Riot police fired teargas at teachers marching toward Mexico City’s historic Zócalo plaza on Monday, just 10 days before the square is expected to host the 2026 World Cup “Fan Fest”. The incident marks the second time police have clashed with educators in the past week, raising fears of further disruptions as the city prepares for the opening match of the Fifa World Cup on 11 June.
Union Leader Condemns Police Action
Filiberto Frausto, a union leader, told AFP that the event “will have to be suspended” after police used teargas on 1 June. “A cause like ours should be far above – it’s far more important than a little bit of distraction and fun,” he said. The teachers, affiliated with the CNTE union, have been calling for salary increases and the reversal of pension laws.
Threats to Disrupt World Cup
Pedro Hernandez Morales, general secretary of CNTE section 9 in Mexico City, warned that if demands are not met before the opening match, “the ball will not roll”, as reported by Al Jazeera English. The union began threatening protests during the World Cup in mid-May, during a march on Teacher’s Day.
On Monday, demonstrating teachers broke through one of the metal barriers blocking off the Zócalo when riot police hurled teargas at them. One protester was hit by an unidentified projectile and was taken away bleeding from a head injury, according to AFP.
Previous Clashes and Government Response
On 26 May, Mexico News Daily reported that riot police blocked teachers from the Oaxaca-based section 22 of the CNTE union who tried to enter the square to set up a protest camp. “They repressed us, they hit us, they pushed us,” Francisca Pérez, a teacher from Oaxaca, told EFE. Journalist Manuel López San Martín shared footage of police using fire extinguishers to disperse teachers.
In a joint statement, the ministry of public education and the ministry of the interior said the union had been advised that gathering in the historic plaza was too dangerous due to ongoing construction. The union has threatened to summon “millions” of teachers to the capital during the World Cup if demands are not met, and could call for a nationwide strike.
