Mexico City Protests: Locals Target Americans Over Overtourism and Soaring Rents

In a striking display of frustration, hundreds of Mexico City residents took to the streets over the weekend to protest the overwhelming wave of mass tourism and the skyrocketing rents that have followed in its wake. The demonstration, centered in popular tourist haunts like Condesa and Roma, as well as near the U.S. Embassy, was a raw outcry against the gentrification reshaping their beloved city.

What started as a peaceful march took a darker turn when a small masked group escalated the protest, smashing storefronts, looting, and even harassing foreigners. Graffiti scrawled on broken glass carried a blunt message: "Get out of Mexico." Signs held high by protesters demanded respect and reform, with messages like "Gringos, stop stealing our home" and calls for foreigners to pay taxes and honor local culture.

At the heart of this unrest is a deeper issue—housing. The influx of Americans, many of whom flocked to Mexico during the pandemic as digital nomads seeking cheaper rents, has driven prices to unsustainable levels. The U.S. State Department notes that the number of Americans living in Mexico surged by 70% from 2019 to 2022, now totaling 1.6 million. For locals like college student Michelle Castro, this transformation of once working-class neighborhoods into unaffordable zones is personal. She points to platforms like Airbnb as a key culprit behind rents that many can no longer afford.

This isn’t an isolated incident. From Barcelona to Venice, global destinations are grappling with overtourism, with locals resorting to dramatic gestures—think water guns in Spain—to push back. Mexico City’s protestors are now demanding stricter housing laws and tourism regulations to reclaim their city. It’s a stark reminder that behind every postcard-perfect destination, there’s a community fighting to keep its identity intact.