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Updated March 9th, 2021 at 08:09 IST

Unrest as Mexico women protest against president

Thousands of women marched to Mexico City's National Palace Monday to mark International Women's Day, focusing the spotlight on Mexico's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador contradictions.

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Thousands of women marched to Mexico City's National Palace Monday to mark International Women's Day, focusing the spotlight on Mexico's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador contradictions. Those contradictions were on display in Mexico City's vast central plaza, after the government erected tall steel anti-riot barricades in front of the National Palace.

Activists quickly adorned the structures with flowers and the names of female murder victims. The president said the barriers were meant to protect buildings and monuments in the colonial-era downtown that have been spray painted with graffiti in past feminist demonstrations, and placed the blame on his political opponents.

"The barricades were put up because the conservatives are very upset," López Obrador said. "They infiltrate all the movements to create provocations."

But marchers like Mariana Mora did not accept this. "They take our lives with death and we sow life," she said holding a bouquet of flowers next to the fence, "there are not even enough fences right now to write the names of all the women who have been murdered." López Obrador tried to focus on the high number of women in his Cabinet, but not on the fact he has refused to break with a gubernatorial candidate accused of rape.

Last week, the president sought to deflect criticism of his support for his party's candidate for the governorship of Guerrero's southern state, Félix Macedonio Salgado, who has been accused of rape by two women, though he has not been charged. Authorities estimated there would be almost 100 women's marches in cities and towns throughout Mexico. Some local and state authorities designated squads of female police officers to provide security at the marches. 

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Published March 9th, 2021 at 08:09 IST

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