Witness History10 Juli 2024

The 1968 Mexico City massacre

On 2 October 1968, thousands of students protested in Mexico City, 10 days before the Olympics.

The students wanted the government to free political prisoners and respect their right to protest.

More than 4,000 activists came to the Plaza de las Tres Culturas in the capital's Tlatelolco district that evening.

It resulted in Mexican soldiers opening fire on the protesters. The death toll has never been confirmed, a government report from the time put it at 26, while student leaders estimated it at more than 100.

In 2011, one of the young protesters, David Huerta, spoke to Julian Miglierini.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Students arrested by police in Tlatelolco on 2 October 1968. Credit: Bettmann / Contributor via Getty Images)

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