(MENAFN) Tensions flared outside Mexico City’s presidential palace as masked rioters confronted police during an anti-government protest organized by Generation Z on Saturday.

Thousands marched from the Angel of Independence to Constitution Square, congregating near the National Palace, which houses the president’s office.

The demonstration began without incident, but a group of masked individuals—identified by reports as part of the Black Bloc—breached security barriers, threw stones, and engaged in physical confrontations with law enforcement.

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

The protesters stated they were rallying against corruption, abuses of power, and impunity for violent crimes. Many participants chanted slogans criticizing the ruling left-wing Morena party.

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

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

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