“Gringos, go home!”: Mexico City’s first march against gentrification
Hundreds of people protested in Mexico City on Friday, July 4, against the growing gentrification of the capital, which they attribute in part to the arrival of Americans. With soaring rents, luxury retail, and Airbnbs, residents are denouncing an increasingly inaccessible city.
The date was not chosen at random. On Friday, July 4th, the American Independence Day, several hundred protesters marched through the streets of Mexico City to denounce the growing gentrification of the Mexican capital, particularly that caused by the arrival of Americans.
Residents have primarily pointed to the soaring cost of living and housing, reports El Sol de México . This situation has, over time, forced many residents to leave their original neighborhoods and move to the more remote areas of the city.
As the media TV Azteca points out , the march began at Parque México and then headed to various areas.
The anger of the residents was also expressed through a series of banners with explicit messages: “Gringos [name given to North Americans], go home!”, “Here, we speak Spanish”, or even “Having a roof over your head is a right”, one could read in the streets of the capital.
While the rally was generally peaceful, Quadratín noted some incidents, attributed to “outside groups.” Some of them reportedly engaged in acts of vandalism and damaged various buildings, particularly in the C neighborhoods.
Courrier International
