This week, Mexico commemorated the 200th anniversary of the beginning of its War of Independence. In September of 1810, a Mexican priest named Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla uttered a call to arms against the Spanish, later known as the Grito de Dolores (“Cry of Dolores”). Soon after began a series of battles with the Spanish that would build into a war that lasted over a decade, eventually resulting in independence.

Members of Mexico’s military commemorate the 1847 battle of the “Ninos Heroes,” or “Heroic Children,” a group of cadets who died defending the military academy in Mexico City during the Mexican-American War, during bicentennial celebrations in Mexico City, Monday Sept. 13, 2010.

Bicentennial Year Celebrations

This bicentennial year, tens of thousands of Mexicans thronged the streets of Mexico City to celebrate. The celebrations took place under a somewhat subdued light though, amid the violence of a brutal nationwide drug war and vocal criticism of government spending on the lavish ceremonies. Collected here are photos of this week’s celebration of 200 years of Mexican independence.