Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in over two dozen cities across Mexico on Wednesday to demand an end to drug-related violence. The Mexican poet and novelist Javier Sicilia called for the demonstrations after his son, Juan Sicilia, was murdered along with six others in the city of Cuernavaca last month. A demonstrator said Javier Sicilia’s call had inspired Mexicans to speak out.

Protester: “This civil expression is for everything that we have been suffering in Mexico, this upheaval that is not ending and needs to stop. Unfortunately, the violence in Mexico is something disproportionate. It is something that shouldn’t be happening. It is enough, enough for us, the citizens. We are fed up with this truly not having any end. The incident in Cuernavaca, I believe, has been the wildfire that unfortunately has us saying, 'Enough already.'”

The demonstrations came as dozens of bodies were discovered near Mexico’s border with the United States. Mexican prosecutors say 59 bodies were found in a series of graves in the state of Tamaulipas. More than 37,000 people have died since President Felipe Calderón declared a war on drug traffickers in 2006.