Local Oaxaca activist Simon Sedillo in a Jan. 15 report that appears on the Enemigo Comun blog:

On January 15th, 2007, before the beginning of a youth march for the liberation of political prisoners, Urban Paramilitaries (porros) initiated a series of provocations to defame the social movement. Known urban paramilitaries (identified as "Aladin" and "Crusty") have occupied and burned at least two buses to provoke violence before the march, and other urban paramilitaries have begun to open fire at UABJO (Benito Juarez Autonomous University of Oaxaca). Students are being forced out of classrooms and clashes have ensued.

The youth march is scheduled for 4 PM and is beginning to get together. Students and organizers are concerned for their safety, seeing as how these tactics of provocation always lead to violence in peaceful actions. Please post widely and remain vigilant.

The march went off with out a hitch. There was a lot of graffiti and some property destruction. It ended up at Ixcotel prison where several international observers and video cameras watched over as the entrance was graffitied, and chants were made against approximately 50 heavily armed (militarized) riot police.

See our last posts on Mexico and Oaxaca.