Tlatelolco massacre

The death of several hundred students at the hands of the Mexican police and military on October 2, 1968 is seen by many as a pivotal turning point in modern Mexican history. The conflict, which came to a head during a protest in the Plaza de las Tres Culturas in the Tlatelolco district of Mexico City, occurred just days before the opening ceremonies for the Summer Olympics in Mexico City. It emerged out of a peaceful student movement that decried the lack of political freedom in Mexico, which had faced increasingly violent reactions from the government forces in the second half of 1968.