Thousands protested across Mexico on Saturday under the banner of “Generation Z,” denouncing the escalating violence following the murder of an anti-crime mayor earlier this month.

Reuters witnesses said a small group of hat-wearing protesters toppled barriers around the National Palace in Mexico City, where President Claudia Sheinbaum resides, sparking a clash with riot police who used tear gas.

Mexico City Public Security Minister Pablo Vázquez told a news conference that 100 police officers were injured, 40 of whom required hospital treatment. He added in a statement to the local newspaper Milenio that 20 civilians were also injured.

The minister also stated that 20 people had been arrested, while another 20 were charged with “administrative offenses.”

Other marches were organized in various cities across Mexico, including in the western state of Michoacán, where anger erupted over the November 1 killing of Carlos Manzo, the mayor of Uruapan, who was shot dead at a public event.

Some protesters in Mexico City directed their anger at the party to which Sheinbaum belongs, chanting “Out with Morena (National Regeneration Movement)!” Others called for increased government efforts to combat crime and violence, chanting “Carlos didn’t die, the government killed him.”

A group calling itself “Generation Z Mexico,” which called for the protests, said in a statement circulated on social media that it is non-partisan and represents young Mexicans who are fed up with violence, corruption and abuse of power.

The term “Generation Z” refers to people born between 1997 and 2012, following the Millennial generation, and has been adopted by protest groups in other countries around the world to push for social and political change.

The Mexican government questioned the motives behind Saturday's marches, saying they were largely organized by right-wing political opponents and promoted by automated social media accounts.