Public Project
Justice for Alexander, police kill young soccer player
Shouts and signs demanded “justice” and white balloons accompanied the casket of Alexander Martínez Gómez, who had spent years of his short life on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border and was said to be passionate about developing as a soccer player.
Reactions in and out of the country were swift, as the murder occurred amid protests over police brutality in Jalisco, Tijuana and Xalapa, fueled by violent demonstrations following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers in the United States
In an emotional moment, his casket was taken to the local soccer field and placed in the penalty area. One of his friends passed the ball, which rebounded off the casket and into the goal so Martínez could score a final goal as onlookers shouted “justice” and a strong hug to the coffin.
Mexico has a long history of human rights violations by security forces that rarely end in sanctions.
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