The authorities deployed thousands of police officers around the stadium, where concrete and trailer barriers were placed on the road to prevent demonstrators from advancing towards the facility hosting the opening match between Mexico and South Africa.
A splinter group from the teachers’ union CNTE has been continuing its protests since last week, demanding an increase in salaries and the cancellation of the pension reform law, which the government considers unworkable. On the other hand, the authorities confirm that they have improved the working conditions of teachers and call for dialogue.
One of the demonstrators, Angel Villalobos, told Agence France-Presse: “We want to reach the stadium,” adding: “The government has provided some answers, but they are not satisfactory.”
Another demonstrator, Ostriberto Flores, chanted: “The struggle continues.”
The teachers also set up a camp near the central Zocalo square, where a fan zone was set up, and issued an invitation to demonstrate on Thursday, coinciding with the opening match.
For her part, President Claudia Sheinbaum described the protests witnessed in recent days, which included closing streets and destroying statues related to the World Cup, as a “provocation.”
“We see this as a provocation aimed at showing how bad the situation is in Mexico,” Sheinbaum said in her daily press conference. She acknowledged that there are “many problems” in the country, stressing that the government is “dealing with them,” but stressed that there is no “social discontent.”
Sheinbaum ruled out, at the present time, issuing orders to the police to suppress the protests, stressing that she “guarantees that the celebration of the opening of the World Cup will go well, in peace and quiet.”
The president will not attend the opening ceremony at Azteca Stadium, noting that she is considering her presence in the area designated for fans near the presidential palace, and she said: “We will see how the situation develops with the teachers.”
