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Posts Tagged ‘strikes’

Three marches are happening in the city today supporting Sección 22 of the CNTE (teachers union).   Beginning at 9:00 this morning there was one by students and another by the health sector — I saw the latter pass as I took my laundry to the lavandería around the corner.  Then, this afternoon there is a “Marcha Pacifica Punk-Libertaria” — whoever they are.  And, there are supposed to be “negotiations” in Mexico City late this afternoon between the Interior Minister, Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong, and the CNTE negotiating committee.  Hoping for progress, but not holding my breath.

That’s it for today’s on-the-ground reporting.  I will leave you with a music video.  The song is by Los Angeles based La Santa Cecilia and the video was posted by the Oaxaca based, Oaxacking.

Nunca Más
by La Santa Cecilia

Nos fuimos siguiendo un sueño
con el corazón en mano
por que ya no es justo nada
en la tierra que habitamos
en medio de la comparsa
nos arrastra un viento humano
pa’ ver si se nos quitaban
las ganas de andar soñando
unos de tanta culpa se quedan mudos
otros tienen memoria para olvidar

si la violencia es un espejo que se rompe
y nuestras lagrimas caidas gritaran
solo recuerda que mi cara tiene un nombre

y nunca mas se callara
y nunca mas se callara

te pido me des la mano
y en el camino me sigas
vamos traer a los de arriba
la ira de los de abajo
del miedo sepultado
es hora de ser valiente
en honor a los ausentes
ya no me cruzo de brazos
unos de tanta culpa se quedan mudos
otros tienen memoria para olvidar
si la violencia es un espejo que se rompe
y nuestras lagrimas caidas gritaran
solo recuerda que mi cara tiene un nombre

y nunca mas se callara
y nunca mas se callara

cúantas veces velamos la misma historia
cúantas mentiras nuevas se contara
si la violencia es un espejo que se rompe
y nuestras lagrimas caidas gritaran
solo recuerda que mi cara tiene un nombre

y nunca mas se callara
y nunca mas se callara
nunca jamas me olvidara

And, while you’re at it, I highly recommend watching a couple of La Santa Cecilia’s other music videos.  Ice El Hielo will probably bring tears.   And, I guarantee you will never again hear Strawberry Fields Forever the same, after seeing their version.

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Another reason I love Oaxaca…

Trash collectors trucks with red flags

Yes, I know street blockades are inconvenient for drivers and I know the trade unions are not immune from the corruption that dominates politics here, but at least workers are not sitting on their hands doing nothing as austerity measures threaten to take away what little they have.

Protest sign with red flags on trash collector's truck.

According to signs posted on various trucks, trash collectors are demanding cancellation of a 300% increase in the cost of using the municipal dump, access to the dump 7 days a week, and the dismissal of the municipal services director.

Last fall massive protests against austerity measures spread across Europe, the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia earlier this month was sparked by the self-immolation of a young college graduate who couldn’t find a job, and, as I write, hundreds of thousands of students, women, industrial workers, unemployed, and others are marching in Egypt in what is being called “a day of wrath against poverty.”

Workers in the USA should be taking notes…

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