Mexican president defend historic buildings from vandalism

To prevent provocation and defend historic buildings from vandalism, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Saturday that a metallic fence will be erected around the presidential palace ahead of a proposed women's march on International Women's Day.

Critics said the Mexican president's decision to install the 10-foot-high (3-meter) barriers was symptomatic of his apathy toward the country's femicide epidemic, which rose nearly 130 percent between 2015 and 2020.

Barriers were also erected around other iconic buildings and landmarks in downtown Mexico City ahead of International Women's Day on Monday, where tens of thousands of people protested rampant violence against women and impunity a year ago.