Thousands of people gathered across Mexico on Sunday to protest President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's electoral law reforms, which they say is an attempt to undermine democracy.

Mexico's Congress last week authorized a significant reform of the National Electoral Institute (INE).

According to the organizers, over 500,000 people turned out in Mexico City alone to protest.

Shouts of "Viva Mexico!" and "Lopez out!" filled the city square in the capital.

The city government estimate was a more conservative 90,000 people.

Videos from the gathering showed the city plaza, which can normally hold nearly 100,000 people, filled with people as those who could not fit into the area spilled out onto nearby streets.

Fernando Belaunzaran, an opposition politician who helped to organize the protests, said that demonstrations were taking place in more than 100 cities.

According to local media reports at least 22,000 people gathered in Monterrey and another 20,000 took to the streets in Guadalajara.

"We're fighting to defend our democracy," said Veronica Echevarria, a 58-year-old psychologist from Mexico City.

In her view, the restructuring of the INE by Lopez Obrador was an attempt by the president to retain his hold on power. The president has denied these charges.

President to sign reform into law amid protests

Lopez Obrador's INE overhaul was prompted by his allegations of the agency's excessive costs and bias towards his political opponents. The president claims that his restructuring will save $150 million (€142 million) annually, as he had previously labeled the organization as corrupt and ineffective.

The INE, an autonomous public body, is responsible for coordinating federal elections in Mexico.

Once enacted, Lopez Obrador's reforms would reduce salaries, funding for local election offices, and citizen training for operating and supervising polling stations. Additionally, they would lessen sanctions for candidates who fail to report campaign spending.

Despite criticism that his changes will weaken Mexican democracy, the 69-year-old president denies these allegations.

Lopez Obrador announced that he would sign the reforms into law on Thursday, despite anticipated legal challenges.

Although he is unable to seek reelection, his Morena party is favored to win next year's national elections.

Many demonstrators expressed hope that Mexico's Supreme Court would overturn parts of the reform.

Antonio Mondragon, an 83-year-old retired dentist at the Mexico City protest, said that people were fed up with the president's dictatorial behavior, stating: "We need to get back to being a democracy because the man is going mad."

ss/jsi (Reuters, AP)