanding tough measures against members of the armed cartels terrorizing the country.
Sheinbaum has been acting against cartels but resisting calls for another all-out war on drugs. Previous attempts by his predecessors ended with bloody results.
Days before the march took place, the president said the rally was being promoted by online robots.
“We agree with freedom of expression and freedom of demonstration if there are young people who have demands, but the question here is who promotes the demonstration,” he said at a briefing.
“People should know how this demonstration was organized so that no one is used.”
Sheinbaum maintains approval ratings above 70% in his first year in office and has made progress in the fight against fentanyl trafficking, a key issue for his American counterpart, Donald Trump.
But it has been criticized for failing to stop the violence plaguing the country and facing growing hostility from neighboring countries.
Earlier this month, Peru’s Congress voted to declare Sheinbaum persona non grata, or unwelcome in the country.
The decision came days after Peru broke diplomatic relations with Mexico, after the Mexican government granted asylum to a former Peruvian prime minister facing charges over a 2022 coup attempt.
