In Mexico City, a significant demonstration occurred on Thursday as thousands of individuals rallied against the tragic murder of two young boys during an attempted carjacking in Sinaloa, a state plagued by violence. The protesting crowd included mothers and children dressed in school uniforms, all voicing their desire for an end to the rampant cartel violence that has disrupted daily life in the state capital, Culiacan.

A smaller faction within the demonstrators forcibly entered the offices of Governor Rubén Rocha, vandalizing the premises and calling for his resignation. Rocha, who is a close associate of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has faced criticism for his inability to rein in the violence afflicting the state, even with military support deployed to the area.

Acknowledging the public’s anger, state spokesperson Feliciano Castro later stated that federal investigators were looking into the circumstances surrounding the killings. The victims, 12-year-old Gael and his 9-year-old brother Alexander Sarmiento, along with their father, were shot on Sunday during the attempted theft of their vehicle. Two other minors also sustained injuries in the attack. Although authorities have indicated that the vehicle’s darkly tinted windows may have played a role in the incident, the specifics remain unclear.

The march was organized by the elementary school of the younger brother, serving as a poignant display of collective outrage in a city effectively controlled by the Sinaloa cartel. Culiacan has experienced months of escalating violence as rival factions of cartels vie for dominance, particularly following the arrests last year in the U.S. of key cartel figures, including Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and one of the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.

This persistent violence poses a significant challenge for President Claudia Sheinbaum, who took office in October. Her administration is under considerable pressure from U.S. authorities, including President Donald Trump, to curb the trafficking of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, into the United States. The Sinaloa cartel is known to be one of the largest producers of this illicit substance.

In the days leading up to the protest, anger online regarding the children’s deaths intensified, contributing to the emotional atmosphere of the demonstration, which was described as “more effusive, more emotional, very very sad and much harder” than previous protests in the capital, according to Estefanía López of the group Culiacan Valiente, known for organizing peace marches. She noted, “It took on a life of its own, I think a lot of people woke up. The disgust … has been such that today the people came out.”