Hi there,

Please don’t turn away from this message. Democracy Now! is a free source of independent news for tens of millions of people around the world, but less than 1% of our global audience donates to support our critical journalism. Let’s pick up the percentage! Today, a generous contributor will DOUBLE your donation to Democracy Now!, which means if you give $10, we’ll get $20. Please don’t miss out on this opportunity to double your impact. Democracy Now! doesn't accept advertising income, corporate underwriting or government funding because nothing is more important to us than our editorial independence. We rely on you for support—and we’re counting on you right now. I hope you’ll give as much as you can today. Every dollar makes a difference. Thanks so much.
-Amy Goodman

Non-commercial news needs your support.

We rely on contributions from you, our viewers and listeners to do our work. If you visit us daily or weekly or even just once a month, now is a great time to make your monthly contribution.

Please do your part today.

Donate

Mexico: Teachers Form New Protest Encampment After Police Crackdown

HeadlineSep 16, 2013

In Mexico City, some 3,600 police descended on teachers in the main square Friday, deploying tear gas, a water cannon tank and helicopters to clear a month-long encampment against controversial education reform measures. More than 30 people were arrested. Dozens were wounded. The government ordered the eviction so spectators could gather in the square Sunday to hear President Enrique Peña Nieto perform the traditional “grito” or “shout,” marking the anniversary of the start of the Mexican War of Independence. Tens of thousands of teachers have been protesting the president’s reforms, including standardized teacher evaluations. Many are from the southern state of Oaxaca, where they played a key role in the 2006 popular uprising. After the crackdown, the teachers regrouped, forming a new encampment roughly a mile away at the Monument to the Revolution, where thousands gathered Sunday for an “alternative shout” ceremony. Benito Vasquez, press secretary of Oaxaca’s Section 22 of the teachers’ union, condemned Friday’s repression by the federal government.

Benito Vasquez: “We were repressed by the federal police and members of the national guard dressed as civilians. They attacked with tanks, tear gas and explosives. There were 31 people detained, our fellow teachers were assaulted, and our general secretary was attacked by the federal police.”

The original content of this program is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Please attribute legal copies of this work to democracynow.org. Some of the work(s) that this program incorporates, however, may be separately licensed. For further information or additional permissions, contact us.

Non-commercial news needs your support

We rely on contributions from our viewers and listeners to do our work.
Please do your part today.
Make a donation
Top