Protest erupted all over Guadalajara, located in the western state of Jalisco, after 30-year-old builder Giovanni Lopez was found dead.
The last time Lopez was seen in a video circulating on social media earlier this week, the video showed police officer arresting Lopez because he was not wearing mask, bystanders can be heard pleading for his release. The police said he was resisting the arrest and violently forced him into a police patrol truck.
Later that evening, Lopez’s family went to the police station for his release. Family was informed Lopez is at a public hospital in Guadalajara. By the time the family arrived at the hospital, already pronounced dead.
He suffered blunt-force injury on his head and was shot bullet in his foot.
A viral video circulating on Friday shows a protester in Mexico setting fire to a police officer during a protest against police brutality on Thursday.
Enraged by the video, protesters took to the streets, burning patrol cars outside of the Governor’s Palace and writing messages demanding justice for Lopez on the walls in the historic center.
In the video circulating on social media on Friday, protesters can be seen in the historic center of downtown Guadalajara. A group of people appear to be arguing with a police officer before he attempts to leave, getting on his motorcycle.
A masked protester quickly runs up behind the officer, dousing him in what appears to be gasoline and lighting the cop on fire. The person has not yet been identified.
After the protest the governor Enrique Alfaro stood by the police, saying they “resisted provocation.”
“There was not a single act of violence against the protesters, despite the fact that they did what I have never seen in any protest in Guadalajara,” Alfaro said
Despite the governor’s claims, videos from Thursday’s protest show the police reacting violently toward the protesters, including one video that shows multiple police officers kicking and beating a protester as he is on the ground.
Killing of Lopez in Guadalajara, Mexico is a recent incident of police brutality and civilians outrage.
Killing of Floyd in Minneapolis, USA has also seen one of the worst police brutality and the protest.
