MEXICO CITY, Oct. 13 (UPI) -- Hundreds of Mexican Indians want Wal-Mart to stop construction of a store less than a mile from the ancient pyramids of Teotihuacan.
The group staged a protest Tuesday, the "Día de la Raza" or "Day of the Race," referring to the mix of Native Americans and European immigrants in Mexico incurred from Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World.
Protestors said the opening of the store represents an "economic invasion" that would destroy the small businesses run by residents of the towns surrounding Teotihuacan, El Universal reported Wednesday.
The store's construction is now 70 percent complete, but local community members and others have been protesting since early in the summer, voicing concerns about the impact on the view from the pyramids and the archeological value of various findings in the ground beneath the store.
