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An Attack on the Zapatistas is an Attack on us all: A Call to Action in Support

An attack on us all | 17.05.2014 10:59 | Social Struggles | Zapatista | London | World

A CALL TO ACTION IN SUPPORT OF THE ZAPATISTAS
Justice for Galeano; Stop the war against the Zapatista communities
Week of action: May 18th-24th

AN ATTACK ON THE ZAPATISTAS IS AN ATTACK ON US ALL

A CALL TO ACTION IN SUPPORT OF THE ZAPATISTAS

Justice for Galeano; Stop the war against the Zapatista communities

Week of action: May 18th-24th
(Day of remembrance May 24th)

SUMMARY OF RECENT EVENTS:

On May 2, 2014, in the Zapatista territory of La Realidad, Chiapas, Mexico, the group CIOAC-Historico [with the participation of the Green Ecological Party and the National Action Party (PAN)], planned and executed a paramilitary attack on unarmed Zapatista civilians. An autonomous Zapatista school and clinic was destroyed, 15 people were ambushed and injured and Jose Luis Solis Lopez (Galeano), teacher at the Zapatista Little School, was murdered. The mainstream media is falsely reporting this attack on the Zapatistas as an intra-community confrontation, but in fact this attack is the result of a long-term counterinsurgency strategy promoted by the Mexican government.

Given the experience of the 1997 massacre at Acteal, we are concerned about the mounting paramilitary activity against Zapatista bases of support. It is clear that if we do not take action now, the current situation in Chiapas may also lead to an even more tragic end.

WHY THIS MATTERS TO US:

Since 1994, the Zapatistas have shown us the bankruptcy of the world that dominates us and, most importantly, the ability to organize ourselves into self-determining communities autonomous from the political class and capitalism. It is this capacity to show that another world is possible in the here and now, one not rooted in exploitation, dispossession, repression and de-valorization, but rather in liberty, democracy and justice, that has inspired us all. An attack on the Zapatistas is an attack on the other world that we have all tried to build along with them for the past 20 years.

WHAT WE SHOULD DO:

We strongly denounce the murder of Compañero Galeano and the attacks against our Zapatista brothers and sisters. We denounce the deliberate destruction of the Zapatista clinic and school. We denounce the disinformation from the press regarding these attacks.

To denounce these aggressions and in support of our Zapatista brothers and sisters, the signatories below call on all Zapatista supporters, students, anti-prison activists, artists, workers, intellectuals, teachers, academics, LGBTQ groups, anarchists, communities of faith, prisoners, communities and organizations of color, indigenous peoples, Chicanos, migrants and all those seeking a more just, non-capitalist world, to pronounce themselves against these attacks by the Mexican government on the Zapatistas and to hold events starting Sunday May 18th (e.g. demonstrations at Mexican consulates and Embassies, corporate subsidiaries, and banks supporting the Mexican government, teach-ins, discussion groups, concerts, informational sessions, or other civil actions that people deem appropriate for their city) and culminating with a day of remembrance on May 24th called by the Zapatistas in honor of the late Compañero Galeano.

Let’s make our dignified pain and rage another building block towards a movement that will directly participate, along with the Zapatistas, in creating this new world.

 http://www.anattackonusall.org/

#ZapatistasNoEstanSolxs

ADD YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL OR INDIVIDUAL NAME TO THIS CALL FOR ACTION

For a full list of signatories click here

MUMIA ABU JAMAL, NOAM CHOMSKY, ANGELA DAVIS, JUNOT DÍAZ, ALICE WALKER, CHRIS HEDGES, REBEL DIAZ, INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OF THE WORLD (IWW-ISC), LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI, DAVID HARVEY, CORNEL WEST, MIKE DAVIS, PRISON RADIO, ROBIN D. G. KELLEY, TOM HAYDEN, BOCAFLOJA, MICHAEL ALBERT, ROSA CLEMENTE, A.R.M.A. COLLECTIVE, IRIS MORALES, DAVID GRAEBER, KARLA QUIÑONEZ, EL KILOMBO INTERGALÁCTICO, JAMES AND GRACE LEE BOGGS CENTER, EMORY DOUGLAS, GLEN FORD, SCHOOLS FOR CHIAPAS, MEXICO SOLIDARITY NETWORK, RICK ROWLEY, PETER BROWN, FRED MOTEN, MICHAEL HARDT, HENRY A. GIROUX, MICHAEL TAUSSIG, GREG RUGGIERO, OLMECA, MIDNIGHT NOTES COLLECTIVE, GEORGE CAFFENTZIS, LAURA GOTTESDIENER, CATHERINE WALSH, ARTURO ESCOBAR, REBECCA SOLNIT, HARRY CLEAVER, ANGEL LUIS LARA, ANDREJ GRUBACIC, ALVARO REYES, ZUCCOTTI PARK PRESS, MARCO AMADOR, BRIAN HOLMES, J. KEHAULANI KAUANUI, BILL MULLEN, PETER LINEBAUGH, ANTONIA DARDER, RICHARD STAHLER-SHOLK, PETER MCLAREN, HANS WIDMER, JOSEPH NEVINS, ANNEMARIE JACIR, JOHANNA FERNANDEZ, JEFF PERLSTEIN, STEVEN SALAITA, DAVID RIKER, MICHEL KHLEIFI, SAMIA HALABY, RJ MACCANI OF THE FOUNDRY THEATRE, BIKESAN@S DEL VALLE, BAY AREA INTIFADA, ALUMNO@S DE LA ESCUELITA, ADHERENTES A LA SEXTA, DECOLONIAL FOOD FOR THOUGHT, SHADES OF SILENCE, LOS ANGELES PALESTINE LABOR SOLIDARITY COMMITTEE, MUJERES DE MAIZ, ACCIÓN ZAPATISTA DE HUMBOLDT, ACCIÓN ZAPATISTA SOUTH BAY, UNIVERSIDAD DE LA TIERRA CALIFAS
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#ZapatistasNoEstanSolxs
 http://www.anattackonusall.org/



An attack on us all
- e-mail: ZapatistasNoEstanSolxs@gmail.com
- Homepage: http://www.anattackonusall.org/

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worth noting

20.05.2014 10:52

In addition to internal criticism during the first meeting to plan the Other Campaign, outside organizations have critiqued this program. A major critique comes from the Libertarian Socialist Group (Grupo Socialista Libertario). This group states that the campaign is a collaboration formed behind a man, Marcos, rather than anti-capitalism or indigenous rights.


Although the Zapatista movement claims that the Other Campaign is a program of unity and inclusion, the LSG does not believe this. For example, this group claims that Marcos spends countless hours signing autographs and being photographed, indicating his status as a celebrity rather than a spokesperson for a unified cause.

LSG also cites an instance when Marcos postponed his tour without any consultation for several days to be present at the funeral service of fellow EZLN member and Other Campaign organiser Comandante Ramona allegedly illustrating his elite status. To further support their opinion that the Other Campaign is solely a Zapatista project, the Libertarian Socialist Group includes the following quote from Marcos: "We warn everyone: we are going to fulfill the Sixth Declaration even if we are alone, and even if no one wants to work with us."

This quote indicates that despite efforts to collaborate with other organizations throughout Mexico, the Zapatistas are prepared to fight against capitalism alone, rather than compromise the objectives listed in the Sixth Declaration. Thus, to participate in the Other Campaign, individuals had to support the tenets of the Sixth Declaration

Zap