Teacher Protests in Mexico Could Spoil the World Cup Party

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - As Mexico City prepares to host the opening match of the World Cup on Thursday, teachers have pledged to continue their protests for increased wages and better labor conditions in the area surrounding the capital's legendary Estadio Azteca (Aztec Stadium) as part of a national strike announced June 1 by the CNTE education workers union, which is demanding a 100% pay-rise. 

Over the past week, thousands of teachers have occupied the iconic Zocalo, or main square, blocked intersections and marched through the streets of the capital. Media report that security forces deployed tear gas against teachers who were attempting to occupy the Education Ministry. 

On the Paseo de la Reforma (Promenade of the Reform), teachers tore down meter-tall statues of soccer stars that had been erected ahead of the World Cup, ripping the jerseys off the plastic players and burning them. "Without a solution, the ball won't roll," the teachers wrote on some of the fallen statues. 

The teachers are protesting the education and pension policies of Claudia Sheinbaum, who was elected president with broad labor support as the successor to Andres Manuel Lopez-Obrador, founder of the anti-neoliberal National Regeneration Movement (Morena) party. In May 2025, Sheinbaum's government announced a 10% raise for teachers by September 2026 — which the unions had rejected as wholly inadequate.  

Salaries vary widely by region and according to education levels. Early-career teachers in public schools in Mexico receive 8,000-14,000 pesos (€390-690/$460-800) per month.  

The rival SNTE teachers union, which has long enjoyed close relations with Mexico's various ruling parties, has called for a 13% raise in 2026 to cover the increasing costs of inflation. 

Protests in the international limelight

With its protests at the World Cup site, the CNTE is attempting to use the national and global focus on Mexico City for leverage. As one of the tournament's three co-hosts, alongside the United States and Canada, Mexico is expecting about 5 million international tourists in June and July.  

According to the administration of Mexico City, the Zocalo can accommodate up to 55,000 people for public viewings — though thousands more may attempt to cram in when the national team plays. The teachers' protest camp threatens to disrupt those plans. The global football governing body, FIFA, has already called off a training for World Cup volunteers on the square. 

In her daily press conference, Sheinbaum accused the teachers of trying to provoke the government while the international spotlight is on Mexico, but also ruled out a heavy-handed clampdown. "We aren't going to fall for provocations, " Sheinbaum said. 

Instead, her government is negotiating with the teachers. The 100% raise has been ruled out as "incompatible with the federal budget." The most probable compromise between the government and the teachers would be a package that combined raises with pension increases. 

Historic center teeming with protesters

Mexico City's chamber of commerce has claimed that the disruptions to business in the area around the Zocalo and the blocking of traffic on main streets and to and from the airport have cost the private sector nearly €20 million. Some residents of Mexico City who oppose the protests have written on social media that they feel like they have been taken hostage by the teachers. 

The government has not blamed the union or the majority of the teachers for damage and destruction caused by affiliated groups. "There was a lot of provocation yesterday," Sheinbaum said following the march. "The truth is that I don't believe it was teachers who were behind the provocation." 

Many media outlets in Mexico have defended the protests as a legitimate form of social expression. The right-wing press, on the other hand, has criticized the teachers. In his column for the newspaper Milenio, the journalist Hector Aguilar Camin accused the teachers of a "pedagogy of violence." He said the Morena party was partly at fault because it had empowered the CNTE union in its efforts to win teachers' votes.  

Read: FBI to Deploy Anti-Drone Systems at All 2026 World Cup Venues

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