At least 120 people have been injured, among them 100 police officers, as protestors clashed with authorities in Mexico City.
Thousands of protestors took to the streets of the Mexican capital under the banner of "Generation Z" as they denounced violent crime and President Claudia Sheinbaum's government.
Clashes began on Saturday when a small group of hooded protesters tore down fences around the National Palace, the official residence of President Sheinbaum, which saw the intervention of riot police.
Witnesses report that the Mexican police then deployed tear gas.
At least 100 police officers were injured in the melee, including 40 who required hospital treatment, according to Mexico City's public safety secretary, Pablo Vazquez.
Some 20 civilians were also injured, Mr Vazquez said in a press conference.
He confirmed that a further 20 people had been arrested and another 20 "referred for administrative offences".
Other cities in Mexico also saw protests, which President Sheinbaum denounced as being funded by right-wing politicians who oppose her government.
40 police officers required hospital treatment after the melee with protestors outside the presidential palace
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Protestors identified themselves as "Generation Z Mexico", which, according to a manifesto circulating online, is a non-partisan youth movement seeking to end the scourge of violent crime and corruption in Mexico.
They have been particularly animated by a series of high-profile killings in the country, including the assassination of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo earlier this month.
Mr Manzo, who was a prominent critic of drug-trafficking gangs and cartel violence, was shot dead while attending a festival on November 1.
Many of those present on Saturday held banners bearing the words "We are all Carlos Manzo", while others wore cowboy hats in tribute to the slain politician.
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The demonstrators marched under the 'Generation Z' banner
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Some protestors took a stronger line on the government, chanting "Carlos did not die, the government killed him,” according to witnesses.
President Sheinbaum has come under intense scrutiny for her apparent failure to deal with Mexico's drug cartels in Mexico, despite efforts to bring them under control.
The Mexican leader, who took office in October 2024, had resisted efforts to launch a full-scale war on drugs, given the bloody results of previous attempts.
Reacting to the protests, she said: "We agree with freedom of expression and freedom of demonstration if there are young people who have demands, but the issue here is who is promoting the demonstration.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum blamed the protests on her political opponents
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"People should know how this demonstration was organised so that no one is used," she added in a briefing.
President Sheinbaum has seen approval ratings of 70 per cent in her first year in office, but is now coming under both domestic and international pressure.
As well as President Donald Trump demanding more action on the passage of fentanyl into the US, she was declared "persona non grata" by Peru's Congress earlier this month.
The move followed President Sheinbaum's decision to grant asylum to a former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo, who is facing charges for a 2022 coup attempt.
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