The Tlatelolco Massacre In the summer of 1968, Mexico was experiencing the beginnings of a new student movement. The students sought liberal reform of the Mexican political system. These students were determined to expose the realities of poverty, misery and corruption in their country. (Guttmann) They were involved in different movements that would lead to a life-changing event for everyone, “The Tlatelolco Massacre of 1968.” A day that ended the lives and shattered the dreams of many people. This event was confirmation that the government could not be trusted and that their lives would be determined by the actions they took. This day would be swept under the rug and never talked about for the sake of it. After hours of student resistance, the army was called in to handle the situation. The obstruction ended when soldiers killed some students by blowing up the main gate of the San Ildefonso National Preparatory School with a bazooka. The National University supervised the preparatory school, so the participation of university officials and students was inevitable. In the hours that followed, students decided to organize and protest the violence carried out by the riot police. Over the following months, Mexico City witnessed a series of student protests and rallies. (Diaz-Cortes)The protests and activities of the summer of 1968 were directed against the Mexican government's repression of the growing student and social movements. The students thought the government would listen to their demands, but they were met with a clear message from the president: “No more unrest will be tolerated.” The army proceeded in the following days to take the National University, with virtually no resistance from students, and later the National Polytechnic Institute, with active and violent student resistance. (Diaz-Cortes) After these events, the students decided to meet again on October 2, 1968, not knowing that this would be the day tragedy struck. This event would forever change the lives of many people. People would come together to express themselves freely. They recognized that changes were needed and that they should come together to make them happen. They would not rely on anyone but their own people. They would have to come together to fight back. The government will no longer destroy them. They will speak out and be heard. Their freedom of expression will be heard and the government will no longer silence them. The 1968 massacre would be a memory for every student who opposed the government for what it had done.