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tonyburton

Nov 2, 2006, 11:02 PM

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Oaxaca - Nov 3, 2006

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Starting a new thread for events from Nov 3 on... Keep up the great first-hand reporting from Oaxaca! It is definitely of interest to many, many people.

Rolly

Nov 3, 2006, 6:27 AM

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Re: [tonyburton] Oaxaca - Nov 3, 2006

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Some interesting pictures here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/...frames.htm?startat=1

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

Gayla

Nov 3, 2006, 9:37 AM

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Re: [tonyburton] Oaxaca - Nov 3, 2006

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Yesterday's events made the front page of the San Diego Union/Tribune this morning with the headline "Disaster in Oaxaca". Even most of the Tijuana reporting doesn't make page A-1. Here's the link to the story accompanying the headline:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/...-9999-1n3oaxaca.html

I will qualify this link by saying that the San Diego U/T is a Copley News Service paper and as such usually somewhere slightly to the right of center, and sometimes more than just slightly to the right. However, this is the 3rd or 4th piece this particular reporter has done on the events in Oaxaca and I have to say her stories have been remarkably even handed with an effort to report both sides of the situation and not be dismissive of either. The linked story above confirms a lot of what Dodi posted yesterday.

As a long time resident of San Diego and subscriber to the U/T and it's previous incarnations, I am absolutely amazed that 1) this story made the front page and 2) that it was not spin doctored for a right of center POV.

I wonder on how many other newpapers this was front page news?

geri

Nov 3, 2006, 11:36 AM

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Re: [Gayla] Oaxaca - Nov 3, 2006

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That is a really unbiased, good account in the San Diego paper, from what I've heard from several on-the-street sources here. I personally think the police used amazing restraint, given the situation. I believe the police didn't intend to invade the university. The police that I've seen (taken photos of) are just kids themselves. I don't know about the ones involved yesterday.

It is understandable, given the blow by blow report Dodi sent us yesterday while listening to the student radio station that many people headed to the university and entered the melee. I can understand why the students may have over-reacted, got hysterial, etc. (Hey, I ws a student once!). It was a big all-around misunderstanding ...unfortunately.

The newspapers here are claiming "victory" for the hometown boys, saying they drove off the police. However, not much gunpower was used on either side. I feel certain that the police must have bigger guns than the protestors, but I don't know.

My houseguest got locked in the main cemetery yesterday. At the time she didn't know why. She enjoyed herself talking to a Mexican lady there. Turns out that protestors were fleeing for refuge in the cemetery, so they locked the gates. It was Day of the Dead, one of Oaxaca's most celebrated holidays. We went to a festive cemetery celebration in a village at sunset yesterday. It was absolutely beautiful, the people so peaceful and friendly. Then we walked home through the "new" teacher strike campout near Santo Domingo church. There were many beautiful altars, sand carpets and a ghoulish (but creative) tribute to people who are missing/dead by PRI (so the protestors believe). I just don't know enough to take sides, but I have to believe that Oaxaquenos have some legitmate gripes re injustices dating back years and years (centuries?).

It must seem strange to people who are not here to see such horrendous photos (and photos don't lie as much as words) and yet to hear me say that I feel safe (albeit using more than normal precautions).

I hear a helicopter right over my house right now. Oh dear!

Geri in Oaxaca

DoDi2

Nov 3, 2006, 2:36 PM

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Re: [geri] Oaxaca - Nov 3, 2006

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hi geri,

The officials are trying to claim that the PFP didn't intend to enter the university.

I heard with my own ears when the Rector of the university, Francisco Martinez Neri, came on the air and called the PFP action an attack on the university and demanded that they cease immediately.

Later on after the Catholic Church officials had intervened to broker an early deal with the PFP that they would comply with the Rector's demand to pull back, which the PFP agreed to, the PFP turned out to be only feinting a false retreat and returned again a second time at which point they got thier arses handed to them by thousands who turned out to resist the attack.

It's pretty clear what the PFP intencion was and remains. But after the embarrasment of yesterdays retreat they are trying to claim it never happened.

The actions of the PFP arent the fault of they young and overwhelmingly poor PFP soldiers... of course not. They are victims of the whole travesty going on in Oaxaca as much as the teachers, students, and citizens of Oaxaca are victims.

My take on the blame game... The fault lies with President Fox who has refused to do anything but support the continued intransigent Oaxaca governer even to the point of send in the federales not to restore peace but rather to restore Ruiz. The Fox/PAN reluctance to remove the Ruiz problem has been a fact ever since PAN and PRI joined up in an alliance of mutual interest during the elections. Nor has Oaxaca been a priority for AMLO/PRD... they have been focused on Tabasco election.

update: there's going to be a big mega-march on Sunday

saludos and stay safe!

(This post was edited by DoDi2 on Nov 3, 2006, 4:32 PM)

geri

Nov 3, 2006, 6:53 PM

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Re: [DoDi2] Oaxaca - Nov 3, 2006

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Your explanation is as plausible as any, I guess. It just seems incredible to me that, given their numbers and "gear," the PFP couldn't take over the university if that is what they set out to do, so it was easy for me to believe the news reports.

geri

Nov 3, 2006, 6:57 PM

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DoDi2

Nov 3, 2006, 9:23 PM

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Re: [geri] Oaxaca - Nov 3, 2006

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geri, the PFP had the raw firepower... after all they could have just brought out thier high powered firearms and mowed the Oaxacans down in very short time.

But they don't have the political support to do such a thing. APPO won the battle politically.

geri

Nov 4, 2006, 6:45 AM

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Re: [DoDi2] Oaxaca - Nov 3, 2006

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But many people now think they can whip the FEDS. Is that a good thing? Doesn't that just make them more aggressive in a battle they are going to lose? APPO only has support in my opinion to get rid of the governor. Yes, that will be a big victory but it won't solve the problem if all APPO says is true about the injustices.

The main, or at least one of the main, garbage disposal areas is blocked. People are putting their garbage on the street. I suppose not unblocking the garbage area might be to undermine APPOs political power. The middle class adapted to the road blockades (for the good of the cause). Hundreds of burned buses didn't affect the middle class as far as getting from point A to point B. However, a city full of swill could lead to more serious complications. Leaders are meeting, strategizing, negotiating. We can't possibly know what's going on behind the scenes when there are two or three stories about what's happening on the ground.

People in the U.S. have it way more figured out than Mexicans I talk to. There is still a LOT of apathy. They go about their day to day living, knowing that things won't change even if the governor goes. This is especially true of the villagers. I haven't heard how much support APPO has been able to garner in the villages. I think many of the village teachers have gone back to work. At least 4,000 schools are reportedly open, 13,000 closed. But you can't believe the press, since the press said the FEDS had no intention of going into the university.

Bubba

Nov 4, 2006, 8:58 AM

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Re: [geri] Oaxaca - Nov 3, 2006

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P.S. I just received a photo from a friend in Chiapas. It showed a roadblock between Palenque and Guatemala...The banner said, Atenco y Oaxaca, A fuera Gobierno, Chiapas Contigo...It was windy so hard to see all the words, but you get the idea.

As far as I know, there is no direct highway between Palenque and Guatemala. Banners and grafitti in Chiapas supporting Atenco and Oaxaca are ubiquitous and pretty meaningless in general. It´s just like some organization such as EZLN to put up a roadblock on a highway nobody uses. Much ado about nothing.