Thousands of Mexicans marched in protest of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's arrest on Wednesday, calling for the release of the world's biggest drug lord, the New York Daily News reported.
In the capital of the Sinaloa state, people chanted and carried signs that read "We want Chapo free" and "We Love Chapo." One woman carried a sign that said "Chapo, give me a child." His nickname, "El Chapo," means shorty.
Children, dressed in their school uniforms, also participated in the march.
Following a 13-year hunt, authorities captured Guzman, 56, in the resort town of Mazatlan on Saturday. He escaped from a Mexican prison in 2001 after successfully bribing guards, who carried him out in a laundry basket.
"We support Chapo Guzman because he is the one who gives us jobs and helps out in the mountains," said Pedro Ramirez, who said he traveled with 300 other people from Guzman's home town of Badiraguato.
According to the Daily News, several others said the drug cartel provided to residents in poor villages and fought off rival cartels from terrorizing them.
Police attempted to break up the protest, prompting demonstrators to throw water bottles at them. Eventually officers released tear gas and arrested a few participants.
On Tuesday, federal judges in Mexico ruled that Guzman must face two separate trials for his charges related to drug trafficking and organized crime. Though indictments from the U.S. have been filed against him, Mexico officials said they do not plan on extraditing him anytime soon.
