Search groups accuse Calzada de Tlalpan repression; SSC CDMX announces investigation, official apologizes

Search groups in Mexico City accused the Secretariat of Citizen Security (SSC) of institutional repression during a peaceful demonstration on Calzada de Tlalpan. The groups, including mothers searching for disappeared persons, reported being victims of intimidation by around 80 SSC officers.

During a peaceful activity called "What if yes? We return the disappeared: A small game against oblivion," participants, including family members, supporters, and journalists, alleged they were physically assaulted and threatened. They described police officers, some on unmarked motorcycles, engaging in aggressive tactics, including blocking their path and attempting to seize banners with the faces of the disappeared.

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Family members, solidarity people, and media were physically assaulted and threatened on several occasions, receiving blows from police officers who at no time identified themselves, who kept their faces covered, and did not wear their names visibly.

"Family members, solidarity people, and media were physically assaulted and threatened on several occasions, receiving blows from police officers who at no time identified themselves, who kept their faces covered, and did not wear their names visibly," the groups stated. They also reported that a supporter was "strangled" while trying to protect a banner. Several individuals sustained injuries due to what they described as a "disproportionate use of force."

In response to the incident, the Secretary of Government, César Cravioto, and the head of the SSC, Pablo Vázquez, announced an investigation and offered apologies. The search groups, however, emphasized that violence and intimidation cannot silence families seeking truth and justice for the estimated 135,000 people who are disappeared in Mexico.

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that cannot be the response of the State in the face of peaceful protest and the dignified struggle of families.