Mexico City has been at the center of human rights advocacy in Mexico for decades. The city’s relatively progressive local government — it legalized same-sex marriage in 2009 and abortion access in 2007, well before the national government — reflects the influence of civil society organizations based here.
Major organizations include the Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Agustin Pro Juarez, Amnesty International Mexico, and numerous groups focused on feminicide, migrant rights, indigenous rights, and press freedom.
The Zocalo and Paseo de la Reforma are the traditional routes for marches and demonstrations — the 2014 Ayotzinapa protests and the annual women’s marches being among the largest in recent years.