PHOTOS: Rioters in Mexico City Lash Out Against U.S., Other Tourists, Migrants ‘Go Home’

Rioters in Mexico City trashed cafes and looted stores in ritzy neighborhoods as they protested against tourism and foreigners who migrated there from the U.S. and Europe.

The issue began on Friday when hundreds of protesters took to the streets in the Reforma and Condesa neighborhoods in Mexico City. The protesters claimed that foreigners were driving up the cost of living and that they refused to learn Spanish. However, as the protests continued, masked activists turned to looting and vandalism, trashing cafes and looting various stores.

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Rioters also assaulted various individuals who tried to interfere and spray-painted walls; they also destroyed city signs and structures.

In the aftermath of the riots, Mexico City’s government issued a statement condemning the riots. In the statement, city officials claimed that while a right to protest is protected, violence is not.

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One of the chief issues behind the protests is the gentrification of Mexico City neighborhoods, such as Roma, Condesa, and Reform, which have become increasingly popular among tourists and foreigners seeking to relocate and take advantage of the region’s low cost of living. Additionally, locals also complain that in those ritzy neighborhoods, most foreigners speak English or other languages and are resistant to speaking Spanish.

The issue has since sparked much controversy not only in Mexico but also in the United States, where the Department of Homeland Security posted on social media a comment about the protests, pointing out the irony of people in Mexico holding anti-immigrant protests.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with the Breitbart News Foundation. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.