The Narco News Bulletin |
August 15, 2018 | Issue #43 |
narconews.com - Reporting on the Drug War and Democracy from Latin America |
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The federal forces occupying the city of Oaxaca chose November 2, one of Mexico's, and especially Oaxaca's, most sacred days to attack the nerve center of the popular anti-government movement. The Federal Preventive Police (PFP) began to make incursions against Oaxaca's University City which not only houses the Autonomous University of Oaxaca Benito Juarez, but also the means of communication of the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca, Radio Universidad. Under the threat of the violation of the constitutionally backed autonomy of the university and the silencing of the movement's radio, thousands of Oaxacans chose to remember their recent dead, fallen in combat against the same federal troops, by pouring into the streets to confront the further aggression of the federal government. Through more than five hours of intensive street combat, the people of Oaxaca scored a decisive blow against the police and a symbolic victory over the government of Vicente Fox as they successfully out-fought and chased away the police.
Photo: D.R. 2006 John Gibler |
The police arrived early in the morning at both ends of this avenue, Avenida Universidad, and the radio sounded the alert. People began to arrive at the university from all over the city in order to defend it and the barricades from the federal police. The police chased away the protesters from the northern most intersection next to the neighborhood of Cinco Señores and began to work to clear the road of debris. As the protesters rallied an eventual conflict was inevitable.
The people began to yell at the police. While anger and hatred against the police was expressed, a few teachers began to give speeches to the human beings behind the shields and clubs. The orators remarked at the remarkable similarity between the faces of the front line of the PFP and those of the demonstrators. Pointing out the dark skin and indigenous features of the troops, the teachers tried to explain to them that the same poverty, racism and exploitation that drove the individual members of the police to leave their communities and search for a viable living for them and their families by joining the repressive forces of the state were the same reasons that the Oaxacan people chose to organize themselves and fight against the government. The speakers implored the officers not to repress their brothers and sisters but instead join them on their side of the struggle. Meanwhile, their superior officers, the majority "gueros" (or those with white skin) began to order their brown skinned orderlies into action. Instant barricades of burnt cars, telephone poles and barbed wire were constructed between the university and the police. At roughly 10 am the federal troops moved into an offensive stance and prepared for confrontation.
Photo: D.R. 2006 James Daria |
The back and forth advancement and retreat of the police came at a high price for them as many were injured in the confrontations. Protesters launched rocks from slingshots and slings and threw molotov cocktails at the police. The ingenious weaponry of the Oaxacan protesters included bottle rocket bazookas that shot homemade fireworks at the police on the ground and at the two police helicopters circling overhead dropping tear gas canisters. Eventually cars and buses driven by the protesters were burned in the street to block the advances of the police tanks. The police, apart from throwing rocks, used tactical emissions of chemical weapons to repel the advances of the masked youths. The water cannons shot a red chemical possibly made of dye and irritant chemicals from the tanks and at least two types of tear gas were used. The normal tear gas was thrown by hand or by gun and included a white smoke. Although potent it was not much of a deterrent against the people. At critical moments the police would launch an invisible and seemingly military strength type of tear gas that enveloped blocks and left the protesters retreating for air. Squads of street medics stationed themselves to receive the retreating troops of common citizens inundated by the tear gas. Flat Coca-Cola was used to wash eyes and vinegar soaked rags were used to help breathe amid the contaminated air. Roving medical clinics made up of doctors and nurses from the nearby communities treated the wounded as there was no presence of the Red Cross.
D.R. 2006 James Daria |
Throughout the course of the battle the residents of the community came out in support of the protesters. While the front lines ferociously battling police were made up mostly of Oaxacan youth, there were large numbers of older adults and many women among the ranks of the rebels. Whole families came out in solidarity with the movement. Many residents watched from their roofs and others brought out their mirrors to try and blind the pilots of the helicopters.
Around two o'clock in the afternoon the police sent what must have been a suicide mission into the principle street of Cinco Señores. This diverted the protesters into at least three groups and occupied them in many different confrontations. One of the police tanks drove recklessly into the mob of protesters and the riot police followed throwing rocks and tear gas. The military style helicopters made much more frequent flyovers at increasingly low levels dropping tear gas canisters indiscriminately. This diversionary tactic gave the PFP the opportunity to withdraw their troops from Avenida Universidad and begin retreating to the intersection of Cinco Señores. The spirits of the protesters were lifted and exhaustion felt among them was forgotten as they sensed the battle was almost over and that they were winning.
Photo: D.R. 2006 James Daria |
After the victorious people released their rebellious joy in countless acts of camaraderie and solidarity, a meeting was quickly organized by members of the organizing committee of the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca. The first representative shouted to the crowed exclaiming that the long hours of struggle could be summed up in one word: VICTORY! The crowd went wild and began to shout. This being the last day of Muertos, after calming down the people held a minute of silence and then a minute of applause for their fallen comrades. In the meeting the representatives gave credit to the historic display of bravery and struggle on the part of all involved but especially the university students and the residents of surrounding communities. It was the base, and not the leaders, they exclaimed, that won this battle.
Photo: D.R. 2006 John Gibler |
After the meeting the people began to disperse in order to return home, attend the wounded or begin to reconstruct the barricades around the university. Although victorious and reveling in their glory, the popular movement sustained many losses at the hands of approximately two thousand riot police. At least thirty people were arrested and more than seventy injured. However, the struggle continues as the protesters began to prepare for a possible offensive during the long, cold hours of the night. Word spread throughout the city that the federal police were defeated at the hands of the people. A major victory was won by the Oaxacan people against the federal government and further mobilizations are to follow. The battle for the university was won, but the battle for Oaxaca rages on.