Mexico, June 5, City (dpa/GNA) – Just one week before the World Cup opening ceremony on June 11 at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium, the Mexican capital is facing a wave of protests that threatens to overshadow the start of the football tournament. “If there is no solution, the ball won’t roll,” warned striking teachers, who have toppled footballer statues on the major Paseo de la Reforma boulevard, that cuts across the heart Mexico City and were blocking major roads on Thursday.
Relatives of around 130,000 people missing in Mexico, including the 43 students from the Ayotzinapa teacher training college who disappeared in 2014, as well as farmers and lorry drivers, are also planning protests and roadblocks. They hope to use the global attention generated by the World Cup, to draw attention to their demands. Mexico, which is co-hosting the tournament with the United States and Canada, will stage 13 of the competition’s 104 matches.
Protests are planned around venues in Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara.Security concerns shift from cartel violence to social unrestIn February, violent clashes following the arrest and killing of a drug cartel leader left around 70 people dead and raised concerns about World Cup security in Mexico.
Now, growing social unrest is presenting new challenges for the government. “There is a lot of provocation,” said President Claudia Sheinbaum at a press conference on Thursday. “They are provoking us and want us to act and crush the protests.”ZĂłcalo Square secured ahead of festivitiesMembers of the dissident wing of the national teachers’ union CNTE have blocked key roads in and around Mexico City for days and set up a large protest camp in the historic city centre. After damaging the giant figures of footballers on Tuesday, they moved to the Ministry of Education’s headquarters on Wednesday, smashing windows and causing other damage.
Earlier this week, police prevented protesters from reaching the central ZĂłcalo square, where a FIFA Fan Fest is set to be held during the tournament. President Sheinbaum has said she intends to watch Mexico’s opening match against South Africa there on a giant screen rather than at the stadium. The area around the square has been secured with high metal barriers ahead of the event.
GNA