Aimee Walker
An angry mob ‘called for a tourist to be sacrificed’ after she climbed an ancient pyramid.
The pyramid, known as El Castillo, dominates the archaeological site of Chichén Itzá in the Mexican state of Yucatán.
Yearly, thousands of tourists flock to the site, which is believed to have been established as early as the early 400s A.D., reports History.com.
The public has been banned from climbing the ancient structure since 2008, so it can be preserved and enjoyed for future generations, per Merco Press.
To deter people from breaking this rule, fines are in place ranging from $2,558 to a whopping $5,115.
But this consequence didn’t stop one woman from climbing the Mesoamerican step pyramid.
After watching the viral video of the unidentified woman climbing the historical site, one viewer commented: “It’s so disrespectful.”
Another added: “I instantly feel happy that everyone there wasn’t having it and rightfully booed her off.”
“Y’all legit don’t disrespect people’s cultures in other countries,” a third person remarked.
Somebody else said: “She should be fined for climbing it.”
A fifth person wrote: “They should have put her in jail… the disrespect.”
When the video of a woman climbing the pyramid circulated on TikTok, it caused outrage among viewers.
In the clip, she dances and poses when she reaches the top, before being ushered down by a security guard.
Merco Press reports that onlookers cried out ‘jail’ and ‘sacrifice,’ while Sky News adds that some pulled her hair, shoved her, and drenched her in water when she came back down the pyramid.
According to Riviera Maya News, the woman was arrested by Tinum Municipal Police and fined under Article 55 of the Federal Law on Archaeological, Artistic, and Historical Monuments.
The fine amount has not been disclosed.
The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) shared a statement with The Independent.
According to the publication’s translation, the tourist did not cause any damage to El Castillo.
The statement reads: “The reasons why it is not allowed to climb the pyramidal structures were explained to the person and they were made available to the Secretariat of Public Security of the State of Yucatán, where it will comply with the corresponding administrative sanctions.”
It adds that tourists should ‘respect the provisions’ that have been put in place.
The unnamed woman isn’t the only tourist to have climbed the pyramid and faced the wrath of locals.
Another video has gone viral of a man being escorted down the pyramid steps before being confronted by an angry crowd.
One onlooker, a bare-chested man in shorts and sandals, whacked the tourist on the back of the head with a stick.
Daniel Fretwell, who witnessed the incident, described the scene to the Metro: “I could hear and see maybe 30 or 40 people shouting ‘No, no, come down, don’t do it, no.’ People were whistling, trying to draw the man’s attention that he was doing wrong.”
The tourist was reportedly fined 5,000 pesos ($265) and held in custody for around 12 hours.
He is believed to have told authorities he accessed the restricted area to take photos for social media.
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