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Justice for Sali/Justicia para Sali!

by Oaxacan collectives (rebeldiasentrelazadas [at] yahoo.com)
Our hearts are full of sadness and rage because our sister Sali was brutally raped and murdered 20 minutes from San Jose del Pacifico and up to this moment the Oaxacan Attorney General's Office, as is its custom, is not doing anything regarding the fact that there exist witnesses who have information to identify those responsible.
sali.jpg
Version en espanol sigue

Oaxaca de Juarez, Oaxaca.
Thursday, September 25

Justice for our sister Marcella Sali Grace!

Brother and sisters,

Our hearts are full of sadness and rage because our sister Sali was brutally raped and murdered 20 minutes from San Jose del Pacifico and up to this moment the Oaxacan Attorney General's Office, as is its custom, is not doing anything regarding the fact that there exist witnesses who have information to identify those responsible.

Marcella Sali Grace was born in the United States, with a big heart in solidarity with just causes. She had many friend because she was always inclined to help, using her artistic talents to paint a banner or a wall or dancing Arabic dance to raise funds for the struggle, or putting on punk shows, or giving self-defense courses to the women because she knew very well how the men accosted them. This was one of her struggles, that women were free and respected. Sali was so involved in the struggle that she was an international accompanier of brothers and sisters who felt harassed by the bad government of Ulises Ruiz Ortiz.

Unfortunately, on September 24, a woman's body was found with the physical characteristics of Sali, in a deserted cabin twenty minutes from the village of San Jose del Pacifico and at the moment when a village member went to feed some dogs around that area, he was struck by a fetid odor coming from this cabin and notified the municipal authorities of the village, who proceeded to removed the body that was found which was already in a state of decay, and after these events, they did not give any more information to the people in the village.

Yesterday, companera Julieta Cruz (who knew Sali was headed for San Jose del Pacifico) was informed that a young, foreign woman was found in the Miahuatlan amphitheatre, where she went, and where she recognized the body of Sali because of the tattoos she had, as her face was unrecognizable. Julieta thinks it is because of burns, but it doesn't explain why the rest of her body has less visible damage. When we asked for the case number we were denied as well from seeing the results of the autopsy, as they argued with us that because we weren't relatives they couldn't give us any information.

Due to her solidarity work with the popular struggle of the people of Oaxaca, in other struggles in the world and against the racism on Mexico's border with the U.S., on different occasions and to different people, Sali mentioned that recently in Oaxaca she had suffered political persecution and surveillance. This makes us think that her cowardly murderer is related to the widespread repression against the social movement and directed particularly at international observers. Because of this, we don't dismiss that the intellectual authors are the same who ordered the repression against the people of Oaxaca in their struggle for justice and freedom.

In the face of these bloody events, and for the brutal cruelty used against companera Sali, we don't disregard that this could be a clear message directed at all the people of Oaxaca, as well as the companeros in solidarity from different parts of the world; we say this based on the recent national and international news which says that "APPO members were the ones who killed U.S. journalist Bradley Roland Will" and as there is no justice in Oaxaca, we worry that the distortion of information could interfere in procuring true justice for our companera and the clear bureaucratic slowness with which the involved authorities are already treating this investigation.

In the face of these lamentable events, WE DEMAND:


The immediate speeding up of the investigations.

The immediate clarification of the facts.

Punishment for the intellectual and material murderers.

Justice for our sister Marcella Sali Grace!

Enough is enough with of the murders, violence and hate against women who fight for justice!


We ask you to sign on (at the email indicated) to this demand for justice and to become a part of the urgent activities to demand the clarification of these cowardly acts.

rebeldiasentrelazadas [at] yahoo.com
Information: (01 951) 5178190 CIPO

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 25
9:00 am Presence at the U.S. Consulate in Oaxaca
(Santo Domingo Plaza, Col. Centro, Oaxaca)

12:00 noon Rally at the State Attorney General's Office: To demand the case is brought to Oaxaca and to speed up the bureaucratic procedures for the administration of justice.
(Domicilio conocido, San Antonio de la Cal, Col. Experimental).

Signed:
Encuentro de Mujeres Oaxaquenas "Compartiendo Voces de Esperanza"
Colectivo Mujer Nueva
Consejo Indigena Popular de Oaxaca Ricardo Flores Magon
Voces Oaxaquenas Construyendo Autonomia y Libertad
Colectivo Tod@s Somos Pres@s
Encuentro de Jovenes en el Movimiento Social Oaxaqueno
(...)

Translation by Scott Campbell
http://angrywhitekid.blogs.com/weblog/2008/09/justice-for-our-sister-marcella-sali-grace.html

---------------------------------------------

Oaxaca de Juarez, Oaxaca.
Jueves 25 de septiembre.

!Justicia para nuestra hermana Marcella Sali Grace!

Hermanos y hermanas.

Nuestros corazones estan llenos de tristeza y rabia porque nuestra hermana Sali fue violada y asesinada brutalmente a 20 minutos de San Jose del Pacifico y hasta este momento la procuraduria de Oaxaca como es su costumbre no esta haciendo nada a pesar que existen testigos que dan indicios para identificar a los responsables.

Marcella Sali Grace nacio en los Estados Unidos, con un corazon grande y solidario con las causas justas quien tenia muchas amigas y amigos porque siempre estaba dispuesta a ayudar, asi con sus dotes de artista pintaba una manta o una pared o bailaba su danza arabe para sacar fondos para la lucha, o hacia sus conciertos con bandas de punks, o daba sus cursos de defensa personal a las mujeres pues conocia muy bien como los hombres las acosan, esta era una de sus luchas, el que las mujeres fueramos libres y respetadas, Sali estaba tan comprometida en la lucha que fue acompanante internacional de hermanos y hermanas que estan siendo hostigadas por el mal gobierno de Ulises Ruiz Ortiz.

Desgraciadamente este 24 de septiembre fue encontrado el cuerpo de una mujer con las caracteristicas fisicas de Sali, en una cabana deshabitada a veinte minutos de la poblacion de San Jose del Pacifico y al momento en que un poblador fue a alimentar a unos perros que se encontraban por ahi, lo impresiono un olor fetido que provenia de dicha cabana y dio aviso a las autoridades municipales de dicha poblacion, los cuales procedieron a hacer el levantamiento del cuerpo que se encontraba ya en estado de putrefaccion, y despues de dichos sucesos, no se dio mas informacion a los pobladores.

El dia de ayer se le dio aviso a la companera Julieta Cruz (quien tenia conocimiento de que Sali se dirigia para dicho lugar), que una joven extranjera se encontraba en el anfiteatro de Miahuatlan, a donde ella se dirigio, en donde reconocio el cuerpo de Sali debido a los tatuajes que tenia, ya que su rostro estaba irreconocible, la companera supone que es debido a quemaduras, pues no se explica por que el resto del cuerpo tiene danos visiblemente menores. Al momento en que pedimos el numero de averiguacion se nos fue negado al igual que los resultados de la necropsia, argumentandonos que debido a que no eramos familiares de la persona no se nos podria facilitar ningun dato.

Debido al trabajo solidario con la lucha popular del pueblo de Oaxaca, de otras luchas del mundo y contra el racismo en la frontera de Mexico con Estados Unidos, en diversas ocasiones y a diferentes personas, Sali comento que en Oaxaca, en fechas recientes sufria de persecucion politica y vigilancia. Esto nos hace pensar que su cobarde asesinato tiene relacion con la represion generalizada a los movimientos sociales y dirigida particularmente a los observadores internacionales. Por esto mismo no descartamos que los actores intelectuales sean los mismos que ordenan la represion contra el pueblo de Oaxaca que lucha por justicia y libertad.

Ante estos hechos sangrientos, y por la brutal crueldad que ejercen sobre la companera Sali, no dejamos de lado que puede ser un claro mensaje dirigido a todo el pueblo de Oaxaca, asi como a los companeros solidarios de diferentes partes del mundo; esto lo decimos basado en las recientes noticias que estan circulando a nivel nacional e internacional, de que "los appistas son los que mataron al periodista norteamericano Bradley Roland Will" y como no hay justicia en Oaxaca, nos preocupa la distorsion de la informacion que pudiera interferir en la procuracion de una verdadera justicia para nuestra companera y la ya evidente lentitud burocratica con la que estan tratando el caso las autoridades actualmente implicadas en la investigacion.

Ante estos hechos lamentables EXIGIMOS:


La inmediata agilizacion de las investigaciones.

El esclarecimiento inmediato de los hechos.

El castigo a los asesinos intelectuales y materiales.

!Justicia para nuestra hermana Marcella Sali Grace!

!Basta de asesinatos, violencia y odio contra las mujeres que luchan por justicia!



Pedimos su adhesion (en el correo que se indica) a esta exigencia de justicia y a formar parte de las actividades urgentes para demandar el esclarecimiento de estos hechos cobardes.

rebeldiasentrelazadas [at] yahoo.com
Informacion: (01 951) 5178190 CIPO

VIERNES 25 DE SEPTIEMBRE

9:00 am Presencia en el Consulado de los Estados Unidos en Oaxaca
(Plaza Santo Domingo, Col. Centro. Oaxaca)

12:00 del medio dia Mitin en la Procuraduria de Justicia del estado de Oaxaca: Para la exigencia de atraer el caso a la ciudad de Oaxaca y agilicen su tramite burocratico para la imparticion de justicia
(Domicilio conocido, San Antonio de la Cal, Col. Experimental).


Firmas:
Encuentro de Mujeres Oaxaquenas "Compartiendo Voces de Esperanza"
Colectivo Mujer Nueva
Consejo Indigena Popular de Oaxaca Ricardo Flores Magon
Voces Oaxaquenas Construyendo Autonomia y Libertad
Colectivo Tod@s Somos Pres@s
Encuentro de Jovenes en el Movimiento Social Oaxaqueno
(...)

http://vocal.lahaine.org/articulo.php?p=187&more=1&c=1
§r.i.p sally
by friend of sally
640_laddie-and-sally.jpg
640_marcella_sali_grace.jpg
Marcela Sali Grace, activista norteamericana de los derechos humanos fue cobardemente asesinada
por el gobierno represor de Ulises Ruiz.

Oaxaca mata impunemente
en la oscuridad
en cualquier lugar
asesinos del gobernador se fueron a cazar
encontraron sola a Marcela Sali Grace
su pecado denunciar
señalar represión y muerte

Sali Grace mujer
derechos humanos, su tejer
boca amiga que habló por la mujer
por esos indígenas que vio al morir
una lucha que sigue viva
Oaxaca un pueblo violado una y otra vez

Así murió Sali Grace
con su mano en el pecho
abriendo su corazón al pueblo de Oaxaca
sus últimos minutos fueron de plegarias
lloró por ese pueblo reprimido
sufrió por no verlo liberado
sin pobreza y sin violencia

Hoy la montaña luce sin flores
el pueblo de Oaxaca está de luto
mataron a una mujer que repartía frutos
semillas de libertades infinitas
cantaba a los ríos de la rebeldía
soñaba con ver a Oaxaca sin monotonía
llena de vida y mucha alegría

Sali quería a los niños de Oaxaca
soñaba con que ellos tuvieran otro destino
que fueran libres en un México sin mentiras
sentía en sus venas la agonía
saber que la esperanza se moría
latidos de una mujer que si sentía

La noche no es la misma noche
el día no es el mismo día
Sali Grace murió en la lucha
silencio, está dormida
despertará cuando Oaxaca sea libre
cuando México destierre la impunidad
sueños de una realidad muy triste
violencia vete ya
Carlos Vigueras
§my heart hurts
by jordyn
sali-singing.jpg
some pictures from her band's myspace:
§another photo
by jordyn
640_sali-dancing.jpg
§sali in the Circus of (Im)Migration
by lotu5
sali_circus_1.png
I met sali while traveling in Chiapas. She was always happy, full of energy and creativity. She seemed to be living her passions every day. I am still recovering from this horribly sad news. Sali later joined us on the Circus of (Im)Migration, helping spread stories of resistance to borders in 3 performances in berkeley, sf and santa cruz. She also danced before the circus at station 40 in sf. I will miss her, but my memory of her will always be a beautiul one.
§Sali Dancing
by lotu5
sali_dancing_2.png
You can also see Sali in the video of the circus, mocking the minutemen, and in the end, around 35 minutes, is a short clip of her dancing.

Tambien puedes ver sali en el video del circo, chistando sobre los minutemen, y al final, en como 35 minutes, hay una pequeña video de ella bailando.

http://sdhacklab.org/circus-med-deinterlace.mov
(big, higher quality)

http://sdhacklab.org/circus-small-deinterlace.mov
(smaller, lower quality)
§short clip of sali's arabic dancing
by lotu5
Copy the code below to embed this movie into a web page:
we will miss you sali... but always remember you dancing and singing...

http://sdhacklab.org/sali-dancing.mov
§memorial on the ocean
by pipi
traveling.dancer.sali.jpg
when i heard about sali being murdered i felt isolated here in san diego, all my friends who knew her were out of town.
i shared her story with a group of women who never knew sali but, were moved by her story. enraged at the daily realities of abuse, torture and murders of women around the world. also, inspired by her spirit to move forward and live life passionately and fully.
together a group of 11 women built this memorial for sali on the ocean shore. we remembered sali as we collected shells, bones, stones and flora on the coast. we remembered sali as we dug in the sand for hours and lugged the ocean water in buckets.
we sang, cried and danced with sali. the seagulls joined us toward the end and kids ran around her and began to build their own sands sculptures
i felt blessed to be supported in such a magical way to say good bye.
i wanted to share with you, this memorial.
§For Sali
by tsisay
640__mg_0037.jpg
Photo from the National and International Caravan in Observation and Solidarity with the Zapatista Communities in Chiapas.
We love you Sali
§For Sali
by tsisay
640_sali.jpg
more photos
§ratty in strawdevil
by ohia
ratty.jpg
ratty in strawdevil
§ratty in strawdevil 2
by ohia
strawdevil.jpg
happy times
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DATE
lisa ponomarev
Tue, Jul 27, 2010 5:08AM
friend of sally
Fri, Nov 28, 2008 10:54PM
kaiyote
Wed, Nov 5, 2008 6:46PM
Alan Moore
Tue, Oct 21, 2008 6:31PM
friends of sally
Mon, Oct 6, 2008 11:02AM
jordyn
Sat, Oct 4, 2008 5:36PM
brendan
Fri, Oct 3, 2008 10:43AM
friends of sally
Thu, Oct 2, 2008 8:16PM
friends of sally
Thu, Oct 2, 2008 8:14PM
lindsey
Thu, Oct 2, 2008 4:30PM
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