A group of hooded protesters vandalized the United States Embassy in Mexico this Friday, as well as other businesses located in the surroundings, allegedly in protest of the crime of Giovanni López, a bricklayer who was killed while in police custody in the state of Jalisco.
The U.S. played no role in the killing of Giovanni López, however protesters say their protest goes beyond López, but includes anger over the killing of George Floyd in the U.S. and police brutality worldwide.
The protesters attacked the metal wall surrounding the complex with stones and Molotov bombs on the emblematic Paseo de la Reforma Avenue, in the center of Mexico City.
The police forces that were inside the American Embassy responded with fire extinguishers to try to repel the attacks from the other part of the metal wall. In addition, the hooded men painted the walls with anarchist slogans and against police abuse.
Despite attempts to tear down the retaining walls, the metal walls received minor damage and remained solid. None of the protesters managed to reach the interior of the compound.
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The circulation of Reforma was interrupted between the Angel of Independence and Diana the Huntress, while the hooded men advanced down the avenue trying to vandalize stores in their path.
Mayor of Mexico City, Sheinbaum Pardo, indicated that the police are not there to “repress the people but to give them peace and security. For this reason, the Grenadier Corps were removed from the streets. The fight for the defense of human rights does not stop. The abuse of power by authorities are not tolerated. “
The Grenadier Corps was part of law enforcement used for crowd control in Mexico City and was plagued with reports of abuse of power and violence against citizens.
A video published in recent days, where the arrest of Giovanni López can be seen, caused outrage in Mexico and in the community of Ixtlahuacán, in Jalisco, where the events occurred. The case has been compared to that of African-American George Floyd, whose death, also in police custody, sparked a series of protests across the United States, several of them violent.
On Thursday, hundreds of protesters gathered at the Jalisco government palace in Guadalajara to express their outrage against the murder of Giovanni López, but some of the participants also painted and vandalized the buildings, in addition to setting fire to a couple of police vehicles.
After the protests, 28 detainees were counted, including six minors. One of the most serious assaults was that of a hooded man who set fire to a policeman. Police elements also attacked some of the protesters.
A group of hooded protesters vandalized the United States Embassy in Mexico this Friday, as well as other businesses located in the surroundings, allegedly . . .
