“We are not against the American people. This is about Trump, who is spreading hate and division,” said Maria Garcia, a former resident of Chicago who carried an unflattering, papier-mache likeness of the U.S. president as she marched through the Mexican capital.
“The United States and Mexico are natural friends and allies, but Trump is destroying this,” added Garcia, who later publicly burned the Trump effigy.
More than 20,000 people attended the march, according to an official city estimate. The turnout was relatively modest in a city that regularly hosts massive demonstrations.
Organizers dubbed the event “Vibra Mexico” (roughly, Mexican vibe), and mounted an aggressive social media campaign encouraging people to attend.
While Trump was the main target, many participants also carried signs and chanted slogans against Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.
Coordinated protest marches also took place Sunday in other Mexican cities, including Tijuana, Monterrey, Merida and Morelia.
Protesters in Mexico City hoisted signs declaring, “Respect Mexico” and “We are all Mexico” as they marched down Paseo de la Reforma, the capital’s elegant, tree-lined main street.
Police turned out in force to maintain security, and a helicopter hovered overhead, but no violence was reported.
The march stretched about a mile and a half to the Angel of Independence, a landmark that is a common site of protests.
The turnout and emotion were indicative of the widespread indignation that Trump’s various policies on immigration and trade — widely viewed here as anti-Mexican — have sparked south of the border.
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