By Barucha Calamity Peller
At approximately 5pm today in Oaxaca City, Radio Universidad was re- occupied by APPO sympathizers and students from different departments of the Benito Juarez Autonomous University who are sympathetic to the APPO. With protests songs and political information, the transmissions were initiated to spread information about the different mobilizations planned for the first days of May. Tomorrow, a national labor holiday, teachers from section 22 union, together with other social organizations will march to the Zocalo of the Capital City to protest the continuing governance of Ulises Ruiz, ousted by popular demand since June of last year.
The radio hosts are asking for support from students and the general public to reinforce the radio installations and take security measures in case of state repression.
The radio hosts are saying that the radio and the university will be occupied for the next two days.
The university radio is the site of the November 2nd battle between APPO sympathizers and Federal Preventive Police during an attempted eviction of the barricades protecting the occupied radio. The barricadistas and radio supporters were able to force thousands of Federal Preventive Police to retreat and continued to defend the occupied radio and it's surrounding barricades for nearly a month despite severe paramilitary repression.
The radio was handed over to the university authorities a few days after the violent battle between APPO sympathizers and Federal Preventive Police on November 25th. Due to the siege of Oaxaca City by state, local, and federal forces and continuing repression, those upholding the university radio and the barricades felt that it was impossible to remain under the circumstances.
Although there were several radio takeovers by APPO sympathizers last fall, Radio Universidad had been the last remaining after violent evictions by Federal Preventive Police.
Today is the first day a radio has been occupied in Oaxaca City since November.
Live transmission from Radio Universidad can be accessed here:
http://www.uabjo.mx/radio/radioOnLine.php
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