On September 26, 2026, marking the twelfth anniversary of the disappearance of the 43 normalistas of Ayotzinapa, families and supporters gathered in Mexico City for a march from the Ángel de la Independencia to the Zócalo under the banner “Ayotzinapa: 12 años de lucha, 43 la luz que no se apaga.” Led by parents carrying photographs of their missing children, the mobilization featured participation from younger generations, including children and grandchildren wearing sky-blue shirts stamped with the faces of the students missing since September 26, 2014.
The demonstration highlights a decade-long impasse in locating the students and addressing accountability. Families voiced sharp criticism regarding the current state of investigations and government support for the military under President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Demands and Investigation Status
Speaking at the mobilization’s start, family spokesperson Melitón Ortega stated that parents are awaiting additional information on search operations, arrests, and extradition requests. Ortega noted that during an August 27 meeting, the Presidencia de la República outlined a new scientific methodology for ongoing investigations, adding that families hope this approach will not further complicate their emotional distress.
Maria de Jesús Tlatempa, mother of missing normalista José Eduardo Bartolo Tlatempa, criticized the administration’s current focus. She stated that families ask what the President has resolved, to which they receive the answer “until now, nothing.” Tlatempa urged President Claudia Sheinbaum to cease supporting the military and prioritize the Ayotzinapa case, reiterating the demand for the return of the Grupo Interdisciplinario de Expertos Independientes (GIEI), which departed after conditions for their independent work were no longer met.
Contingents and Route Dynamics
The march drew hundreds of students arriving in more than 30 autobuses from various normal schools across the country, alongside solidarity groups such as the Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez and Tlachinollan Human Rights Centers, Serapaz, and student contingents from the UNAM. Participants carried banners reading “Desencuartelen la verdad. A 12 años ¡justicia para Ayotzinapa!”
During the progression along Paseo de la Reforma, individuals dressed in black with covered faces—part of a “bloque negro” in the retaguardia—caused damage to urban infrastructure, including a metallic bicycle service station. Organizers repeatedly urged participants to keep the demonstration peaceful.
By 6:00 p.m., the vanguard of the march entered the Zócalo via Calle 5 de Mayo without obstruction—unlike the previous year, when cement blocks impeded entry—to hold a commemorative mitin.
Did You Know? This twelfth-year mobilization featured multi-generational participation, with children and grandchildren of the parents joining the march wearing sky-blue shirts bearing the portraits of the students disappeared on September 26, 2014.
Frequently Asked Questions
The march marked the twelfth anniversary of the disappearance of the 43 normalistas of Ayotzinapa, who went missing on September 26, 2014.
Families demand to know the whereabouts of their children, the return of the Grupo Interdisciplinario de Expertos Independientes (GIEI), and that President Claudia Sheinbaum stop supporting the military while prioritizing the Ayotzinapa investigation.
A group of individuals in the retaguardia dressed in black with covered faces damaged urban infrastructure, including a metallic bicycle service station on Paseo de la Reforma, prompting families to reiterate calls for a peaceful protest.