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Supervisor Tom Ammiano speaks at a rally at the Mexican Consulate in SF

by Photo: David Hanks/Global Exchange Story: Gl (david [at] globalexchange.org)
Inauguration Day for Mexican President Vicente Fox:
Rally and Presentation of Demands to the Mexican Consul
ammiano.jpg
Inauguration Day for Mexican President Vicente Fox:
Rally and Presentation of Demands to the Mexican Consul

Friday 1 December 2000

San Francisco -- Bay Area human rights activists and were joined by SF Supervisor Tom Ammiano and other community leaders in a rally in front of the Mexican Consulate today. This was a day of international solidarity actions with activists in Mexico City, New York, Austin, Sacramento, San Diego and other cities to demand that Mexico’s President, Vicente Fox, end the violence against the indigenous communities of Chiapas.

On Friday, December 1, Vicente Fox was inaugurated as the new President of Mexico. At noon on this date (as part of a month long campaign called "Peace for Chiapas Month") human rights activists and community leaders from the Bay Area congregated in front of the Mexican Consulate at 870 Market Street in San Francisco to present demands to the new administration on Fox’s first day as Mexico’s President.

"President-elect Fox claimed that he could resolve the war in Chiapas in fifteen minutes. The injustices faced by the indigenous peoples of Chiapas can not be resolved through quick fixes. Mr. Fox must understand that the world is watching," stated Anamaria Loya, Director of La Raza Centro Legal.

To ensure a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Chiapas, Bay Area leaders call upon President Fox to: Immediately withdraw the Mexican Army from the indigenous regions of Chiapas; Implement the San Andrés Peace Accords; Immediately dismantle paramilitary groups; Release all detained indigenous leaders; Immediately relocate the displaced indigenous men, women, and children of Chiapas.

The group of activists had an appointment to present a letter of these demands to Mexican Consul Carlos Tello, however, his office was closed.

"President-elect Fox has promised to implement the San Andrés Peace Accords and to withdraw the military from the indigenous communities of Chiapas. We are participating in the international day of action to let President Fox know that we intend to hold him accountable to those promises," said Craig Adair of Global Exchange.

Tom Ammiano will be holding a community forum on December 5th about his recent visit to Chiapas with Global Exchange. The meeting will take place at Casa Bonampak (3331 24th Street) in San Francisco.

The action at the Mexican Consulate was sponsored by: Global Exchange, La Raza Centro Legal, SF Zapatista Committee, Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights, Day Labor Program, INS Watch, Art and Revolution, Chiapas Support Committee, Comité Emiliano Zapata, Colectivo de Apoyo Latinoamericano, Mexico Solidarity Network, and CISPES.
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