Culiacán, Mexico - Thousands of people chanted and waved banners as they marched through the Mexican city of Culiacan on Sunday, protesting violence committed by the Sinaloa Cartel.
Dressed all in white, the protesters released dozens of white balloons into the sky before marching to the cathedral in the capital of Sinaloa state, declaring that they "want peace" and are "fed up with living in fear."
Culiacán bishop, Jesus Jose Herrera, called on the gang members to stop the violence: "No territory and no ambition is worth more than a human life."
The protest was organized by the Catholic Church along with business leaders and families of missing persons from across the state of Sinaloa.
Since September 2024, Sinaloa has been gripped by a bitter war between rival factions loyal to the families of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman or Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, co-founders of the cartel who are both now serving life sentences.
Internal accusations of betrayal sparked violence between factions, leading to daily shootouts and road blocks that have seen businesses closed, schools suspended, and Culiacán declared the most dangerous city in the country.
In two years, the death toll has surpassed 3000, including many civilians that have been tragically caught in crossfire.
Maricela Perez carried a portrait of her son, Miguel, who was shot to death in May on a volleyball court. She told the AFP: "We don't want any more deaths like this, any more murders."
"It's terrible," said Marlene Leon, another marcher. "We feel abandoned, and we believe this march is a way to express that, despite the passage of time, we have not normalized the violence and we want peace."
President Claudia Sheinbaum has deployed thousands of soldiers into the state, but despite increasing gun and drug seizures, she has so far failed to curb the violence. On Saturday alone, at least seven people were killed.