REVOLT IN SAN CRISTOBAL,CHIAPAS, MEXICO 7/3/02
Miguel | 10.03.2002 22:20
Large crowds repel police, set police vehicles on fire, and loot supermarket and big shops in the public market area of San Cristobal de Las Casas,Chiapas,Mexico
A carnival atmosphere prevails as crowds control the streets for 4 hours. Later police enter area, fire tear gas and make 62 arrests
A carnival atmosphere prevails as crowds control the streets for 4 hours. Later police enter area, fire tear gas and make 62 arrests
REVOLT IN SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, CHIAPAS, MÉXICO ON EVENING OF 7TH MARCH 2002
Large crowds repel police, set police vehicles on fire, and loot supermarket and big shops in the public market area of San Cristobal de Las Casas
A carnival atmosphere prevails as crowds control the streets for 4 hours
Later police enter area, fire tear gas and make a reported 62 arrests
The conflict occurred in the area around the public market, a poor area where many indigenous people live and work, and followed a police operation against sellers of pirated merchandise such as CDs and cassettes
Throughout the next day, 8 March, police with riot gear cordon off an area around the public market
At the International Womens Day demo in San Cristobal on 8 March speakers denounced the previous day’s police operation as an attack on the poor
A major revolt with thousands on the streets engulfed the area around the public market in San Cristobal de Las Casas on the evening of 7 March. Large crowds broke into 6 stores, including a supermarket, a big department store, and a large textiles shop. In a festive atmosphere men, women and children joyfully carted off large amounts of food, drink, clothes and furniture over a period of over 2 hours. Onlookers, including women with babies, elderly people and children watched with interest, and some shouted advice to the looters about the best route to take to avoid the police.
Two police vehicles were set on fire and burnt in the middle of the street. The crowd repulsed an attempt by the police to enter the area, hurling missiles. A shop was set alight and the fire was still burning at midnight. From before 7pm till after 10pm thousands were on the streets, and the police seemed to have little or no presence and no control over the situation.
KICK OFF
The conflict reportedly started at 6pm after a Federal police operation to arrest sellers of pirated CDs, cassetes etc.. Local newspaper La Foja reports that a police attempt to enter the area around this time was repulsed by the crowd throwing missiles.
By 7pm a police vehicle was ablaze in the street by the public market, hundreds, if not thousands were in the streets and police were not to be seen. Around 8pm missiles were seen being hurled, and slightly later a line of riot police were formed across the road behind Santo Domingo church.
Around 8pm the crowd began to break into large shops by the market, breaking plate glass windows and tearing off iron grilles on the entrances. Tela de Mexico, Granda Almancenes, and then the supermarket Piticos were all sacked. Later radio reports stated that 6 shops were looted in all. Around the same time another fire was burning in the street by the market, apparently a second police car ablaze.
CARNIVAL OF THE OPPRESSED
Large crowds of men, women and children carried off bags and boxes of food and groceries, sacks of rice or beans, bottles of wine and spirits, mattresses, sofas and much more. Eye witnesses reported a joyful and excited atmosphere. There were few vehicles in the area, but taxis and cars that strayed into the area were allowed to pass unhindered.
Around 10.15pm a large fire was burning in a shop near the market. Around 10.- 10.30pm police, some armed and some with riot shields and helmets, entered the area, charged the crowd and made arrests. According to the media 62 men, women and children were arrested. 39 remain in prison at the time of writing. La Foca local newspaper reports the use of “an excessive use of force” by the police when making arrests. TV pictures showed the police beating defenceless prisoners with their clubs. Police fired tear gas on more than one occasion, and tear gas swept down nearby streets, causing discomfort to inhabitants of houses. Fire fighters entered the area to combat the fires.
By 11.30 pm police appeared to have regained control of the situation, though there were still crowds in the street, the shop continued to burn and there were remnants of a fire in the street. Local radio reports 6 police received hospital treatment. It is not known how many civilians were injured by the police violence. The local press reported that police reinforcements were sent from the Chiapas state capital, Tuxtla.
Reports in the media that some of the crowd applauded the entry of the police into the area were not confirmed by eye witnesses who reported instead mass participation in looting, and many onlookers observing without any worries. The reactions observed to the arrival of the police were either resistance or flight.
THE MORNING AFTER THE NIGHT BEFORE
The next day, 8 March, an area around the public market was cordoned off by police with riot gear who were preventing entry by the public, and the police maintained this blockade throughout the day and into the night.
At the International Womens Day demonstration in San Cristobal on 8 March women speakers denounced the police operation against the street sellers as an attack on the poor who were trying to survive in an economic crisis. Speakers expressed solidarity with the families of the people arrested and imprisoned. They contrasted the impunity enjoyed by the rich manufacturers of pirated music, with the police action against poor street sellers.
Notes
San Cristobal de Las Casasin Chiapas has a population of over 130,000, many of whom live in poverty, many lacking basic services such as electricity, piped water and drainage in their houses. A large proportion of the population are indigenous people, the majority Tzotziles, and suffer racist discrimination. Many of the indigenous people in the town were forced to leave their orignal communities because of religious and other persecution.
Such events are difficult to analyse, and I do not pretend to have the local knowledge to do so effectively. Allegations are being made by the media about organised crime and drug sellers being behind the events. However evidence suggests that, while the events were certainly not overtly political, that this was largely a spontaneous revolt of the poor, particularly indigenous people,.against an oppressive, racist and exploitative system
Written 10 March 2002
Large crowds repel police, set police vehicles on fire, and loot supermarket and big shops in the public market area of San Cristobal de Las Casas
A carnival atmosphere prevails as crowds control the streets for 4 hours
Later police enter area, fire tear gas and make a reported 62 arrests
The conflict occurred in the area around the public market, a poor area where many indigenous people live and work, and followed a police operation against sellers of pirated merchandise such as CDs and cassettes
Throughout the next day, 8 March, police with riot gear cordon off an area around the public market
At the International Womens Day demo in San Cristobal on 8 March speakers denounced the previous day’s police operation as an attack on the poor
A major revolt with thousands on the streets engulfed the area around the public market in San Cristobal de Las Casas on the evening of 7 March. Large crowds broke into 6 stores, including a supermarket, a big department store, and a large textiles shop. In a festive atmosphere men, women and children joyfully carted off large amounts of food, drink, clothes and furniture over a period of over 2 hours. Onlookers, including women with babies, elderly people and children watched with interest, and some shouted advice to the looters about the best route to take to avoid the police.
Two police vehicles were set on fire and burnt in the middle of the street. The crowd repulsed an attempt by the police to enter the area, hurling missiles. A shop was set alight and the fire was still burning at midnight. From before 7pm till after 10pm thousands were on the streets, and the police seemed to have little or no presence and no control over the situation.
KICK OFF
The conflict reportedly started at 6pm after a Federal police operation to arrest sellers of pirated CDs, cassetes etc.. Local newspaper La Foja reports that a police attempt to enter the area around this time was repulsed by the crowd throwing missiles.
By 7pm a police vehicle was ablaze in the street by the public market, hundreds, if not thousands were in the streets and police were not to be seen. Around 8pm missiles were seen being hurled, and slightly later a line of riot police were formed across the road behind Santo Domingo church.
Around 8pm the crowd began to break into large shops by the market, breaking plate glass windows and tearing off iron grilles on the entrances. Tela de Mexico, Granda Almancenes, and then the supermarket Piticos were all sacked. Later radio reports stated that 6 shops were looted in all. Around the same time another fire was burning in the street by the market, apparently a second police car ablaze.
CARNIVAL OF THE OPPRESSED
Large crowds of men, women and children carried off bags and boxes of food and groceries, sacks of rice or beans, bottles of wine and spirits, mattresses, sofas and much more. Eye witnesses reported a joyful and excited atmosphere. There were few vehicles in the area, but taxis and cars that strayed into the area were allowed to pass unhindered.
Around 10.15pm a large fire was burning in a shop near the market. Around 10.- 10.30pm police, some armed and some with riot shields and helmets, entered the area, charged the crowd and made arrests. According to the media 62 men, women and children were arrested. 39 remain in prison at the time of writing. La Foca local newspaper reports the use of “an excessive use of force” by the police when making arrests. TV pictures showed the police beating defenceless prisoners with their clubs. Police fired tear gas on more than one occasion, and tear gas swept down nearby streets, causing discomfort to inhabitants of houses. Fire fighters entered the area to combat the fires.
By 11.30 pm police appeared to have regained control of the situation, though there were still crowds in the street, the shop continued to burn and there were remnants of a fire in the street. Local radio reports 6 police received hospital treatment. It is not known how many civilians were injured by the police violence. The local press reported that police reinforcements were sent from the Chiapas state capital, Tuxtla.
Reports in the media that some of the crowd applauded the entry of the police into the area were not confirmed by eye witnesses who reported instead mass participation in looting, and many onlookers observing without any worries. The reactions observed to the arrival of the police were either resistance or flight.
THE MORNING AFTER THE NIGHT BEFORE
The next day, 8 March, an area around the public market was cordoned off by police with riot gear who were preventing entry by the public, and the police maintained this blockade throughout the day and into the night.
At the International Womens Day demonstration in San Cristobal on 8 March women speakers denounced the police operation against the street sellers as an attack on the poor who were trying to survive in an economic crisis. Speakers expressed solidarity with the families of the people arrested and imprisoned. They contrasted the impunity enjoyed by the rich manufacturers of pirated music, with the police action against poor street sellers.
Notes
San Cristobal de Las Casasin Chiapas has a population of over 130,000, many of whom live in poverty, many lacking basic services such as electricity, piped water and drainage in their houses. A large proportion of the population are indigenous people, the majority Tzotziles, and suffer racist discrimination. Many of the indigenous people in the town were forced to leave their orignal communities because of religious and other persecution.
Such events are difficult to analyse, and I do not pretend to have the local knowledge to do so effectively. Allegations are being made by the media about organised crime and drug sellers being behind the events. However evidence suggests that, while the events were certainly not overtly political, that this was largely a spontaneous revolt of the poor, particularly indigenous people,.against an oppressive, racist and exploitative system
Written 10 March 2002
Miguel