‘The ball won’t roll’: Mexico’s striking teachers threaten to disrupt World Cup days before kick off

Teachers associated with the CNTE union are calling for salary raises and the reversal of pension laws

Striking teachers wreaked havoc on Tuesday in downtown Mexico City, a few days before the city hosts the first match of the World Cup, with protesters pulling down giant mannequins of football players, ripping off their clothes and setting them on fire on the city’s main Paseo de la Reforma.

They also set soccer balls alight and blocked main roads across the capital.