APPO Press Release Denouncing Police and PRI

OAXACA CITY, OAXACA. NOVEMBER 21, 2006.

TO THE LOCAL, NATIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL PRESS
TO THE PEOPLE OF OAXACA, MEXICO, AND THE WORLD

Today, after 184 days of struggle against the tyrant and repressor Ulises Ruíz Ortiz, his paid assassins, paramilitaries and thugs, the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO) finds it necessary to denounce the abuses against the people of Oaxaca.

Yesterday, as the APPO was holding a peaceful march to commemorate the 96th anniversary marking the beginning of our revolution, we were provoked by the occupying force of the Federal Preventative Police (PFP) as we passed in front of their contingent, and later again at the corner of Alcalá and Morelos streets. Rocks and marbles were thrown at the members of the APPO participating in the march, provoking a confrontation that lasted nearly 4 hours, leaving a toll of 10 detained and 50 wounded from the APPO, whose names are the following:

Felemón Ortega, José Luis Órnelas were left with a fractured leg and intoxication from the gases, Jesús Alvarado and a foreign woman who were left with wounds on the left side of their ribcage from the impact of a teargas canister, and all of this leaves further proof of the criminal and cowardly acts of the PFP against the people of Oaxaca, and only to protect Ulises Ruíz Ortiz, and to keep him in power.

The APPO condemns this criminal act and the general impunity with which the PFP is acting against the compañeros from various media outlets, assaulting them for merely trying to do their work and trying at all costs to prevent these matters from coming to the public eye. We recognize the bravery and professionalism with which the true reporters are acting by complying with the people.

The actions carried out by Ulises Ruíz's armed groups cannot go unpunished: burning the APPO encampment in order to destroy it, robbing people of their provisions, and burning the clothes of children who are staying in the encampment. It is clear that they came with the intention of assaulting and even assassinating members of the APPO, by coming with heavily armed thugs and paramilitaries, and fortunately, thanks to an anonymous tip passed along to the APPO, we had already asked the compañeros to retire from the encampment.

Finally, we want to recognize the support that was brought by members of the Union 3 de Marzo del Municipio de Oaxaca that came to the encampment to clean up the garbage and materials burnt by URO's paid assassins, something that speaks highly of the Democratic Unions.

ATTENTIVELY
APPO PRESS COMMITTEE
ALL THE POWER TO THE PEOPLE