A march, no bar-b-que, for Labor Day
Oaxaca is a conflictive state. About the size of Indiana, just over 3 million people live here, divided among 16 indigenous groups (with distinct languages intact) and a slight majority “mestizo” population (mixed indigenous – European blood). And a few of us gringos! Economic inequality and political domination are regular, troubling features of the social landscape. There is much active resistance to this state of affairs.
You may have heard that in the spring of 2006 there was a general uprising in Oaxaca, initially sparked by a teacher’s strike (for better working conditions and to dismiss an authoritarian governor whose abusive power derives from questionable elections). Corruption and marginalization had created a tinder box of dissatisfaction. In April 2006, the teachers occupied the main city square for over a month and were joined by all sectors of society delivering food and solidarity. The demands for change grew as did the swell of public outcry for change. An umbrella organization called APPO – the Popular Assembly of Oaxacan Peoples – was founded. The police violently uprooted the demonstrators a month later. Repression was fierce and effective. The movement for democratic change remains strong today (although the governor remains in office) but is tired and not nearly as unified – factions have emerged.
The September 1st march grows out of that history (woefully butchered in the above paragraph). Specifically, 70,000 teachers and students took to the streets to protest a new law attempting to cut teacher pensions (something certainly not unique to Oaxaca). The neighborhood we live in – Fraccionamiento del Sol – has a high percentage of families with teachers. Many families were very active in the 2006 protests and some participated on September 1st. Differences have emerged among families about what tactics are most effective to preserve teachers rights and advance democracy in Oaxaca. We’re just trying to figure out the political landscape here.
Oaxaca is a conflictive state. About the size of Indiana, just over 3 million people live here, divided among 16 indigenous groups (with distinct languages intact) and a slight majority “mestizo” population (mixed indigenous – European blood). And a few of us gringos! Economic inequality and political domination are regular, troubling features of the social landscape. There is much active resistance to this state of affairs.
You may have heard that in the spring of 2006 there was a general uprising in Oaxaca, initially sparked by a teacher’s strike (for better working conditions and to dismiss an authoritarian governor whose abusive power derives from questionable elections). Corruption and marginalization had created a tinder box of dissatisfaction. In April 2006, the teachers occupied the main city square for over a month and were joined by all sectors of society delivering food and solidarity. The demands for change grew as did the swell of public outcry for change. An umbrella organization called APPO – the Popular Assembly of Oaxacan Peoples – was founded. The police violently uprooted the demonstrators a month later. Repression was fierce and effective. The movement for democratic change remains strong today (although the governor remains in office) but is tired and not nearly as unified – factions have emerged.
The September 1st march grows out of that history (woefully butchered in the above paragraph). Specifically, 70,000 teachers and students took to the streets to protest a new law attempting to cut teacher pensions (something certainly not unique to Oaxaca). The neighborhood we live in – Fraccionamiento del Sol – has a high percentage of families with teachers. Many families were very active in the 2006 protests and some participated on September 1st. Differences have emerged among families about what tactics are most effective to preserve teachers rights and advance democracy in Oaxaca. We’re just trying to figure out the political landscape here.
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