Gen Z Leads Massive Anti-Corruption Rally in Mexico City

Thousands of demonstrators marched through Mexico City on Saturday as part of a growing wave of Gen Z–led protests demanding action against rising crime, corruption and widespread impunity. What began as a youth-driven movement soon expanded, drawing support from older citizens and opposition party sympathisers amid heightened national tension.

Across several countries this year, young people born between the late 1990s and early 2010s have mobilised to challenge inequality, authoritarian tendencies and systemic corruption. Mexico’s movement mirrors global frustration, following major youth-led demonstrations in Nepal earlier this year that contributed to the resignation of the prime minister after a controversial social media ban.

In Mexico, participants voiced deep concern over persistent violence and the lack of accountability for crimes.
“We need more security,” said 29-year-old business consultant Andres Massa, carrying the skull-and-crossbones flag now widely associated with Gen Z activism.

The protest also attracted older citizens who shared similar grievances. Among them was Arizbeth Garcia, a 43-year-old physician, who said she was marching to demand stronger funding for public healthcare and better protection for medical workers. “Doctors are exposed to the same insecurity gripping the country, where you can be murdered and nothing happens,” she said.

The demonstration unfolded against the backdrop of rising political tension. President Claudia Sheinbaum continues to maintain strong approval ratings despite a recent series of high-profile murders, including the assassination of a well-known mayor in Michoacan.

Ahead of the rally, Sheinbaum accused right-wing political groups of attempting to co-opt the Gen Z movement and of using social media bots to inflate attendance numbers. Several influencers who initially supported the protest later withdrew, while older political figures publicly endorsed the march.

Saturday’s rally saw participation from a broad range of age groups. Supporters of murdered Michoacan Mayor Carlos Manzo joined wearing his distinctive straw hats, symbolising his political message.
“The state is dying,” said 65-year-old Rosa Maria Avila, who travelled from Patzcuaro. She described Manzo as a leader willing to confront criminal networks directly: “He was killed because he had the courage to send officers into the mountains to fight delinquents.”

With generational divides narrowing and frustration rising, Mexico’s Gen Z–led movement is fast becoming a catalyst for broader public dissent against insecurity and systemic failures.