Stores in Mexican resort town close to protest crime and violence
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ACAPULCO, MEXICO - MARCH 04: A Mexican federal policeman stands guard near the beach on March 4, 2012 in Acapulco, Mexico. Drug violence has surged in the coastal resort in the last year, making Acapulco the second most deadly city in Mexico after Juarez. One of Mexico's top tourist destinations, Acapulco has suffered a drop in business, especially from foreign tourists, due to the violence. Toursim accounts for about 70 percent of the economy of Acapulco's state of Guerrero and 9 percent of Mexico's economy. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) (2012 Getty Images)
Dozens of stores in the Mexican beach town of Zihuatanejo have closed temporarily or hung banners in their doorways to protest crime and violence in the once-idyllic resort.
The stores put out banners Friday reading "To protest crime, we are closed today. Enough!"
Zihuatanejo sits next to the resort of Ixtapa, and is just up the Pacific coast from Acapulco. The area has been plagued by both common crime and drug gang violence. On Tuesday, three suspected criminals were killed in a shootout with police at a gas station in Zihuatanejo.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo are among the last places in southern Guerrero state that the U.S. government allows its employees to visit, but only if they fly.