AP
Authorities in a small town in western Mexico canceled Thursday night's "El Grito" festivities ushering in Independence Day after 40 gunmen arrived at the main square threatening to attack civilians.
Michoacan state police beefed up security in the town of Querendaro because of the threat, said the state police chief, Armando Soto la Marina.
Mayor Filiberto Romero suspended the traditional event in which he was to cry "Viva Mexico!" from the balcony of the town hall, drawing the same shout in unison from hundreds of people gathered below.
But men carrying rifles and grenades arrived and demanded they clear out or be attacked. People fled in panic. Some took refuge inside the government building waiting for the gunmen to leave. There were no reports of injuries.
No information on who the gunmen were was available late Thursday, but the presence of high-caliber weapons indicated the incident might be drug cartel related.
A grenade attack on the same holiday in 2008 killed eight people and wounded dozens in the main square of the Michoacan state capital, Morelia.
Most Independence Day festivities have gone on as usual this year, but local authorities have canceled patriotic events in the past in worry about possible attacks by drug gangs. Last year, the mayor of the border city of Ciudad Juarez, considered the epicenter of Mexico's drug war, canceled the traditional event.
Morelia 2008
Ciudad Juarez 2010
President Felipe Calderon 2010
Monterrey 2011
President Felipe Calderon 2011
Additional links:
Suspenden grito en Queréndaro Michoacán por amenazas a la población e inseguridad
Detienen a grupo armado en Michoacán
If Mexico would allow it citizens to defend itself crap like this wouldnt happen. 40 gunmen with AKs and gernades vs 200+ well armed citizens, ill garauntee the bad guys will die off before the good semaritans will.
ReplyDeleteWhy isnt the military there to fight them? Mexico is its own worst enemy cow towing to those scum bags! NEVER IN AMERICA, NEVER!
ReplyDeleteIn Ciudad Victoria Tamaulipas a car bomb exploded exactly at 11:00 PM Mexico time. It is a tradition the Mexican Independence festival starts at 11:00 PM. This cartels need to go now, they keep on mutating to terrorist.
ReplyDeleteOve...was it you that did a post laast year of Grito in Juarez? with a pic of the mayor on that balcony making a speech looking down at the "crowd" but it was a empty parking lot...no a sould around, just pretense.
ReplyDeletedo you still have those photos?
"might be drug cartel related"
ReplyDeletelol ya it might be! or maybe its just a coincidence that 40 guys showed up with AK's and grenade launchers
Why would they be against El Grito?
ReplyDeletees la nueva tradicion en mexico, explotar carros y disparar a la gente el dia del grito, de que se asustan ?????
ReplyDelete"might be drug cartel related"
ReplyDeleteLOL! who's the smart penny then?
Mexicans should be ashamed.
ReplyDelete"Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteMexicans should be ashamed.
September 16, 2011 11:38 AM "
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They should be but they are not, they would rape their own mothers... They have proven to me time and time again to be the most vile people on the planet!
Death is the only sure solution to the problems being caused by these evil scum bags, until Mexico comes to grips with this fact they are just wasting time energy and resources...
Calderon tells the good peoples of Mexico to fight on and yet gives them no weapons? The entire situation is ass backwards...
@9:45 maybe spanish nationalists...
ReplyDeleteHe does not even care, or want to fight for his people, Two hundred thousand, army, marines, federal police and the mayor is to much of a coward to ask for help, he is defiantly involved in the cartel business, he shut down the celebration because it would slow down the drug trade in that area
ReplyDelete"might be drug cartel related" LMAO....Just think how much economic activity to the lower and middle class comes to a halt from this violence. I suspect all in. Very sad
ReplyDeleteAlex....thank you and all your bloggers for the wonderful work that you do. Stay safe and may God bless and protect you from the cartel monsters. Keep speaking the TRUTH...and the cockroaches will run back under the rock and garbage they crawled out from.
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!