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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | August 2006 
Mexican Cops Fire in Air During Protests
 Rebecca Romero - Associated Press
| | Striking teachers stand behind a road sign used as part of a blockade near the venue of an annual cultural festival, called the Guelaguetza, in Oaxaca last month. (Reuters/Jorge Luis Plata) |
Oaxaca, Mexico - Police fired shots into the air Monday to clear more than 100 protesters from outside the state economy ministry, the latest incident in a wave of confrontations and protests that have driven many tourists out of this historic Mexican city.
Police commander Aristeo Lopez said about 20 officers fired their guns after the demonstrators attacked them with sticks and stones.
Protesters said the shootings were unprovoked. "We arrived in peace and they attacked us," said protester Vicente Jesus Rodriguez.
There were no reported injuries, but several cars were damaged.
The demonstrators were demanding the resignation of Gov. Ulises Ruiz, who they accuse of rigging his 2004 election victory and violently repressing dissent.
Tensions have been on the rise since June, when state police attacked a demonstration of striking teachers occupying the historic central plaza and demanding a wage increase.
Since then, thousands of teachers, unionists and leftists have camped out in the plaza, spray-painting buildings with revolutionary slogans, smashing hotel windows and erecting makeshift barricades. Most businesses remain closed.
The number in the camp varies periodically. There were more than 2,000 Monday, but some events during the protest have drawn several thousand more.
The unrest has paralyzed one of Mexico's top cultural attractions, where visitors to the southern city normally browse traditional markets for Indian handicrafts, hike ancient pyramids and stroll cobblestone streets to sample mole dishes. Officials recently canceled a prominent cultural festival because of fears that violence could injure tourists and residents.
Associated Press Writer Ioan Grillo in Mexico City contributed to this report. |
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