Anti-Trump protesters rally at Ford car dealerships in Mexico

Demonstrators gathered at Ford car dealerships in several Mexican cities on Friday in protest of newly sworn-in U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed industry policy to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States.

Some 50 protesters gathered outside a Ford dealership in downtown Mexico City, and called on transnational companies not to withdraw from Mexico, despite Trump's threat to slap steep tariffs on goods assembled in Mexico and sold in the United States.

They also held up signs slamming other Trump policies, including a proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to keep out illegal migrants.

Protest organizer Armando Gonzalez, of the centrist Social Encounter Party (PES), told Xinhua the goal was not to boycott Ford vehicles.

"That would be irresponsible because it would negatively impact workers," said Gonzalez.

Instead, he said the objective was to send the message that Trump should not try to protect U.S. jobs at the expense of Mexico's labor force.

"We are also protecting jobs in Mexico," he said.

According to the organizers, protests took place in at least one city in each of the country's 31 states. Endi