On December, 1st, the Federal State and Federal District security forces fired rubber bullets from point-blank range and threw tear-gas, injuring dozens of people, among whom at least two still are in a critical state. Mexico city inhabitants took to the streets to protest against Enrique Peña Nieto being sworn in as Mexico's new president. At daybreak they had to face an uncommon police repression. As the state of Mexico's former governor, Enrique Peña Nieto had made himself responsible for the police violence in San Salvador de Atenco, in 2006, during the demonstrations against an airport project. His fraudulent election in July foreshadowed the coming back into power of the PRI, Institutional Revolutionary Party. This party had been ruling Mexico for 70 years, until 1989, using corruption and violence.
Freedom of expression and freedom of demonstrating in the public space are fundamental rights of the people needing to express their social ills. However, gates and metal walls had been erected all along the way to the Zocalo (main square of Mexico city). Students, teachers, housewives, workers and anarchists were taking part into the demonstration, and they have been harassed by 6000 riot control policemen, standing nearby the Legislative Palace of San Lazaro. Those disproportionate measures made the people angry as they saw in them a shackle to their freedom of movement.
Thus the new power's answer to a population sick of their everyday struggle against poverty and corruption was made of brutal attacks, massive arrests and torture acts in custody. 67 people are still imprisoned and are liable to jail sentences up to 10 to 30 years for the offence of "attacking the public peace and the State stability". The disorder forces used rubber bullets, which are prohibited in Mexico and about which the ONU stated that they should not be fired at distances under 30 meters. The wounds provoked include the loss of an eye and a severe head injury. People who were only passing by in the area of confrontation and were not taking part in the demonstrations were also arbitrarily arrested. The goal is clearly to divide, terrorize, discourage and break up any social resistance.
At the height of deceit and cynicism, Mexico city's « chief of government », Marcelo Ebrard, is now trying to stigmatize anarchists. He claims to hold them responsible for the confrontations, whereas they were merely defending themselves at the side of the people. Organizations such as the Anarchist Students Coordination, Yosoy132 and the Anarchist Black Cross, openly against any criminalization of social protests and of youth, are being made Federal government's scapegoats. The persecution and defamation campaign against anarchists is not new but is growing as the mass media, accomplice of the fraudulent election, are disseminating it. One may remember how 300 anarchists had been surrounded on last May, 1st, in front of the Revolution Monument.
The Anarchist Federation expresses its strongest solidarity with the victims of the injuries made by the henchmen of power and is present on the side of all the ones fighting against the State and its violence, in Mexico and everywhere else.
Immediate release of the detainees and dropping of the charges against them !
International relations of the Anarchist Federation