On 20 July, Mexico City’s second anti-gentrification protest caused damage to the Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (Muac) and the nearby Julio Torri bookstore, including broken glass, graffiti, and burnt books. The protest, part of a growing movement demanding housing access and rent regulation, was marked by anti-foreign sentiment and vandalism likely carried out by infiltrated black bloc groups. Protesters diverted to the University Cultural Centre, where Muac is located, shattering its glass façade and spray-painting slogans such as “Muac welcomes gringos” and “Gringo go home.” The museum was closed for summer break at the time.
This incident matters because it highlights the complex intersection of gentrification, housing policy, and cultural institutions in Mexico City, where rents have surged 80% since 2020 in neighborhoods popular with foreigners. The vandalism has drawn condemnation from over 150 cultural figures, including artist Magali Lara, whose exhibition was on view at Muac, and has shifted focus away from legitimate housing demands. Muac’s director, Tatiana Cuevas Guevara, expressed shock that the museum—an institution unrelated to the protest’s grievances—was targeted, underscoring the vulnerability of cultural spaces in broader urban conflicts.