Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, October 12, 2026 — Gov. Pablo Lemus ordered a review of arrests and police conduct Monday after Sunday’s clean-water protest in Guadalajara.
Reporters at the scene described police using tear gas and water cannons outside Casa Jalisco after some demonstrators removed barriers and threw objects at officers.
According to state prosecutors’ Monday update, 12 of the 39 people arrested had been released by morning. Their investigations would continue while they remained free.
Households face months of reduced supply
Residents have described brown or black water, sediment and foul smells in accounts of earlier protests. They said the water disrupted bathing, cooking and laundry, while forcing them to buy bottled water.
In his Oct. 6 announcement on supply cuts, Lemus said authorities would stop using water from Las Pintas reservoir and the older Chapala supply system. He attributed the contamination to unauthorized wastewater discharges along the Las Pintas canal.
The governor announced rotating service cuts with an estimated six-month first phase. He said that period would allow work on the La Calera bypass aqueduct and Miravalle treatment plant.
We reported on Guadalajara’s water-quality complaints in March, when residents were already describing brown, foul-smelling tap water and sediment. Sunday’s march followed months of complaints.
The announced reductions concern Guadalajara’s metropolitan SIAPA network. Puerto Vallarta has a separate operator, SEAPAL Vallarta, which says it is responsible for the city’s drinking-water and sewer services.
March and police response
Lemus estimated that about 10,000 people participated. In his Monday message, he said the march remained peaceful for more than two hours.
According to on-the-scene reporting, demonstrators marched from La Minerva toward Casa Jalisco. Confrontations later spread to nearby streets, including the intersection of Ontario and Manuel Acuña.
Some participants shouted, “We want clean water, not violence!”, according to accounts from outside the residence.
Lemus blamed a group of about 400 people for triggering the violence. He said officers were attacked with stones and other objects, and reported 28 injured police officers.
In his Monday account of the confrontation, Lemus said prosecutors would review each detention. He also ordered a review of video to investigate possible excessive force.
President Claudia Sheinbaum requested an explanation during her Monday morning news conference.
“Containing a protest is one thing; repressing it is another,” she said.
In a statement issued Sunday, the University of Guadalajara said it had received reports of three students’ arrests. Two were from its University Center for Art, Architecture and Design. The university called for authorities to clarify the events and protect those detained.
