Bay Area Solidarity with Atenco

Around fifty people gathered at the Mexican Consulate early Friday
afternoon to protest the Mexican government's attack on San Salvador
Atenco, a town (pop. about 17,000) near Mexico City with a history of
radical resistance to state oppression. The demonstration convened in
response to a "Red Alert" issued by the Zapatistas that called for
international solidarity actions at Mexican embassies.

The towns of Atenco and nearby Texcoco have been targeted for severe state
repression including gassing, beating, raping, and 'disappearing' for
their militant strategies for ending government control in their areas and
declaring full their autonomy. Their tactics and choice of self-government
bring them into a natural alliance with La Otra Campana of the Zapatistas,
whose campaigning in the area has stopped in order to concentrate
solidarity efforts. At this point in time, thousands of riot police have
full control of the streets in Atenco (pop. 17,000), a town that has seen
state police very rarely since declaring independence from Mexico four
years ago.

A Timeline of Recent Attacks on San Salvador Atenco and Texcoco

The attacks on Atenco began in 2002, when the town successfully resisted
the construction of an airport by ousting the elected government and
implementing a system of self-rule after five days of militant tactics.
The town declared autonomy from the central Mexican government and drove
out all police and state officials. Since then, the Mexican government has
tried sought to regain the territory it lost to the vibrant and determined
resistance of the people of Atenco.

On Wednesday, May 3rd the police booted flower vendors from their usual
place in the neighboring city of Texcoco. In response to this attack on
people's sovereignty, the people of the autonomous town San Salvador
Atenco arrived with machetes and Molotovs to support the vendors. When the
police drove them out with tear gas and batons, the people returned with
reinforcements to barricade a federal highway leading into Mexico City,
using rocks, more Molotovs, and rocket-style fireworks to hold their
position. According to government reports, as many as fifty police
officers were wounded with 11 in serious condition including two who were
beaten unconscious by protesters in front of television crews. Unconfirmed
rumors suggest that one of these men--who were paraded in front cheering
townspeople in the backs of picku-ups-- died of his injuries later in the
evening. Unfortunately, the police did kill one 14-year-old boy and
injured dozens of other people that day.

The following day, the government retaliated by sending thousands of riot
police to invade and occupy Atenco. They first used tear-gas to clear
public areas before conducting house-to-house searches to detain more than
200 people, breaking down doors and smashing windows when families refused
to open to them. The police have released little to no information about
the detainees, and for the most part have refused to let them contact
their families and lawyers. One lawyer, Barbara Somora, has met with the
women prisoners who report being raped by police officers. Perhaps most
terrifying, more than thirty people have been disappeared.

However, that same day saw militant solidarity actions throughout Mexico
as people responded to call-outs from the Zapatistas. Reports of
solidarity actions can be found at the main indymedia site,
http://www.indymedia.org. The actions also seemed to support a call from
Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos to overthrow the Mexican government
regardless of the outcome of July's presidential elections when many hope
a leftist will take office over a conservative.


MORE INFORMATION

Timeline and coverage of solidarity actions
http://www.indymedia.org/en/index.shtml

Cops crush riot in Mexican town, Officers were beaten in televised attacks
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0605050121may05,1,3362978.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed


People Respond with Solidarity to Violence in Atenco
http://www.narconews.com/Issue41/article1772.html

Virtual Sit-In
http://bang.calit2.net/CincodeMayo/

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SPANISH REPORT:

5 de mayo, 2006

Acabo de venir de la protesta que hicimos en San Francisco, Alta
California, donde se manifestaron unas 50 personas en frente del
Consulado Gral de la República de México con pancartas, mantas,
carteles y mucho ánimo durante una hora. [fotos en la espera]

Anunciemos las demandas que Uds. nos dieron, como son:
- Alto a la agresión estatal contra el pueblo de Atenco.
- Saquen todas las fuerzas de securidad fuera de Atenco.
- Libertad para tod@s l@s pres@s polític@s.

Uno de nosotros entró al consulado para entregar una petición
firmada por unos 150 (circulando en la red desde ayer por la noche:
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?marquez
; sigue subiendo la cifra de adherentes) que exige:
"End Repression Against The Other Campaign!!"
("Alto A La Represalía Contra La Otra Campaña!!)

El representante consular aceptó la petición jurando que iba a
entregarsela al Presidente Fox. Mientras confirmó que están conscientes
del hecho del fusilamiento del jóven, pero negó que Atenco este
agregido por fuerzas policiacas o ni que sea marco de la represalía
de su gobierno.

Al entrar el consulado para entregar sus tramites les informamos a
sus paisanos de la represalía que NOSOTROS SABEMOS está sufriendo
Atenco ahora, y de la resistencía ya en marcha en diversas partes
de México.

No estuvimos solo gabachos como yo, sino una amplia mecla de Chican@s,
Mexican@s, ancian@s y jovenes de muchas razas y étnias. Comprometimos
entre nosotros a trabajar para construir una acción subsequente
para el lunes con aun más gente.

Dejemos el consulado cubierto en carteles, pa que sepan lo demas.

Gracías y queremos que sepan UDS que estamos con Uds en la lucha.

abrazos, al-x

english translation:

May 5th, 2006

I attended the protest in San Francisco, where some 50 people
demonstrated outside the Mexican Consulate with signs, banners,
posters, and a lot of energy over the course of the lunch hour.

We announced the demands expressed by our compañeros in Mexico, namely:
- End the State aggression against the people of Atenco.
- Remove all security forces from Atenco
- Release all prisoners.

One of us entered the consulate to deliver a petition signed by
approximately 150 people (the petition has been circulating on
the Internet since last night:
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?marquez
; the number of signatories continues to rise)
The petition demands:
"End Repression Against The Other Campaign!!"

The consulate representative accepted the petition, and promised
to deliver it to Mexican President Fox. While he confirmed the
Mexican government was aware of the death of the 14 year old boy,
he denied knowing that Atenco had been invaded by police forces
and made the target of repression by the Mexican government.

As Mexican nationals made their way to the consulate, we explained
what WE KNOW about the repression Atenco is now facing, and of the
resistance now being waged all over Mexico. We agreed among ourselves
to work towards building a another action this coming Monday with
even more people.

We left the consulate covered in posters, so EVERYBODY WILL KNOW.

Thanks and we want YOU TO KNOW that we stand with you in struggle.

hugs, al-x