Oaxaca Revolution in Progress

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Oaxaca Revolution in Progress

Postby isachar » Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:50 am

Just got back from a month in Oaxaca on Sunday. The revolution occuring there is widespread, receiving support from virtually all segments of society, statewide, and growing.<br><br>During my stay I met only six people who supported the State's Governor - one a taxi driver who also declared he was a strong supporter of Bush since he, like Calderon and Fox were 'fascistas', and five PRI'istas bused in from La Canada (a province in the north of the State). This compares to many tens of thousands of people from all sectors of society who are occupying the zocolo, key government offices and media centers, and organizing selective blockades of roads and banks.<br><br>Oaxaca could be the match that, in combination with the massive election fraud in the Presidential vote, could start the second Mexican revolution.<br><br>Latest news from narconews.com<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.narconews.com/Issue42/article2021.html">www.narconews.com/Issue42...e2021.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.narconews.com/Issue42/article2020.html">www.narconews.com/Issue42...e2020.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.narconews.com/Issue42/article2018.html">www.narconews.com/Issue42...e2018.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--> <p></p><i></i>
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Re: Oaxaca Revolution in Progress

Postby Rigorous Intuition » Thu Aug 24, 2006 12:26 pm

Thanks for the report, isachar. Must have been exciting to be a witness to it. <p></p><i></i>
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Re: Oaxaca Revolution in Progress

Postby isachar » Thu Aug 24, 2006 12:51 pm

Jeff, it was very interesting indeed. I left on the 20th and was there when the first radio station takeover was organized, the first banks were blockaded, and multiple main highways leading to/from the City were also blockaded. Though my Spanish is just so-so, I spoke with many individuals (teachers and others) occupying the Zocolo, during my stay. There was a very large march/general strike (it primarily affected businesses in an around the Zocolo based on my observation) last Saturday.<br><br>About 10,000 - 20,000 marchers representing a wide cross section of civil society streamed out of the Zocolo towards Abastos market that evening. But several thousand more stayed behind in the Zocolo where they held what I would call multiple 'teach-ins'. Some of these were what we might in the US call 'in-service training' for some of the teachers (I attending one on the subjection of fisical education). A diversity of other subjections - education and social- were addressed by other such open-air sessions.<br><br>The movement started blockading banks while I was there, and I mentioned to one of my local amigos that I thought this would stimulate a governmental reaction pretty fast if it were to continue. Looks like I was prescient. <br><br>Wish I was still there. There aren't too many opportunities to witness a popular, peaceful (the movement has largely responded to violence perpetrated against it, but does not initiate violence) revolution first hand.<br><br>The last news I heard while I was down there is the the PAN and PRI are forging an alliance to support the PRI state governor. This would indicate that the goverment is preparing to use force, kidnappings (some have already occurred and been attempted), and other heavy-handed/lethal measures to suppress the popular uprising.<br><br>Narconews is the best English language source of info on what is happening down there, so I would suggest checking in on their website to stay updated. Most of the MSM media in Mexico are ignoring it entirely, or suggesting the support is limited to the teachers - which it most definitely is not. <p></p><i></i>
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Re: Oaxaca Revolution in Progress

Postby BannedfromDU » Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:14 pm

I'm searching for a word..I want to use 'astonishing', but I'm not astonished. I want to use 'amazed' or 'shocked', but those are untrue as well. No, the word I want to use is enraged...I am enraged that the corporate media in the US is completely blacking out this as if it isn't even happening. The lower continent, indeed our neiboring country is in revolt and not a peep. We get soaked in Ramsey stupidity, and reporting on the Ukraine (half a world away) is worthy of coverage, but not this. <br><br>Its time for one of those things here in the US. Thomas Paine, where are you? <p></p><i></i>
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Re: Oaxaca Revolution in Progress

Postby Gouda » Fri Aug 25, 2006 7:56 am

Can't make it down to volunteer, or make a change of career to narco journalist? Consider a buck or two to help the folks in advance of what looks increasingly likely to be the nasty reflex of a sorely spooked oligarchy in Mexico. And keep spreading the word. <br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.narconews.com/Issue42/article2022.html">www.narconews.com/Issue42...e2022.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>On the Eve of the Crisis in Mexican Democracy, Your Journalists Need Mobility and Equipment to Report What Comes Next<br>...<br><br>One of our courageous correspondents in Mexico City, this week, asked me for fifty dollars to be able to travel to do an important story. I checked my bank account. It has $45. That’s insane. We all know how to live on vapors but with the crisis evolving, we need to be mobile, or not only are we sitting ducks for any repressive plan from above, but, worse, we can’t get to the news in the different places where it is possibly going to explode in the coming days and weeks.<br>...<br><br>The reality is that to do the job ahead, the work that becomes, tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after that, but definitely within two weeks, more important than before, we need your help, in the form of a contribution – more generous than before – to the Fund for Authentic Journalism.<br><br>Please click the following link and make your contribution right now at:<br><br> <!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.authenticjournalism.org/">www.authenticjournalism.org/</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br>Or send it via the mail to:<br><br> The Fund for Authentic Journalism<br> P.O. Box 241<br> Natick, MA 01760 (U.S.A.)<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--> Not Al's best writing when it comes to fundraising, but it's gotta be done. <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=gouda@rigorousintuition>Gouda</A> at: 8/25/06 5:58 am<br></i>
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Re: Oaxaca Revolution in Progress

Postby Sepka » Fri Aug 25, 2006 11:22 am

If they're forcibly occupying banks, media centers, and government offices, then it's hardly a 'peaceful' revolution.<br> <p>-Sepka the Space Weasel</p><i></i>
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Re: Oaxaca Revolution in Progress

Postby Gouda » Fri Aug 25, 2006 1:29 pm

sometimes i post and later have second or third thoughts about what i posted. <br><br>if you do have a few spare bucks, why not put them toward something closer to home. <br><br>if you have more than enough to spare, then it is ok to send a few to mexico and spend a few at home. if not, your choice. <br><br>i was thinking it would be good to send a few bucks south since that is where the momentum is. on the other hand, why not invest in some momentum at home. "homentum." <br><br>but then again, since you are close to home, why not <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>do</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> something rather than send a few bucks. if you are lucky enough to have a little extra dough to spare, as well as some spare time, then do both - or all three: spend on home, spend on narconews, do something at home. <br><br>and don't forget to tip your favorite bloggers. <p></p><i></i>
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Re: Oaxaca Revolution in Progress

Postby Gouda » Fri Aug 25, 2006 1:35 pm

oh, and occupy all local establishments of repression. <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=gouda@rigorousintuition>Gouda</A> at: 8/25/06 11:37 am<br></i>
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Re: Oaxaca Revolution in Progress

Postby rocco33 » Fri Aug 25, 2006 2:04 pm

How long has this been going on now? And man, how frustrating that nothing has been shown on the worthless US televisions. NOt even Lou Dobbs, who you'd think would be VERY interested in the going-ons in Mexico. IMHO, the total black-out by the media just goes to show they don't want us in the U.S. to get any bright ideas, being we've got some elections that are to set to be stolen on an even-wider scale in November... How they'll hid it is with undercover neocons posing as Democrats thanks to the traitors at the DLC, and now, with Dean, at the DNC. Same coin, different side. <br><br>By the way Gouda, do you know of any sites that have photos of the various protests besides NarcoNews? <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=rocco33>rocco33</A> at: 8/25/06 3:05 pm<br></i>
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Re: Revolution in Progress

Postby postrchild » Fri Aug 25, 2006 4:56 pm

Is it just me or again are Mexicans showing "Amaricuns" how to be American? <p></p><i></i>
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a long struggle

Postby Corvidaerex » Fri Aug 25, 2006 6:12 pm

Oaxaca has been going through variations of this for many years. Despite the wealth of the city -- it's a HUGE tourist draw, but doesn't feel that touristy -- the people of Oaxaca state are some of Mexico's poorest. This time, it looks like something might really change. I hope it's for the best.<br><br>(I had a family event to attend in Oaxaca this fall, but it has been canceled due to "unrest." As my plane ticket isn't refundable, I'm going to take a solo trip down in October. It's a great place, and the many reports I've received from travelers and teachers and aid workers all say it's a remarkable scene with the whole old city occupied.)<br><br>There has been some national and international coverage. The BBC and the Economist have done several stories, the Houston Chronicle (which actually covers Mexico pretty well) has run plenty of stories, and I've heard things on PRI, NPR, etc. Reuters also has filed quite a few stories.<br><br>It's less a matter of "censorship" -- the story is certainly out there, easy to find, including Al's kickass site -- than the perception and/or fact that American news "consumers" are farkin' idiots.<br><br>Having worked in a lot of newsrooms over the years, I can bet that there's one or two editors or producers trying to get this on the nightly news or the front page, and they're being dismissed by a bunch of old hacks who are arguing that "Americans can't even pronounce Oaxaca, let alone know where it is." And that's true, but part of the reason is because American news feeds them such trivial bullshit.<br><br>(And yes, this Jon Bonet stuff is trivial bullshit. Melodrama. Murder porn. Crap to make you forget about Iraq and Afghanistan and Lebanon and the collapsed housing market and the nose-diving US economy and the Rx drugs that explode your heart and the $3.25 gasoline.)<br><br>I would say, "Call the editors and producers and complain," but you're already complaining in a far more effective way: by not watching network news and not subscribing to newspapers.<br><br>Those audiences are dropping by 3%-10% every YEAR. As this site and so many others prove, the Mass Media has lost the masses.<br> <p></p><i></i>
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Re: Oaxaca Revolution in Progress

Postby isachar » Fri Aug 25, 2006 6:24 pm

Sepka, please don't take this wrong, but the ignorance behind that post is breath-taking. By your reasoning, Gandhi's (and King's) methods of non-violent resisitance would be a violation of the peace.<br><br>I suppose your idea of permissible resistance to decades of oppression is sitting on your couch watching the tube and saying 'gee, someone should do something, like maybe send a letter to the editor.'<br><br>The protesters have do not endorse or advocate violence, but peaceful non-violence. They aren't even 'occupying' banks (though they are occupying the old City government offices on the Zocolo that the current Gov is converting to an museum). Rather, they are blocking access to the banks. When I say 'they', I am referring to entire families, including their young children.<br><br>In response to the Governor using force and violence to wrest control of the University radio station from the protesters, unarmed women, baning pots and pans, took over Canal 9. In response to the Govern's forces assault on Canal 9 (during which at least one protester was killed by them and many others injured), they took over 9 other radio stations.<br><br>The protesters have been fired on, and between 6-12 have been killed by the Governors police and thugs. When the protesters have found and captured operatives in plain clothes, they have disarmed them and turned them over - alive - to the Red Cross or others. <p></p><i></i>
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Re: a long struggle

Postby rocco33 » Fri Aug 25, 2006 6:34 pm

I've been to Playa del Carmen and Cancun a couple of times. An absolutely beautiful area of the world. I'd say one of my top 4. <br><br>Call me crazy, but the fact that much of this uproar is happening in the same area of the oddest hurricane ever recorded (Hurrican Wilma), in a season of quite a few odd hurricanes, ( 10 out of 11 which had strange electric charged lightning never before recorded in history) that mysteriously stayed centered over Cancun and Playa del Carmen for what was it?? 19 hours without moving? If I'm not mistaken, this was also a "hurricane" that formulated off the Florida coast a full 3 or 4 days prior. Wilma's path alone is worth scrutiny, as the direction seemed to go against all laws of physics. <br><br>And.. which is always the case these days when there's something worthy of investigation, something "behind the curtain", the media seemingly curtailed any investigations into this. I do personally remember though, the CNN weatherman, when asked what he thought about this strange phenom, he actually shrugged his shoulders! CNN for chrissake! <br><br>Probably just too much conspiracy on my mind with all the scalar activities in Lebanon and Iraq of late as written about on <!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.uruknet.com/?p=m25559&hd=0&size=1&l=e">Uruknet</a><!--EZCODE LINK END-->, and the erection of ELF towers everywhere, but i have to wonder. These are odd days and anything seems possible. <p></p><i></i>
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Oaxaca News

Postby JD » Fri Aug 25, 2006 6:34 pm

<!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLR,GGLR:2006-15,GGLR:en&q=oaxaca&sa=N&tab=wn" target="top">news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLR,GGLR:2006-15,GGLR:en&q=oaxaca&sa=N&tab=wn</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--><br><br>There is news showing up on a Google News search but all seem to be small regional news papers.<br><br>Note that the standard media gatekeepers (NY Times, WSJ, LA Times, CNN, BBC, CBC, etc.) don't show up in the Google Search, hence we are not hearing about it in the mass media.<br><br>This is a topic of ongoing fascination for me; how the media selects (or doesn't select!!) the stories it covers.<br><br>This is quite amazing as 6% (or more!) of Americans are Mexican Americans, so there should be a lot of American interest in the topic. (Certainly a contrast to the relative overexposure of news covering Israel!)<br><br>There's an old newsroom saying "if it bleeds it leads". Hmmmm. Interesting then that there is bleeding going on down in Mexico and it doesn't lead.<br><br>Reuters has been following the story: <br><br><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://today.reuters.com/news/newssearchresults.aspx?srch=Oaxaca&searchtype=a" target="top">today.reuters.com/news/newssearchresults.aspx?srch=Oaxaca&searchtype=a</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--> <br><br>as does Associated Press: <br><br><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/external/search.hosted.ap.org/wireCoreTool/Search?SITE=KMOV&query=Oaxaca" target="top">hosted.ap.org/dynamic/external/search.hosted.ap.org/wireCoreTool/Search?SITE=KMOV&query=Oaxaca</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--><br><br>so the standard excuse "we only print what the wire services put out" doesn't wash.<br><br>Hard not to reach a strong suspicion of collusion in media story selection, isn't it.<br><br>On the "what's happening front" I've been hearing reports from a friend who's mother is down there.<br><br>Excerpts from her emails:<br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>August 19-Having an amazing experience here even though the teachers are still striking and others protesting the last election. Roads are frequently blocked with hijacked buses etc. causing a nuisance.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>August 23-You may have heard that the unrest in the city is increasing, with the teachers & whoever taking over the radio stations, blocking more roads and causing a lot of trouble.The other night they were burning tires and more buses. It caused part of our group to have to be rerouted around Oaxaca to another town to catch their bus to Mexico City (about a 5 hr. trip on nice buses). We have heard 20,000 troops have been called in to stop this protest.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br> <p></p><i></i>
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Re: Oaxaca News

Postby isachar » Sat Aug 26, 2006 12:21 am

Ran across this recent report from the Denver Post<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.denverpost.com/latin/ci_4223805">www.denverpost.com/latin/ci_4223805</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br>Article Last Updated: 08/23/2006 02:27:44 AM MDT <br><br>Mexico teachers believe police shot colleague to death <br>By Agencia EFE <br><br> <br>Oaxaca, Mexico - A teacher died in this southern Mexican city after being shot several times presumably by police officers acting against teachers demanding better pay, colleagues of the victim reported Tuesday. <br><br>In a statement on television, Oaxaca's Gov. Ulises Ruiz nonetheless said that the reported death of the educator late Monday had not been confirmed, although he admitted that Monday night police launched an operation to remove vehicles that demonstrators were using to blockade streets. <br><br>Besides the fatality identified as Lorenzo San Pablo, one person was injured and two teachers were missing, officials of the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO) reported. <br><br>This civil association has occupied several radio stations since Monday, after vacating late yesterday six others it had occupied Monday morning. <br><br>From these radio stations it was reported that some 300 state and municipal officers in about 30 vehicles were patrolling the city, at times firing into the air or at APPO members. <br><br>Tuesday marks three months since the beginning of the teachers' conflict which began May 22 with 70,000 educators of the National Education Workers Union (SNTE) demanding a pay raise. <br><br>But from July 14 on, demonstrators added the demand that Gov. Ruiz resign after state police tried to forcibly remove <br>the teachers from downtown Oaxaca, the state capital. <br>In the early hours Tuesday not only APPO representatives were shot at, but also reporters from several dailies including Milenio and Reforma, the newspapermen reported. <br><br>Another journalist from TV Azteca was threatened with a machine gun and had his camera smashed. <br><br>Amid the confusion of the clashes a call was received by one of the radio stations from a presumed member of the Popular Revolutionary Army (EPR) who said that the guerrilla group was ready to help the teachers "whenever you ask us." <br><br>Speaking of the violence Monday and Tuesday, presidential spokesman Ruben Aguilar described the situation in Oaxaca as "serious." <br><br>He said that he is permanently in contact with state authorities and regretted that due to the intensification of the conflict, 1.3 million children in Oaxaca cannot attend classes which for practically all other students in the country began Monday. <br> <br> <p></p><i></i>
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