[www-features] FEATURE PROPOSAL: People of Oaxaca Under Attack as Their TV Station is Destroyed

Fri Aug 25 09:50:58 PDT 2006

Title:  People of Oaxaca Under Attack as Their TV Station is Destroyed

URL: http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/08/23/18300122.php

image: 
http://indybay.org/uploads/admin_uploads/2006/08/23/cmi_chiapas_art125611_200.jpg

Paramilitaries and police in Oaxaca have begun a violent campaign to 
shut down all media operations that are in opposition to PRI governor 
Ulises Ruiz Ortiz, and to silence the people's movement that has taken 
over the state.

The Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO, by its 
Spanish initials) declared itself the governing body of Oaxaca on the 
morning of July 5th. Its immediate decisions included: 
a return to classes for two weeks on Monday July 10th, so that the 
schoolchildren would not lose their school year; putting the encampment 
in the zocalo into the hands of the alternative government; 
strengthening the fight to oust Ulises Ruiz Ortiz (URO) as governor; and 
boycotting the tourist Guelaguetza celebration in favor of a free 
celebration for the people. <a 
href="http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/07/08/18286346.php">NarcoNews 
report</A> However, <a 
href="http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/07/08/18286339.php">divisions 
emerged</A> between the teachers' union and the social organizations in 
the APPO.

On July 22nd, Radio Universidad was attacked while the 
majority of people in Oaxaca were at the "People's Gualaguetza" in the 
Zocalo. The radio station is used as a collection area for food and 
supplies, for the protesting teachers for the guelaguetza people who had 
come in from the countryside. At that time, there were mostly older 
women and children in the building. They resisted the attack and called 
for supporters to come defend the station. The announcers continued to 
call for the removal of Governor Ruiz and the entire state government, 
for his attempts to kill the protesters. <a 
href="http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/07/25/18291270.php">NarcoNews 
report</A>

On August 1st, a large group of Oaxacan 
women <a 
href="http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/08/04/18294526.php">marched 
through the city center</A> and took over the state TV station (Channel 
9) for APPO. They began broadcasting radio and television within hours, 
and demanded that URO resign. <a 
href="http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/08/03/18294233.php">NarcoNews 
report</A> The next morning they broadcast footage from the June 14th 
police attack that no TV station had ever dared to show. <a 
href="http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/08/07/18295336.php">Read 
more</A> The transmitter for Radio Planton, the voice for the 
(teachers') movement in the center of Oaxaca city, had been destroyed 
during the unsuccesful eviction attempt on June 14. The transmitter for 
Radio Universidad, another media of the movement and under control of 
the students, was ruined by infiltrators in the beginning of August. <a 
href="http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/08/21/18299366.php">Report</A>

On August 7th, Indian Organizations for 
Human Rights in Oaxaca (part of APPO) called for a <A 
href="http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/08/10/18295874.php">Red 
Alert</A>. They were seeking help to reinforce the blockades of local, 
state, and federal government buildings, and Channel 9, amidst the 
threat of intense police activity in the state's capitol. That week the 
complicity between right-wing extremists of the national and state 
governments was confirmed by President Fox's immediate grant of a 
request, petitioned by (ex)governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz, to send in the 
Federal Prevention Police (PFP) - a nefarious militarized police.
 Drive-by shootings at Radio Universidad and Channel 9 
escalated, and on August 10th, several marchers were 
hit by shots fired from a house along the route. One supporter of the 
teachers was killed, and two others were wounded. APPO captured several 
suspects and turned them over to federal law enforcement(?). <a 
href="http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/08/14/18297268.php">Weekly News 
Update report</A> | <A 
href="http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/08/10/18295928.php">Narco News 
report from August 10th</A>

During the week of August 14th, 
approximately 4 APPO members were fatally shot, and tear gas and 
truncheons were used by police to injure and try to break up the 
demonstrators. Arrest warrants were issued for over 50 grassroots 
activists. <a 
href="http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/08/18/18298394.php">Democracy 
Now report and interviews from August 18th</A> A <a 
href="http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/08/18/18298409.php">news summary 
by esperanza</A> reports that the uprising in Oaxaca is now connecting 
with the protests against election fraud in all of Mexico. Narco News 
reports that since a national forum to discuss ungovernability and a new 
constitution was scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in Oaxaca, a total 
work stoppage was scheduled for Friday, August 18th, to allow guests to 
leave before the roads and highways were blocked. More than 200 civil 
organizations and academics from different parts of the nation were 
invited to participate. Some 80,000 people participated in the work 
stoppage. <a 
href="http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/08/21/18299154.php">Report and 
Analysis</A> from Narco News reporter Nancy Davies.

Early Monday morning on August 21st, the 
encampment at the Channel 9 antenna was attacked and the damage made it 
unusable. Moments later, APPO sympathizers took over installations of 
the majority of the city’s radio commercial frequencies, where they 
urged the population of Oaxaca to take to the streets to defend 
encampments located throughout the city. People protesting outside one 
of the commercial radio stations were subjected to a drive-by at 9am by 
unidentified individuals. The popular movement continues to demand the 
resignation of URO. <a 
href="http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/08/21/18299366.php">Report</A> 
from Indy reporter JLaw</a> | <a 
href="http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/08/21/18299412.php">George 
Salzman's NarcoNews report</A> | <img 
src="http://indybay.org/im/imc_photo.gif" /> <a 
href="http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/08/22/18299868.php">George 
Salzman's Photos</A> | <a 
href="http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/08/21/18299404.php">BBC 
report</A>

Another teacher is dead after armed police traveled about 
Oaxaca city on Tuesday night August 22nd, shooting at 
protesters at will. As the people of Oaxaca were alerted via radio to 
the aggressions occurring in the city, hundreds of people filled the 
streets to offer back-up and to try to detain the aggressors. The 500 
barricades that protect the teachers' encampments around the city were 
reinforced. People in Oaxaca are calling for international solidarity: 
"Organize a protest at your local Mexican consulate or contact the... 
responsible individuals and let them know the whole world is watching."
<img src="http://indybay.org/im/imc_photo.gif" /> <a 
href="http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/08/23/18300044.php">Jlaw's 
August 23rd report and photos with links to video</A>

<br /><br />A <a 
href="http://austin.indymedia.org/newswire/display/34444/index.php">post 
on Austin Indymedia</A> reports that "unknown persons have published on 
the website
http://oaxacaenpaz.org.mx/ pictures and home addresses of a number of 
social leaders exhorting readers to 'look for them and detain them.' The 
website also has a running tally of social movement leaders already 
detained, stating 'they've already fallen.' Also, the recently killed 
protestor, by presumably government agents, José Jiménez Colmenares, has 
a grotesque red X across his face."

<br /><Br /><strong><a 
href="http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/06/18/18281270.php">Indybay's 
June 2006 coverage of Oaxaca</A> | <A 
href="http://mexico.indymedia.org/oaxaca">IndyOaxaca</A> | <a 
href="http://chiapas.indymedia.org/">Chiapas Indymedia</A> | <a 
href="http://pueblodeoaxaca.blogspot.com/">Pueblo de Oaxaca Blog with 
Photos</A> | <a 
href="http://www.narconews.com/otroperiodismo/oaxaca/en.html">The Other 
Campaign's Oaxaca Coverage</A> | <a 
href="http://elenemigocomun.net/">More links on ElEnemigoComun.net</A> | 
<a 
href="http://www.corrugate.org/granito_de_arena/granito_de_arena?PHPSESSID=376f170ed19cd27a31cec20844df6dd2">Film: 
"Granito de Arena"</A> | <a 
href="http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAMR410402006?open&of=ENG-2AM">Amnesty 
Int'l's Call to Action</A></strong> | <b> <a 
href="http://narconews.com/Issue42/article2020.html">Narconews.com 
[en]</a> </b>| <b><A 
href="http://vientos.info/cml/?q=taxonomy_menu/11/85/105">Centro De 
Medios Libres, D.F.</a> </b>