Thousands of members of the National Coordinator of Education Workers (CNLE) marched through the main avenues of Mexico City this May 1st to commemorate International Workers' Day and demand a negotiation table with the federal Executive.
The march, which stretched from the Angel of Independence to the Zócalo, aimed primarily to pressure the President of Mexico to address their long-standing demands.
According to reports from El Universal, the demonstration proceeded peacefully, though it was marked by intense social protest, with slogans such as “Not one more reform without teacher consultation!” and grievances against the 2007 ISSSTE Law.
While the original plan was to deliver a list of demands in front of the National Palace, the organization decided to reroute the march toward the Ministry of Public Education (SEP).
At the SEP headquarters, a CNTE commission was received by the head of the agency, Mario Delgado Carrillo, to formally deliver a document demanding a 100% salary increase, the repeal of the educational reform, and the reinstatement of direct dialogue.
Pedro Hernández Morales, General Secretary of Section 9, led a rally in the Zócalo where he criticized the government's stance. “There is no dialogue; there is only a monologue of power that only looks in the mirror to say that everything is fine,” Hernández Morales stated, according to El Universal.
Prior to the march, CNTE leaders had warned of a climate of “stubbornness” and “deaf ears.” Representatives from Section 7, arriving from Chiapas, denounced a systematic refusal to address their demands and insisted on the need for a direct negotiation table with the Executive.
Traffic Disruptions and Blockades in the Capital
The mobilization caused significant traffic complications across Mexico City starting early Friday morning. According to information from El Financiero, the Secretariat of Citizen Security (SSC), through its Undersecretariat of Intelligence and Police Investigation, estimated participation at just over 11,500 people.
Contingents, which included the National Front for the 40 Hours, the New Central of Workers, and the Socialist Workers Movement, gathered near the Angel of Independence starting at 8:00 a.m. Authorities issued alerts regarding road closures due to the passage of buses transporting the protesters.
In a parallel event, subcontracted construction workers involved in the renovation of Metro Line 2 staged a blockade at the intersection of Hidalgo and Reforma. This group placed bags of rubble in both directions of the roadway to demand payment of their wages for April 30th, as reported by El Financiero.
CNTE leaders also noted that these mobilizations are part of the preliminary activities leading up to a national strike aimed at the 2026 World Cup.
