Category: Culture

Chanti Ollin Denounces Violent Eviction

In Mexico City, the autonomous cultural space Chanti Ollin withstands a violent eviction and continues in resistance.

x carolina

Have you ever visited a community space in Mexico City called the Chanti Ollin? Its name means “House in Movement,” and there’s always movement of different kinds here: workshops on urban agriculture, bici-machines, alternative health, massage, video creation, painting, theater, production of educational and artistic materials, and transmission of free and alternative media collectives. It’s a space for playing and enjoying great music and painting incredible murals, for baking bread and giving classes on vegetarian cooking, for screening documentaries and organizing forums on past history and current reality. Members of collectives and peoples in struggle from communities like Atenco, Xochicuatla and Ayotzinapa are invited to tell about their resistance against the plunder of their lands and efforts to eliminate their people. And ongoing resistance is organized at the Chanti Ollin. Maybe you’ve had the good fortune to participate in some of these activities, or if you come from another city or country, maybe you’ve found a place to stay for a while.

Continue reading “Chanti Ollin Denounces Violent Eviction”

In self-defense, in defense of memory

When the word justice loses meaning, all that remains for us is the defense of Memory, of self-defense.

[ Nadia Vera ]

By Mirtha Luz Pérez Robledo
From Somos El Medio
July 28, 2016
Translated by Scott Campbell

On July 31, 2015, Nadia Vera Pérez, Yesenia Quiroz Alfaro, Mile Virginia Martin, Alejandra Negrete Avilés, and Rubén Espinosa Becerril were murdered in a Mexico City apartment. Nadia, a social justice activist and human rights defender, and Rubén, a photographer and journalist, had both fled Veracruz after receiving death threats for their work. Before her murder, Nadia stated that if anything should happen to her, it would be Javier Duarte who was responsible. Duarte is the governor of Veracruz, renowned for his corruption and human rights abuses, including the deaths of 17 journalists during his rule. The state’s investigation into the murders has been condemned as full of irregularities. Nadia’s mother, Mirtha Luz Pérez Robledo, wrote this on the eve of the one year anniversary of her daughter’s murder.

In self-defense, in defense of memory

When they wrest what we love most from us, the possibility of justice no longer exists.

When the word justice loses meaning, all that remains for us is the defense of Memory, of self-defense.

Continue reading “In self-defense, in defense of memory”

La OkupaChe: Defending an autonomous space

OkupaChe defines itself as an autonomous space for self-organized work, a space for the people, one that is made up of different collectives and individuals.

x carolina

There’s a liberated territory on the campus of the National Autonomous University of Mexico – UNAM). It’s called the Che Guevara Auditorium. Known as the Justo Sierra Auditorium half a century ago, its name was changed by students in the 1968 strike, and three decades later, it was taken over in the 1999-2000 student strike. Briefly lost when 2,500 federal militarized police invaded the campus on February 6, 2000, the auditorium was recovered a few months later. Since then, several different groups have taken responsibility for maintaining the space at different times.

The auditorium now named the OkupaChe defines itself as an autonomous space for self-organized work, a space for the people, one that is made up of different collectives and individuals.

Here you can enjoy a delicious vegetarian meal, find something interesting to read in the zine/fanzine library, listen to the latest news on Radio Desobediencia, watch a play put on by the Ollin Company, learn about alternative medicine, debate a socially relevant issue, help paint one of the murals that adorn the walls, grow organic vegetables, take part in an assembly, go to a good concert, or sign up for workshops on free software, dance, drumming, independent media, graphic design, street theater, crafts, or languages, among many other options. Here libertarian and anarchist activities are organized, as well as events in support of the struggles of indigenous peoples, Zapatismo, political prisoners, student struggles and autonomous projects.

Continue reading “La OkupaChe: Defending an autonomous space”

We once again repeat we will not ask their approval to be free

For years we have been denouncing and exposing the campaign of vilification and harassment unleashed globally against the anarchist movement and Okupa Che.

EEC Note: The Okupa Che is an auditorium taken over during the 1999-2000 student strike at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the largest university in Latin America. An autonomous, anti-authoritarian space, it has faced constant repression from state and university authorities. Yorch, a member of Okupa Che, was detained on Wednesday, when police planted a backpack on him containing large quantities of crack, clonazepam and marijuana. He is now being held in a federal prison in Hermosillo, Sonora. Regeneración Radio reports that there is a strong rumor the Federal Police are preparing to evict the Okupa. Several collectives have condemned Yorch’s arrest and the UNAM Academic University Assembly has issued a sign-on letter calling for Yorch’s freedom and an end to attacks on Okupa Che.

Okupa Che
February 25, 2016
Translated by Scott Campbell

To the independent media
To allied collectives and spaces
To the general public

For several years and in various ways we have been denouncing and exposing the campaign of vilification and harassment unleashed globally against the anarchist movement and Okupa Che in particular. No more than three months ago fake text messages directed at specific people in the name of the Office of the President threatened the violent eviction of the space and the possible location and detention of some of its “squatters.” Added to that, various hit pieces in the media have appeared in recent weeks making several claims that are supposedly related to the existence of the space. Periodicals complicit with UNAM’s Office of the President and with the State – La Razón and El Universal, for example – have thrown around conjectures and assumptions about business, drug trafficking and robbery, using the risky and premeditated theory that all of this is overseen by people connected to the squat.

Continue reading “We once again repeat we will not ask their approval to be free”

Activist Hip Hop for Ayotzinapa

The People’s Assembly of Activist Hip Hop in solidarity with the struggle for justice in Ayotzinapa, Guerrero.

[ Rap in Atliaca ]

The night of the 2015 spring equinox, two buses set out from Mexico City for the Ayotzinapa teacher training school. Aboard were MCs, DJs, Bboys, graffiti artists, muralists and silk screeners of the People’s Assembly of Activist Hip Hop. All were on the way to participate in an event organized with strong support of the organized teachers of Tixtla, Guerrero. Some had been in Ayotzinapa before, and others wanted to get to know the people in struggle there.

The next morning the teachers invited representatives of the Assembly to share their ideas in a radio program. Some of the organizers responded to a question about what motivated them to be there as follows:

Continue reading “Activist Hip Hop for Ayotzinapa”

Community Ronda from Cherán, Michoacán Prevents Narco-Corrido Concert by “El Komander”

Narco-corridos have become extremely popular among Mexican youth who have been consistently desensitized to narco-violence and corruption within the Mexican state.

[ Barricada. Cheran, Michoacan. December 15th, 2013. Photo: Simón Sedillo ]

By Simón Sedillo

A “narco-corrido” concert by “El Komander” had been promoted  to take place in Cherán, Michoacán at 3pm on December 15th, 2013. El Komander is known for singing about organized crime and in particular about the Gulf Cartel. Even though the Gulf Cartel isn’t active in the Purépecha plateau, where the community of Cherán is located, community members clarify that they are absolutely against any type of organized crime organization and the activities that revolve around them, including narco-corridos of any type.

Continue reading “Community Ronda from Cherán, Michoacán Prevents Narco-Corrido Concert by “El Komander””

Rest In Power Doctora Bertha

Dr. Bertha Muñoz played a spontaneous role in Radio Universidad by opening up the microphone to public discontent with a clear message.

Dr. Bertha Muñoz was a medical doctor and a tenured university professor at the Benito Juarez Autonomous University in Oaxaca. As an active member of a healthcare workers union, she provided medical care during the 2006 Oaxacan social movement. She also played a spontaneous role in Radio Universidad by opening up the microphone to public discontent with a clear message. She became known as “Doctora Escopeta” (Dr. Shotgun). Dr. Bertha had to leave Oaxaca and even Mexico in exile after the 2006 uprising out of fear for her life and well being.  She returned to Oaxaca from exile on November 25th, 2008. This short video documents the moment. 

Dr. Bertha passed away on July 26th, 2013. Rest In Power Doctora Escopeta!

Continue reading “Rest In Power Doctora Bertha”