With just hours to the kickoff of the 2026 World Cup, thousands of protesters on Tuesday blocked a major avenue leading to Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium.
The demonstration was led mainly by the National Coordination of Education Workers alongside several activist groups, with tensions building since early June.
The timing of the protest, observers note, was far from coincidental.
The teachers’ union has also called for further demonstrations on Thursday, which are expected to involve families of missing persons who allege their relatives were killed or abducted either by criminal gangs or Mexican authorities.
Tuesday’s action, spearheaded by a splinter faction of the CNTE, comes after a week of ongoing protests that President Claudia Sheinbaum has described as a “provocation.”
“As if to say, ‘Look at how bad the situation is in Mexico,’” she told a press conference.
Security forces blocked the marchers from approaching the Azteca Stadium, which is set to host the World Cup opening match on Thursday.
With thousands of police officers deployed and concrete barricades erected around the venue, the protesters remained on the streets for about three hours before eventually dispersing.
Mexico City’s security chief Pablo Vazquez, in a statement, said the demonstration was peaceful.
The Azteca Stadium will stage the tournament’s opening game between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday, with a massive global television audience expected to watch both the ceremony and the match.
