On November 15, 2025, thousands of Generation Z members marched in at least 24 Mexican states, using hybrid symbols like the One Piece straw hat and the sahuayense hat to protest corruption, violence, and insecurity. These demonstrations were inspired by the assassination of former mayor Carlos Manzo on November 1 and drew from global movements starting in Indonesia. President Claudia Sheinbaum's attempts to delegitimize the protests only fueled greater mobilization and international criticism.
The November 15, 2025 marches in Mexico represented a fusion of global and local protests. Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, adopted the symbol of a smiling calaca with a straw hat, inspired by the Japanese anime One Piece created by Eiichiro Oda in 1997. This emblem, representing Monkey D. Luffy and his crew fighting a corrupt government, originated in July 2025 in Indonesia against salary increases for legislators and corruption. It spread to the Philippines, France, Madagascar, and Nepal, where on September 8 it sparked a revolution that toppled K.P. Sharma Oli's government in 48 hours, resulting in 74 deaths and protests against the blocking of 26 social media platforms and nepotism.
In Mexico, the symbol merged with the 'Movimiento del Sombrero,' founded by Carlos Manzo, the former Uruapan mayor assassinated on November 1, 2025. This movement, initially centered in Michoacán, expanded nationwide against corruption and organized crime. The demonstrations demanded security, an end to corruption, and digital freedom, featuring flags that combined the pirate Jolly Roger—from the Golden Age of Piracy between 1650 and 1730—with sahuayense hats or mustached skulls. A prior march occurred on November 5 in Michoacán.
President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration, in power for 14 months, attempted to delegitimize the protests as an international ultra-right conspiracy, based on a social media analysis. However, a Dinamic study over 48 hours revealed 3.5 million participants in conversations with 97 million impressions, 70% negative due to Sheinbaum's lack of empathy and security strategy. Only 1.74% of comments came from bots. Following Manzo's assassination, Sheinbaum launched a peace and justice plan in Michoacán, but it did not improve her image.
The protests included calls for revoking Sheinbaum's mandate and those of governors like Rocío Nahle, Rubén Rocha Moya, Delfina Gómez, and Marina del Pilar Ávila. Police violence occurred in Mexico City, with arrests and beatings, dominating national and international media coverage. Google recorded nearly 52 million searches, focused on insecurity and accusations of cartel complicity. A tweet from Barron Trump on November 15 described the march as a 'total revolt against corruption,' calling Sheinbaum 'Narco Presidenta.' These actions highlight global discontent with corruption, adapted in Mexico to the threat of organized crime.