- We demand the immediate withdrawal of all Police and Army from Oaxaca City and the release of the political prisoners of Oaxaca and Atenco.

- We condemn the violence of the state and paramilitaries, the detentions, assasinations, disapearences and torture.

- We express our solidarity and full support to all the rebel people of Oaxaca who do not want to take power but instead wish to create an alternative to capitalism from is from below and to the left.

With these aims in mind we call for a UK-wide week of actions, protest, raising of awareness and fundraising in support of the people's struggle in Oaxaca. We need to do all we can to show that they do not stand alone.
Contact details of the various groups taking part are below. Details of specific events will be anounced on www.indymedia.org.uk but if you want to take part or organise your own action/event let us know or send a report afterwards to  ragecollective@yahoo.co.uk .

The struggle in Oaxaca urgently needs financial support; laptops and video cameras to document abuses, walkie-talkies for the barricades and food and medicines to stay alive and independent media and human rights organisations monitoring the situation also need support. If you can do some fundraising or want to make a donation please contact  edinchiapas@yahoo.co.uk .


Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group -  edinchiapas@yahoo.co.uk
Rage Collective (Reading) -  ragecollective@hotmail.com
Liverpool Chiapas Solidarity Group -  zapatismo@chogbro.uklinux.net
Zap06 (London) -  zap06@riseup.net
Glasgow Zapatista Solidarity Group -  glasgowzapatistas@yahoo.co.uk
Kiptik (Bristol) -  kiptik@buz.org
Manchester Chiapas Solidarity Group -  zapaman@hotmail.com








BACKGROUND:


In May, teachers in the poverty filled southern Mexican state of Oaxaca went
on strike for better pay. As is tradition, they had a physical presence as
they camped in the central square of Oaxaca City. Their demand was met with
repression as the Governor sent riot Police to disperse the teachers.
However, the teachers returned with 70,000 supporters and repelled the
Police!

Since then Oaxaca has risen into full rebellion. The people demanded the
resignation of the Governor and took control of the city. They occupied government
buildings, as students took control of their university and the radio, women
took control of the television studios and communities shut the economy down
with barricades.

Sporadic violence has occured as state supported paramilitaries, as well as
Police and authorities in civilian clothes, attacked members of the APPO
resulting in several deaths. On Friday 27 October several of the barricades were attacked resulting in 3 deaths including US Indymedia journalist - Brad Wills shot at close
range by Police in civilian clothes. This murder, committed by the state was used to justify a massive
increase in state repression as President Fox seeks to crush the popular
uprising.

On 30th October, 10,000 Federal Preventive Police invaded Oaxaca city. They
were met with massive non-violent resistance but managed to re-take the
Central Square. However, the social movement regrouped around the University
Campus and, using home-made weapons in an eight hour battle against hundreds
strong riot squads fully armed with teargas, tanks and helicoptors, the
communities managed to force the Police to retreat. Some weeks ago there was a march
in the City of 1.3 million people in support of the struggle.

However, since the invasion, repression against the movement has increased
massively. There has been several deaths and many people have been arrested.
Even worse, many other people have been 'dissapeared' and nobody knows where
they are or whats happened to them. Many houses have been illegally raided, and their inhabitants arrested or dissapeared. The people of Oaxaca are living through brutal state terrorism, with disappearances, torture, detentions and killings on a daily basis. It is difficult to know exactly how many people have been affected, but there is no doubt that there are severe violations of human rights. According to the Oaxaca Network for Human Rights, from June 14th
through November 5th, there were 145 detained, 34 of whom have been freed,
17 dead, and 33 seriously injured, including 5 journalists injured and one
killed. Some sources speak of 65 disappeared. There are numerous people who
have also received death threats. Now, in the past week another 150 have been abducted and taken hundreds of kilometres to prison. Some prisoners who have been released have given accounts of brutal acts of torture by the police including severe beatings, removal of fingernails and the use of electric shocks.

The irony should be noted that Mexico currently holds the presidency of the United Nations Human Rights Commision.