Anarcha-Feminists Violently Attacked in Mexico City

Communique from a group of anarcha-feminists in Mexico City after they were violently attacked, and their space ransacked and destroyed.  

Yesterday, those of us who maintain an organizing space in Building T of the CCH Vallejo (UNAM College of Science and Humanities – Campus Vallejo), had organized a feminist market of women producers, an activity we carry out twice a month to combat economic violence, and to open up secure spaces where we can meet each other, share, create, and organize together, among women.

At the same time, those of us who organize in the Revuelta space, had just finished our participation as independent editorial projects in the International Book Fair in the Zócalo of the city, where around six other independent women’s projects were able to present and exhibit their creations, books, art, etc.

At approximately 4pm, students from the school approached us to tell us that the porro group 3 de Marzo (a shock group) was planning an attack (this rumor had been circulating for a few days amongst student groups at the CCH). With this news, some compañeras approached the authorities of the school to tell them of the impending attack. The school authorities approached the violent group, who were clearly beneath the influence of hard drugs, questioning them about the threats. They were boasting that they had fireworks, and were planning to take over the school.

Minutes after the complaint was made, having returned to our activities in the market and in our space, the environment in the school was evidently changing. Students to whom we had lent lab coats were returning them to us, saying that their teachers had told them that the school was going to be evacuated, and that if they didn’t have anything to do that they should return home. The cancellation of classes was being ordered by the school authorities. Shortly thereafter, around 80 people hooded and masked entered the school causing panic amongst those who were still present. The group’s objective was to break up our activity and destroy our space. Which, we repeat, is a self-managed space, organized by women. Our trajectory of political struggle hasn’t only come from within the university, but in other spaces as well, where we generate and weave networks of coordination. We are anarchist women who, over the years, have made our postures clear in the face of machismo and violence, including within our own political movements and collectives.

We have struggled against the reforms at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) which have sought to make education and the lives of thousands of students more precarious. We have taken the streets, blockaded highways, and built barricades. We have learned how to design, print, and bind books and other texts to disseminate our political ideas. We know what we want, we know how to do it. We have too many arguments to support our personal and collective motives in our everyday struggles. We are women who carry tasers, tear gas, and boxing gloves. We are women who practice martial arts and athletics, for the simple reason of being women. We are women who have survived a context of violence, in a country with an extreme rate of femicides.

We will always call for self-defense, knowing the authorities are incapable of guaranteeing our security inside and outside the school. We will not back down or take one step back. We have learned some of these things in the university itself, where we have been beaten, harassed, and threatened by porro groups of different schools.

We denounce the obvious coordination between the UNAM authorities and the porro groups, 3 de marzo and the Grupo Pedro de Alba de la ENP-9. These violent groups were used to attack us, evict, rob, and destroy our organizing space in Building T of the CCH Vallejo. A recently occupied space in the Building D was also ransacked and robbed of the belongings. We know that the attack was directly aimed at us and our organizing activities. This is not the first time that we have been the target of these groups. Years back the authorities allowed this same group to enter the school where they carried out similar actions, destroying things, computer equipment and material that we used for our publishing project. However, here we are, and here we will continue. Ideas aren’t destroyed by explosives. The more violent, porro, police groups they use to intimidate us, the more our desire for a new world that we carry in our hearts will fiercely beat.

In light of the theft of our belongings, we blame the self-named leaders of the porro Group 3 de marzo, El Dante and El Moikas. We also blame the members of the porro group, Grupo Pedro de Alba de la ENP-9, for whatever else may happen to us, beyond the injuries already caused to our bodies in the “confrontation” – 6 against 40. We are concerned for the safety of the compañeras who had their wallets stolen with their id’s inside, along with personal computer equipment that we had in our backpacks. We’re also concerned about the threats that we have received on part of the porro leaders who arrived outside the campus and who are clearly over 40 years old. In the so-called “occupation of the school” on part of the 3 de marzo and the GPA, there was no political declaration, petition, statement, demand, or even a visible complaint. It was clearly an attack on us, and an attempt to sow terror in the community.

For us, it is not a coincidence that these types of violent groups are reappearing in the context of the coming elections in the UNAM system, as well as at the state and national levels. The wave of repression that has been unleashed against autonomous and self-managed spaces must be put in that context. Historically, porro groups have served to counter student organization, and to prepare individuals for future paramilitary service. It is clear to us that what happened yesterday was premeditated and organized by former leaders of the porro groups who boasted about their direct relation with authorities from UNAM, the General Direction of the CCH’s, along with the rector’s office. It is not a coincidence that our space, one of the few with a clear political posture inside the CCH Vallejo, was the target of the attack, theft, and destruction.

They destroyed everything we had produced as an editorial collective, including computer equipment, printers, and books. They stole the money that we had made with the other compañeras in the International Book Fair in the Zocalo, along with money generated from a candy cooperative we run in the space. We ended up outside the campus with our space totally destroyed.

We want to thank all those who arrived to physically support us, to the human rights groups and lawyers who came to our aid, to our compañeras who didn’t abandon us, and to all those who help disseminate this communique.

Amidst the wave of repression taking place within the context of the current reaccommodation of power, we call on everyone to be attentive to our spaces, to defend ourselves mutually, to position ourselves against all porros, scabs, and police who target us. We will not permit any aggression without a response, and we will continue calling for self-defense.

Collective of anarchist women, Revuelta.

October 24, 2023

CCH Vallejo

Update on October 25, 2023

Today, the authorities of CCH Vallejo decided to again to close the installations of the campus.

From the organized space, Revuelta, we call on everyone to remain attentive to what might happen with our space, as we continue receiving threats from the porro group, 3 de marzo. We have identified the presence of veteran porros, who are advising the young ones what to do. The discourse of hate against women who organize is more than evident. Their slogans are misogynistic and patriarchal.

We denounce the attack directed against us for being women, for being organized, for defending ourselves, for speaking out, for knowing how to argue, for being strong.

Once again, we hold responsible the self-named leaders of the porro group 3 de marzo, El Dante and El Moikas for whatever might happen inside and outside of the school.

We call on feminist solidarity and self-defense, care and empathy. If they touch one of us, they touch us all.

We are a self-managed group, which means we don’t work with authorities. We do not receive kickbacks or gifts. That is why we maintain the women’s cooperative in the Revuelta space.

Our editorial is independent. We acquire and manage our objects, machines, and tools from the sale of candy. Nobody gives us anything. We work for it and for ourselves and our projects…

This can be confirmed by dozens of compañeras with whom we have collaborated in carrying out raffles, parties, markets, bazaars, etc. to raise funds for political prisoners and those being persecuted by the state, to support compañeras who are sick. We do not need any crumbs from those in power.