Tomorrow is Mexico's Independence Day. Under normal circumstances, Mexico City's main plaza, the Zócalo, would begin filling with people this afternoon. By evening the vast square would be filled with more than 100,000 people waiting for the President to appear on the balcony of the National Palace and give the "Grito de Independencia" (Cry of Independence). The President then rings the same bell which was rung by the village priest Miguel Hidalgo in the wee hours of the morning of September 16, 1810, to exhort his parishioners to rise up against Spanish rule.
Well, that's what normally happens. I hoped that President López Obrador, whose handling of the pandemic has been less than stellar, to say the least, would have the common sense not to allow the usual throngs jammed together on the plaza.
A couple days ago, when I looked at the webcam of the Zócalo, I was relieved to see that some sort of display was being set up on the plaza... indicating that it was not going to be open to crowds of people.
Last night when I looked at the webcam, the display was lit up.
From the angle of the webcam it's not really clear, but the lights on the pavement trace out a giant map of Mexico.
Alejandro found this video filmed by a drone above the Zócalo. Here you can clearly see the map of Mexico. "La llama de esperanza" means "The flame of hope".
The President will still do the "Grito" and the ringing of the bell, but without the crowds of people. Mexicans will be watching the event on television.
This is very cool-thanks for sharing and posting!
ReplyDeleteI will check out the webcam again tonight during the "Grito". Maybe there will be fireworks too.
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