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GV Crowds around revolution monument in Mexico City.
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SV Crowd with flags (3 shots) and children cheering
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SV Women run forward to great Pres. Echeverria and Secretary of Interior Moya
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GTV Crowd run forward
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SV President waves to crowd
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GV Cathedral PAN TO army gymnasts perform in square
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GV Crowd watching
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GV Gymnasts in different-coloured shirts from up to make picture of evolution monument and crowd applaud (3 shots)
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SV Army drummers
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SV Gymnasts pass in parade & people watch
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SV Girls march past in parade as President watches from balcony (2 shots)
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SV Float and carnival characters pass.
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SV Crowd watching juggler balancing football.
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Initials BB/2246 ???L/AS/BB/2340



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Huge crowds estimated at 1.2 million thronged Revolution Square (Plaza de Revolution) in Mexico City on Saturday to celebrate the 61st anniversary of the revolution that overthrew President Porfirio Diaz in 1910-11.

President Luis Echeverria and the Secretary of the Interior. Mario Moya were enthusiastically greeted as they arrived to deliver speeches reflecting the central theme of President Echeverria's administration -- the return to the goals of the revolution of Francisco Madera and the national heroes Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa.

Army musicians and gymnasts combined with a carnival-style parade to make the celebrations a colourful spectacle.

SYNOPSIS: A vast crowd estimated at over a million gathered in Mexico City's Revolution Square on Saturday to celebrate the 61st anniversary of the revolution which overthrew President Porfirio Diaz in 1910 and II-- the revolution that gave Mexico its national heroes Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa.

The occasion was a personal triumph for President Luis Echeverria, seen arriving here with Secretary of the interior Mario Moya. In their speeches, both may stressed the central theme of President Echeverria's administration, that of return to the goals of the revolution led by Francisco Madera, who became President in 1911.

Beside the cathedral and the revolution monument, a troupe of five-thousand army gymnasts gave a spectacular display of mass movement.

They wore shirts of varying colours to form their final tableau, a representation of the revolution monument. It was one of the highlights of the four-and-a-half hours of celebrations.

Then the gymnasts led off a big processing which included delegates from 61 countries as well as contingents from youth organisations and the floats and grotesque figures that play their part in the traditional carnival scene. President Echeverria was elected by a large majority in last year's presidential elections, and the carnival atmosphere of the revolution day celebrations reflected his declared aims of bringing more democracy to the country fighting burocracy and corruption, and giving workers, peasants and opposition groups a more active role in the process of government. At the same time, Mexico is widely reported to be moving towards more leading role in Central American affairs.