From the barricade Cinco Señores

From the barricade
November 22

In the early morning hours the defenders of the Cinco Señores barricade, or the “Victory Barricade” as this honorable space is now known, once again obliged the Federal Preventive Police to flee.

It is important to remember the heroic resistance of the Oaxacan people in defense of university authority against the forces of occupation last November 2, when the PFP was forced to retreat after a 7-hour battle, beaten by the force of a people that is refusing to allow their dignity to be trampled on.

http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2006/11/03/003n1pol.php

Ever since then, the daily fare at the most important intersection in the capital city of Oaxaca has been intimidation and attacks by paramilitary groups, a variety of state police agencies, and the PFP, whose rounds and provocations are an effort to wear down the unbreakable character of the people.

Yesterday a commando of approximately 25 armed men, apparently made up of Judicial police agents, kidnapped two young boys who were guarding the Cinco Señores barricade. One was identified as Ricardo Osorio, "El Cholo" and the other simply as "El Conejo".

http://www.noticias-oax.com.mx/articulos.php?id_sec=2&id_art=48969&id_ejemplar=1286

This morning, about 4:00 a.m., under the illusion that the concerted action against this barricade from the highest levels of government, as shown in by the detention of two of the main activists there, had weakened the combative spirit of the compañeros, the police broke into the center of the intersection, destroying food supplies and cooking utensils. They had no time to do more damage, however. The sound of coordinated rockets launched from homemade bazookas was immediately heard, followed by the helter skelter flight of the “forces of order.” Ever since September 29, they’ve occupied Oaxaca in an effort to hold up the putrefied political cadaver of Ulises Ruiz Ortiz and step up the low intensity warfare against members of the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca, who are trying to find a peaceful, legal way to change the outdated power structures that have submerged millions of Mexican people in dire poverty and marginalization for decades.

The composition of this barricade is a faithful reflection of the class contradictions inherent in capitalism, which regards human beings as disposable objects in the machinery of production and war, placing a few people on the pedestal of the unimaginable reserved for the pariahs of this world.

We hold the Ministry of the Interior responsible for the physical and psychological integrity of our compañeros, other APPO members, and the people in general.

Our demands are

The presentation of disappeared people alive!

Freedom for all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Oaxaca and in the country!

Punishment of those responsible for crimes against humanity committed against the people of Mexico!

URO and PFP out of Oaxaca!

No to State Militarization!

The Victory Barricade,
Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca; November 22, 2006