In the early morning of Saturday, 3000 Federal Preventative Police (PFP), a militarized police, with water tanks with acid and high-powered firearms advance on Oaxaca City. Mexican military forces put in action a counterinsurgency plan throughout the state of Oaxaca. With PFP and military forces, the Mexican government wants to put an end to the protests organized by the civil and pacific movement of the people of Oaxaca.

On June 14, Oaxacan state police brutally attacked over 50,000 teachers of a state-wide movement organizing a sit-in in the central Oaxacan plaza to demand better pay and conditions for the public education system. State police killed at least 5 people, including a pregnant teacher.

Stemming from teachers' demands and general unrest, other sectors of Oaxacan society formed the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO). The main demand of the APPO, which consists of over 360 organizations and includes indigenous peoples, women, teachers, students, is the resignation of the murderous Oaxacan governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz.

After numerous attempts at dialogue and negotiation with the federal government, the APPO continues its central demand for Ulises Ruiz to be removed from office. The Mexican government, including the Senate, lacks the political will and actions to respond to the Oaxacan people's demands.

Ulises Ruiz, using paramilitary forces, which include civilian-dressed police, continues to attack people throughout Oaxaca City, who are organized in a pacific and civil manner.

On October 27, paramilitary forces killed 3 APPO members and independent US journalist Bradley Roland Will, from Indymedia. US ambassador Tony Garza in a press release acknowledges that police may have been responsible for these killings. The next day, the police involved were identified by the media.

The PFP and AFI (Mexico's version of the FBI) enter Oaxaca City with water tanks with acid, high-powered firearms, and helicopters firing teargas canisters. They are carrying out illegal violent and random house-by-house searches, detaining and beating people, and blocking ambulances from attending to the injured.

As of midnight last night, there were two dead, dozens injured, and 70 detained. Police took away the body of 12-year year old boy they shot dead, as people attempted to rescue him.

The Mexican government's actions, through its police and military forces, violate not only the Mexican Constitution, but also international agreements, such as the Geneva Convention.

Despite a de facto state of siege and electricity being cut off in Oaxaca City, as part of the attack and terrorizing by government and paramilitary forces, the people of Oaxaca continue to resist.

As the radio of Oaxaca City's main university, UABJO, continues on the air, the university dean, Francisco Martinez Neri asks the federal government to respect the university's autonomy and not enter its campus.The Radio University has been giving voice to the people of Oaxaca and their demands. Civilians have been headed to the University campus for refuge.

There have been worldwide protests and other actions in solidarity with the people of Oaxaca and their demand for the removal of Governor Ulises Ruiz, including throughout Mexico, various cities in the US, Italy, Brazil, Spain, Basque Country, and in Canada.

As part of coordinated international actions, there will be a protest outside the Mexican Consulate, 2055 Peel, on tuesday October 31st, 13h30.

La Otra en Montreal
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