Important message from Oaxaca Mexico, govt raids a solidarity house

[mary <humdrum2 at libero.it>]

companeros,
i just learned that the house i was living in for two months in oaxaca,
which i just left last sunday, was raided by the oaxaca state and local
police last night. live rounds and tear gas were fired, and several
people were beaten. it appears that people are doing ok, that no one is
seriously wounded, and i don't think that anyone was arrested. it's hard
to get in touch right now, but i'm trying to get more news.  of
course the house has been trashed. below is the communique, my
translation into english and the spanish original. i'm trying to get
photos and to find out what more can be done by those not in oaxaca.
thanks for spreading the word.
saludos,
scott

companeros,
me acabo de aprender que la casa donde vivi por los dos meses pasado en
oaxaca ha sido subjetado a una redadad por policia municipal y preventivo
estatal en oaxaca anoche. usaron tiros de armas y gases lacrimogenos, y
tambien golpearon a mucha gente. parece que la gente esta bien, no hay
heridos graves, y no creo que hay detenidos. es dificil comunicar con
ellos ahora, pero estoy intentando de sacar mas noticias. por supuesto la
casa ha recibido muchos danos. abajo esta el comunicado - mi traduccion a
ingles primero y luego el original en espanol. estoy intentando obtener
fotos y encontrar que mas nosotros que no estan en oaxaca podemos hacer.
gracis por correr la voz.
saludos,
scott

To the people of Oaxaca
To the people of M xico
To Section 22
To the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca
To the media 
 
In the early morning of Monday, December 8, 2008, murderer Ulises Ruiz's
Oaxacan state government, through its Preventative and Municipal police,
onboard various police pickup trucks and motorcycles, violently attacked
those who live and work in the political and cultural space of the house
located at 408 Crespo Street in the historic center of Oaxaca,
"Oaxacan Autonomous Solidarity House of Self-Sustaining
(Autogestive) Work" (Casa Aut noma Solidaria Oaxaque a de
Trabajo Autogestivo CASOTA).
 
FACTS:
At approximately 12:30 AM, two State Preventative Police patrol units
violently and without reason stopped two comrades who left the political
space, forcing them to show identification and submit to pat-downs. One
of them was detained and violently put into a police vehicle, while the
rest of the comrades in this political space gathered to try and rescue
our comrade, and once we got into the house around 15 preventative police
trucks began their repressive aggression, without caring that inside the
house was a child of no more than two years old, using tear gas, gunfire,
and beatings with bricks. For about an hour they attacked the house,
destroying the main door and windows.
 
As a result of the state police's aggression, various comrades have
contusions from the rocks and billy clubs they repressed us with, and
intoxicated with gas those of us who were inside the house, as well as
causing considerable damage to the building, such as the destruction of
the main door and windows and the bullet impacts that damaged the fa ade
of the house.
 
WE DENOUNCE:
That this action was planned by the bad government of murderer Ulises
Ruiz Ortiz as a consequence for our participation in the movement of the
Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca, it is known that those who make
up this space continue participating in the movement and we maintain a
complete repudiation of the bad government of Ulises Ruiz and we continue
in the search for a profound and radical change in our society in a
peaceful but forceful manner and in an open struggle against the state,
the bad government and the political classes of all the political
parties.
 
Moreover, we denounce that this cultural and political house, where
diverse collectives and people in the APPO, among others VOCAL, meet,
have been constantly criminalized by the bad government and some segments
of the media in a tenacious manner, above all for what happened on
November 25, 2008, when we participated in the march commemorating two
years of the worst repression the people of Oaxaca have ever faced.
 
WE DECLARE:
That this aggression with not stop those who make up this space in
their search for a society with justice, freedom, peace and dignity, even
though this has awakened the hate, criminal anxiety and violence of the
bad government.
 
That this aggression is not an isolated incident but forms a part of the
bad government's general strategy to strangle and suffocate the
reorganization that is currently happening inside of the APPO.
 
That this cultural and political space located at Crespo 408 is a place
where we practice peaceful initiatives to construct a new society in an
autonomous manner independent of the state, the economic powers, and the
political classes of all political parties. This has been done
principally through different workshops where we share our skills freely,
as in silk screening, binding, editing and printing of texts, urban
agriculture, a peoples kitchen, recycling, electronics repair and
activities such as video screenings and talks, performances of resistance
music, and other political-cultural events.
 
WE REQUEST in a fraternal and firm manner the backing and
solidarity of the people of Oaxaca who struggle and resist, of Section 22
of the democratic teachers' union, and of the Popular Assembly of the
People of Oaxaca, that this aggression is a clear display of the
repressive and violent climate through which Ulises Ruiz is again trying
to suffocate the reorganization of our social movement, and above all,
all those sectors the don't give in to negotiations or to the
surrendering the principles of the APPO and the just struggle of the
people of Oaxaca.
 
WE FIRMLY DEMAND:
An end to the repression and harassment of the different collectives
and persons who live and work in this space and the complete repayment
for the damages caused to the building as well as the immediate removal
of the police forces who permanently harass and surveill this space.
 
WE INVITE YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN A BLOCKADE ABOVE CRESPO 408 (ON THE SIDE
OF THE RETIREMENT HOME) TODAY, DECEMBER 8, AT 5PM.
 
WE MAKE AN URGENT CALL TO ALL THE PEOPLE OF OAXACA, THE ORGANIZATIONS
IN THE POPULAR ASSEMBLY OF THE PEOPLE OF OAXACA, THE DEMOCRATIC TEACHERS'
UNION OF SECTION 22, FOR THE REPUDIATION OF THIS AGGRESSION WHICH WE
SUFFERED AND WE ASK FOR YOU TO JOIN US TO DEFEND THIS SPACE, WHICH IS
OPEN TO THE PEOPLE OF OAXACA, IN A FORCEFUL AND MASSIVE MANNER.

BECAUSE TO PROTEST IS NOT A CRIME:
FREE POLITICAL PRISONERS!
THE APPO LIVES, THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES!
JUSTICE, FREEDOM, PEACE, DIGNITY!
 
FRATERNALLY:
OAXACAN AUTONOMOUS SOLIDARITY HOUSE OF SELF-SUSTAINING WORK (CASOTA)
MAGONIST LIBERTARIAN COLLECTIVE
OAXACAN VOICES CONSTRUCTING AUTONOMY AND FREEDOM (VOCAL)
 

Oaxaca de Magon, City of Resistance, December 8, 2008.

---------------------------------------
Al pueblo de Oaxaca
Al pueblo de M xico
A la secci n 22
A la Asamblea Popular de los Pueblos de Oaxaca
A los medios de comunicaci n
 
 La madrugada del d a lunes 8 de diciembre de 2008, el gobierno del
estado de Oaxaca del asesino Ulises Ruiz, a trav s de  las Polic a
Preventiva y Municipal, a bordo de varias patrullas y motos realizaron
una agresi n violenta en contra  de quienes vivimos y trabajamos en
el espacio pol tico y cultural de la casa ubicada en la calle de crespo N
mero 408   del centro hist rico "Casa Aut noma
Solidaria Oaxaque a de Trabajo Autogestivo".
Hechos:
 Aproximadamente a las 0:30 de la madrugada, dos patrullas de la
polic a preventiva estatal detuvieron con violencia y sin ning n motivo a
dos compa eros que sal an de este espacio pol tico, a pesar de que los
dos fueron obligados a mostrar sus documentos y ser sometidos a revisi n,
uno de ellos fue detenido y subido a una de las patrullas de manera
violenta ante lo cual los compa eros que habitamos este espacio pol tico
acudimos a rescatar a nuestro compa ero, una vez que entramos a la casa
empez la agresi n represiva de alrededor de 15 patrullas de la polic a
preventiva, sin importar que al interior se encontraba un ni o de no m s
de dos a os, quienes con gases lacrim genos, disparos de armas de fuego y
pedazos de tabique, durante alrededor de una hora agredieron la casa,
destrozando la puerta principal y ventanas del inmueble. 
Como resultado de la agresi n los polic as estatales produjeron
contusiones a varios compa eros con las piedras y toletes con los que nos
reprimieron e intoxicaron con gases a quienes nos encontramos dentro de
la casa, adem s que produjeron da os considerables al edificio, como el
destrozo de la puerta principal y de las ventanas, los impactos de armas
de fuego causaron da os a la fachada del edificio.
Denunciamos:
 Que esta acci n fue planeada por el mal gobierno del asesino
Ulises Ruiz Ortiz, como consecuencia de nuestra participaci n en el
movimiento de la Asamblea Popular de los Pueblos de Oaxaca,  pues es
conocido que quienes formamos parte de este espacio seguimos participando
en el movimiento y mantenemos en todo lo alto el repudio al mal gobierno
de Ulises Ruiz y seguimos en la b squeda de un cambio profundo y radical
de nuestra sociedad de manera pacifica pero contundente y en abierta
lucha en contra del estado, el mal gobierno y la clase pol tica de todos
los partidos pol ticos.
Denunciamos adem s que esta casa cultural y politico, donde diversos
colectivos y personas del movimiento de la APPO, entre ellos VOCAL, nos
reunimos, ha sido criminalizada constantemente por el mal gobierno y
algunos medios de comunicaci n de manera insistente, sobre todo a ra z de
los hechos ocurridos el d a 25 de noviembre de 2008, cuando participamos
en la marcha que conmemoro los dos a os de la peor represi n que han
sufrido nuestros pueblos de Oaxaca.
Declaramos:
Que esta agresi n no detendr a quienes formamos parte de este espacio
en la b squeda de una sociedad con justicia, libertad, paz y dignidad,
aun cuando esto despierte el odio,  el ansia de crimen y violencia
del mal gobierno. 
Que esta agresi n no es aislada sino forma parte de una estrategia
general  del mal gobierno para coartar y sofocar la reorganizaci n
que en este momento esta ocurriendo dentro de nuestro movimiento de la
APPO.
Que este espacio cultural y pol tico ubicado en crespo 408 es un lugar
donde hacemos iniciativas pacificas de construcci n de una nueva sociedad
de manera aut noma e independiente del estado, del poder econ mico y de
la clase pol tica de todos los partidos pol ticos. Principalmente a trav
s de diferentes talleres donde se comparten conocimientos de manera
gratuita, como serigraf a, empastado, edici n e impresi n de textos,
agricultura urbana, cocina popular, reciclaje, arreglo de equipos electr
nicos y actividades como video pl ticas, convivencias musicales de
resistencia y otros eventos pol tico culturales.
SOLICITAMOS de manera fraterna y firme el respaldo y la
solidaridad de los pueblos de Oaxaca que luchan y resisten, de la Secci n
22 del Magisterio democr tico y de la Asamblea Popular de los Pueblos de
Oaxaca pues esta agresi n, es una clara muestra del clima represivo y
violento con que Ulises Ruiz pretende nuevamente sofocar la reorganizaci
n de nuestro movimiento social, sobre todo aquellos sectores que no se
rinden a la negociaci n y la claudicaci n de los principios de la APPO y
de la lucha justa de los pueblos de Oaxaca.
 
 
EXIGIMOS FIRMEMENTE:
 El cese de la represi n y hostigamiento en contra de los
diferentes colectivos y personas que habitamos y trabajamos en este
espacio y la indemnizaci n total por los da os causados en el edificio
adem s del retiro inmediato de los cuerpos polic acos que de manera
permanente acosan y mantienen vigilado este espacio.
 
LOS INVITAMOS A PARTICIPAR EN UN BLOQUEO A LA ALTURA DE CRESPO 408 (AL
LADO DEL ASILO DE ANCIANOS)  A LAS 5 DE LA TARDE HOY 8 DE
DICIEMBRE.
 
HACEMOS UN LLAMADO URGENTE A TODOS LOS PUEBLOS DE OAXACA, A LAS
ORGANIZACIONES DE LA ASAMBLEA POPULAR DE LOS PUEBLOS DE OAXACA, AL
MAGISTERIO DEMOCRATICO DE LA SECCION 22, PARA REPUDIAR ESTA AGRESION QUE
SUFRIMOS Y LOS CONVOCAMOS A DEFENDER ESTE ESPACIO, QUE EST ABIERTO AL
PUEBLO DE OAXACA, DE MANERA CONTUNDENTE Y MASIVA.

POR QUE PROTESTAR NO ES DELITO:
PRESOS POLITICOS LIBERTAD!
LA APPO VIVE, LA LUCHA SIGUE!
JUSTICIA, LIBERTAD, PAZ, DIGNIDAD!
 
FRATERNALMENTE:
CASA AUT NOMA SOLIDARIA OAXAQUE A DE TRABAJO AUTOGESTIVO
COLECTIVO LIBERTARIO MAGONISTA
VOCES OAXAQUE AS CONSTRUYENDO AUTONOMIA Y LIBERTAD
 

Oaxaca de Magon, Ciudad de la Resistencia a 8 de Noviembre de 2008.