‘March for democracy’ calls for thousands in the Zócalo against the president of Mexico

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Tens of Thousands Protest in Mexico Against Ruling Party

Mexico City was the site of a massive protest on Sunday as tens of thousands of people, clad in pink, marched through the city in what was deemed a “march for democracy” ahead of the June 2 elections. The protest was organized by opposition parties to advocate for free and fair elections and to criticize corruption in the country.

One of the main issues protested was the weakening of the National Electoral Institute, which organizers claimed could harm democracy. The protests were attended by approximately 90,000 people, according to government figures.

Claudia Sheinbaum, the favorite in the presidential polls, officially announced her candidacy for the ruling Morena party on the same day. Sheinbaum is likely to succeed the popular President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who has been accused of taking actions that endanger democracy. Last year, López Obrador cut funding for the National Electoral Institute and weakened oversight of campaign spending.

Supporters of the protest have used the color pink, associated with the National Electoral Institute, as a symbol of their causes. Thousands of people dressed in pink flocked to the city’s main square, chanting “López out” and carrying signs that read “the power of the people is greater than the people with power.”

Protests also touched on issues such as attacks against candidates from drug trafficking cartels, with demonstrators stating they were fighting to defend democracy and continue to do so. Marches were organized in a hundred cities throughout the country, as well as in the United States and Spain.

Despite the large demonstration, López Obrador remains popular, and ally Sheinbaum appears to have a relatively unobstructed path to the presidency, leading in the polls by 64%. López Obrador responded to the protests by continuing to attack his critics, insisting that there would be no fraud in the elections.

AP correspondent Megan Janetsky contributed to this report from Mexico City.