Several thousand people marched through Mexico City on Saturday denouncing rising crime, corruption and widespread impunity, in a rally initially called by Generation Z activists but later bolstered by strong turnout from older opposition supporters.

The march remained largely peaceful until its final stretch, when a group of young protesters clashed with police. They hurled stones, fireworks, sticks and chains, seizing shields and other police gear.

Capital Security Secretary Pablo Vázquez said 120 people were injured — 100 of them police officers — and that 20 demonstrators were detained.

Members of Gen Z — those born from the late 1990s to early 2010s — have staged protests in several countries this year, targeting inequality, corruption and democratic setbacks. The largest demonstrations unfolded in Nepal in September after a social media ban, ultimately forcing the prime minister to resign.

In Mexico, many young people say entrenched corruption and rampant violent crime have left them feeling powerless. “We need more security,” said 29-year-old business consultant Andres Massa, waving the pirate-skull flag that has become an international symbol of Gen Z activism.

Others joined with their own demands. Arizbeth Garcia, a 43-year-old physician, said she marched for better public health funding and because doctors “are also exposed to the insecurity gripping the country.”

President Claudia Sheinbaum remains broadly popular despite a string of high-profile killings, including the recent assassination of a widely known mayor in Michoacan state. Ahead of the rally, she accused right-wing parties of trying to insert themselves into the Gen Z movement and using social media bots to inflate turnout.

Some influencers distanced themselves from the protest during the week, but older figures — including former President Vicente Fox and billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego — publicly endorsed it.

People of several generations joined Saturday’s march, including supporters of slain Michoacan Mayor Carlos Manzo, who wore the straw hats associated with his movement.

“The state is dying,” said 65-year-old real estate agent Rosa Maria Avila, who traveled from Patzcuaro. Manzo “was killed because he sent officers into the mountains to confront criminals. He had the courage to face them,” she said.