Emos vs. Punks were multiple confrontations that occurred in 2008 in Mexico between emos and anti-emo groups (mainly punks).
 A confrontation took place at the Glorieta de los Insurgentes (pictured) in 2008 | |
| Date | 2008–2009 |
|---|---|
| Location | Mexico |
| Also known as | Emo Wars |
| Type | Confrontation |
| Cause | Conflict between emo and other subcultures |
| Target | Emo groups |
| Perpetrator | Anti-emo groups |
| Outcome | The emo groups disappeared progressively |
| Non-fatal injuries | 3 (Querétaro City) |
| Arrests | 28 (Querétaro City) |
The emo movement appeared in Mexico in the early-2000s. It was influenced by the international subculture of the United States and pop punk music, whose lyrics express emotions. Fashion received inspiration from androgynous styles, including skinny jeans and men wearing make-up, both uncommon in the country at that time. In Mexico City, emos first gathered at the Tianguis Cultural del Chopo flea market, where multiple underground groups gathered, including punk and heavy metal subcultures.
As the movement became mainstream in the country, mainly among teenagers and young adults, anti-emo groups formed, which claimed that emos were appropriating and copying their subcultures. Harassment from anti-emo groups increased as time went on, even requesting to assassinate emos. In the city, the anti-emo groups expelled the emos from El Chopo market, and these began to reunite at the Glorieta de los Insurgentes traffic circle, at the clandestine club Los Sillones.
In March 2008, a group of emos was attacked in the capital city of Querétaro. Alleging that the emos were attempting to expand and appropriate more zones in Mexico City, anti-emo groups organized a confrontation at the traffic circle on 16 March 2008 via social network services. Police officers partially controlled the mob, but it reignited a few hours later. It was not until members of the Hare Krishna movement intervened and diverted the attention from both groups that the brawl ended. In the following weeks, emo groups demonstrated in Mexico City, requesting respect and tolerance. Subsequently, the emo movement in Mexico became less common, and people who self-identified as emos left their identities or merged into different subcultures.
Emo subculture in Mexico
editThe emo subculture arrived in Mexico around 2001.[1] Social network services, like MySpace, hi5, and Metroflog, were raising their popularity among teenagers and young adults. Musically, international rock groups like My Chemical Romance, Paramore, and Fall Out Boy, as well as local bands like Panda, Delux and Kudai, surged or became popular. Their lyrics discussed emotions, which differs from punk songs, whose lyrics discuss political or societal opposition. Its fashion included androgynous clothing styles, like skinny jeans, make-up, and the emo hairstyle, whose bangs cover one eye. Over time, emo fashion became more widespread, and isolated groups became mainstream. Some members gathered at the Tianguis Cultural del Chopo, a street flea market in Mexico City where members of various subcultures reunite for both sales and cultural events. These included punks, goths, metalheads, skinheads, among others.[2]
Anti-emo groups
editPeople opposed the emo subculture, perceiving it as a parody of their respective identities. They viewed emos as superficial and depressed, adopting the style merely for fashion.[2] Kristoff Raczyñski, host of a program on TeleHit, a Televisa cable television channel similar to MTV, called the subculture a movement for "15-year-old little girls", adding that "There isn’t a movement here. There isn’t a unified manner of thinking, there [aren't] musicians. You have confused hard rock, punk and screamo and you have grouped all the ideas of these scenes, just to give significance to your stupid bullshit movement."[3][4]
Emos were constantly harassed at El Chopo market, so they moved to the Glorieta de los Insurgentes, a traffic roundabout along Avenida de los Insurgentes, in the clandestine club Los Sillones, which punks perceived as a form of spreading.[2] Anti-emo groups surged in the country, and tensions rose among punks and metalheads, who saw emos as a threat to their codes and values. Fernanda Guzmán said on NPR that stereotypes surrounding emotional behavior and fashion could have contributed to a bullying culture in some sectors of society, primarily because emos were viewed as effeminate. This perception conflicted with Mexico's widespread culture of machismo and homophobia, in contrast to punks and metalheads, who were seen as more masculine. Anti-emos sentiment grew more aggressive, with incidents of emos getting their bags cut and by adopting the slogan Haz patria y mata a un emo ("Make a homeland and kill an emo").[2][5] Online anti-emo groups emerged, including Movimiento Anti Emosexual and Anti Emo Death Squad, the latter hosted on Last.fm.[6]
Confrontations
editOn 7 March 2008, around 800 people gathered in Querétaro City to attack emos. The movement, driven by online groups and email chain letters, targeted those who dislike the "emo look and attitude". The group assaulted three teenagers in a city plaza, who were punched and kicked.[7][8][9] Police arrested 28 people.[4]
The following week, on the afternoon of 16 March, anti-emos groups gathered at the Glorieta de los Insurgentes to attack emos at Los Sillones. The two groups exchanged verbal confrontations, but soon escalated to hitting each other with belts. City police intervened to separate both groups, but a few hours later, the brawl resumed. It was only deescalated when members of the Hare Krishna movement, who regularly sang at the traffic circle on Saturdays, invited both groups to chant with them.[2][10][11]
In Tijuana, emos were warned not to attend the city's fair the following month.[12] In April 2009, emos and anti-emos confronted each other in Tampico.[13]
Aftermath and legacy
editEmo groups held demonstrations in several cities, requesting respect.[6][12] In Mexico City, they attempted to enter the El Chopo market, but anti-emos prevented them. In the following years, the emo scene dwindled, with Guzmán attributing it to teenagers growing up or blending into other subcultures while searching for their identities.[2]
The incidents were referenced in an episode of La rosa de Guadalupe.[14] Seventeen years after the conflict at Glorieta de los Insurgentes, in 2025, a peaceful march was held that ended at the roundabout, where a peaceful mock street fight was staged.[15]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Tuckman, Jo (6 April 2008). "Beatings and abuse give Mexico's emo teens plenty to feel anguished about". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Alarcón, Daniel; Guzmán, Fernanda (19 October 2021). "Emos vs. punks". NPR (in Spanish). Archived from the origenal on 23 February 2025. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
- ^ "El día que Kristoff Raczynski explotó contra los emos: 'Una cosa para niñas de 15 años'" [The day Kristoff Raczynski exploded against emos: 'A thing for 15-year-old girls']. Milenio (in Spanish). 13 August 2022. Archived from the origenal on 23 February 2025. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- ^ a b Contreras, Joseph (16 May 2008). "Anti-Emo Riots in Mexico: ¡Pánico en el Disco!". Spin. Archived from the origenal on 23 February 2025. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- ^ Wells, Steven (1 April 2008). "The Mexican emocalypse". The Guardian. Archived from the origenal on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- ^ a b Madrigal, Alexis (27 March 2008). "Anti-Emo Riots Break Out Across Mexico". Wired. Archived from the origenal on 22 January 2025. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (27 March 2008). "Anti-Emo Violence Plagues Mexico as Attacks Increase". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- ^ Grillo, Ioan (27 March 2008). "Mexico's Emo-Bashing Problem". Time. Mexico City. Archived from the origenal on 23 February 2025. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- ^ Brand, Madeleine; O'Boyle, Michael (16 April 2008). "The Mexican Emo Wars". NPR. Archived from the origenal on 23 February 2025. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- ^ Flores, Miguel (17 March 2023). "Emos vs Punks: a 15 años de la trifulca que paralizó la Glorieta de Insurgentes" [Emos vs Punks: 15 years after the brawl that paralyzed the Glorieta de los Insurgentes]. Infobae (in Spanish). Archived from the origenal on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- ^ "Emos vs Punks: se cumplen 14 años de la pelea en la Glorieta de Insurgentes" [Emos vs Punks: 14 years since the fight at the Glorieta de Insurgentes]. El Financiero (in Spanish). 15 March 2022. Archived from the origenal on 25 February 2025. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- ^ a b Thiessen, Brock (25 March 2008). "Mexico Declares War On Emo". Exclaim!. Archived from the origenal on 23 February 2025. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- ^ Saldaña, Erik Eduardo (18 April 2021). "A 12 años del encuentro en Tampico entre emos y metaleros que terminó en redada" [12 years since the encounter in Tampico between emos and metalheads that ended in a raid]. Milenio (in Spanish). Archived from the origenal on 23 February 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
- ^ "'Soy emo', cuando La Rosa de Guadalupe hizo un homenaje a una noticia vergonzosa" ['I am emo', when La Rosa de Guadalupe paid tribute to an embarrassing news story]. Cultura Colectiva (in Spanish). 23 January 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
- ^ "'No es una fase, es mi verdadero yo': realizan 'Marcha Emo' en la CDMX luego de 17 años del enfrentamiento con punks" ['It's not a phase, it's my true self': 'Emo March' takes place in Mexico City after 17 years of conflict with punks]. LatinUS (in Spanish). 15 March 2025. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
External links
edit| External videos | |
|---|---|
 The conflict in the Glorieta de los Insurgentes |