"It's not progress, it's dispossession": the protest shaking Mexico City

Under the slogan "It's not progress, it's dispossession," dozens of residents and groups demonstrated in Parque México to demand that the Mexico City government take concrete action against gentrification, a phenomenon that is radically transforming life in the capital.

Mexico City witnessed an unprecedented social mobilization this Friday that brought to the forefront one of the most pressing debates of contemporary urban life: gentrification. Convened by a network of neighborhood groups, citizens from various neighborhoods gathered in the iconic Parque México in La Condesa to speak out against what they consider an exclusionary urban development model that is forcing them from their own homes.

The protest, organized by a dozen groups such as "Gentrification in Your Language" and the "Anti-Gentrification Neighborhood Front MX," took place in the Cuauhtémoc borough, one of the hardest hit by this phenomenon. The protesters argue that the rise of short-term rentals, driven by platforms like Airbnb, and the massive arrival of high-net-worth "digital nomads" have led to an unsustainable increase in the cost of housing and services.

"Prioritize settled tenants and, above all, guarantee access to housing as a right, not as a business," was one of the organizers' central slogans. They made it clear that their fight is not against migration, which they consider a human right, but against a system that favors real estate speculation and extractive tourism over the needs of the local community.

Beyond the protest, the groups presented a series of clear demands to Clara Brugada's government. Their main demand is strict regulation of short-term rental platforms, which they accuse of operating unchecked and drastically reducing the supply of long-term housing, artificially inflating prices.

The mobilization, which included the creation of an "anti-discrimination clothesline" with banners and photographs, an open microphone for those affected to share their stories of displacement, and workshops to create protest materials, seeks to pressure authorities to take urgent action. They argue that the domino effect that began in central neighborhoods like Roma and Condesa is already spreading to neighborhoods like Doctores, Obrera, and Juárez, forcing families to migrate to the outskirts.

The movement in Mexico City is not an isolated case. It reflects a global trend seen in cities like Barcelona and Madrid, where citizens have also mobilized en masse against the effects of touristification and the housing crisis.

The protest in Parque México marks a turning point, taking the debate from social media and academic circles to the streets. Participants seek to shed light on a reality that, they believe, is destroying the social fabric, neighborhood culture, and the fundamental right to the city for thousands of residents of the capital. The question they leave hanging is whether the authorities will heed their call before the displacement becomes irreversible.