The UK Zapatista Solidarity Network handed in letters, in both Spanish and English, for Ambassador Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza calling for “freedom and justice for the Atenco 12 and all political prisoners.” Twelve people are serving sentences of up to 112 years.

People had travelled from round Britain to demand liberty for the prisoners from the Peoples Front for the Defence of the Land, with protestors from Devon, Dorset, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Norwich and Sheffield joining London residents at the Embassy in Saint George Street, central London. Demonstrators held coloured paper flowers, to reflect the fact that the state attack began when the people organised to stop the violent expulsion of flower vendors from a central square in nearby Texcoco. 500 leaflets were distributed to passers-by as demonstrators displayed a giant banner FREE THE ATENCO PRISONERS.

THE AMBASSADOR’S ROLE

The leaflets (and the letter handed in to the Ambassador) also revealed the role Ambassador Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza himself had played in the infamous events: “Sr. Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza, currently Mexican Ambassador to the UK, was the Federal Secretary of Public Security.. at the time of the assault on Atenco, which he may have ordered and commanded. In 2009, the same Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation that is currently deciding the fate of the 12 prisoners, declared that neither Sr. Medina-Mora (who by now had been promoted to the position of Attorney General of the Republic) nor the Governor of the State of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, were in any way responsible for any of the human rights violations that took place in Atenco on 3rd and 4th May 2006. Only one of the eleven ministers who made the decision held Medina-Mora responsible for “failure to monitor the actions of the security services”. In fact, as Attorney General he failed to prosecute anyone for the human rights abuses committed by those security services.”

One of the demonstrators said: “The prisoners from the Peoples Front for the Defence of the Land deserve the solidarity of everyone who cares about justice. Their heroic struggle to successfully stop the construction of a new airport for Mexico City on their land is an inspiration to all who believe human needs must come before profit. The state can’t be allowed to get away with this political persecution.”

In their leaflets and publicity the UK Zapatista Solidarity Network declared that today's demonstration was also in support of the autonomous communities under attack in Mexico today, including San Juan Copala in Oaxaca and the Zapatista communities in Chiapas.

UK Zapatista Solidarity Network  http://ukzapatistas.wordpress.com

Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group
www.edinchiapas.org.uk  edinchiapas@yahoo.co.uk

London Mexico Solidarity Group
www.londonmexicosolidarity.org  londonmexicosolidarity@lists.aktivix.org>