Today's Protests in Mexico City: Navigating Traffic Chaos Amidst the Splendour of Baroque Art
If there's one thing that defines us Mexico City locals, it's our knack for coexisting with chaos. And this Thursday is no exception: today's protests in Mexico City kicked off early with the CNTE taking centre stage, alongside dozens of rallies that have gridlocked major thoroughfares. As demonstrators make their way along Paseo de la Reforma, flanking the Angel of Independence, you can momentarily tune out the tumult and look up: there, amidst the chants and graffiti, the legacy of New Spanish Baroque remains perfectly intact.
Navigating the Chaos: Where to Avoid
The day's mobilisations began just after 9 am. The Coordinadora Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación (CNTE) set off from the Monumento a la Revolución heading towards the Secretaría de Gobernación, but as expected, the blockade on Reforma was quick to follow. Add to that at least a dozen other gatherings scattered across key spots like the Zócalo, the Hemiciclo a Juárez, and the vicinity of the Chamber of Deputies. If you need to head out, it's best to check for alternative routes, as this looks set to last all day.
- CNTE March: From Monumento a la Revolución to Bucareli.
- Rally at the Zócalo: Peasant organisations and unions.
- Intermittent Blockade on Reforma: Near the Fuente de la Diana Cazadora.
- Encampment outside the Secretaría de Gobernación: Expected to continue into the afternoon.
Baroque Beauty Amidst the Protest
As the contingents crawl forward and the metro fills up, it's worth pausing to look at the buildings around us. Right where hundreds of teachers are gathered today, three centuries ago, stonemasons were carving baroque architecture with an obsessive attention to detail that we can still touch. The Palacio de Bellas Artes, though more modern, draws from that tradition, but if you walk a few metres towards Calle de Madero, you'll stumble upon gems like the Casa de los Azulejos, a perfect example of the fusion between baroque style and Puebla ceramics.
Baroque sculpture also peeks out on every corner of the Historic Centre. The facades of the Catedral Metropolitana, for instance, are teeming with saints, angels and cherubs that seem to dance in the morning light. Indigenous stonemasons left their mark on every fold of the robes, achieving an artistic fusion of cultures seen nowhere else in the world. And when it comes to baroque painting, just cross the Zócalo and step into the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso: there, the murals from the viceregal era rival any slogan painted on the walls in sheer drama.
The Angel, a Witness to it All
The monument pictured here, the Angel of Independence, isn't baroque — it's a 20th-century hero — but from its column, it watches over the city's transformation. At its base today, you'll find placards and loudspeakers, but also families taking photos, street vendors, and if you look closely, tour guides explaining to foreigners why this city is an open-air museum. Today's protests are part of our identity, just as much as the Solomonic columns and gilded altarpieces hidden within the downtown churches.
So there you have it: if you get caught in traffic or find a street closed off, take a deep breath and look up. Above the shouting and the honking, the baroque spirit endures, reminding us that Mexico City never ceases to amaze.