See, walls are fine for protecting political elites, just like we’ve seen in Washington, D.C., but, not good for protecting the border from unauthorized people attempting to cross illegally and sneak into the U.S. The Mexican president said he has “no opinion” of the wall, but, hailed China Joe’s halt of border wall construction

Mexican president defends 10-foot barriers to wall off women protesters

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Saturday said a metallic barrier to wall off the presidential palace ahead of a planned women’s march on International Women’s Day was to avoid provocation and protect historic buildings from vandalism.

In a country where femicides rose nearly 130% between 2015 and 2020, critics said the decision to erect the 10-foot-high (3-meter) barriers was symptomatic of Lopez Obrador’s apathy toward the crisis of violence afflicting women.

Ahead of International Women’s Day on Monday, barriers were also installed around other emblematic buildings and monuments in downtown Mexico City where a year ago tens of thousands of people protested rampant violence against women and impunity.

“We have to avoid provocation of people who only want to cause damage,” Lopez Obrador said at an event in Yucatan. “Imagine, if we don’t take care of the national palace and they vandalize it. What image will this send to the world?”

Hmm, we have to avoid provocation of people who only want to sneak into the U.S. and take jobs from citizens, drive down wages, drive drunk, assault citizens, steal people’s identity, commit arson and rape and child sexual assault and murder.” Well, hey, it’s always some excuse to protect the elites, be it walls, excuse me, fencing, fossil fueled limos and private jets, you name it.

Lopez Obrador reiterated that women had the right to protest and cited his own movement in 2006 as an appropriate form of peaceful protest.

“The presidency was stolen from us … and we protested but never broke glass. … I walked two, three times all the way from Tabasco to Mexico City,” he said. Lopez Obrador has repeatedly accused opponents of electoral fraud over the years.

Interesting. The article doesn’t complain about Lopez Abrador saying an election was stolen from him.

Interior Minister Olga Sanchez Cordero said on Twitter that the barriers were “for the protection of the women.”

Oh, right, right. Sure thing, Sparky.