emo kids attacked in México

(image by Prometeo Lucero [aka Prom] via flickr)

Three weeks ago, nearly a thousand punks and metal heads took over the Plaza de Armas in Querétaro, central México, to rid the park of "emos." Outnumbered, the mob's victims could do little but huddle together and try to absorb the punches and taunts. Only a few days later, a similar confrontation took place a hundred miles away in Mexico City.

Mexicans, long accustomed to disturbing news of violent crime, were shocked by television coverage of the mass violence. Over the last few years, emo, a fashion and music style defined by androgynous make-up, angular haircuts, tight clothes and a pop-punk sound, has become popular with teens throughout México largely due to the spread of MySpace and the global appeal of such bands as My Chemical Romance and Dashboard Confessional. The wave has lifted Mexican groups like Pxndx (Panda), Insite and Avella Ink into the spotlight. But not everyone in this often traditional and sometimes machista society is keen on this gender and genre bending youth movement.

News reports cite homophobia as a likely factor in the attacks. Many anti-emo videos, blogs and bulletins contain slogans like "Movimiento Anti Emosexual" and "Emo is gay."

Some have blamed Telehit VJ Kristoff for provoking anti-emo sentiment with angry rants and emo-bashing sketches. (Telehit is owned by the powerful Mexican broadcaster Televisa.) After the attacks, Kristoff responded: "I may not agree with the emo philosophy, but I would die to defend their right to express themselves."

Last weekend, demonstrations were held in Mexico City and Tijuana in solidarity with the victims of the violent attacks, but tensions remain high. Few are certain as to what sparked the violence and whether there is yet more to come.