Guadalajara: Latin America/Caribbean - EU Summit Mars Beginning of Riot : Cleveland IMC (((i)))

Guadalajara Police Brutality - Take Action!

The ¡Enough Is Enough! Project (http://www.EnoughIsEnough.de.vu) is
calling for solidarity actions with our comrades in Guadalajara, Mexico,
where violent repression and torture is occurring during protests of the
meeting of Latin America and the Caribbean and the European Union May
26-29th. Activists are protesting the meetings of an exclusive group of
heads of state who do not represent needs of their communities, who are
signing agreements that will increase poverty and exploit resources and
labor.

Police harassment and brutality has been rampant during the protests. On
May 27, after a camp where out-of-town protesters were staying, was
surrounded by police and no one was allowed to enter or exit for five
hours. The following day, Friday, May 28th, serious confrontation broke
out during the main march of the conference. The police unnecessarily
attacked protesters with tear gas, pepper spray and physical aggression.
After standing their ground for over an hour, protesters were forced to
flee the area. The majority of arrests were made after the confrontation
had ended, as protesters attempted to reach a safe place.

Over 100 activists and bystanders have disappeared. Protesters are being
held in 5 different jails and 2 different hospitals and the authorities
have refused to release their names . Witnesses in the jails have
reported torture inside the jail. Women have been forced to strip naked,
and men have been brutally beaten while handcuffed on the ground. Nine of
the people being held are foreigners, one of them severely injured. Her
physical condition is unknown and no visitors, including lawyers, have
been allowed to visit any detainees.

Authorities have claimed that they will release most prisoners on two
conditions: out-of-town protesters must leave immediately, and all damaged
property must be paid for. The current situation at 9:00 pm, Saturday
night: ten people have been let out, a list of names has finally been
released, 43 of which will remain in jail on charges, and eight foreigners
are about to be deported.

OUR DEMANDS:
1) Unconditional freedom for all the political detainees
2) Drop all charges
3) No more harassment, torture, beatings or arrests
4) Proper medical treatment for injured detainees
5) Safe passage home for all activists

WE CALL FOR ACTIONS OF SOLIDARITY
1) phone calls to the Mexican embassy and consulates
2) donations for legal fees
http://guadalajara.mediosindependientes.org
3) flyering in your community and at Mexican consulates
4) creative actions of all kinds to pressure the Mexican government

INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE MAKES A DIFFERENCE
The Mexican Consulate is your area can be found at
http://www.mexonline.com/consulate.htm or call the Mexican Embassy (202)
728 1600

SEE LINK FOR FLYER:
http://guadalajara.mediosindependientes.org/usermedia/image/4/large/flyer.jpg

CHIAPAS INDYMEDIA: http://chiapas.mediosindependientes.org/

============================
and from the bourgeois press, this from the BBC:

Riots mar end of Mexico summit
Violent clashes between rioters and police have marred the end of a
summit of EU and Latin American leaders in Mexico's second city,
Guadalajara.

French President Jacques Chirac was forced to cancel a news conference as
well-organised groups of protestors pelted riot police with missiles.

Around 20 people were injured and more than 90 arrested amid the mayhem just a
short distance from the venue.

The authorities say a violent student movement was behind the anarchy.

There appeared to be a group of about 50 rioters who struck during a peaceful
rally by hundreds of people in support of fair trade and against poverty.

Looting

The situation quickly deteriorated and the police responded to the rioters with
equal force, hitting protesters with their batons.

They fired tear gas and used water cannon to try to control the situation but it
took several hours for them to break up the crowds.

Despite the huge security operation which had been put in place to protect the
conference delegates, terrified passers-by were caught up in the aggression.

Dozens of civilians along with a number of police were injured.

Banks and shops across the city have been looted.

Debris is now strewn across the streets.

The BBC's Claire Marshall reports that, at the end of a high-profile summit, this is
a real embarrassment for Mexico.

The summit reached only limited agreement on trade reform, with the EU giving a
guarded welcome to a proposal by the G20 - a group of developing states led by
India, South Africa and Brazil - for agricultural tariff cuts.

On foreign policy, however, the 58 leaders united to urge the US to seek greater
UN involvement in Iraq and "express abhorrence at recent evidence of the
mistreatment of prisoners in Iraqi prisons".

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/3759547.stm

Published: 2004/05/29 07:03:52 GMT

© BBC MMIV

nearest Mexican Consulate:

Detroit Michigan
645 Griswold Ave. Suite 1700, Detroit, MI 48226
Tel: (313) 964-4515 * Fax: (313) 964-4522

Cleveland Indy Media Center