An International Women's Day rally in Mexico was set to begin on Tuesday, with crowds gathering to protest against violence, in the capital where the presidential palace and national monuments were cordoned off with imposing metal fences amid fears of unrest.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who has been accused of not doing enough to stem the rise in femicides, has urged calm while warning that the protests could turn violent.
Mexican authorities have encircled the National Palace, the seat of government where the presidential family lives, by a protective metal barrier about 3 meters (10 ft) high, along with other important buildings.
"MEXICO FEMICIDE" was daubed in towering white letters on the black metal cordon in front of the Palace, which faces the Zócalo, that is the stage for many major demonstrations.
Mexico recorded 969 femicides last year, up slightly from 949 in 2020, according to government figures.
But activists say the true figures are likely much higher, and some estimate 10 women a day are murdered because of their gender.
A group of protesters chanted "Women united, will never be defeated," as they arrived near the National Palace, waving white flags. Thousands are expected later in the day.
Frida Moreno, a 21-year-old student who said abusive teachers scarred her upbringing, believed she felt duty-bound to march so other young girls would be spared similar experiences.
"Although I feel privileged because I live in a safe area, no one can guarantee that one day I will not disappear ... and appear in a vacant lot dead, raped," said Moreno, on the verge of tears.
Lopez Obrador, who appointed women to half his cabinet posts, rejects activist claims that he is not interested in tackling femicides, saying progress has been made to defend women's rights.
Asked on Tuesday morning if protests could be violent, as one government official had predicted, Lopez Obrador nodded.
"There is infiltration of the feminist movement in general by conservative groups," he said, noting it was wrong "to use violence for political purposes."
(Editing by Drazen Jorgic and Richard Chang)
