Anti-gentrification protest in Mexico City ends in vandalism and harassment of tourists (Videos)

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A protest by hundreds of people against gentrification and mass tourism that began peacefully Friday in Mexico City's tourist neighborhoods turned violent when a small group smashed storefronts and harassed foreigners.

Masked protesters smashed windows and looted luxury businesses in the Condesa and Roma neighborhoods, shouting at tourists. Graffiti on broken glass, at which they threw rocks, read: “Get out of Mexico.” The protesters carried signs reading: “Gringos, stop stealing our homes,” and demanded laws to better regulate tourism and housing.

They later protested in front of the U.S. Embassy and chanted slogans on the subway. Police reinforcements gathered in front of the Embassy, ​​while police sirens resonated throughout the city center throughout the night.

It marked a violent end to a more peaceful march that had taken place earlier in the day, which denounced the masses of American tourists who have flooded Mexico City in recent years.

Tensions had been rising in the city since American "digital nomads" flocked to Mexico City in 2020, many to escape coronavirus lockdowns in the United States or to take advantage of cheaper rents in the Latin American city.

Since then, rents have skyrocketed, and locals have been increasingly displaced from their neighborhoods, particularly in areas like Condesa and Roma, leafy areas filled with cafes and restaurants.

Michelle Castro, a 19-year-old college student, was among the protesting crowds. She said she lives in the city center, in a working-class area, and has slowly seen how low-income housing has become tourist housing.

“Mexico City is undergoing a negative transformation,” he said. “There are many foreigners, mainly from the United States, coming to live here. Many believe it's xenophobia, but it's not really, because the problem with so many foreigners coming here is that everything becomes more expensive, including rent; Airbnb rentals are going up. That's precisely where rents are already at prices that people... who are from here can no longer afford.”

There have been similar protests against mass tourism in European cities such as Barcelona, ​​Madrid, Paris, and Rome.