Update From Chiapas: Jan 12th 98

January 12th, 1998
11:00 pm

Earlier today, rumors started to circulate about the army opening fire on a demonstration in Ocosingo, Chiapas.

The evening news on TV Azteca confirmed the rumors.

This afternoon, a group of 20-30 Seguridad Publica officers opened fire on a peaceful demonstration in Ocosingo. One 38 year old woman was killed and her 2-year old girl was shot in the arm. There may have been at least one other person wounded. The police opened fire with automatic weapons, claiming to be shooting into the air, after demonstrators threw rocks at the police and their vehicles.

TV Azteca was the only newscrew present and the footage is brutal. There was no ambulance in the area and the TV Azteca crew drove the wounded woman and her child to the nearest hospital, in Altamirano--30 minutes away. She was declared dead upon arrival in Altamirano.

There are rumors that 26 Seguridad Publica officers have been disarmed and arrested. The governor swears that the guilty will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

The demonstration was called by a number of campesino organizations from the region of the Canadas of La Garrucha and Morelia. Amongst the sponsoring groups were TZOMAN, ARIC-Independiente, ARIC-Union de Uniones, Tres Nudos, COAO, and ORCAO. Many of these organizations help make up the civilian support base of the EZLN.

There will undoubtedly be more news forthcoming.

     ****** A-Infos News Service *****
  News about and of interest to anarchists

Subscribe - email MAJORDOMO@TAO.CA
             with the message SUBSCRIBE A-INFOS
Info      - http://www.tao.ca/ainfos/
Reproduce - please include this section