The Police attack against a striking teachers encampment in Oaxaca City, Mexico, on the 14th June was extremely violent. It left hundreds injured and eleven arrested, nine of whom were badly mistreated. However the teachers have successfully fought back, retaking the square from which they were evicted. Now a massive wave of solidarity has raised the demand for the resignation of the governor of Oaxaca .

Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group has condemned the Mexican state repression.

[ Edinburgh Solidarity Group statement | Narco News (Updates) | Indymedia Oaxaca | Indymedia Chiapas | global Indymedia | Indymedia UK Zapatista page | Indymedia Germany | EZLN Blog | Local newspaper]

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On Wednesday, 14th of June, at 3am police units started to shoot teargas from helicopters on the encampment of striking teachers, from the Oaxaca Democratic Teachers’ Union, Section 22 of the National Union of Education Workers (SNTE in its Spanish initials). Shortly afterwards thousands of police, armed with tear gas, smoke grenade, stun grenades and firearms, stormed the occupied main Plaza in Oaxaca where teachers have been gathering for 23 days to protest against Governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz and for better education. [ NarcoNews ] The union building was stormed and four journalists from Radio Planton were the first to be arrested.
After the police retreated, the teachers retook the central square. [ Statement of the EZLN ].
At about 6pm the University Radio was raided by police and the transmission cut off.

On Friday 16th, hundereds of thousands demonstrated in Oaxaca against this police brutality and to demand the resignation of the governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz.

Since the Other Campaign begun, state repression has increased, with a red alert announced by the EZLN after a brutal police attack in Atenco about a month ago.

For more information, contact the Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Campaign.

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http://www.edinchiapas.org.uk/