- A physical fight broke out between multiple lawmakers in Mexico City Congress on Dec. 15th,
- The brawl began after the right-wing National Action Party occupied the congressional podium while members of the left-wing part in power, the Morena Party, were already there.
- Both parties denounced the violence afterward and blamed each other for the fight.
A legislative session in the Congress of Mexico City devolved into chaos when multiple lawmakers began physically fighting over a policy decision.
On Monday, Dec. 15, members of the right-wing National Action Party occupied the podium while members of the left-leaning Moreno Party were already there. The right-wing legislators were protesting a recent decision to dissolve Mexico City’s transparency institute and instead delegate its operations to a government agency, per CBS News and The Independent.
When the National Action Party accused the Moreno Party, the left-leaning faction in power, of not following through to create a new transparency body, the podium occupation came to blows.
Mexico City Congress Lawmakers get physical in the Mexico City Congress
Footage of the incident showed several lawmakers crowded on the podium, with barely any standing room. The conflict erupted when a dispute between two politicians spread to multiple others around them, and the scene unfolded in a series of shoves, shouting and hair-pulling.
Following the eventful session, both parties spoke publicly to condemn the violence while also blaming the other side for it.
“What worries us a lot is how the opposition is systematically resorting to violence instead of arguments, in the absence of being able to debate,” said Paulo Garcia, a spokesman for the Moreno Party, per The Daily Beast.
“We took the podium peacefully, without touching anyone, and the decision made by the majority legislative group and its allies was to try and regain control of the board through violence,” PAN aide Andres Atayde said at a press conference following the incident, according to a translation from the Economic Times.
PAN legislator Daniela Alvarez also addressed reporters, added, “Not only is it vulgar, not only is it aggressive, but it is lamentable that this is the majority governing party for this city.”
Mexico City Congress A brawl in the Mexico City Congress
The Dec. 15 brawl in Mexico City Congress comes less than four months after a similar physical fight took place in August between the Senate’s two most senior members.
Sources: Economic Times / The Daily Beast / CBS News
