Protests against surging mass tourism in Mexico City end in vandalism, harassment of tourists
NBC2 days
Protests Against 'Gringo' Gentrification in Mexico City End in Violence
Above: A demonstrator holds up a "Gringo Go Home" banner during a protest in Mexico City on July 4, 2025. Image copyright: Carl de Souza/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
This protest represents justified resistance against modern colonialism. Foreign digital nomads are displacing Mexican families by driving up rents with their dollar salaries while their government dehumanizes Mexicans through deportations and border policies. Property damage against symbols of foreign wealth isn't mindless violence — it's economic pressure telling outsiders they're not entitled to live here at locals' expense.
Right narrative
This demonstration reveals a striking hypocrisy as Mexican protesters demanding foreigners to get out of their country are portrayed sympathetically while Americans who complain about mass migration changing culture and driving up costs are labeled xenophobic. Both cases involve locals concerned about demographic and economic changes, so one can't say that Mexicans are right and the Trump administration is wrong.