Fresno Famous

Tuesday a group of several dozen protested outside the Mexican Consulate in downtown Fresno over the treatment of Oaxacan teachers by the Mexican police. From Frente Indígena de Organizaciones Binacionales, the group that organized the protest:

We condemn the use of violence against the teachers of Section 22 of the SNTE (National Union of Education Workers). The teachers union was violently evicted from City Center in the City of Oaxaca on June 14 at 4:00 a.m. by more than 3,000 state preventative police and special forces police in Oaxaca, Mexico where the teachers were staging a peaceful sit-in for more than 23 days, as a form of pressure to ensure that their demands for better education, pay and other basic needs are met by state and federal authorities. Police used tear-gas and weapons in this eviction and this has resulted in many women and children injured. This action adds to the already existing numbers of 600 detained, 40 injured, 33 processed (jailed), 13 threatened, 15 men murdered. Twenty-three women have been murdered, 11 women have disappeared. These are clear acts of femicide. There have been two attempted murders, 1 person exiled to Canada and countless of others threatened without reporting. All of this violence and death is part of the campaign of terror against all indigenous people, human rights advocates, media, social movements' leaders and labor unions in the State of Oaxaca who have dared to speak out against this ruthless government administration by Governor Ruiz since he took office on December 1, 2004.

While exact figures are unknown, it is estimated that 70,000-80,000 people of indigenous Mexican decent live in the Central Valley.

Photo courtesy of FIOB.