Mexico: Protesting teachers storm Education Ministry building

Days before Mexico co-hosts the FIFA World Cup, protesting teachers stormed the Ministry of Education building in the capital. The group, splintered from the CNTE teachers' union, used lampposts as battering rams to breach the building. Images showed smashed windows and a small fire inside the facility.

President Claudia Sheinbaum stated she would not "make the mistake" of suppressing the demonstrations. "They want us to repress them just days before the World Cup," she said during a press conference, vowing not to take harsh measures. The protests come as Mexico prepares to host the global football event, which begins June 11.

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She will not make the mistake and will not suppress demonstrations.

This action follows earlier clashes, including police using tear gas to disperse teachers attempting to reach the Zocalo square, where a fan zone for the World Cup is being set up. However, authorities did not intervene when protesters toppled five-meter-high statues of football players on Tuesday.

The teachers are demanding a 100% salary increase and the repeal of a pension law. The government has agreed to a 9% wage hike, a figure far below the protesters' demands. The average monthly salary for a public school teacher in Mexico, before taxes, starts at $967.

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They want us to repress them just days before the World Cup.