Protest for Oaxaca Called at Mexican Consulate for Tuesday, Oct. 10

Defend the popular uprising in Oaxaca! Picket the Mexican Consulate in New York!

"And when we have our march, you need to be there. Be concerned about your brother. You may not be on strike. But either we go up together, or we go down together." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

-Join us from 4pm-6pm on Tuesday, October 10 in front of the Mexican Consulate, which is located at 27 East 39th Street (between Madison and Park), for a picket to defend the Oaxacan uprising from government attacks!- Every year, on "Teachers Day" in Mexico, the teachers of the state of Oaxaca – the second poorest state in the country – set up an encampment in the city of Oaxaca to demand better wages and improvements to the crumbling educational system. Usually they receive a small raise and go back to work. This year, they had enough, and decided to maintain the encampment until their demands were fully met. But instead of meeting their demands, the local government responded with a violent attack by heavily armed police.

At dawn on June 14, Ulises Ruiz Ortiz, governor of the state of Oaxaca, backed by the state assembly, sent thousands of troops into the town center, where the poor teachers and their supporters slept, to forcefully evict them. A bloody battle ensued that left hundreds of men, women and children injured, and eventually emptied the city.

Soon after, the 3,000 or so teachers and supporters who were forced out of the city returned with thousands of other workers, farmers and students armed with sticks and rocks. They were fed up with years of anti-Indigenous racism, poverty, low wages and government repression. They were able to successfully retake the town square in a long, hard battle, and they have remained there since.

They have taken over several government buildings, radio stations and a television station, which they have opened up for public use.

They also formed APPO, the "Popular Assemblies of the People of Oaxaca," a truly democratic body that represents the poor and exploited majority of workers and farmers. APPO has effectively become the governing body of the city of Oaxaca.

On top of the teachers' original demands, APPO has added the demand that Ulised Ruiz Ortiz be removed from his position as governor and exiled from the state of Oaxaca.

APPO continues to gain in popularity across the country, prompting workers and farmers in at least ten other cities to take over buildings and attempt to create similar bodies.

As APPO's popularity increases, the threats of violence become more serious. Local businesses in Oaxaca shut down recently and called on the federal government to forcefully evict those maintaining the encampment and to arrest the elected leaders of APPO. The Oaxacan State Congress has demanding the same. For his part, outgoing Mexican President Vicente Fox has said publically that he is ready to send in thousands of troops and/or police to "restore law and order" to the city of Oaxaca. On top of all this, there have been recent sightings of low flying helicopters in the city of Oaxaca, and masses of police and troops headed towards the city.

Immediate action is necessary to defend the democratic process emerging in Oaxaca!

Several pickets and protests have occurred in New York and Los Angeles in defense of the popular Oaxaca uprising, but we must continue to hold them to defend our heroic brothers and sisters across the border. It must be made clear that any attack on the Oaxacan workers and farmers will result in action being taken by working people all over the world!

Join us from 4pm-6pm on Tuesday, October 10 in front of the Mexican Consulate, which is located at 27 East 39th Street (between Madison and Park), for a picket to defend the Oaxacan uprising from government attacks!

The Mexican Consulate can be reached from the S, 4, 5, 6, and 7 trains.

Endorsed by: Free People's Movement/Movimiento de la Gente Libre, Industrial Workers of the World - NY GMB, Revolutionary Youth/Juventud Revolucionario.

To add your endorsement email: oaxacadefensecommittee@yahoo.com