Thousands demand end to violence in Mexican cartel hotspot
The city has seen violence skyrocket since a feud broke out between two rival factions of the Sinaloa cartel.
Thousands call for an end to violence in Mexican cartel stronghold
Relatives of people reported missing joined the march
Thousands of people filled the streets of Culiacán to call for an end to the violence that has devastated the north Mexican city.
The state of Sinaloa has seen murders and disappearances surge since two factions of the Sinaloa cartel began a bloody conflict two years ago.
At the protest on Sunday, residents wearing white held posters of missing loved ones and signs saying "We don't want fear, we want peace".
More than three million people live in Sinaloa, and many say the war between the two rival factions - known as Los Chapitos and La Mayiza - has ruined their lives.
The march was planned to mark the second anniversary of the conflict - a feud that erupted after the arrest of wanted drug lord Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada in the US.
His supporters, La Mayiza, say he was betrayed by the son of the notorious founder of the Sinaloa cartel, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, and have turned against members of his faction, Los Chapitos.
The two factions frequently carry out ambushes, drive-by shootings and set up roadblocks by hijacking trucks, which they then set on fire.
Residents of Culiacán have been drawn into this internal war.
Official figures indicate that not only murders and disappearances have risen sharply in the state, but extortions and robberies have as well.
Sunday's protest was organised by relatives of victims, local businesses, civil society groups and the Catholic church.
Businessman Sergio Esquer told AFP news agency that more than 5,000 businesses had shut since the feud began.
"That's the tragedy Sinaloa is experiencing," Esquer, who is a leader in the centre-left opposition party Movimiento Ciudadano, said.
The event began with a Mass during which the bishop of Culiacán urged members of the warring groups to end their violence.
"Stop, look at what's happening, look at the affected families, look at the young people and at our city. No amount of power, of money, territory or ambition is worth more than a human life," he said.
Among those at the protest were relatives of a one-year-old boy who died after being struck in the head by a bullet during a shootout in the city last week.
Alongside the violence, Sinaloa state has also faced political turmoil in recent months.
In April, US prosecutors accused the state's governor, Rubén Rocha, and nine other current and former officials of conspiring with Los Chapitos to smuggle drugs into the US.
Rocha, who has denied any wrongdoing, temporarily stepped aside while Mexican prosecutors launched their own investigation into the allegations.
Three weeks ago, he returned to his post, but just days later asked for another leave of absence after President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on social media, without naming him directly, that "power without principles becomes arrogance".