Protesters block road to Mexican World Cup stadium

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Thousands of demonstrators blocked an avenue leading to Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium on Tuesday, just days before the 2026 World Cup kicks off at the venue, an AFP journalist observed.

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The protest, led by a breakaway group of the CNTE teachers union, follows a week of chaotic demonstrations in the Mexican capital.

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The stadium will host the tournament opener pitting Mexico against South Africa on Thursday.

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Speaking earlier Tuesday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the match was “guaranteed.”

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The left-leaning leader called teacher protests a “provocation — as if to say, ‘Look at how bad the situation is in Mexico.'”

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Authorities have deployed thousands of officers and set up concrete barriers one kilometer (600 meters) from the stadium to block the march, which has not yet reached its destination.

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“We intend to reach the stadium,” said protester Angel Villalobos. “The government has given some responses, but they don’t help, they don’t satisfy.”

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“We’re going to continue our struggle,” said another protester Austreberto Flores.

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