On October 2, over 10,000 Mexicans mobilized in the capital Mexico City to commemorate 51 years of the massacre of Tlatelolco and demand justice for the victims of state crimes. Survivors and family members of the victims along with members of several students’ organizations, social movements, human rights activists and political leaders, marched from the Three Cultures Square to the Constitutional Square demanding punishment for the perpetrators and against half a century of impunity enjoyed by armed forces officials.
At the Constitutional Square, one minute of silence was observed in memory of the victims. The survivors of the massacre addressed the multitude gathered in the main square and called on the people to continue struggling for a better and just Mexico.
Félix Hernández Gamundi, one of the leaders of the 1968 student movement, Committee 68, called on the citizens to remember the lessons of the movement of 68, such as “knowing the importance of unity, solidarity and camaraderie, recognizing everyone’s right, understanding the difference, diversity, that each partner is important.”
On October 2, 1968, around 10,000 university and high school students gathered in the Three Cultures Square in the Tlatelolco area of Mexico City to peacefully protest the Summer Olympics scheduled to happen in Mexico City in the following week. At this time, student movements were blossoming across the globe, including Mexico. The Mexican government used heavy force to suppress the political opposition. Mexican police and military forces were deployed to repress the students’ demonstration, and they shot into a crowd of unarmed civilians, killing more than 300 innocent students. In addition, thousands of students were beaten, arrested and many disappeared.
During the day clashes between protesters and police were registered at the May 5 Avenue. The officials of Secretariat of Public Security (SSP) closed in on a group of youth, sprayed them with tear gas and made several arrests.
The students committee of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) denounced that several students who took part in the march “were victims of repression, violence and violations of human rights by ‘non-uniformed public servants’”. The Committee 68 also denounced aggression by the SSP police who were not uniformed and made arbitrary arrests.
The city government reported that 14 people were injured during the commemorative march. Out of the total number of injured people, three were transferred to hospital.
