Update: Massacre of peaceful protestors in Oaxaca, Mexico

Nobody has died as of yet in the Oaxacan teachers' crisis. The military have not stepped in, nor even the federal police as of yet. Negotiations are ongoing to come to a peaceful resolution. No firearms were used in the attempted breakup of the strike. Oaxacan society in general is very sympathetic to the teachers' cause (they all have badly educated children after all) and at this stage the government does not have a strong enough moral standing on this issue to be very repressive.

Have not seen any reports of machine guns being used, but Narco News have reported claims (apparently unconfirmed) that three teachers and one pupil have died and that federal police have been involved.

With so many rumours going around, has anyone got any firm news of what is going on??

Living here in Oaxaca, I would like to question the use of the term "peaceful protestors." For three weeks now, the 60,000 teachers have staged what I would call an aggressive sit-in. They have engaged in acts of vandalism, destroying city and personal property, have blocked access to major arteries in and around the city, forcibly shut down the airport, took over the toll booth leaving town, block access to major stores where the general population shops for their daily needs, defecated in the streets around the downtown area (imagine 60,000 people defecating in the streets of your town for 23 days straight), etc. Whether they've been wronged or not by the local government, they have not been peaceful.

Peaceful revolutions or peaceful protests either don't exist or are doomed to failure. The article is just pandering to hegemonic notions of what's acceptable or not.

I am glad that Domingo can still read BBC online! Why don't you have a look at the pics on this local newspaper, instead:
 http://www.noticias-oax.com.mx/index.php
(or on indymedia messico e indymedia oaxaca)

and see, that the police was actually armed! Also, should I remind you that Alexi, a student in Atenco was killed by a tear gas bullet? tear gas bullets have been aimed at people!

Also, about 70,000 teachers have arrived from all around the state of Oaxaca, leaving their communities, their normal lives whilst being threathened of not being paid because they were demonstrating for their legitimate rights! It is too easy to say that they are dirty and accusing them to take down the signs that enforce parking fares!

Joe, are you really living in oaxaca? Do you see the misery around you? Do you see and know about the huge repression that for many years members of civil society and social organisations have been experiencing, and that is furthermore documented by Amnesty International and many other human rights organisations at a national and international level?

In solidarity with the people of Oaxaca,
la lucha sigue!
Silvia