A gay couple was detained by armed police in Tulum, presumably over a kiss.
Police allegedly told the couple that they could not be kissing in public because “there are children around.”
A patrol vehicle arrived at the scene to transfer the couple to the police station.
Noticing the commotion, onlookers approached police and began to question them.
“We were so mad, furious really. We started to show the men our support and did not allow them to be taken away. We even began to say that we were gay too,” said María Escalante Morales, who recorded the exchange and posted it on TikTok.
Under pressure from a growing crowd, police eventually released the two men and left the scene, according to witnesses.
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As the news broke, social media users took to twitter to denounce the actions of police in Tulum, and demand accountability.
In recent years, Mexico has passed several laws designed to protect the rights of the LGBTQ community against discrimination and homophobia.
There has been no word if the couple will be proceeding with an official complaint against the Tulum police department.
Tulum is usually regarded as a fairly laid back gay-friendly destination.
