> > Companeros: > The spray-paint had hardly dried from Saturday's march in > Mexico City, yet dozens of young people found new spaces on the > marble walls and bank windows to express their discontent. After > the turnout of 100,000 on Saturday's march, I was sure today's > demonstration to be small and quiet given the expected weariness of > the people after nearly a week of protests. The number of people > who arrived from different points in Mexico City and Cuernavaca, > though not as large as on Saturday, managed to almost fill the > immense Zocalo. The mood of the crowd was even more militant and > fearless today. > The young men appeared fearless as they painted their slogans > such as "Juicio Politico a Zedillo," 187 (in a circle with a cross > through > it), and the assorted pro-EZLN messages. They painted in broad > daylight, in front of on-lookers and guards. Some wore ski-masks, > but others did not, evn as they were being videotaped and > phhotographed. They painted on the building of the pro-government > newspaper Excelsior, on the sidewalks and streets, and even entered > McDonalds on Calle Madero to paint inside on windows and on their > floors. When I asked them if they were afraid that the police might > come, they all answered that they no longer had any fear. As one > masked youth who went straight up to the national palace doors and > painted EZLN said, "In Mexico we were born with fear, but there is > nothing to fear anymore. Either we die fighting or we die of hunger." > Another youth took his resistance even farther as he unzipped his > pants and pissed on the symbolic seat of the national government. > Several unions had a strong presence, including the electrical , > telephone, and petroleum workers. These workers expressed their > disgust for Fidel Velazquez, the leader of the pro-government union > federation CTM, who recently commented that workers should give a > day's salary to help pay the debt and that those who support the > Zapatistas are acting illegally and should be punished. One woman > simply held out her middle finger, in the fuck-you gesture, and said > "this is what I think of him." This fuck-you gesture was echoed in a > huge banner with dozens of masked Zapatistas all holding their > middle fingers out. > The mood of the march, though angry at points, also had a > carnavalesque feeling, with people donning costumes and performing > for the crowds. One car was decorated to look like a tank, with two > people on the roof dressed as Mexican soldiers, protecting someone > dressed as Zedillo who wore an Uncle Sam hat. The car/tank was > surrounded by "zapatistas" who yelled "culero" at Zedillo and the > soldiers. Intermittently, the crowd threw papers and orange peels at > Zedillo and his soldier escorts. People who lined the parade route, > including men in suits and private security guards, all laughed at the > sight of Zedillo in the tank being bombarded with orange peels. This > guerrilla theater act allowed the crowd to vent their anger at their > enemies in a safe and fun way. A contingent of Gays and Lesbians > marched because, as one of their group said, "we too have our human > rights violated and the EZLN has always supported us." The upbeat > mood could be felt as students ran into the Zocalo in large groups, > carrying immense banners and chanting their very familar slogans. > The speakers included more people from civic organizations, > and small political parties than in the past. A teenage boy gave a > passionate reading of his poem, followed by a representative of the > CND who used part of his time to sing a song of protest. A masked > student from the Universidad de Chapingo announced that students > were discussing the possibility of calling a general strike, to which > the crowd replied enthusiastically, "Huelga, Huelga!" Whenever > Zedillo's name was mentioned, the crowd went wild, whistling and > chanting "Culero" and "Que Renuncie!" A representative of the > Assamblea de Barrios spoke of a protest that a group of mothers had > organized in front of the offices of the Procuraduria General de la > Republica (PGR). Afraid of being accused of stock-piling weapons, > these mothers turned in their children's wooden bows and arrows, > their water-pistols, and their plastic machine guns. Rosario Ibarra de > Piedra read the central communique from the CND, in which they call > for the complete withdrawal of Mexican troops from Chiapas and the > resignation of Zedillo (see trans text of speech in another message). > A caravan left the Zocalo at 9 pm for Chiapas, and another > caravan led by Amado Avendano, the head of the government in > rebellion in Chiapas, will lead another caravan from Chiapas to > Mexico City. Rosario proposed that after the Chiapas caravan arrives > in Mexico City, a massive caravan of thousands of people should go to > the jungle and take it back from the Mexican military. > Tomorrow protests are planned at military bases throughout > the country. On Monday, there is a day of national and international > protest, with protests being organized in Mexican consulates and > embassies throughout the world. later that day, between 7 and 8 > pm, they have asked everyone in the country to turn off their lights, > to blow their car horns, and bang on pots. Friday, the 24th there > will be a protest combined with the annual religious pilgrimage from > the Glorietta de Peralvillo to La Villa. Saturday, the 25th another > large rally will be held in the Zocalo and then on Sunday Alianza > Civica will hold a national plebiscite on the issue of the loan. > It seems that Zedillo made a fatal miscalculation when he sent > the military into Chiapas. He has had to back down from the original > goal of capturing Marcos, but he has also unwittingly inspired > thousands of people to take to the streets. It is no longer a question > of Robledo Rincon resigning or amnesty for the Zapatistas. It is too > little and too late. The people have lost their fear of the government. > They pee on the palace and write EZLN on its doors, demanding > nothing less than the right to self-determination. > > > Hasta La Victoria. . . Siempre, > Elliott Young > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > A copy of the tape of this rally is available. > > >
