A Women's March in Mexico City Turns Violent, With at Least 81 Injured

Last edited Tue Mar 9, 2021, 02:49 PM - Edit history (3)

From LBN. FULL story here: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/08/world/americas/mexico-city-womens-day-protest.html

Armed with blowtorches and hammers, women demonstrated at the president’s residence, demanding that Mexico’s government take action to address one of the world’s worst rates of gender violence.

By Maria Abi-Habib and Oscar Lopez

MEXICO CITY — Hundreds of women marched on Mexico’s seat of government Monday, some carrying their children, others blowtorches, bats and hammers, prepared for a confrontation they hoped would force the country to tackle rampant violence against women.

The International Women’s Day protest was fueled by anger at President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who has backed a politician accused by several women of rape in a country that suffers some of the world’s worst rates of gender violence. Despite a rift within the governing party over the issue, Mr. López Obrador has supported the politician ahead of June elections.

As the protesters gathered around the national palace — Mr. Lopez Obrador’s residence and the seat of government — their ire was focused on a metal fence that had been erected to protect the building from being overrun. Women wearing black balaclavas pulled down parts of the barricade as the police fired volleys of flash-bang grenades into the crowd, causing several small stampedes.

At least 62 police and 19 civilians were injured by late Monday evening, according to Mexico City’s security branch.



The police sprayed some protesters with fire retardant.Credit...Ginnette Riquelme/Associated Press