On October 22, the ANSWER Coalition and the Party for Socialism and Liberation and other activists gathered in front of the UN to rally in solidarity with members of the Caravan against Repression in Mexico.
The caravan consists of representatives from different regions of Mexico, with different struggles, united in their search for justice and solidarity. The caravan came to New York City and will go to other states to expose the government of Mexico as a human rights abuser.
Participants listened to their demands and their sufferings, the cries of real survivors and stories of the victims of the oppressive Mexican government. The permanent mission of this Caravan is to denounce the repression of the Mexican people imposed by the government of Enrique Pena Nieto. They rallied in front of the UN to present their stories to the UN and also the Mexican ambassador Juan José Gómez Camacho.
The rally was followed by a forum where speakers from the Mexican social justice movement spoke on their struggles.
The Movement of Farm Workers of San Quentin in Baja California spoke about their fight for labor rights, respect and overtime pay. The workers of Driscoll berries see hope that their actions will lead to an agreement and the establishment of a union to defend their interest.
Mothers of the 43 disappeared Ayotzinapa students along with a student from Ayotzinapa, Eduardo Maganda, spoke about that ongoing struggle. Eduardo told a hair-raising story as a survivor of the disappearance of the 43 students.
Participants also heard from two of the mothers of the disappeared students, Christina and Joaquina. Christina relayed the facts and lies of the government regarding the case of the 43. The mothers demand that the Mexican government return their sons alive and well. They called for the truth about where their sons and daughters, what happened that day and who is responsible for their disappearance. Furthermore the mothers demand the investigation of the police of Huitzuco and the the military personnel that were involved.
Joaquina exclaimed, “It seems that in my country it is a crime to be a student of a rural school.” Afterwards Antonio Tizapa, father of one of the students, got up and hugged the mothers as they cried together in a moment of silence for their missing children.
Miriam Olademis Leyva, a national coordinator of the educational workers union, then addressed the crowd. She stood with the crowd of more than 50 people, demanding that the government stop the harassment and persecution against teachers, She warned that the privatization of the schools would mean the death of Mexican education.
The forum also heard from a survivor of the June 19 massacre in Nochixtlan, Oaxaca. The survivor told her heroic story of not giving up and staying in her village after seeing how Federal police officers attacked and killed 12 members of her community. She proudly told the crowd, “I’m tired of all this,
I’m not afraid, this is my home my land and I’m not going no where.“
