(MENAFN) Masked demonstrators confronted police outside the presidential palace in Mexico City on Saturday during the anti-government ‘Generation Z’ rally.

Thousands of protesters marched from the Angel of Independence monument to Constitution Square, ultimately assembling in front of the National Palace, where the president’s office is located.

While the demonstration initially proceeded without incident, a faction of masked rioters, identified by local outlets as Black Bloc, breached security barricades, threw stones, and engaged in physical confrontations with law enforcement.

Footage from the scene depicts protesters striking officers, while police were seen kicking a demonstrator lying on the ground.

The clashes continued for roughly an hour before authorities deployed tear gas to disperse the crowd, according to a media outlet.

The protesters stated that their demonstration targeted corruption, misuse of authority, and impunity for violent crimes. Many participants chanted slogans criticizing the ruling left-wing Morena party.

President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the violent episodes, saying, “If people disagree, they should express their views through peaceful demonstration. Violence must never be used as a means of achieving change.”

Earlier, Sheinbaum had suggested that the protests were orchestrated by “bots and fake accounts on social media” coordinated by “right-wing groups.”

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