Anger after tourist poses for photo with policeman's gun

A number of people have expressed their anger online after a tourist was pictured posing for a photo while holding an officer's assault rifle in Mexico.

The picture of the topless tourist posing with two policemen was taken in the holiday hotspot of Playa del Carmen.

See also: Ancient Mexican civilisation was ruled by women

See also: Mysterious hand-shaped cloud appears over Mexico


The Daily Mail reports that although the rifle does not have a magazine, police officers are strictly prohibited from lending out firearms.

Visit Riviera Maya shared the image on its Twitter page and said the policemen appeared to think it was "a game".

It wrote: "As if it were a game! Federal Police "lend" his weapon of heavy-gauge to a tourist on Fifth Avenue, to take the picture.

Local journalists also condemned the move. Fernanda Familiar shared the picture and wrote: "Inexplicable while living with violence #PlayaDelCarmen two police officers pose with tourists in photo with your gun!"

The backlash comes after a surge of recent gun violence in Mexico's tourist areas.

Back in January, three foreigners and two Mexicans were killed in a shooting at a music festival in Playa del Carmen.

A day later, four people were killed when gunmen attacked the state prosecutor's office in the tourist town of Cancun.

According to ABC Online, state governor Carlos Joaquin said the attacks in tourist regions that had previously escaped the violence plaguing other areas of the country were a reaction by gangsters to his crackdown on organised crime.

He added that he was sending in federal forces to help with security and that "people from Cancun and our visitors can go about their lives as normal".