By THE PULSE NEWS MEXICO STAFF

A group of about 300 masked men and women sacked apartment buildings and offices in Mexico City’s upscale Colonia Polanco on Friday, June 5, smashing cars, breaking windows and defacing the front of buildings in a confused protest against police violence, racism and poverty.

The self-proclaimed anarchists began their protest in the early afternoon in front of the U.S. Embassy along Avenida Paseo de la Reforma in supposed solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States protesting the death of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25, as well as the death of Giovanni López, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, on June 4, who also died as a result of excessive police force.

Notwithstanding, the protest soon turned violent as the dissidents began throwing rocks and molotov cocktails and vandalizing nearby buildings and vehicles.

The protesters then began a march toward the offices of the state of Jalisco’s representative office in Mexico City, which is located in Polanco.

As the group advanced into Colonia Anzures and Polanco, they left a path of destruction and anti-establishment and anti-wealth grafiti along the way.

At least 50 businesses and 60 apartment buildings along Avenida Paseo de la Reforma, Mariano Escobedo and Rubén Dario were damaged.

Once inside Polanco, the protesters were confronted by 600 policemen and policewomen in full riot gear sent in by Miguel Hidalgo Precinct leader Victor Romo, and were dispersed.

Several police officers were injured in the subsequent melee.

No arrests have been made.

…June 6, 2020