Thousands of people donned pink and marched in Mexico City for what they called a "march for democracy" on Sunday to slam the ruling party, Morena, led by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO). This came as Mexico is in an election year, with many seeking an end to the status quo.

As the Associated Press pointed out, the massive protest in Mexico City happened on the same day that presidential front-runner Claudia Sheinbaum officially registered as a candidate for the ruling party, Morena. The protesters rallied for free and fair elections and against corruption.

Many critics of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and his party largely see his hand-picked successor, Claudia Sheinbaum, as a continuation of his leftist populist administration.

Even though he remains popular in Mexico over his policies that went after the country's elites, many decry his policies, which include being not as tough on the drug cartels and slashing the funding for the country's electoral agency, the National Electoral Institute.

When he reduced the funding for the country's electoral agency, many were afraid that this would lead to unfair elections, as the act weakened oversight of campaign spending. The agency's colors were pink and the demonstrators expressed their solidarity with it by wearing its colors.

Protesters for the "March for Democracy" were chanting "Get Lopez Out!" and carried signs that read, "The power of the people is greater than the people in power." They decried what they call AMLO's dictatorial tendencies, including attacking journalists during his press briefings, as well as the judiciary, claiming judges are part of a conservative conspiracy against his administration whenever they rule against his policies.

The "March for Democracy" protests were organized by the National Civic Front, Yes for Mexico, Citizen Power, Civil Society Mexico, UNE Mexico, and United for Mexico.

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Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) Accused of Weakening Mexico's Checks and Balances

Critics feared that with his successor possibly replacing him, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador could continue implementing policies that could continue eroding the checks against presidential power.

Protesters urged that "it's time for Mexicans to wake up" and warned that "our democracy can't be touched" as they marched around Mexico City. This comes as polls showed he has the backing of over half the population and his hand-picked successor also leading in the polls.

According to Bloomberg, AMLO recently unveiled long-shot constitutional reforms to try and make sure that his successors could not reverse his policies easily.

AMLO Successor Claudia Sheinbaum Has Massive Lead in Mexico Presidential Election Polls

Despite how big the protests appeared in Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum is dominating the polls, garnering 64% of the votes. Her closest competition, Xóchitl Gálvez, only received around 31%.

Meanwhile, her ally, AMLO, slammed the protests during a press conference, saying, "They are calling the demonstration to defend corruption, they are looking for the return of the corrupt, although they say they care about democracy."

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Mexico Protests Live | Protests Against Mexico's President López Obrador | Mexico News Live | N18L