title:  Donald Trump Effigies Burned Across Mexico During Easter Ritual (IMAGE)
text: Traditionally, during Mexico s celebration of Holy Week citizens gather in the streets to burn effigies of the infamous Judas Iscariot, the biblical character who is said to have betrayed Jesus.This year, however, the figure of Judas Iscariot was replaced with the effigy of Donald Trump.According to Reuters: In Mexico City s poor La Merced neighborhood, hundreds of cheering residents yelled  death  and various insults as they watched the explosion of the grinning papier-m ch  mock-up of the real estate tycoon, replete with blue blazer, red tie and his trademark tuft of blond hair. Reuters reports that similar rituals were seen across Mexico, from Puebla to Monterrey.According to scholars, the Holy Week effigy burnings are a way of bringing the people together, helping to unite them around a common enemy.Effigies are burned on the night before Easter, which is celebrated throughout Mexico as  Black Saturday. During Black Saturday, burning effigies of Judas in towns like San Miguel de Allende are rampant because it symbolizes his treachery, however, Mexicans would also create effigies that resemble corrupt and  Satanic  politicians. It s clear that the people of Mexico have no love for Donald Trump. And why would they? His racist comments about the Mexican people have been shockingly ignorant and offensive.Trump s presidential campaign has lit a fire of fury across the entire country, provoking angry comments from government officials and sparking anti-Trump protests along with Mexican-American border.Felipe Linares, the artist who created the paper-mache effigy of Trump which was burned in Mexico City, told Reuters that his family has been making Judas Iscariot effigies for more than fifty years.When asked why he decided to make a Trump effigy this year, Linares said, Since he started his campaign and began talking about immigrants, Mexico, and Mexicans, I said  I ve got to get this guy.' Here s an image of the Donald Trump effigy created by Linares burning in Mexico City.YURI CORTEZ/AFP/Getty Images Featured image credit YURI CORTEZ/AFP/Getty Images