Daria: Two Days in the Life of Oaxaca's Revolution

The revolutionary actions and resultant state repression in the Mexican state of Oaxaca continue to escalate. In the wake of the violent expulsion of the popular movement from the occupied Channel 9 state television facilities, the people have seized at least ten commercial radio stations and converted them into popular communications media. In the neighborhoods surrounding these stations and other parts of Oaxaca City, residents have, in many cases spontaneously and without organized leadership, barricaded the streets and organized their own security patrols.

Correspondent James Daria reports from one of these neighborhoods:

"At night, wandering through the blockade, this reporter was able to witness the birth of not simply just another roadblock but the birth of social and community consciousness among neighbors, friends and family. The small numbers of teachers were aided by local residents who joined the encampment, making up the majority of the people. Women brought food and drink to the protesters and children ran throughout the occupied streets free of traffic. The atmosphere was one of a radical block party and an excuse to socialize with one another. Walking further I bumped into my two of my neighbors who brought hot coffee. We walked through the encampment and met up with other neighbors, friends and family.

"Walking back to the house to make more coffee, the first reports of police attacks against encampments at other antennas began to be heard on the many radios. Fireworks began to sound throughout the city. One bang means alert, two bangs mean we are being attacked. We returned to our block together for security. Leaving the pots and pans in the house, the neighbors grabbed sticks, broom handles and metal rods. As they armed themselves with homemade weapons of self defense, they hatched a plan to ring the church bell.

"The ragged group of instant revolutionaries roamed the streets of the neighborhood as we discussed why resistance to the state government was so important. My neighbor, a housewife who is originally from the coast and is raising four children alone while husband is away working in the United States, talked as she walked towards the church with stick in hand. 'All of us here have been fucked over in one way or another by the government,' the mother explained. The other family, made up of parents and two daughters-one of whom was eight months pregnant but armed with a stick and a shopping bag filled with rocks, reiterated their commitment to defend their neighborhood. 'We are poor. We are the people,' was the common sentiment. 'We poor people have nothing to lose, the rich do.'"

Follow this remarkable story, with new updates daily, on this special page of The Narco News Bulletin:

http://www.narconews.com/otroperiodismo/oaxaca/en.html

From somewhere in a country called América,

Dan Feder
Managing Editor
The Narco News Bulletin
http://www.narconews.com

ENDS

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