Mexican Cry of Independence: Peaceful, But with Cursing and Chanting Juan Pablo Becerra-Acosta M. - Milenio
go to original September 16, 2013

All was peaceful. The cry took place in peace.

Of course it was peaceful, since there were hundreds and hundreds of federal and Mexico City police protecting not only the Zócalo [central plaza] of the capital, but also the streets adjacent to the Plaza of the Constitution [Zócalo]. The security measures were very strict. For example, take the walk-through metal detectors on 20 de Noviembre Street [main entrance on the south side]. In order to enter the Zócalo from the front, with a direct view of the Cathedral, there were very long lines up to three blocks long after ten at night. No one could escape the meticulous inspections of the Presidential Guard troops.

... But nothing happened. No violent incident. The broad, open space of the Zócalo was not full. There were a lot of people, but it was not completely packed; there were many open spaces that the groups of citizens left.

What the State guards could not avoid were the curse words that dozens uttered to Enrique Peña Nieto as soon as he came out onto the presidential balcony and before he rang the Bell of Dolores and gave the traditional Cry of Independence. Chants began to sound like the ones you might hear at a soccer game: “Culeeero! Culeeero!" [coward, traitor]. The chant did not spread; instead it joined some angry "vivas" [long lives] for the teachers, and that was the end of anything having to do with the protest.

Read the rest at Mexico Voices

Translated by Sally Seward

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