Mexico's president says her flag should not fly over protests that turn violent
The Mexican flag has become a symbol of defiance in demonstrations against immigration raids. PHOTO: AFP
Mexico's president says her flag should not fly over protests that turn violent
MEXICO CITY – Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on June 13 said the appearance of the flag of Mexico at protests that had turned violent in the United States was a 'provocation' that threatened to tarnish her country's reputation.
The Mexican flag has become a symbol of defiance in demonstrations against immigration raids while also a flash point among supporters of those policies. Ms Sheinbaum has tried to balance her response to the protests by defending Mexican nationals while condemning violence, and this week she denied an accusation by a top Trump official that she had encouraged violence.
Ms Sheinbaum on June 13 broadly criticised images of disturbances on US streets that featured the Mexican flag, without offering who she believed was responsible for flying her country's banner. The images of protesters waving the flag, she said, 'have all the appearance of being a provocation and of wanting to generate a certain image of Mexico.' Ms Sheinbaum specifically referred to a widely circulated picture of a shirtless man waving Mexico's green, white and red flag while atop a vandalised car in Los Angeles.
'That does not mean that we are not outraged by the way Mexicans and other nationalities are being detained in the United States. We are against these raids,' she added. 'But we must be very clear that these violent actions are a provocation. From whom? We do not know.'
Ms Sheinbaum's remarks underscored how she is trying to balance Mexico's relations with the United States as the countries negotiate tariffs and the Trump administration's pushing of Mexico to do more against drug cartels.
She has also underscored the detention of at least 61 Mexican nationals in Los Angeles, including some who have already been deported.
In many cases, Ms Sheinbaum said, the Mexican government believes that the detainees were denied due process and consulate officials have provided legal council.
Earlier this week, Ms Sheinbaum faced accusations from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem of encouraging demonstrations in Los Angeles. On June 10, Ms Noem told reporters: 'Claudia Sheinbaum came out and encouraged more protests in LA, and I condemn her for that.'
'People are allowed to peacefully protest,' Ms Noem added. 'But the violence that we're seeing is not acceptable, and it's not going to happen in America.'
Ms Sheinbaum said on social media that the accusation was 'absolutely false.' She noted that she had repeatedly condemned violent demonstrations, a point she repeated on June 13.
'When you are against something, you have every right to demonstrate peacefully,' she said, and called on her fellow Mexicans to not join violent demonstrations. 'Even more so if you are in the United States: You have to do it peacefully.' NYTIMES
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
30 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Woman pillion rider dies in accident near Woodlands Checkpoint
Footage of the accident shows two cars that seem to have collided on the rightmost lane, while a motorbike is seen lying on its side nearby. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM FACEBOOK/DANNY MAK SINGAPORE – A 45-year-old woman died following an accident involving a motorcycle and two other cars on the expressway near the Woodlands Checkpoint on the evening of June 14. The police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in response to queries that they were alerted to the accident along the BKE, towards Woodlands Checkpoint after the Woodlands Avenue 3 exit, at about 6pm. The motorcyclist – a 37-year-old man – was taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. His pillion rider was pronounced dead at the scene by an SCDF paramedic. From a video posted to Facebook by a land checkpoints group member, the accident appeared to have affected all three lanes of the expressway leading towards the checkpoint. Two cars that seem to have collided can be seen on the rightmost lane, while a motorbike can be seen lying on its side nearby. Pieces of the vehicles are scattered on the ground. SCDF paramedics can be seen treating a person lying in the middle lane, while two officers stand over what appears to be a body covered by a white sheet on the road shoulder. Police investigations are ongoing. The fatal accident took place on the same day as another accident in the same area of the BKE that saw a 27-year-old motorcyclist taken to the hospital just after midnight. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
36 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Minnesota state Democrat lawmakers shot in their homes, search under way for suspect
A Swat team responds to the site of a shorting in Brooklyn Park, Minn., outside Minneapolis, on June 14. PHOTO: TIM GRUBER/NYTIMES Minnesota state Democrat lawmakers shot in their homes, search under way for suspect WASHINGTON - A Democratic state lawmaker and her husband were killed early June 14 in what appeared to be a 'politically motivated assassination', while a second lawmaker and his spouse were wounded in a separate attack, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said. 'An unspeakable tragedy has unfolded in Minnesota - my good friend and colleague, Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, were shot and killed early this morning in what appears to be a politically motivated assassination,' he told reporters. 'Our state lost a great leader,' he said. Mr Walz said that in a second attack, Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were shot multiple times, underwent surgery and that he was 'cautiously optimistic' that they would survive 'this assassination attempt'. 'This was an act of targeted political violence,' he said. 'Peaceful discourse is the foundation of our democracy. We don't settle our differences with violence or at gunpoint.' Law enforcement authorities said the gunman was impersonating a police officer and escaped after exchanging fire with police who responded to the attacks. A large-scale search for the suspect was underway, they said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Zelensky says Ukraine halts Russian troop advance in Sumy region
KYIV - Ukrainian forces have stopped Russian troops advancing in the northeastern Sumy region and are now battling to regain control along the border with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. In remarks released for publication by his office on June 14, Mr Zelensky said that Moscow has amassed about 53,000 troops in the direction of Sumy. 'We are leveling the position. The fighting there is along the border. You should understand that the enemy has been stopped there. And the maximum depth at which the fighting takes place is 7km from the border,' Mr Zelensky said. Reuters could not verify the battlefield reports. Russia's troops have been focusing their assaults in the eastern Donetsk region. But since the start of June, they have intensified their attacks in the north-east, announcing plans to create a so-called 'buffer zone' in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions. The Russian war in Ukraine is in its fourth year, but it has intensified in recent weeks. Ukraine conducted an audacious drone attack this month that took out multiple aircraft inside Russia and also hit the bridge connecting Russia to Ukraine's occupied Crimean peninsula using underwater explosives. Moscow ramped up its air assaults after the attack. Mr Zelensky said that Ukrainian troops had maintained their defensive lines along more than 1,000km of the front line. He also dismissed Moscow's claims that Russian troops had crossed the administrative border into the central Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk. Mr Zelensky said that Russia was sending small assault groups 'to get one foot on the administrative border' and make a picture or a video, but these attacks were repelled. Dnipropetrovsk borders three regions that are partially occupied by Russia – Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Russia currently controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory. Mr Zelensky acknowledged that Ukraine was unable to regain all of its territory by military force and reiterated his pleas for stronger sanctions on Russia to force Moscow into negotiations to end the war. Two rounds of peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow in Istanbul produced few results that could lead to a ceasefire and a broader peace deal. The two sides agreed only to exchange prisoners of war. Several swops have already been conducted this month, and Mr Zelensky said he expected them to continue until June 20 or 21. In separate remarks made on communications platform Telegram on June 14, he said that a new group of Ukrainian prisoners of war had come home as part of another swop with Russia. 'We continue to take our people out of Russian captivity. This is the fourth exchange in a week,' Mr Zelensky wrote on his personal account. Ukrainian officials responsible for exchanging prisoners said the vast majority of the soldiers released in the exchange had been held captive since 2022 with many captured during the defence of Mariupol. The officials said Kyiv had, meanwhile, received the bodies of 1,200 of its soldiers killed in the war with Russia. The bodies were handed over to Ukraine on June 13. 'The agreement is that the exchanges will be completed, and the sides will discuss the next step,' Mr Zelensky said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
