Cannabis March, Xochimilco Residents' Protest, and Metro Delays Compound Monday Disruptions

Multiple citizen mobilizations compounded the Monday commute chaos on May 18, layering atop ongoing Metro renovation disruptions. A cannabis legalization march — organized by collectives in memory of deceased users — demanded the right to free cultivation and personal possession, citing stalled legislative progress in the federal Congress. Separately, residents of Xochimilco staged a protest opposing the planned construction of a veterinary clinic they claimed encroached on community land, blocking access points to the World Heritage chinampa district. Other mobilizations took place in Cuauhtémoc and Iztapalapa from early morning. Simultaneously, the Metro reported widespread delays: Lines 3, 7, 9, A, and B experienced slow train movement. Stations San Antonio Abad, Portales, and Nativitas on Line 2 remained fully closed for World Cup-linked renovation works, while Auditorio on Line 7 was closed for structural refurbishment. A Hoy No Circula restriction applied to yellow-hologram vehicles with plates ending in 5 and 6 from 05:00–22:00, further reducing road capacity in a city already strained by pre-World Cup construction.