Manufactured ‘Hat Movement’ Rage Distracts Mexico’s Working Youth
The clashes in Mexico City’s Zócalo were dramatic, a spectacle of generational fury broadcast around the world. Thousands of young Mexicans, many sporting the wide-brimmed straw hats that have become a defiant symbol, marched under the banner of the so-called 15N “Hat Movement.”
Triggered by the assassination of opposition mayor Carlos Manzo, the demonstration quickly became a furious call for President Claudia Sheinbaum’s resignation, complete with skirmishes against police and the unexpected sight of the One Piece pirate flag flying high above the turmoil.
For many observers outside of Mexico, this looked like a spontaneous, organic youth rebellion against insecurity and corruption. But the political reality is far more complex.