global212

The Guelaguetza Popular, the Oaxacan music and dance festival, put on yesterday by the teachers and the APPO, as an alternative to next week´s government one, was a success, even if marred by police violence...Originally it was to be held at the Fortin, where the comercially, governmentally run Guelaguetza will be held next week, but by orders of Governor Ulises Ruiz, the police occupied the space over the weekend, and it was moved to the Plaza de las Danzas in the city center. A few from the APPO and the teachers union went up to the Fortin in the morning, where the police brutally attacked those wanting to get to the public space. Over 40 people, ranging in ages from 15 to 67 years old, have been held in custody.

In the afternoon, the festivities continued and the police circled the streets in ther armored cars and threw tear gas at the top of the hill as intimidation tactics. In the evening they did the same, as the documentary ´Compromiso Cumplido´ which documents last years´ protests, was filmed in the zocalo. While they were far enough away in their roving vans to not see the whites of their eyes, their machine guns were in plain sight. It was very freaky. You would think we were in a police state and not a supposed democracy. Is there any doubt why the people want the governor out of office?
Today the streets are calm. There has not been any more disturbance, nor police presence. The government has done more harm in scaring the people away from Oaxaca than the APPO...