Mexico: Repression and Solidarity at Aztecas #215

September 15^th, 2018, two compañeros of the General Assembly of Peoples, Neighborhoods, Communities and Pedregales of Coyoacán were detained at the encampment in front of the real estate construction project at Avenue Aztecas #215 in the south of Mexico City.

Quickly mobilizing themselves, the assembly—along with the support and solidarity from neighbors, social organizations and collectives—gathered in front of the district attorney’s office where the compañeros were being held, to pressure the authorities to release the detained. After various hours, and in consequence of the mounting pressure from outside, the two compañeros were released without charge.

Below we publish a translated communique from the Assembly released a few hours after the compañeros were detained along with a short report back below addressing how the day ended at the district attorney’s office.

Communique of the Assembly of Aztecas #215 released shortly after the two compañeros were detained

Law enforcement of the Mexico City Government detain water defenders for opposing illegal work on public sidewalk.

Today, September 15^th, 2018, at 10:30 am, Gustavo López Rosas and Vicente Escobedo Soria were violently detained by Mexico City police. The detention took place in the protest encampment at Aztecas #215 when they were carrying out a live video transmission denouncing the damage to the public sidewalk being done by the real estate company Quiero Casa. The compañeros were detained violently: they were beaten and robbed of their belongings. Furthermore, compañeras who tried to stop the arrest were beaten, including one who was shot with a rubber bullet in the stomach.

With this communique, we demand that the Mexico City government immediately release our compañeros and we reinforce that defending water is not a crime.  

We convoke the social and human rights organizations to urgently accompany us at the Regional District Attorney’s Office of Coyoacán at the cross streets of Tecualiapan and Zompantitlan, Colonia Romero de Terreros, Coyoacán, Mexico City, where we are protesting for the immediate freedom of our compañeros.

General Assembly of Peoples, Neighborhoods, Communities and Pedregales of Coyoacán

After various hours of protest in front of the district attorney’s office, and without a response from the authorities, the compañerxs decided to take the nearby avenue, Miguel Ángel de Quevedo, to strengthen the demand for the release of their detained compañeros.

For nearly an hour, avenue Miguel Ángel de Quevedo was blocked in both directions, with chants sounding in defense of water and life, and for the freedom of political prisoners. In response, the Mexico City government reacted in the only manner they know how, with aggression. While around 100 riot police were able to open up the avenue to traffic, they didn’t do so without rowdy and spirited resistance from the people present.

Shortly after, and in what was likely a direct result of the road blockade, the two detained compañeros were released. There, in front of the district attorney’s office, the two compañeros took the microphone to thank everyone for the solidarity and to commit themselves to the ongoing struggle against ruthless urban capital accumulation in Mexico City.