Violent demonstrations occurred around Cancun’s city hall and the Plaza de la Reforma July 16 when the city council resigned and the state government removed the mayor from office. Demonstrations continued for the rest of the week, prompting the U.S. State Department to issue a public announcement recommending that Americans steer clear of the downtown area and avoid crowds because they have the potential to become violent. The announcement cited the possibility that taxi unions or bus drivers might block the main road to the hotel zone and if so, tourists should not attempt to circumvent the roadblocks. The hotel zone is several miles from downtown and has not been affected by the unrest, but transit into town may be disrupted.
