Mexico: teacher and student camp brutally evicted by police

The teacher and student camp in the Zócalo (the major plaza of Mexico City) was brutally evicted by police forces. 12,000 teachers continue on strike in the North American country. 

Source: WG[es].


Update: more than 200 injured reported, almost all civilians. 32 arrested. → WG[es].

Update: more repression: police charge and gas civilians near Arts Faculty after these accused the cops of "assassins" → video at WG[es].

Colombia: national farmer strike continues

More than 2500 farmer and indigenous delegates rejected the proposal by President Santos, dubbing it of "more of the same" and clearly not enough. 

The popular mobilizations were expected to continue yesterday in Colombian cities as the government is obviously unwilling to meet the demands by the People of guaranteeing land rights to indigenous and Afro-Colombian groups and to make a proper land reform that dismantles the large properties and guarantees that the land belongs in essence to the farmers (workers).  The suppression of the FTA with North America is also among their demands, because it forces them to import food, what is plainly absurd when you can produce it.

In parallel there is a teacher strike whose participants are again not satisfied by the agreement reached between the Government and FECODE (a union).

Source: WG[es].

Mexico: thousands march again against privatization of PEMEX

At least 30,000 people marched through D.F. in rejection of the project to privatize the state oil company PEMEX, one of the legacies of the Mexican Revolution, now a century old. 

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

Chile: violent repression against memorial march

The Chilean military police (carabineros) brutally repressed a march in homage to the victims of the fascist dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. 

When the march, which transited peacefully through Santiago de Chile, arrived to the cemetery, police attacked them with tear gas for no apparent reason. 

"We will destroy the legacy of Pinochet"

Source: Webguerrillero[es].


Update (Sep 11): Video of the march and the brutal unprovoked repression (this last begins at min. 7:00) 

Brazil: update on Independence Day protests

As mentioned earlier, the Brazilian Independence Day, became a day of struggle for honesty, dignity, freedom of speech and social rights. At least 13 people were injured by police, and other 27, arrested in Rio de Janeiro when they attempted to obstruct the ritual military parade.

In Sao Paulo as well, several avenues were blocked and national flags burned. The subsequent repression caused at least 39 arrested and two injured, both victims of car attacks by the police.

Other cities with significant protests were Fortaleza and Maceió in the NE of the country. In Fortaleza some 30 people were arrested, while in Maceió the ritual military parade had to be suspended. 

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

Brazil: protests take over Independence Day

The Independence Day demonstration in Rio de Janeiro has been violently repressed by police forces using tear gas and rubber bullets. The demonstration coincided in time and space with the ritual military parade, which had already been reduced in size because of the expected protests, which have been called for all the country against corruption and anti-social policies. 

We are tired of the most expensive World Cup ever, of the politicians, of the highest interest rates on Earth, of teachers living with misery salaries, of public works that never end, of the mercenary and manipulated press, said one of the demonstrators.

Events still unfolding in this Brazilian Independence Day.

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

Colombia: police murders four, including a child

Four more Colombian citizens were murdered by the police forces in the context of the farmer strike that shatters the South American country. Other 35 people were injured. 

The massacre took place in the village of Mojarras, in the department of Cauca, SE of the country. 

The exact number of victims is yet provisional but it is known that a boy aged six was killed by inhalation of tear gas. Among the injured there is a human rights activist: Deivid de Jesús Hurtado. 

The latest informations said that the victims were arriving to the hospital San José of Popayán (departmental capital), where there was a growing concentration of people, mostly students. 

Besides tear gas police forces used live fire and even explosive devices. Many of the victims were caused by these.

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

Mexico: thousands of teachers and students march again

The protests against the Education Law, which implies almost totalitarian cuts in worker rights, continued on Thursday in Mexico. Thousands marched through Distrito Federal and in many other cities through the North American country, along with other measures like blockade of roads, suspension of classes, etc. 

The government responded with massive police deployment, which is feared will be the main means that the contested President Peña Nieto will use to enforce his power, also as he attempts to privatize the oil company PEMEX, the backbone of the country's limited prosperity. 

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

Colombia: tens of thousands protest in the South-West

In spite of militarization, the popular uprising in Colombia is far from over. Yesterday a 10,000 strong march of Native Americans took over the city of Popayán (Cauca) blocking a major road in solidarity with the National Strike led by the small farmers.

Also it has been known that the government sent the infamous riot police squad (ESMAD) to the city of Florencia (Caquetá), also in the SW of the country, where more than 15,000 farmers have been protesting since August 19th.

Source: Webguerrillero[es] (link 1, link 2).

Protests and clashes continue in Mexico

Images of the clashes before the Congressional Palace in Mexico D.F.:

These clashes took place at the crossroads between Venustiano Carranza and Eje Central, as granaderos (riot police) managed to surround some 50 youths who attempted to reach Congress by any means necessary.

There were previous clashes at the crossroads between Juárez Av. and the Paseo de la Reforma, as the police attempted the march to continue but were overwhelmed by youths who pushed them aside at the cry of "not violence!"

A perpendicular march of teachers to the Presidential Palace also took place. Regarding this march, the Revolutionary Action lamented that the CTNE (teacher union) autocratically revoked an assembly decision by the teachers to invite students to join their march, reason why this organization ignored this particular demonstration. 

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

Update: more videos of the clashes now at Webguerrillero.

Colombia: protests and clashes reach the capital Bogotá

The National Strike initiated by farmers and miners in Colombia has finally reached that islet of relative calm that is the capital Bogotá, as well as Cali and Medellín. 

Thousands marched through the streets peacefully yesterday... until hell broke loose. Clashes left many injured, police shot live fire.

The reaction of President Santos has been to militarize the city. Curfews are already active in several towns but this really looks like a Turkish uprising more and more, particularly as the government has very little legitimacy in a country shattered by decades of civil war and when it is clearly guilty of massacring protesters and not respecting the most basic human rights. 

The seriousness of the popular uprising can be gauged by the fact that Santos had to acknowledge for the first time that the farm sector has been abandoned.  

However he and his ministers appealed to the ghost of the guerrilla, whom they call "terrorists", in order to demonize and divide the protesters. 

But the real issue, the real terrorism is the brutal reality of Capitalist accumulation:

"My purchase power is zero, it's only enough to survive," said Orlando Pamo, 50, an indigenous father of six from central Tolima province who earns less than the minimum wage farming citrus and other fruits. "The government wants us off the land so it can be given to big business. We don't get the benefits companies get."

Sources: Reuters, NBC (photo gallery), Euronews (video), BBC, Webguerrillero[es] (photo gallery and video). 


Update: nice synthetic and musicalized video of the protests (comments in Spanish only but mostly images from the demos and some of the repression):

USA: nonviolent resistance against immigrant deportations

Hundreds of activists of the Arizona Dream Act Coalition and United We Dream surrounded deportation facilities in the state capital Phoenix. Six activists sat before the deportation bus for hours until the expulsion was halted. 

The authorities arrested two, paperless Mexican-American José Patiño and UWD leader Ray José. After a long night of uninterrupted phone calls from the citizenry they were both released.

Patiño stated upon his liberation:

I am doing this because I am so fed up with people playing games with our lives," said Ray Jose. "My mom and my dad are getting tired. My dad cannot do physical labor any more. It is for the sake of my family, who sacrificed so much for me, that I am ready to do this".

Hours earlier four other DREAM activists were arrested after chaining themselves to the ICE complex. They are Yadira García, Francisco Luna, María Castro and Alejandra Sánchez. 

The essential content of these protests is anti-apartheid:

We cannot accept any legislative proposal that would amplify the pain our communities have been subjected to for decades while blocking our families from a path to citizenship," said Cristina Jiménez, Managing Director of United We Dream. "Terrorizing our communities or creating a permanent underclass is un-American and unacceptable".

The civil disobedience organizations describe themselves as follows:

The Arizona Dream Act Coalition is the largest immigrant youth led organization in the state of Arizona. Our mission is to have a nation full of educated and integrated immigrant youth. We are an affiliate of the United We Dream Network.

United We Dream is the first and largest immigrant youth-led network in the nation with 51 affiliate organizations in 25 states that organize and advocate for the dignity and fair treatment of immigrant youth and families, regardless of immigration status. UWD's current priority is to win citizenship for the entire undocumented community and end senseless abuses and deportations.

Source: Kasama.

Argentina: anti-fracking protests in Neuquén

Thousands protested before the Neuquén Parliament against fracking concessions to Chevron. As usual police attacked the citizens in defense of capitalist interests. Several were injured. 

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

Honduras: three Tolupans murdered by miner mafias

Three persons of the Tolupa nation were murdered by hitmen at the service of illegal miners, foresters and constructors on August 25th at Locomapa (Yoro).

Ricardo Soto Fúnez, María Enriqueta Matute y Armando Fúnez Medina took part in a road blockade in defense of their ancestral territory.

Already in June the Tolupas denounced forester industrial Kenton Landa Úcles for the introduction of heavy machinery in the Tolupa forest.

In a similar incident, considering the total subservience of the state institutions to capitalist expoliation, soldiers murdered the member of the Lenca nation Tomas García on July 15th. 

Source: LINyM[es].

Colombia: video-compilation of police brutality (national farmer strike)

Beatings, shootings, invasion of private homes, destruction of property and documents... not Attila but the Colombian riot police.

Many testimonies require understanding some Spanish but many other images are self-explainatory.

Colombia: police kills another farmer

Juan Camilo Acosta Acosta was killed by a gas canister thrown directly against his chest by the Colombian riot police (ESMAD) in the village of Fusagasugá (Boyacá department). 

When his comrades attempted to collect the body, the police impeded it, charging again with more tear gas and stunning bombs. The citizenry then concentrated in the local park but they were almost enclosed by the police. A massacre is feared. 

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

Paraguay: special powers to use the army cause social alarm

Paraguay is in imminent danger of return to outright fascism, as the newly elect President, Horacio Cartes, managed to pass a law that allows him to use the Army arbitrarily, even against the civilian population, which is now held perpetually suspect as "alleged terrorists". This law is similar to the one that granted fascist dictator Alfredo Stroessner absolute power, but even Stroessner did not act so fast in his consolidation as totalitarian ruler. 

Source: LINyM[es].

Colombia: major protest in Tunja against repression

A pot-banging demonstration took the city of Tunja (Boyacá, Central Colombia) in protest for the disdain and brutal repression that President Santos is adopting against the General Strike, already a week long. 

They demand a comprehensive agrarian policy that takes in account the small farmers, as well as a stop to repression. 

Source: Webguerrillero[es].

Uruguay protests against the forgetfulness of Mujica

The authors of a massacre in 1994 against those supporting Basque exiles remain not just at large but with power to commit again any such massacre or worse. Hundreds demonstrated in Montevideo against such impunity, demanding justice and memory.

Roberto Facal and Fernando Morrone were the victims of a massacre executed by police in 1994 to break the resistance of some 4000 Uruguayans against the extradition of Basque exiles, who were in hunger strike at Hospital Filtro. At least 500 police officers took part in the attack, using nothing but live fire. 

Not just demonstrators were killed or injured but also nurses like Esteban Massa who was shot in the back while he aided another victim. 

The murderous repression continued mercilessly in union offices and through the neighboring streets. It was then when the two mortal victims were shot. 

It was a bourgeois elected government which assumed all responsibility with no shame nor remorse. Minister of Interior Gianola was backed by the government in full, nobody resigned, nobody was ever prosecuted. 

Every year in the anniversary of the massacre people march through Montevideo demanding justice and memory. The Frente Amplio ignores the issue and one of its leaders even said it was a massacre "to forget". 

Forget? Never! Forgive? Never! The culprits must pay or something of the like will happen again. 

Source: Borroka Garaia Da![es]

Colombia: generalized uprising and brutal police repression

The local (much less the international) media is not reporting on the farmer strike, much less the brutal repression taking place against this uprising, every day more generalized. However the information is leaking via the Internet, including many striking videos, for example:

They do not just repress but also steal food and other produce to farmers:

Source and more videos: Webguerrillero[es].