Local commerce in Zihuatanejo closes to protest crime

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.

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.