Hundreds protest against migrant caravan in Tijuana

Hundreds of residents have taken to the streets of a Mexican border town, in protest at the arrival of thousands of migrants trying to get to the US.

After rallying for two hours at the base of a monument, waving Mexican flags and chanting “Get out!” about 200 Mexicans marched through Tijuana to the shelter. Riot police prevented them from approaching the entrance.

They were urging the migrants to leave Tijuana, to the south of California.

The migrants are part of a large caravan of Central Americans who have been traveling through Mexico to the US, where they want to claim asylum.

In response to their arrival, the US and Mexico installed heavier security at the border crossing.

More than 2,500 migrants and refugees, most of them from Honduras and El Salvador, have arrived in Tijuana following a month-long journey. Thousands more are on their way, fleeing violence and poverty.

Tijuana Mayor Juan Manuel Gastelum said on Friday he expected the number of migrants arriving in the city in the coming weeks to reach 10,000, warning the city was not prepared to handle the "avalanche".

The city's shelters are already struggling to cope, and authorities have asked for government assistance.

"The Mayor of Tijuana, Mexico, just stated that 'the City is ill-prepared to handle these many migrants, the backlog could last 6 months,'" US president Donald Trump tweeted on Gastelum’s remarks.

"Likewise, the U.S. is ill-prepared for this invasion, and will not stand for it. They are causing crime and big problems in Mexico. Go home!"

The anti-migrant feeling could also be seen on the streets of Tijuana.

However, not everyone was protesting against the migrants. A smaller demonstration was also held in support of the new arrivals, who say they are fleeing persecution, poverty, and violence in their home countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

And there was even understanding from the migrants themselves.