Amnesty International has condemned the use of force by security services against demonstrators who gathered in southern Mexico City on Thursday to protest the opening of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, after police deployed fire extinguishers to disperse crowds near the Estadio Ciudad de México (the former Azteca stadium). A coalition of protesters — including teachers' union members, transport workers and families of the disappeared — marched under the slogan "if there is no solution, the ball will not roll," with incidents including thrown stones and burning cars resulting in seven arrests and six injured officers. The condemnation carries particular weight given Mexico's record of state repression during major sporting events, with activists drawing parallels to the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre of student protesters days before the Mexico City Olympics; Amnesty noted that as of late May, more than 134,000 people remain disappeared or unlocated across the country.