Masked demonstrators set fire to state police officers outside the Government Palace in Campeche during an International Women’s Day march on Sunday, leaving two officers with burns and triggering a chaotic police response that swept up at least 11 people — including peaceful protesters and, reportedly, minors
The attack came as marchers were dispersing following a rally in the state capital. According to local reports, hooded individuals approached a line of Policía Estatal (State Police) officers guarding the Palacio de Gobierno (Government Palace), using an aerosol can and a lighter to ignite the officers. Two female officers suffered burn injuries.
Campeche Gov. Layda Sansores condemned the attack in sharp terms, calling it a “criminal act” carried out against women officers who were simply doing their jobs. She also suggested political motives were at play. “Those involved have already been identified and some are linked to political groups,” she said, adding that formal complaints would be filed and that the law would be applied.
Arrests Draw Accusations of Overreach
What followed the attack drew as much attention as the attack itself. Police pursued the group responsible for roughly 300 meters to Parque de Las Banderas, near the Government Palace, where they made at least 11 arrests. But witnesses and videos circulating on social media suggested the dragnet went well beyond those responsible.
Accounts from women present at the park — many of whom say they were protesting peacefully and at a distance from the violence — describe the scene as a “hunt.” Video footage showed riot police arriving on scene, officers surrounding a pregnant woman, and police attacking a vehicle carrying women trying to leave the area. Eyewitnesses said there was “no distinction” in who was detained.
The incident added a complicated layer to an already fraught day. In neighboring Mérida, the 8M march ended peacefully, a deliberate outcome city officials had worked toward. This year, Mayor Cecilia Patrón Laviada took the unusual step of leaving the Palacio Municipal unbarricaded — a departure from previous years when metal fencing was erected around government buildings as a precaution. As Yucatán Magazine reported, it was a calculated gamble that paid off, with no major confrontations reported. The buildings were not along the route of the march, with damage mainly contained to the Paseo Montejo’s monuments.
A National Day of Mobilization
The events in Campeche unfolded against a backdrop of nationwide demonstrations. Tens of thousands of women marched through Mexico City and across the country on Sunday in what has become the largest political protest event in a country where human rights advocates say gender-based violence often goes ignored or unpunished.
In Mexico City, one of the main avenues turned into a sea of purple and green — colors representing justice and reproductive rights — as thousands of women marched demanding an end to gender-based discrimination by the country’s institutions.
The scale of participation reflects the urgency many women feel. In Mexico, about seven out of every 10 women have experienced physical, sexual, emotional, or economic violence, according to several studies.
The 8M marches have grown increasingly charged in recent years. In 2019, activism moved into the streets after reports that police in Mexico City raped a woman, recasting March 8 as an organizing deadline and making it a focal point for coordinated action. Property damage and clashes with police have become recurring features, particularly in cities where the relationship between feminist movements and law enforcement is deeply adversarial.
In Mexico City this year, the National Palace had been surrounded with metal barriers up to 2.5 meters tall ahead of the march. President Claudia Sheinbaum said the barriers were intended to prevent confrontation between officers and demonstrators.
Political Fallout
The events in Campeche are likely to fuel debate on multiple fronts — over the use of fire as a protest tactic, the rights of demonstrators to march without mass arrest, and how authorities should respond when violence breaks out within a larger peaceful demonstration.
Governor Sansores, who has not shied from controversy during her tenure, made clear she intends to pursue those responsible. Whether the arrested individuals include those who carried out the attack — or primarily bystanders caught in the sweep — was not confirmed by authorities as of Sunday night.
Key Facts
- The incident occurred March 8, 2026, during the 8M International Women’s Day march in Campeche city
- Masked individuals used an aerosol can and lighter to set fire to state police officers guarding the Palacio de Gobierno
- Two female officers were hospitalized with burn injuries
- At least 11 people were arrested near Parque de Las Banderas, about 300 meters from the Government Palace
- Witnesses and video footage allege peaceful protesters and minors were caught in the police sweep
- Gov. Layda Sansores called the attack a “criminal act” and said those involved have been identified, some linked to political groups
- Marches took place across Mexico on March 8, with tens of thousands participating in Mexico City alone
- In Mérida, the 8M march ended without incident
Source: Diario de Yucatán; CBC News