Brutal repression of a peaceful protest in Juárez México; 32 detainees.

Police brutality against peaceful demonstrators in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua MéxicoThe peaceful demonstrators were beaten and violently detained by a strong police raid of at least 150 officers and 50 truck units

Ciudad Juárez is one of the most violent cities following Calderón’s war on drugs which accounts for more than 50,000 killed so far
 
Regeneración, 2 de noviembre de 2011. A terrible act of repression of a public and peaceful demonstration ocurred last afternon (november the 1st) in Ciudad Juarez, a city from the northern state of Chihuahua, in México, well known for endemic violence against women. A total of 32 peace activists which included women, students and the elderly, were beaten and violently detained by the local police for painting an ATM machine.
 
Two news reporters from RadioNet and El Diario were also beaten with large guns and taken off their cameras, only to be released hours later with an apology. Here is a link from the local newspaper El Diario with photos, information, and a video.
Activists from the Frente Plural Ciudadano de Ciudad Juárez -an organization that has been very actively involved against the injustice and violence in Ciudad Juarez- also known as "Los Indignados de Juárez" (as the spanish Plaza del Sol movement), carried out a demonstration called "Jornadas de Luto y Resistencia" to remember the 9,000 victims of feminicide and against Felipe Calderón’s "stupid" war on drugs which he started on the first week after he took office on december 2006 following a highly contested election result.

Cruz rosa esmeralda ciudad juárez pink crossThe students and activists planned to paint about 9000 pink crosses around the city, in honor of the dead women from Ciudad Juarez for Dia De los Muertos or Day of the Dead (a very popular national day). At least 150 police officers in several trucks arrived when a group of them painted a ScotiaBank ATM machine. A violent struggle started when they tried to detain the demonstrators and beaten women, students and an elder. At the time of this post, they are still detained and that family and friends spent the night outside the place of detention and will continue there until they are released.

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Yeffim Fong and Julian Contreras, human rights activists from Ciudad Juárez, are also part of the group that was detained and beat. They have been clear and concise on their critic towards Felipe Calderon "war on drugs" strategy, especially because of its effects in Ciudad Juárez, a city in which crime rates have incresed by 4 times since the arrival of the federal police. On recent days they have both acused a "crime of state" (crimen de Estado) on the dead of Carlos Sinuhé Cuevas, a human rights activist from the Distrito Federal and student from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)

Video of the represion at the protests.

 


  • Please consider writing a letter as organizations or individuals condemning these attacks and condemning a general culture of repression and agression towards activists and youth that has been increasing in recent months.
  • Please consider attending the press conference scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday at 12:15pm, Casa Vides 325 Leon Street in El Paso. 
  • Widely circulate information about this event to your contacts, both local, national and international, to raise pressure and ensure that the Juarez government knows that the international community is watching the situation.  Links to videos of this event below. 
  • Please also consider creating pressure on the city government to release activists who are still detained and to prevent further agressions in the coming days by emailing the following people/sample email in english attached:
 

 

 

 

 

Lic. Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa

Presidente de la República



César Duarte Jáquez

Gobernador Constitucional del Estado de Chihuahua



Lic. Omeheira López Reyna

Titular de la Unidad para la Promoción y Defensa de los Derechos Humanos de la Secretaría de Gobernación



Dr. Raúl Plascencia Villanueva

Presidente de la Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos



Sr. Santiago Cantón

Secretario Ejecutivo de la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos



Lic. José Francisco Blake Mora

Secretario de Gobernación



Graciela Ortiz González

Secretaría General de Gobierno de Chihuahua.



Lic. José Luis Armendáriz González

Comisión Estatal de Derechos Humanos de Chihuahua



Navanethem Pillay

Alta Comisionada de las Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos



SouhayrBelhassen

Presidente de la FIDH



Salil Shetty

Secretario General de Amnistía Internacional

Presidente Municipal.
Ing. Hector Murguia Lardizabal
 
Responsable de la Secretaria de Seguridad Publica Municipal.
TTE. CORONEL. Julian Leyzaola Perez
Tel. 208-88-00
 
Secretaria Tecnica (responsable interdependencias)
Ing. Arturo Armendariz Diaz
 
Comision de Regidores encargados de seguridad publica.
Coordinador. Luis Manuel Aguirre Aguilera
Tel. 207-88 00 Ext 2002
 
Secretario Hector Hernandez Garcia
Tel. 207- 88 00 Ext 2002
 
vocal. Laurencio Gallegos Jimenez
 
 
 
 
With english information from Ana Morales.

 

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