Only a few protests at the opening of the World Cup: You can play

Pedro Moreno is one of those who, according to the worried opinion of some observers, could have disrupted the opening of the World Cup in Mexico City. Since early morning he has been standing here in a denim vest and cap with one or two hundred colleagues at the headquarters of the Mexican Energy Authority, General Prim Street, at the corner of Paseo de la Reforma. “It’s a coincidence that we’re here for the opening of the World Cup,” he says with a laugh. Every year on the 11th of each month they protest against rising electricity prices. Already for 16 years. “But we stand in solidarity with all the other groups that are on the streets today,” emphasizes Moreno.

A World Cup opening is a wonderful stage, not only for so-called world football, its fans and Gianni Infantino, but also for many interest groups here in Mexico. For the mothers who want to draw attention to the fate of their missing children, for employees of the powerful oil company Pemex who are demanding higher pensions, for the agricultural workers who have also made their way to the capital. For the teachers and their demand to withdraw a pension law from 2007 that is disadvantageous to them.

They had all announced massive protests for this Thursday, especially the teachers. They have been besieging the Zócalo, the main square in the city’s historic center, for more than a week, driving the government before them. It is true that only a very small part of the teaching staff is protesting here. But they are led by the powerful CNTE union and not only threatened to close the fan mile between the presidential palace and the cathedral, they repeatedly threatened to block access to the Aztec Stadium.

The government apparently recognized the danger of this situation too late. It has only been a week since she met with union representatives in repeated rounds of negotiations in order to resolve the conflict at short notice. But the teachers remained adamant and another meeting was canceled on Wednesday. Out of concern about announced demonstrations, hundreds of police officers secured the city’s two airports. On Thursday morning, teacher Elvira Veleces, a union official, finally announced that the protests would continue. “We will make our fight and our central demand visible during the World Cup,” explained Veleces.

Drivers are said to have been arrested who wanted to bring explosives into the city in their cars

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had been emphasizing for days that her cabinet was working on a solution and that the government was always ready for talks. At the same time, she warned against provocateurs who wanted to make the opening of the World Cup fail. Drivers are said to have even been arrested for trying to bring explosives into the city in their cars. In recent days, the President has felt compelled by all this news in her daily morning conference to guarantee the success of the opening ceremonies. “The entire team from the city administration and the Mexican government is ready to ensure this.”

In the morning, the US Embassy issued a somewhat surprising warning to its citizens that there would be traffic disruptions. But the expected chaos did not materialize for the time being – with the exception of a few streets that were blocked by demonstrators. This was certainly also due to the fact that several thousand security forces shielded the area around the Aztec Stadium. At halftime there were reports in the digital services that several hundred protesters had advanced shortly in front of Gate 8 of the stadium. Video snippets show battles with the police, in which fireworks and Bengalos were apparently set off. Inside the city, however, there was little sign of the protests.

In the morning, the city administration finally decided to open the fan mile on the Zócalo in the historic center of the city. Because of this news, thousands of fans flocked to the few entrances through the fortress-like steel walls surrounding the field. But even though visitors had to wait longer to be admitted, the mood remained relaxed.

There had been speculation for a long time about where Mexico’s President Sheinbaum herself would watch the game. She had donated her ticket for the opening with the number 00001 weeks ago to benefit a competition for young female footballers. The winner was a 21-year-old woman from the state of Veracruz. Originally, Sheinbaum wanted to watch the game in the Salón Tesorería inside the presidential palace or from the balcony with a view of the Zócalo. The choice of location ultimately depends on the security situation in the city, it was said.

Shortly before kick-off it was announced that Sheinbaum would be going to a city government fan festival to watch the game. In the Gustavo A. Madero district, several kilometers from the secure presidential palace. The choice of location should certainly also be a sign.