Posted on 10/28/2006 9:28:34 AM PDT by ARealMothersSonForever
OAXACA, Mexico - President Vicente Fox announced Saturday he was sending federal police into the violence-wracked southern state capital of Oaxaca after a U.S. journalist and two Mexican men were shot to death. The clashes occurred Friday as leftist protesters barricaded streets as part of a five-month-old campaign to oust the governor.
Fox's office issued a declaration saying that the federal forces would concentrate in Oaxaca on Saturday. His office later clarified that he was referring to federal police, not troops, but did not specify how many were being sent.
The president earlier had refused to send such forces to the city, insisting that the dispute should be resolve through negotiations. The conflict has been one of the biggest challenges for Fox, whose six-year term ends Dec 1.
Gunfire erupted Friday in a rough Oaxaca neighborhood when armed men tried to remove a blockade set up by protesters demanding the resignation of Oaxaca Gov. Ulises Ruiz, according to state officials and witnesses. Both sides fired but it was not clear who shot first.
Bradley Roland Will, 36, from New York City, was shot in the abdomen and died later at a Red Cross hospital, police, witnesses and friends said. Will worked for Indymedia.org, an independent Web-based media organization and sold video footage on a freelance basis, said friends and Indymedia colleague Hinrich Schuleze.
Oaxaca Attorney General Lizbeth Cana blamed the violence on the leftist protesters, whom she has compared to an urban guerrilla group. She said the armed men were angry residents defending themselves.
"The people are fed up with permanent violence, threats and kidnappings," Cana said.
However, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza said the armed group may have been police. The Mexico City newspaper El Universal on Saturday published photos identifying some of the men firing at protesters as local officials.
"It appears that Mr. Will was killed during a shootout between what may have been local police" and protesters, Garza said in a written statement.
Protesters have taken over the city since for five months, building barricades, driving out police and burning buses. The protesters accuse the governor of rigging the 2004 election to win office and using violence against his opponents.
They accused the governor of sending the armed men against them.
"Ulises Ruiz is trying to massacre our people," said protester Antonio Garcia.
An Associated Press video taken at the scene shows people ducking for cover as shots rattle out from many directions. A group of six men are seen running through the street with Will.
Esteban Zurrita, a resident of Oaxaca, also was shot dead in the clash, said Cana.
The third victim was identified as Emilio Alonso Fabian, whose bullet-ridden body was found about two miles from the clash. Many of the protesters are teachers.
Oswaldo Ramirez, a photographer for the Mexico City daily Milenio was shot in the foot at and taken to hospital, Milenio said on its Web site.
A second shootout erupted between protesters and an armed group outside the state prosecutors office and left three people injured, Cana said.
Friday's clash came a day after teachers agreed to end their five-month-old strike that has kept 1.3 million children out of classes in the state of Oaxaca — a move that was expected to take the sting out of the protests.
The teachers have been camped out in Oaxaca city's colonial center since May when they first walked out to demand higher pay and better working conditions.
After police attacked one of their demonstrations in June, they extended their demands to include a call for the resignation of Gov. Ruiz and were joined by leftists, students and Indian groups.
Police and armed gangs have led sporadic attacks on the protesters, leading to retaliatory violence.
Will had been documenting the upheaval in Internet dispatches. His reports showed strong sympathies with the protest movements.
"What can you say about this movement, this revolutionary moment," he wrote in a dispatch dated Oct. 16. "You know it is building, growing, shaping, you can feel it, trying desperately for a direct democracy."
Dyan Neary, 25, of Hawaii, a close friend of Will, said Will had traveled extensively through South and Latin America and had been jailed and had guns pointed at his head.
"He would always put himself on the front lines," a tearful Neary said. He was a courageous guy. He really believed in truth, public awareness and justice. He was an amazing human being."
On Thursday, a majority of Oaxaca teachers voted to end their walkout. Union leaders met with Interior Secretary Carlos Abascal in Mexico City on Friday to hammer out conditions for their return to classes.
After the meeting, the Interior Department and teachers union released statements condemning Friday's violence and saying they were making headway in coming to an agreement.
Ruiz repeatedly has asked federal authorities to send troops to restore order.
The U.S. ambassador urged the administration to resolve the problem.
"Mr. Will's senseless death, of course, underscores the critical need for a return to lawfulness and order in Oaxaca," Garza said.
___
Associated Press Writers Adam Goldman in New York City and Ioan Grillo in Mexico City contributed to this report.
It is a shame that this American got killed. There is risk involved when one goes to a country in civil upheaval. I do not agree with the guy's politics and alignment with the Marxists. Yet this is what happens when local order is turned over to mob rule.
Protestors were killed in the LA Riots by police, too. Sad, very sad. And SO STUPID. The police wouldn't be out there if the anarchists hadn't been fomenting chaos.
Mexico today, the U.S. tomorrow
It stinks when some child of privilege with a fine education and all the advantages suffers from Marxist delusions and actually goes off to impoverished regions of the world and helps make things miserable for innocent families who are trying to live their lives in peace.
No doubt he deluded himself with the illusion that he was "helping" them by siding with violent revolutionaries and power-drunk Marxist thugs.
Probably he had a couple of Che Guevara T-shirts in his backpack, to wear on social occasions.
Sad, but he was not entirely innocent, if this story is correct.
Unfortunately, I think you are right.
"Probably he had a couple of Che Guevara T-shirts in his backpack, to wear on social occasions."
No probably about it... checked out Brad Will and found a great deal of info. His email address was bradley@risingup.net and he was a self-described anarchist who was also involved in socialist revolution tactics in Brazil last year, now down in Mexico instigating more of his beloved Marxist revolution. He was also on the anarchist violence watch-list for the NYC GOP convention a few years ago.
"To Will, anarchy means “anti-authoritarian,” “anti-oppression,” “self-rule,” “local control” and, ideally, no government. He contributed a chapter on community gardens to a book on global movements, “We Are Everywhere,” in which he identified himself as an anarchist."
Lots more detail, pictures and info here - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1727515/posts
hmmm, anyone who doesn't think we are going to end up in war with Mexico over this?
I smell Hugo Chavez's hand in this mess. The US cannot let this moron steal the next election.
Ping
Ping
chavez is helping with those riots...that can be counted on...
...an aspiring Leni Riefenstahl
Pronunciation, please, anyone? Looks like owa-hah-ka to me (since the X in Mexico sounds like an H).
War in Mexico versus war with Mexico: We're already involved.
pronouced generally - wa ha' ka
Audio sample here - http://www.answers.com/oaxaca&r=67
Kinda reminds me of the idiot who lived with the grizzlies and ended up becoming their main course. I wonder what his last conscious thought was...."Hey, wait a minute, I'm a school trained journalist, I'm supposed to be detached, above it all, impervious to the events around me. Besides, I'm one of you...***click***
A lot of this violence is being perpetrated by AMLO and his goons.
Activist and journalist. Once these were two different things...
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