Closely Guarded, Mexicans Celebrate Independence Day

Today Mexico commemorates 199 years of independence from Spain. Festivities kicked off last night in little towns and big cities across the country with the “Grito de Dolores,” the traditional battle cry shouted by the Catholic priest Hidalgo in 1810 that incited the decade-long war of independence. This year, on the anniversary of the grenade attacks in Morelos that killed eight and wounded dozens, the mood was somber and security was tight. At the Zocalo, where the largest grito took place, under steady rainfall, 10,000 police rimmed the square. Thankfully, the celebrations were peaceful.