Feature Archives

The Sandinista Party’s Daniel Ortega was elected President of Nicaragua November 5th with a substantial lead, enabling him to win outright. The Liberal Party, which held the presidency since the Sandinistas lost it in 1990, had recently split over issues related to the conviction for corruption of the previous president, Arnoldo Alemán. Ortega has the enthusiastic support of President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela and is causing consternation in Washington.

Bay Area supporters have announced that on the day after the next attack on Oaxaca, protests will be held at the Mexican Consulate in San Francisco (532 Folsom St.) at 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Nov. 10th–12th: APPO Constitutional Congress convenes in Oaxaca | Oaxaca at Any Cost

Nov. 10th: The Names of Oaxaca's Disappeared

Nov. 8th: Shortly after midnight, Ministerial (State) Police reportedly shot live ammunition at people on the Carrillo Puerto barricade; no one was injured. At around 1 a.m., gun shots were reported near the Soriana barricade, and there were six arrests at the Carrillo Puerto barricade. Women's march | Student's march | Memorials to the fallen | More APPO photos | The story of the takeover of Canal 9 state-run TV station

Nov. 7th: The APPO women's march in Oaxaca was attacked by the Policía Federal Preventiva (PFP), and a total of 16 protesters were arrested in Oaxaca throughout the day, including eight people kidnapped off the street by agents in a white van, according to reports on APPO Radio. Report and photos | Faces of Oaxaca | More photos from the barricades

Nov. 6th: Radio Universidad (in Spanish) Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Nov. 5th: After a week of defending their barricades, more than a million people joined the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca's (APPO) 6th Mega March. This morning, paramilitary forces repeated their pattern of early morning gunfire at the barricades, wounding 22-year-old Marco Sanchez Mertinez; he is in grave condition. 12 buses and a caravan of cars arrived from Mexico City for the march. Photos and Audio Report and Written Report from today. Read minute-to-minute updates from Oaxaca on NYC IMC. Nov. 5th in Oaxaca by Tristan | Photos from Nov. 5th by Barucha Calamity

Nov. 3rd: Radio Universidad, the movement's only remaining radio station, was successfully defended on Nov. 2nd after fierce battles with the Federal Police. Photos: 1 | 2 | Listen to live Radio Universidad coverage | Foreigners and Journalists Threatened in Oaxaca by Danielsan and Ariel

“The fundamental problem is capitalism…” - Florentino Martinez, Asamblea Popular de los Pueblos de Oaxaca, (APPO)

The DAAA Collective of Modesto writes, "...Direct action, not party politics or voting, has been the method of change for those writing history in the streets of Oaxaca. Taking over media centers to spread news, destroying and occupying government property, taking to the streets and stopping business as usual. All of this is designed to disable the one thing that the elites care most about: profits.

"Struggles across the world have much to learn from the rebels in Oaxaca, who don’t wait for change, but go into the streets and create it for themselves. For them, a revolution is not an abstraction, but something that they have a stake in creating."

A Fresno pictorial report of the action for justice in Oaxaca. The vigil in Fresno continued Saturday night.

Nov. 4th: At 2 a.m., the barricades at Cincos Senoras and Radio APPO were attacked by paramilitaries. Beside these attacks, reports say that it was a quiet day in Oaxaca. A caravan from Mexico City left at around noon to meet in Oaxaca for Sunday's "Mega-March" against the PFP and Ulises Ruiz (starting at 10 a.m., or 8 a.m. Pacific time). The caravan has reported seeing many PFP troops and roadbloaks outside of Oaxaca, and four PFP jets flying into Oaxaca airport. Radio APPO's transmissions were jammed for much of the day.

Nov. 3rd: Radio Universidad came under attack once again this morning at 7am by paramilitary gunfire. Read developing updates from today. Volunteers from Centro de Medios Libres have posted their analysis of yesterday's events.

Nov. 2nd: University under siege by Federal Police | Photos from Día de los Muertos in Oaxaca | Tristan's Report
PFP launched an attack earlier today on Radio Universidad, but was forced to retreat by crowds of supporters. Among many reports of disappeared and missing persons, two girls were reported kidnapped by helicopters. Helicopters were also used throughout the day to launch teargas cannisters on the barricades. Read english transcript from Radio Universidad

Nov. 1st: Concerns about the presence of the PFP (federal "preventive" police) in the area around Oaxaca's Radio Universidad have heightened, and it is anticipated that a raid and attempt to shut down the station could occur tonight. ( English Translation from radio broadcast 1 | 2) The PFP reportedly has received a search warrant to go into the University. The hosts on the radio are calling for people to come out to the station to defend it physically, and to document the actions of the PFP and its supporters. Menacing flyers have been distributed by the pro-PRI people who have worked as paramilitaries against the recent social mobilizations in Oaxaca. One of the flyers calls for the arrests of several named protesters.

Press reports out of Mexico indicate the gunmen suspected of murdering New York journalist Brad Will are missing and not in police custody.

On Nov. 1st, Bound Together Bookstore in San Francisco held a dedication ceremony for its "Anarchism in the Americas" mural. The mural, which now includes a depiction of Brad Will, was dedicated in his honor. Photos: 1| 2

The Zapatistas have called for a November 1st shutdown of all Zapatista-held territories in Mexico in solidarity with the struggle of the people of Oaxaca. They are calling upon people all over the world to hold similar actions on that date (Ideas from Northern California Zapatistas). They also announced this weekend that they have begun organizing for joint solidarity actions across Mexico, leading to a nationwide shut-down (general strike) on November 20th. A Day of the Dead benefit for the Zapatistas will be held in Oakland on November 2nd. John Ross, author of "Zapatistas!" will be at Northtown Books in Arcata on Friday, November 3rd beginning at 7:30 PM.

In San Jose, people will gather for a protest at the Mexican Consulate (115 4th y St. John at 2pm and at 540 N. 1st St. at 3pm) today from 2-7pm, and on Saturday, November 4th, a 6pm prayer vigil and rally, followed by a screening of films from Oaxaca, at Mi Pueblo Market at Story and King Roads.
At 5pm on Tuesday, October 31st, hundreds of people protested at the Mexican Consulate to condemn the repression in Oaxaca. Fake blood was thrown on the door of the consulate and one person was arrested. ( Photos: 1 | 2 ). Protests and vigils were held at Mexican consulates all over the world starting in the morning on Monday Oct. 30th. List In SF, protesters met Monday at the Mexican Consulate (532 Folsom St) at 7am ( Photos: 1 | 2 | Video ), and 5pm.
Reports from Oaxaca: 10/31: Photos | 10/30: Text by Tristan | Photos and text by Danielsan

On Sunday in Oaxaca, tanks and large machinery were used in the government in efforts to tear down barricades. Thousands of women, children, and men were in the streets, enduring attacks with tear gas and other chemical weapons. There were reports that several protesters were killed by the police, including one child. Many who have been abducted are being taken to Ixcotel Penitentary and military camps and are being beaten there. They are also raiding and destroying homes in Oaxaca, as happened in Atenco.

A film screening will be held at Station 40 on Wednesday night at 7pm, with funds raised going to people in Oaxaca.