Demonstrators smash a door during a protest following the death of a young man while in police custody in Guadalajara, Mexico: AFP via Getty Images
Protests have erupted in Mexico against police brutality in the second-largest city, Guadalajara, calling for authorities to be held accountable for the death in custody of a local man allegedly arrested for not wearing a face mask.
During Thursday´s unrest in the state capital of Jalisco, police cars were set on fire and buildings including the government palace vandalised. Police responded with force, beating demonstrators with batons and firing tear gas.
Demonstrations began after footage circulated on social media showing a young man, identified as Giovanni Lopez, being detained by police on 4 May. Bystanders can be heard saying the police were arresting him for not using a face mask.
Lopez, a construction worker, died in custody, a police statement said. His relatives later found his body at a hospital in the city, with a bullet wound on his foot. An autopsy found that he had died from a head injury.
Gael García Bernal, a Mexican actor, was among those who expressed outrage at the police’s actions on social media.
