From the very beginning of the civil resistance that was born out of the election fraud in Mexico, the federal government and the PAN candidate (armed with the noise machine that is their servile mainstream media) have assumed a position in which they call for "peace". They have continued their pre-election memes of portraying AMLO and his supporters as dangerous disruptors of our national order, as a threat to our civil life.
Yesterday, we got a taste of the truth.
It became apparent and clear exactly which side espouses violence and repression.
La Policía Federal Preventiva (PFP) y miembros del cuerpo de granaderos reprimieron a golpes y desalojaron ayer a integrantes de la coalición Por el Bien de Todos, entre ellos varios legisladores perredistas, que intentaron instalar un campamento a las afueras de la Cámara de Diputados.
Centenares de policías y granaderos, apoyados ante la presencia del Estado Mayor Presidencial e incluso del Ejército, impidieron con violencia que se apostaran los manifestantes en la puerta principal del Palacio Legislativo, y fueron agredidos legisladores como Inti Muñoz, Juan José García Ochoa, Dolores Padierna, Clara Brugada, Susana Manzanares y María Elena Torres.
A un oficial no le importó el fuero de García Ochoa y simplemente le asestó un toletazo en la cara y le abrió una ceja; Padierna y Brugada fueron pateadas y golpeadas en brazos, pese a que señalaban que eran legisladoras; Muñoz fue golpeado en el pecho. Varios militantes más sufrieron la andanada de los uniformados.
Translation:
The Federal Preventive Police (PFP) and members of the riot police resorted to violence and repression as they removed members of the Coalition for the Good of All, including several PRD legislators, who were attempting to set up a protest camp outside the Federal Legislature.
Hundreds of police, with support of the Presidential Bodyguard Corps and even the Army, through the use of violence, stopped the demonstrators from blocking the main entrance to the Legislative Palace, and some legislators, including Inti Muñoz, Juan José García Ochoa, Dolores Padierna, Clara Brugada, Susana Manzanares and María Elena Torres were attacked.
One officer didn't care about Garcia Ochoa's legislative status and simply delivered a billy club to his face, opening a wound above his eye; Padierna and Brugada were kicked and hit in the arms, despite the fact they repeatedly told police they were legislators; Muñoz was beat in the chest. Several more militants suffered the wrath of those in uniform.
http://www.jornada.unam.mx/...
I was driving around in my car and heard this on the radio while it had just happened. Apparently the federal government is claiming the protestors had the intention of taking the Legislative Palace by storm and setting up a protest camp inside the chamber itself. There is absolutely nothing to back up this claim.
The president of the directive committee of the Legislative Branch hipocritically stated to the media that he condemned the repressive actions of the riot police. The same riot police that HE had called upon to implement said repressive actions.
Martí Batres, PRD leader in Mexico City, stated: "The so called peaceful ones were the ones who threw the riot police at women and children, and even at federal legislators. They acted with the brutality that is characteristic of those who have no ideas or arguments and who believe that brute force is the way to resolve conflicts."
I'm very much afraid that this could be a spark that sets off a fire. I've walked through the resistance camps, and I can tell you that despite AMLO's best intentions there are many sectors of his supporters (particularly those coming from the poorest and most marginalized parts of the country) who are ready and willing to take this up a notch and escalate the violence.
A friend of mine talked to a man from Guerrero a few days ago, after AMLO's zocalo speech. The man said that they had taken all the women and children back to their place of origin and brought back only adult men. My friend asked why and the man replied, "well, if we need to take this to the next level we don't want our women and children in harm's way".
Many are itching for a fight here; many who mostly, have nothing to lose. This act of repression by the Federal Police could very well be the signal they had been waiting for.
This might get much more ugly before it gets any better.