Mexico City fans use missing persons' blankets during World Cup celebration

Three young men – identified as Liel Nasib, Aarón Ortiz Jiménez and Abraham Chayo – were caught on video using blankets that mothers of missing persons had displayed at the Angel of Independence to protect themselves from rain during the celebrations after Mexico’s 2‑0 win over South Africa on June 11. The men, some wearing the national team’s shirt, seized the blankets, harassed the protestors and a journalist, and made derogatory remarks toward the mothers, igniting widespread outrage on social media.

The incident was highlighted by the activist group Una Luz en el Camino, which documented the actions and shared the identities of the youths. The mothers were part of a larger movement demanding answers for more than 133,000 disappearances in Mexico. The episode has sparked criticism over public indifference to the families’ plight amid a national celebration.