Amnesty International condemns police violence at World Cup opening protests in Mexico City
Key takeaways
- The organization demanded respect for and protection of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and protest.
- In a message on its X account, AI held that all action by the security forces must strictly adhere to the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality and accountability.
- According to testimonies circulated on social media, firecrackers and stones were thrown and cars were set on fire.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Amnesty International (AI) on Thursday condemned the violence by security forces during the large protests in southern Mexico City surrounding the opening of the 2026 World Cup, in which police used fire extinguishers to disperse demonstrators. The organization demanded respect for and protection of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and protest.
In a message on its X account, AI held that all action by the security forces must strictly adhere to the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality and accountability. The organization, which acted as an observer of the mobilizations, called on authorities to prioritize dialogue and to refrain from resorting to excessive use of force, arbitrary detentions or any act of repression, and demanded that the physical integrity of both demonstrators and bystanders be guaranteed.
The protests, which escalated as the opening match began at the Estadio Ciudad de M xico (the former Azteca), brought together a coalition of groups, including teachers from the National Coordinator of Education Workers (CNTE), transport workers and mothers searching for disappeared relatives, under slogans such as if there is no solution, the ball will not roll. According to testimonies circulated on social media, firecrackers and stones were thrown and cars were set on fire. The Mexican outlet UnoTV reported seven people detained after incidents at one of the stadium's gates and six police officers injured.