Federal police pulled out of the central square of Mexico's conflict-ridden state of Oaxaca, ending a seven-week occupation that restored order but angered many residents.
The withdrawal Saturday was another sign that six months of protests and street violence that killed nine people, scared away tourists and shattered the historic southern city's economy is ending.
On Saturday, the officers in black body armor packed away tents and sleeping mats and began marching out of the square before dawn, leaving state and city police to keep order.
Lino Celaya, Oaxaca's secretary of citizen protection, said about 2,000 federal police will remain in a military base outside the city in case trouble flares up again.
The protesters, a broad front of leftists, trade unionists and Indian groups, had taken over the center of Oaxaca for five months until more than 4,000 federal police armed with water canons and helicopters drove them off in October and November.
Many residents complained the presence of armored police and equipment cast a dark shadow over the colonial square and was akin to a military occupation.
However, some business owners fear there could be more violence after the police leave.
"What are we going to do without them?" asked Juanita Fosado, owner of a clothing store. "The protesters will come back to burn our businesses."
Federal police clashed with protesters throughout November, arresting more than 200 and pushing them out of all their city bases. Protest leader Flavio Sosa was also arrested, taking the sting out of the movement to oust Oaxaca Gov. Ulises Ruiz.
Human rights groups have asked U.N. officials to intervene on behalf of the arrested protesters, alleging they have been tortured and sexually abused in prisons hundreds of miles (kilometers) away.
On Saturday, federal authorities released 42 of the prisoners because there was a lack of evidence against them, according to protest spokesman Jesus Lopez and a federal official who asked not be identified because she was not authorized to speak on the record.
Most of the nine victims of the Oaxaca violence were protesters shot by armed gangs. Activists accuse local police of being behind the killings, and protesters complain that President Felipe Calderon's administration has failed to bring them to justice.
Monday, January 8, 2007
December 12, 2006: Government-allied union ends 1 1/2-year takeover of dissident Oaxaca newspaper
A labor group allied with the government of the southern state of Oaxaca announced on Monday that it was ending a controversial, 1 1/2-year blockade of the offices of Noticias, a newspaper frequently critical of state authorities.
Press groups had criticized the blockade as an attempt to silence the newspaper, which opposed Oaxaca Gov. Ulises Ruiz, who has been hit by six months of protests by striking teachers and leftists seeking to oust him.
Officials of the Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants, or CROC, began handing over the offices of Noticias to the newspaper's director, saying the "strike" was over. Picket lines were removed from the street outside the offices.
David Aguilar, a union representative, said the strike had achieved its goals and that the CROC "had acted within the framework of the law."
While the union technically represents the workers at Noticias, almost none of the paper's roughly 100 employees supported the strike, in which non-newspaper union activists erected a picket line around the offices and prevented employees from entering.
The strike was supposedly called for wage raises, but many saw it as political retaliation against the paper, which harshly criticized Ruiz, who has been accused of corruption, brutality and vote-fixing. The union has close ties to Ruiz's government.
On June 17, 2005, supporters of a union dominated by the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI of which Ruiz is a member set up picket lines outside the Noticias. Some employees remained blockaded inside, but were eventually removed by police.
Seven months earlier, a gang of farmers had staged a violent takeover of a warehouse belonging to Noticias. The paper also accused the state government of being behind that attack, which officials described at the time as a land dispute.
Later, the PRI state government then tried to stop the paper from publishing from an alternative site.
Shortly after the strike started, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists called on Oaxaca officials to halt the blockade, which involved police confiscating copies of the newspaper and trying to block distribution.
"Your government has stated that this is a labor dispute, but the evidence does not support that claim," the committee said in an open letter. "This is an attempt to stifle coverage of state authorities."
Protesters began demanding Ruiz step down in late May, seizing much of Oaxaca city, the state capital. At least nine people were killed in the violence, mainly protesters, before federal police were sent into the city in October to regain control.
Press groups had criticized the blockade as an attempt to silence the newspaper, which opposed Oaxaca Gov. Ulises Ruiz, who has been hit by six months of protests by striking teachers and leftists seeking to oust him.
Officials of the Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants, or CROC, began handing over the offices of Noticias to the newspaper's director, saying the "strike" was over. Picket lines were removed from the street outside the offices.
David Aguilar, a union representative, said the strike had achieved its goals and that the CROC "had acted within the framework of the law."
While the union technically represents the workers at Noticias, almost none of the paper's roughly 100 employees supported the strike, in which non-newspaper union activists erected a picket line around the offices and prevented employees from entering.
The strike was supposedly called for wage raises, but many saw it as political retaliation against the paper, which harshly criticized Ruiz, who has been accused of corruption, brutality and vote-fixing. The union has close ties to Ruiz's government.
On June 17, 2005, supporters of a union dominated by the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI of which Ruiz is a member set up picket lines outside the Noticias. Some employees remained blockaded inside, but were eventually removed by police.
Seven months earlier, a gang of farmers had staged a violent takeover of a warehouse belonging to Noticias. The paper also accused the state government of being behind that attack, which officials described at the time as a land dispute.
Later, the PRI state government then tried to stop the paper from publishing from an alternative site.
Shortly after the strike started, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists called on Oaxaca officials to halt the blockade, which involved police confiscating copies of the newspaper and trying to block distribution.
"Your government has stated that this is a labor dispute, but the evidence does not support that claim," the committee said in an open letter. "This is an attempt to stifle coverage of state authorities."
Protesters began demanding Ruiz step down in late May, seizing much of Oaxaca city, the state capital. At least nine people were killed in the violence, mainly protesters, before federal police were sent into the city in October to regain control.
December 11, 2006: Mexico Leftist Leader Joins Oaxaca Protest
A leader of Mexico's largest leftist party led thousands of protesters in a march to the center of this historic city on Sunday, demanding the resignation of the state governor and the withdrawal of thousands of federal police.
Shouting "Freedom for political prisoners!" the demonstrators also called for the release of more than 200 people arrested in the six-month-long conflict in Oaxaca that has shattered the local economy and left at least nine dead.
Leonel Cota, president of the leftist Democratic Revolution Party or PRD, marched at the front of the demonstration alongside his party's lawmakers and Oaxacan protest leaders.
The protesters a broad front of leftists, students and Indian groups accuse Gov. Ulises Ruiz of rigging his election in 2004 and of sending armed thugs against his opponents.
They took over the center of Oaxaca for five months until thousands of federal police drove them off in clashes in October and November.
The PRD has become increasingly involved in the Oaxaca conflict after keeping its distance for months. Last week party leaders took up the cause of protest leader Flavio Sosa, who was arrested in Mexico City, calling him the first political prisoner of recently sworn-in President Felipe Calderon.
The PRD claims Calderon's victory over its candidate, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, in July was fraudulent and refuses to recognize him as president.
Most of the nine victims of the Oaxaca violence have been protesters who were shot by armed gangs, and activists blame local police for many of those killings.
Federal police raided the offices of the Oaxaca state police on Friday, and seized their guns to determine whether any were used in shootings of demonstrators.
The conflict has shattered the tourist industry in the city, which is famous for its colonial architecture and spicy cuisine. Although police have regained control of the city center, most foreign visitors continue to stay away.
Human rights groups have asked U.N. officials to intervene on behalf of the Oaxaca prisoners, alleging they have been tortured, sexually abused and taken to prisons thousands of miles away.
On Sunday, Ruiz announced that he had signed an agreement for more than 100 prisoners to be transferred from penitentiaries in the north of Mexico to installations close to their families in Oaxaca.
Meanwhile, about 200 demonstrators marched through Mexico City in solidarity with the Oaxaca march.
Shouting "Freedom for political prisoners!" the demonstrators also called for the release of more than 200 people arrested in the six-month-long conflict in Oaxaca that has shattered the local economy and left at least nine dead.
Leonel Cota, president of the leftist Democratic Revolution Party or PRD, marched at the front of the demonstration alongside his party's lawmakers and Oaxacan protest leaders.
The protesters a broad front of leftists, students and Indian groups accuse Gov. Ulises Ruiz of rigging his election in 2004 and of sending armed thugs against his opponents.
They took over the center of Oaxaca for five months until thousands of federal police drove them off in clashes in October and November.
The PRD has become increasingly involved in the Oaxaca conflict after keeping its distance for months. Last week party leaders took up the cause of protest leader Flavio Sosa, who was arrested in Mexico City, calling him the first political prisoner of recently sworn-in President Felipe Calderon.
The PRD claims Calderon's victory over its candidate, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, in July was fraudulent and refuses to recognize him as president.
Most of the nine victims of the Oaxaca violence have been protesters who were shot by armed gangs, and activists blame local police for many of those killings.
Federal police raided the offices of the Oaxaca state police on Friday, and seized their guns to determine whether any were used in shootings of demonstrators.
The conflict has shattered the tourist industry in the city, which is famous for its colonial architecture and spicy cuisine. Although police have regained control of the city center, most foreign visitors continue to stay away.
Human rights groups have asked U.N. officials to intervene on behalf of the Oaxaca prisoners, alleging they have been tortured, sexually abused and taken to prisons thousands of miles away.
On Sunday, Ruiz announced that he had signed an agreement for more than 100 prisoners to be transferred from penitentiaries in the north of Mexico to installations close to their families in Oaxaca.
Meanwhile, about 200 demonstrators marched through Mexico City in solidarity with the Oaxaca march.
December 10, 2006: unmen Slay Indian Activist in Oaxaca
Assailants shot dead an Indian activist in Mexico's conflict-ridden state of Oaxaca, police said Saturday. It was not clear if the killing was related to months of political violence in which at least nine other people have died.
The bullet-ridden corpse of Raul Marcial Perez was found Friday on a road near the Mixtec Indian community of Agua Fria about 120 miles north of Oaxaca City, state police said in a news release. He had been shot earlier in the day, it said.
Marcial Perez had been involved in disputes involving two rival Triqui Indian rights groups, but it was not clear if that was related to his slaying.
Some Indian groups in Oaxaca have participated in demonstrations against state Gov. Ulises Ruiz, who is accused of thuggery and corruption. The protesters took over the center of Oaxaca for five months until thousands of federal police drove them off in clashes in October and November.
Most of the nine victims of the Oaxaca violence have been protesters who were shot by armed gangs, and activists blame local police for many of those killings.
Among those killed in the protests was freelance video journalist Bradley Roland Will, 36, of New York, who was filming a clash between protesters and a group of armed men on Oct. 27 when he was shot.
On Friday, federal police raided the offices of the Oaxaca state police force and seized their guns to determine whether any were used in shootings of demonstrators.
Oaxaca police director Manuel Moreno said Saturday that the seizure was illegal and accused the federal police of failing to follow correct procedures.
Protesters planned to march into the center of Oaxaca on Sunday to demand the resignation of Ruiz and the freedom of more than 200 people who have been arrested in demonstrations and sent to prisons across Mexico.
The bullet-ridden corpse of Raul Marcial Perez was found Friday on a road near the Mixtec Indian community of Agua Fria about 120 miles north of Oaxaca City, state police said in a news release. He had been shot earlier in the day, it said.
Marcial Perez had been involved in disputes involving two rival Triqui Indian rights groups, but it was not clear if that was related to his slaying.
Some Indian groups in Oaxaca have participated in demonstrations against state Gov. Ulises Ruiz, who is accused of thuggery and corruption. The protesters took over the center of Oaxaca for five months until thousands of federal police drove them off in clashes in October and November.
Most of the nine victims of the Oaxaca violence have been protesters who were shot by armed gangs, and activists blame local police for many of those killings.
Among those killed in the protests was freelance video journalist Bradley Roland Will, 36, of New York, who was filming a clash between protesters and a group of armed men on Oct. 27 when he was shot.
On Friday, federal police raided the offices of the Oaxaca state police force and seized their guns to determine whether any were used in shootings of demonstrators.
Oaxaca police director Manuel Moreno said Saturday that the seizure was illegal and accused the federal police of failing to follow correct procedures.
Protesters planned to march into the center of Oaxaca on Sunday to demand the resignation of Ruiz and the freedom of more than 200 people who have been arrested in demonstrations and sent to prisons across Mexico.
December 5, 2006: Leader of Oaxaca protests arrested in Mexico City, supporters calling for weekend march
Police arrested the symbolic leader of a six-month protest movement that took over the southern city of Oaxaca and left at least nine dead, hours after he said at a news conference in Mexico City that he'd gone to the capital to negotiate a peaceful solution.
Flavio Sosa, whose heavyset, bearded presence became an emblem of the leftist Oaxaca People's Assembly, was arrested late Monday on charges related to the barricades, vandalism and irregular detentions carried out by some protesters.
"Sosa ... is known for his use of violence, damaging private property and public byways, and also burning vehicles and buildings in Oaxaca City," federal prosecutors said.
Sosa was charged with kidnapping, robbery, causing damages and injuries and taken to a maximum security prison just west of Mexico City that holds some of the nation's most dangerous prisoners.
Leaders of the Oaxaca People's Assembly, or APPO, have vowed to keep pressing for Gov. Ulises Ruiz's resignation and called for a "mega-march" Saturday to demand the release of Sosa and other protesters even as life there visibly returns to normal after burned-out vehicles and improvised barricades were removed from the streets.
Some residents warn that simmering discontent about poverty, injustice and oppression could erupt into violence again at any time.
Tomas Basaldu, Oaxacan state leader of Mexico's leftist Democratic Revolution Party, said he was meeting with the protesters.
"We will take action in the next few days," he said. "We won't lower our guard in backing the protesters."
The conflict began in late May as a strike by teachers seeking higher pay, but quickly exploded into a broader movement including Indian groups, students, farmers and myriad left-leaning activists claiming Ruiz rigged his electoral victory and has repressed opponents.
The conflict kept residents away from the city's historic center and forced nearly all the shops and restaurants to close their doors. Former President Vicente Fox in late October sent in federal troops, who cleared protesters from the streets.
Located about 325 miles southeast of Mexico City and featuring colonial architecture and Indian crafts, Oaxaca is one of the country's premier tourist destinations. But tourism plummeted amid the violence, which prompted the U.S. and several other foreign governments to warn their citizens against traveling to the city.
Before his arrest Monday, Sosa said he had come to Mexico City to try to re-establish negotiations with the government and to escape the "fierce persecution of the police and Ulises Ruiz' hit men," in Oaxaca.
Police called Sosa "the main leader" of the protest movement. Last month, he said everyone in the protest movement was equal "But my big beard and big stomach have made me become the favorite leader of the press and the police."
Sosa's brother, Horacio, was also arrested on unspecified charges.
Leaders who accompanied Sosa at the news conference said 220 protesters have been detained during the conflict, although police cite a figure of about 170. Protesters also claimed some detainees had been beaten, and that another 70 supporters of the movement are missing.
Among those killed in the protests was freelance video journalist from New York who was filming a clash between protesters and a group of armed men.
The violence seemed to come to a head last week when protesters set colonial-era buildings on fire, prompting police to begin arresting demonstrators. Many detainees have been transferred to a federal prison hundreds of miles away in Nayarit state, and many APPO leaders went into hiding after authorities issued warrants for their arrest.
Flavio Sosa, whose heavyset, bearded presence became an emblem of the leftist Oaxaca People's Assembly, was arrested late Monday on charges related to the barricades, vandalism and irregular detentions carried out by some protesters.
"Sosa ... is known for his use of violence, damaging private property and public byways, and also burning vehicles and buildings in Oaxaca City," federal prosecutors said.
Sosa was charged with kidnapping, robbery, causing damages and injuries and taken to a maximum security prison just west of Mexico City that holds some of the nation's most dangerous prisoners.
Leaders of the Oaxaca People's Assembly, or APPO, have vowed to keep pressing for Gov. Ulises Ruiz's resignation and called for a "mega-march" Saturday to demand the release of Sosa and other protesters even as life there visibly returns to normal after burned-out vehicles and improvised barricades were removed from the streets.
Some residents warn that simmering discontent about poverty, injustice and oppression could erupt into violence again at any time.
Tomas Basaldu, Oaxacan state leader of Mexico's leftist Democratic Revolution Party, said he was meeting with the protesters.
"We will take action in the next few days," he said. "We won't lower our guard in backing the protesters."
The conflict began in late May as a strike by teachers seeking higher pay, but quickly exploded into a broader movement including Indian groups, students, farmers and myriad left-leaning activists claiming Ruiz rigged his electoral victory and has repressed opponents.
The conflict kept residents away from the city's historic center and forced nearly all the shops and restaurants to close their doors. Former President Vicente Fox in late October sent in federal troops, who cleared protesters from the streets.
Located about 325 miles southeast of Mexico City and featuring colonial architecture and Indian crafts, Oaxaca is one of the country's premier tourist destinations. But tourism plummeted amid the violence, which prompted the U.S. and several other foreign governments to warn their citizens against traveling to the city.
Before his arrest Monday, Sosa said he had come to Mexico City to try to re-establish negotiations with the government and to escape the "fierce persecution of the police and Ulises Ruiz' hit men," in Oaxaca.
Police called Sosa "the main leader" of the protest movement. Last month, he said everyone in the protest movement was equal "But my big beard and big stomach have made me become the favorite leader of the press and the police."
Sosa's brother, Horacio, was also arrested on unspecified charges.
Leaders who accompanied Sosa at the news conference said 220 protesters have been detained during the conflict, although police cite a figure of about 170. Protesters also claimed some detainees had been beaten, and that another 70 supporters of the movement are missing.
Among those killed in the protests was freelance video journalist from New York who was filming a clash between protesters and a group of armed men.
The violence seemed to come to a head last week when protesters set colonial-era buildings on fire, prompting police to begin arresting demonstrators. Many detainees have been transferred to a federal prison hundreds of miles away in Nayarit state, and many APPO leaders went into hiding after authorities issued warrants for their arrest.
November 27, 2006:Protesters, governor vow to control center of embattled colonial city of Oaxaca
Leftist protesters in embattled Oaxaca City have vowed to re-establish a protest camp from which they were dislodged during running street battles with police that injured at least 43 people and led to 152 arrests.
Equally unyielding, Gov. Ulises Ruiz, whose resignation the protesters are demanding, made his first public tour of the damaged downtown area in months on Sunday and vowed to use "all the weight of the law" against violent protests.
Protest spokesman Florentino Lopez told local media that the demonstrators would set up camp again on Monday in the Santo Domingo plaza after being removed by federal police who used tear gas and water jets from tanker trucks.
The violence broke out when masked youths broke away from a protest march Saturday of about 4,000 people and hurled gasoline bombs, powerful fireworks and rocks at federal police in a failed attempt to encircle the officers holding the city's main plaza.
Police forced back the protesters and then removed them from the nearby Santo Domingo plaza, where they had regrouped after police re-entered the city in late October, ending a five-month takeover.
The federal police, who have largely remained in the main square and a few positions around the city, said they would actively patrol the city in search of those who committed "direct attacks" against them.
In a statement, the police said four of their officers and several bystanders were injured in the confrontation and accused outside activists of participating in the unrest that left three hotels were damaged, 20 vehicles burned and several businesses looted.
Some supporters of the leftist movement, the Oaxaca People's Assembly, claimed the youths were provocateurs or government agents, but Lopez told local media they were simply demonstrators who "exercised their legitimate right to self defense."
By early Sunday, the blazes were under control, but flames had gutted court offices in one of Oaxaca's colonial edifices. Later Sunday, protesters tossed gasoline bombs at a tax office.
Federal police said 152 people were arrested. Ruiz put the number at 160 and state prosecutors said that at least 43 people were injured. It was unclear whether that figure included 10 police officers and three journalists who suffered minor injuries in the battles.
On Saturday, residents watched in horror as buildings went up in flames and the streets filled with tear gas and smoke.
Josefina Quiros said protesters loosely organized under the Oaxaca People's Assembly, or APPO, were spreading fear. "We are terrified of the APPO people," she said.
The protesters are demanding the resignation of Ruiz, accusing him of brutality, corruption and electoral fraud.
The fires damaged four buildings housing government offices, one university building and the offices of the state hotel association, which had already seen business from tourism the city's main source of outside income reduced to a trickle by the monthslong protest movement.
Ruiz had blamed the disturbances on radical groups from Mexico City.
"These are the death throes of a movement that has already disintegrated," Ruiz told a news conference.
The conflict began months ago as a teachers' strike, but quickly mushroomed into a broad protest against social and economic injustices in the poor state, in which protesters seized and paralyzed much of the city between May and October.
A majority of the teachers have since returned to work and did not participate in Saturday's demonstration.
Nine people have been killed in the clashes, including freelance video journalist Bradley Roland Will, 36, of New York, who was filming a group of leftist protesters that clashed with a group of armed men.
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Equally unyielding, Gov. Ulises Ruiz, whose resignation the protesters are demanding, made his first public tour of the damaged downtown area in months on Sunday and vowed to use "all the weight of the law" against violent protests.
Protest spokesman Florentino Lopez told local media that the demonstrators would set up camp again on Monday in the Santo Domingo plaza after being removed by federal police who used tear gas and water jets from tanker trucks.
The violence broke out when masked youths broke away from a protest march Saturday of about 4,000 people and hurled gasoline bombs, powerful fireworks and rocks at federal police in a failed attempt to encircle the officers holding the city's main plaza.
Police forced back the protesters and then removed them from the nearby Santo Domingo plaza, where they had regrouped after police re-entered the city in late October, ending a five-month takeover.
The federal police, who have largely remained in the main square and a few positions around the city, said they would actively patrol the city in search of those who committed "direct attacks" against them.
In a statement, the police said four of their officers and several bystanders were injured in the confrontation and accused outside activists of participating in the unrest that left three hotels were damaged, 20 vehicles burned and several businesses looted.
Some supporters of the leftist movement, the Oaxaca People's Assembly, claimed the youths were provocateurs or government agents, but Lopez told local media they were simply demonstrators who "exercised their legitimate right to self defense."
By early Sunday, the blazes were under control, but flames had gutted court offices in one of Oaxaca's colonial edifices. Later Sunday, protesters tossed gasoline bombs at a tax office.
Federal police said 152 people were arrested. Ruiz put the number at 160 and state prosecutors said that at least 43 people were injured. It was unclear whether that figure included 10 police officers and three journalists who suffered minor injuries in the battles.
On Saturday, residents watched in horror as buildings went up in flames and the streets filled with tear gas and smoke.
Josefina Quiros said protesters loosely organized under the Oaxaca People's Assembly, or APPO, were spreading fear. "We are terrified of the APPO people," she said.
The protesters are demanding the resignation of Ruiz, accusing him of brutality, corruption and electoral fraud.
The fires damaged four buildings housing government offices, one university building and the offices of the state hotel association, which had already seen business from tourism the city's main source of outside income reduced to a trickle by the monthslong protest movement.
Ruiz had blamed the disturbances on radical groups from Mexico City.
"These are the death throes of a movement that has already disintegrated," Ruiz told a news conference.
The conflict began months ago as a teachers' strike, but quickly mushroomed into a broad protest against social and economic injustices in the poor state, in which protesters seized and paralyzed much of the city between May and October.
A majority of the teachers have since returned to work and did not participate in Saturday's demonstration.
Nine people have been killed in the clashes, including freelance video journalist Bradley Roland Will, 36, of New York, who was filming a group of leftist protesters that clashed with a group of armed men.
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November 26, 2006: Leftist protesters set buildings ablaze in embattled colonial city of Oaxaca
Protesters set fire to another building in the colonial city of Oaxaca on Sunday after torching government offices and vehicles and damaging hotels during demonstrations that left at least 43 injured and 152 arrested.
On Saturday, leftist protesters demanding the resignation of the Oaxaca state governor hurled rocks, powerful fireworks and gasoline bombs at federal police, in a bid to encircle the officers in the picturesque, arch-ringed main square of the city.
Police used tear gas and water jets from tanker trucks to force back the protesters and retake another, smaller square nearby where the demonstrators had regrouped after police re-entered the city in late October, ending a five-month takeover.
On Sunday, the federal police who have largely remained in the main square and a few positions around the city announced they would actively patrol the city in search of those who committed "direct attacks on federal police."
In a press statement, the police said four of their officers and several bystanders were injured in the confrontation and accused outside activists of participating in the unrest.
During the clash, bands of masked youths broke off from a march of about 4,000 people earlier Saturday and pushed shopping carts filled with rocks and gasoline bombs through the streets in a running battle with police.
By early Sunday firefighters had controlled the blazes, but the flames had already gutted court offices housed in one of Oaxaca's imposing colonial edifices. Later Sunday, protesters also torched a tax office.
In one of his first public appearances downtown in his own state capital since protesters forced officials out in May, Gov. Ulises Ruiz vowed to punish those responsible and remove the barricades protesters still man in some sections of the city.
"All the weight of the law will be applied to those who have committed these acts of vandalism," Ruiz told reporters.
Federal police said 152 people were arrested. Ruiz put the number at 160 and state prosecutors said that at least 43 people were injured; it was unclear whether that figure included ten police officers and three journalists who suffered minor injuries in the confrontations.
Prosecutors said there were no reports of any deaths; many of the injuries appeared minor, involving tear gas inhalation or blows from rocks and cudgels.
Downtown residents watched in horror as buildings went up in flames and the streets filled with a choking mixture of tear gas and smoke.
Oaxaca resident Josefina Quiros said protesters loosely organized under the leftist People's Assembly of Oaxaca were spreading fear.
"We are terrified of the APPO people," said Josefina Quiros, referring to the assembly by its Spanish initials.
The protesters are demanding the resignation of Ruiz, accusing him of brutality, corruption and electoral fraud.
Demonstrators attacked three hotels, hurling gasoline bombs at one and smashing windows at two others. Some protesters also looted several business in the downtown area.
The fires damaged four buildings housing government offices, one university building and the offices of the state hotel association, which had already seen business from tourism the city's main source of outside income reduced to a trickle by the six-month-old protest movement.
In late October, the federal police retook control of the city's picturesque main square from protesters stationed there since May, but their control over the rest of the city has been tenuous since then.
On Saturday, police advanced in formation from the main square to oust demonstrators from the protest camp they had set up in another square, the Santo Domingo plaza, two blocks away.
Marcelino Coache, a spokesman for the leftist People's Assembly of Oaxaca, said some protesters suffered serious injuries; some of the demonstrators appeared to have retreated to the campus of a local university, where academic-freedom laws prevent police from entering.
Gov. Ruiz earlier blamed the disturbances on radical groups from Mexico City.
"These are the death throes of a movement that has already disintegrated," Ruiz told a news conference Saturday.
The conflict began months ago as a teachers' strike, but quickly mushroomed into a broad protest against social and economic injustices in the poor state; protesters seized and paralyzed much of the city between May and October.
A majority of the teachers have since returned to work and did not participate in Saturday's demonstration.
Nine people have been killed in the clashes, including freelance video journalist Bradley Roland Will, 36, of New York, who was filming a group of leftist protesters that clashed with a group of armed men. Both sides fired, and it is not clear who shot first.
Several governments, including the United States, have warned tourists to stay away from Oaxaca city, formerly popular with tourists for its nearby ruins, cuisine, colonial architecture and handicrafts.
On Saturday, leftist protesters demanding the resignation of the Oaxaca state governor hurled rocks, powerful fireworks and gasoline bombs at federal police, in a bid to encircle the officers in the picturesque, arch-ringed main square of the city.
Police used tear gas and water jets from tanker trucks to force back the protesters and retake another, smaller square nearby where the demonstrators had regrouped after police re-entered the city in late October, ending a five-month takeover.
On Sunday, the federal police who have largely remained in the main square and a few positions around the city announced they would actively patrol the city in search of those who committed "direct attacks on federal police."
In a press statement, the police said four of their officers and several bystanders were injured in the confrontation and accused outside activists of participating in the unrest.
During the clash, bands of masked youths broke off from a march of about 4,000 people earlier Saturday and pushed shopping carts filled with rocks and gasoline bombs through the streets in a running battle with police.
By early Sunday firefighters had controlled the blazes, but the flames had already gutted court offices housed in one of Oaxaca's imposing colonial edifices. Later Sunday, protesters also torched a tax office.
In one of his first public appearances downtown in his own state capital since protesters forced officials out in May, Gov. Ulises Ruiz vowed to punish those responsible and remove the barricades protesters still man in some sections of the city.
"All the weight of the law will be applied to those who have committed these acts of vandalism," Ruiz told reporters.
Federal police said 152 people were arrested. Ruiz put the number at 160 and state prosecutors said that at least 43 people were injured; it was unclear whether that figure included ten police officers and three journalists who suffered minor injuries in the confrontations.
Prosecutors said there were no reports of any deaths; many of the injuries appeared minor, involving tear gas inhalation or blows from rocks and cudgels.
Downtown residents watched in horror as buildings went up in flames and the streets filled with a choking mixture of tear gas and smoke.
Oaxaca resident Josefina Quiros said protesters loosely organized under the leftist People's Assembly of Oaxaca were spreading fear.
"We are terrified of the APPO people," said Josefina Quiros, referring to the assembly by its Spanish initials.
The protesters are demanding the resignation of Ruiz, accusing him of brutality, corruption and electoral fraud.
Demonstrators attacked three hotels, hurling gasoline bombs at one and smashing windows at two others. Some protesters also looted several business in the downtown area.
The fires damaged four buildings housing government offices, one university building and the offices of the state hotel association, which had already seen business from tourism the city's main source of outside income reduced to a trickle by the six-month-old protest movement.
In late October, the federal police retook control of the city's picturesque main square from protesters stationed there since May, but their control over the rest of the city has been tenuous since then.
On Saturday, police advanced in formation from the main square to oust demonstrators from the protest camp they had set up in another square, the Santo Domingo plaza, two blocks away.
Marcelino Coache, a spokesman for the leftist People's Assembly of Oaxaca, said some protesters suffered serious injuries; some of the demonstrators appeared to have retreated to the campus of a local university, where academic-freedom laws prevent police from entering.
Gov. Ruiz earlier blamed the disturbances on radical groups from Mexico City.
"These are the death throes of a movement that has already disintegrated," Ruiz told a news conference Saturday.
The conflict began months ago as a teachers' strike, but quickly mushroomed into a broad protest against social and economic injustices in the poor state; protesters seized and paralyzed much of the city between May and October.
A majority of the teachers have since returned to work and did not participate in Saturday's demonstration.
Nine people have been killed in the clashes, including freelance video journalist Bradley Roland Will, 36, of New York, who was filming a group of leftist protesters that clashed with a group of armed men. Both sides fired, and it is not clear who shot first.
Several governments, including the United States, have warned tourists to stay away from Oaxaca city, formerly popular with tourists for its nearby ruins, cuisine, colonial architecture and handicrafts.
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