Gunfire breaks out at protest in Mexican resort of Cancun

The demonstrators were protesting the recent killings of women in Quintana Roo, the Caribbean coast state where Cancun is located. The march was called after prosecutors announced earlier in the day that the body of a 20-year-old woman had been found in Cancun about two days after she went missing.

Gunfire erupted Monday when protesters tried to force their way into city hall in the Mexican resort of Cancun, and a journalism group said two reporters were wounded. The demonstrators were protesting the recent killings of women in Quintana Roo, the Caribbean coast state where Cancun is located.

The march was called after prosecutors announced earlier in the day that the body of a 20-year-old woman had been found in Cancun about two days after she went missing. The state has seen a dozen killings of women so far this year. A video posted by the Quintana Roo Network of Journalists shows a throng of about 100 protesters at city hall, some of whom are tearing down a plywood barrier at an entrance. A few shots are heard on the video, people begin running, and then bursts of gunfire are heard.

The newspaper Por Esto posted a photo of a police officer waving a pistol in the air. National Guard agents also appeared to have been present. While it was unclear who fired the shots, an angry tweet by Gov. Carlos Joaquin appeared to suggest he blamed police.

"I completely reject any intimidation or attack against protesters," Joaquin wrote. "I gave orders that there be no attacks and no guns at the marches scheduled for today. I will investigate the irresponsible person who gave orders that contradicted that." State Police chief Alberto Capella did not confirm that there were injuries or that police opened fire, but wrote in his Twitter account that the incident "is in every sense unacceptable" and promised a police internal affairs investigation. Cancun Mayor Mara Lezama wrote in her Twitter account: "We reject all acts of violence. As mayor, I will never order repression against city residents. I have given orders to carry out the necessary investigations."

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)