Federal Police Opened Fire On Protestors In Oaxaca And No One Is Talking About It
While you were lamenting Mexico’s humiliating 0-7 loss to Chile in the Copa America quarterfinals, sh*t was going down in Oaxaca, Mexico. On Sunday, confrontations between a teacher’s union and police — both federal and state — resulted in nine people killed, at least 100 injured, and 22 missing people.
A teacher’s union in Oaxaca set up multiple highway blockades as a protest.
#Oaxaca Maestros y simpatizantes de la CNTE quemaron en Juchitán 2 camiones de la línea SUR foto @ImparcialOaxaca pic.twitter.com/5Yzsk77VYp
— ADN Sureste (@adn_sureste) June 19, 2016
Sunday’s confrontations were the violent climax of seven days of demonstrations by the National Coordinator of Education Workers (Coordinadora Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación/CNTE). The teacher’s union has been protesting education reform that would change the way they are evaluated, as well as the arrest of two of its leaders for alleged money laundering. That protest took the form of blocking major highways connecting Oaxaca to Mexico City. In some instances, the roads were blocked by passenger buses set on fire.
Federal and state police were called in to shut things down. That only made things worse.
Seis muertos y 100 heridos en los enfrentamientos entre policías y maestros en Oaxaca. https://t.co/mv5PUnYtehhttps://t.co/ZNYsItbxt4
— EL MUNDO (@elmundoes) June 20, 2016
It’s still unclear which side started the confrontation, but the presence of law enforcement made a volatile situation even worse. According to the Mexican federal police, the protestors began attacking first.
The protestors allegedly lobbed Molotov cocktails at police.
Así preparaban en #Nochixtlán las bombas molotov para enfrentar a los elementos de la @PoliciaFedMx Fotos: Cortesía pic.twitter.com/Em1x0Fv16r
— Quadratín Oaxaca (@Quadratinoaxaca) June 19, 2016
The government claimed that its officers were unarmed. The evidence proved otherwise. Here are several images…
Al menos tres agencias fotográficas internacionales han captado el uso de armas de la Policía Federal en #Nochixtlan pic.twitter.com/1G5mQGjRn2
— Reforma Nacional (@reformanacional) June 20, 2016
And here is video of the confrontation.
As many as 9 people have been killed, with hundreds others injured and 22 people missing.
Revelan vídeo de poblador herido con arma de fuego en #Nochixtlan pic.twitter.com/ZHarEeqYEk
— NSS Oaxaca (@nss_oaxaca) June 19, 2016
This is how people in Oaxaca had to carry out their wounded after cops attacked them. pic.twitter.com/s69Olx10hT
— Dirty Thirty Tony (@MexicAnarchist) June 20, 2016
There have been conflicting reports over the number of casualties. Reuters has the body count at six. Other unconfirmed reports put that figure at 9:
De momento 9 asesinados, 100 heridos y 22 desaparecidos,esta la lista de desaparecidos en el día de ayer en Oaxaca. pic.twitter.com/pC3JcNFJ1F
— Ruantifa (@Ruantifa) June 20, 2016
Credit: @Ruantifa/Twitter
The Oaxacan clashes have received very little media attention, leading various people, including Mexican director Guillermo del Toro, to tweet out their frustration.
BBC, ABC, AP are covering Oaxaca. Where is CNNI??
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) June 20, 2016
BBC, ABC, AP are covering Oaxaca. Where is CNNI??
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) June 20, 2016
In the last hour, THIS is breaking news for CNNI. Nothing about the brutal clash in Oaxaca, Mexico. https://t.co/ToebWd8jCC
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) June 20, 2016
News of police in #Oaxaca firing at teachers, killing 3, wounding scores…
Nowhere to be found in Trends, Moments pic.twitter.com/36EWS8nwED
— Adam Khan (@Khanoisseur) June 20, 2016
The violent clash has spurned even more protests in Oaxaca…
From the march in Oaxaca, in support of the teachers. pic.twitter.com/z2YzBx0m3x
— Dirty Thirty Tony (@MexicAnarchist) June 20, 2016
… and in Mexico City, where people have called for the resignation of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.
Back in Mexico City, thousands are chanting for the president to leave. https://t.co/01fzABkde7
— Dirty Thirty Tony (@MexicAnarchist) June 20, 2016
The Oaxacan violence is only the latest public relations nightmare for the Mexican President. People are still demanding answers for the 2014 disappearance of 43 students.
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