Posted on 10/29/2006 9:29:59 AM PST by ARealMothersSonForever
OAXACA, Mexico - Federal police in riot gear and armored cars took up positions on the outskirts of this southern Mexican city on Sunday, as leftist protesters who have taken charge of the streets stood firm at their barricades of tree trunks and hijacked trucks.
The teachers whose strike over pay raises in May began the uprising in Oaxaca agreed to go back to work on Monday, and the federal presence appeared designed to bolster law and order ahead of their return. But some strikers and their leftist supporters were outlining plans for street-by-street resistance.
Officials said police had begun to enter the city and remove some barricades, and reporters saw about a half-dozen federal police trucks equipped with water cannon and bulldozer blades moving onto a highway about 100 yards from signs that said "Welcome to Oaxaca."
Dozens of officers with riot shields and batons established a line in front of the trucks, as protesters angrily shouted "Army out!"
"They're going to kill us. It's not fair," said Juana Garcia, a 48-year-old housewife. "We can't do anything, we have no weapons."
A few blocks away protesters prepared their defense, putting up a makeshift barricade and tossing mounds of fist-sized stones into pickup trucks, apparently to distribute to supporters.
"We are calling on all our colleagues, and all the people, to stay firmly on the barricades," Roberto Garcia, a protest leader, said late Saturday. "But we are also categorically stating that we don't want to clash with the federal forces."
Garcia also said the resignation or removal of Oaxaca Gov. Ulises Ruiz was "nonnegotiable." Ruiz, whom the protesters accuse of corruption, has refused to resign, despite clashes that have left at least eight dead.
The protesters' radio station on Sunday issued calls to reinforce the barricades, and repeated unconfirmed reports of federal police advancing on the city.
Earlier, the Interior Department issued an ominous statement demanding protesters "immediately hand over streets, plazas, public buildings and private property" they have seized since late May, when the teachers went on strike, keeping 1.3 million children out of classes across the southern state.
Interior Secretary Carlos Abascal said Saturday that "the use of public force is a legitimate recourse." But while department officials said no police operation would occur Sunday, they offered no such guarantee for Monday, and said police action could occur if there was another violent incident like Friday's killing of a U.S. activist-journalist and two local residents.
Protest sympathizers gathered on Saturday in the nearly deserted, graffiti-smeared main plaza — the arch-ringed square normally abuzz with tourists and vendors — to mourn Bradley Roland Will, 36, of New York, who was killed during a shootout between protesters and men they claim were local officials in Santa Lucia del Camino, on Oaxaca's outskirts.
In a statement, Will's family said it was "grieving over the tragic and senseless loss of Brad's life."
"Brad's friends and family admired his brave support for the downtrodden and willingness to act tirelessly upon his convictions. We believe he died doing what he loved," it said.
Oaxaca resident Esteban Zurrita was also shot dead Friday and the bullet-ridden body of another man, Emilio Alonso Fabian, was discovered about two miles away.
U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza said in a statement that those who shot Will may have been Oaxaca police, and the Mexico City newspaper El Universal published photos Saturday identifying some of the men firing at protesters as local officials.
Local police officers — often out of uniform — have staged sporadic attacks on protesters, who themselves have been blamed in at least one death; at least five other people have been killed in previous attacks.
"violent incident like Friday's killing of a U.S. activist-journalist and two local residents."
Sheesh. This guy has gone from poor cameraman in the wrong place, to journalist, journalist-activist, and now activist journalist. Why don't they just go ahead and silkscreen his image onto a red Marxist flag already?
"Police surround besieged Mexican city" which by definition ...
Probably a disagreement on American territory for "the DRUuuuuGs".. and Mule train accross the border..
seens odd, when no human is illegal
This area is about as far from the border as you can get. Hugo, Fidel, and Mikey Moore are equipping and supporting APPA, which is slightly to the left of the failed state government. There will be a clash. Both groups are leftists, and so it is hard to pull for one side or the other. The people are indeed screwed.
APPO
If they start moving up artillery, think HamaH. I would not put it past Fox.
http://markinmexico.blogspot.com/2006/10/oaxaca-mexico-killers-of-american.html
They should not have to leave their country to get a decent job to care for their families.
Kick all the crooks out!!
Act like cuba, round up all the troublemakers and ship them the the U.S.
Our democrat party will welcome them with open arms.
Great. Of the 31 states, all but 6 have a failed state government. The Federal government (and its district, kind of like DC) is corrupt. The population is uneducated, untrained, and more concerned with survival than a violent revolution. Exactly which nation-state do you propose sending troops from? China has volunteered, BTW.
That it what has been happening for 35 years. What is it that they say about doing the same thing and expecting a different result?
Sometimes, people have to give war a chance.
I was not suggesting any troops being sent in.
I was thinking more of a giant grass roots revolution. Some will die - but the politicians can't kill everybody!!
Perhaps we should have a "Rachel Corrie Memorial Pancake Breakfast" in his honor. An award reserved for stupid Americans killed while supporting the "Downtrodden."
TANKS for the thread,,,,I never got to see a real live
"Mexican-Revel-ooocion" before,,,,,,,,mmmmmmmmm,,,,,,,,
Learn Something New Everyday Around Here...;0)
I know you made your comment in jest.. Reality, however, will be thousands of "Political Asylum Seekers" turning up at our borders. This is perhaps a clever ruse on the part of Mexican officials to change the "Illegal Alien" status to "refugee."
The dim bulb Indymedia hippie was shot because he was a member of the anarchist/Marxist mob charging a group of people who were trying to tear down the barricades set up by the anarchist/Marxists. There were definitely state police in there - they had been confined to their barracks, but some had gone out to avenge an earlier attack on them by the radical leftists. But this was hardly an unprovoked shooting, and this "innocent journalist" was neither a journalist, strictly speaking, nor innocent.
Partially in jest but I understand that if there are problems anywhere in south or central America or even the Carribean it ultimately becomes the U.S. problem.
As for Mexico, come on man it will be part of the greater north American union shortly. Canada, U.S. and Mexico, can't ya just feel the brotherhood?
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