But amusements are not the point here. This becomes clear during any serious discussion about what motivates the protesters. Anger and bitter disappointment are apparent. For example, representatives from Guerrero, a very poor state in the south of Mexico, make it clear that they are putting everything at stake. When they left their wives and children they did so in the knowledge that they might not return, that they were facing the kind of volatility that sometimes leads to violence.
As followers of the non-violent principles of Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the protesters offer no resistance other than passive resistance. But they also feel that the political corruption of the party in power is selling the country's assets, squandering the proceeds and so limiting the economic future of poor Mexicans that if they don't act many of them, like so many before, will be forced to escape the country to feed their families. Given that looming possibility, their chant of �Llueve y llueve, y el pueblo no se mueve! (It rains and it rains, and the people don't move!) and their tenacious resistance may be understandable. Despite the discomforts, sacrifices and risks involved, one person after another expressed the view that the opportunity to be there, taking a stand together on behalf of a democratic Mexico, was an honor and a privilege.
The next few days may be key to the fate of the encampments. Friday, September 15 begins the Mexican independence celebration in which President Vincente Fox plans to give the traditional cry of "grito" from a balcony overlooking the Zocalo. The following day calls for there to be a traditional symbolic military parade that begins in the Zocalo and continues down Reforma-a route currently occupied by the encampments. Obrador has asked his supporters to "step aside" for the parade and Calderon has called for dialogs to begin to bridge the divide. But whether this means that the tents will simply be folded and the protesters will head home isn't clear and the potential for angry confrontation clearly exists.
Monica Rix Paxson is an award-winning author of a number of books including Dead Mars, Dying Earth, about global warming from a planetary science perspective.
+++
Links:
www.cepr.net/publications/ mexico_discrepancies_2006_08.pdf
Photos that accompany this article can be found online here:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ixax/detail?.dir=/d51ere2&.dnm=aea8re2.jpg&.src=ph
[Photo Captions (photo title shown in brackets)]
[Maria Juana Gutierrez, Guadalupe Guerra]
Guides to the encampments, Maria Juana Gutierrez and Guadalupe Guerra
[View down Reforma]
The view down a single block, one of many along several miles of encampments on Reforma. The blue-tiled building on the left is the original Sanborns, a famous restaurant and historic landmark.
[Tent with Protestor]
An encampment resident inside her tent with translator Luis Felipe Garc�a Pe'rez.
[Awning covering the streets]
Political cartoons are festooned everywhere in the encampment. Despite the awning-like tents erected overhead, drenching downpours flood the streets nearly every day.
[Entertainer]
Passersbys are offered entertainment along with political views.
[Coyoacan]
The community of Coyoacan is proud of their well-organized tent. Over 500 neighborhood residents have contributed to manning the booth or providing other volunteer services.
[Video]
Many large-screen televisions showing videos of various political actions and politicians play to rapt audiences.
[Crafts]
Classes teaching arts and crafts for both children and adults are common in the encampments.
[Water table]
Fruit-flavored water is prepared with filtered bottled water and offered to residents for free.
As followers of the non-violent principles of Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the protesters offer no resistance other than passive resistance. But they also feel that the political corruption of the party in power is selling the country's assets, squandering the proceeds and so limiting the economic future of poor Mexicans that if they don't act many of them, like so many before, will be forced to escape the country to feed their families. Given that looming possibility, their chant of �Llueve y llueve, y el pueblo no se mueve! (It rains and it rains, and the people don't move!) and their tenacious resistance may be understandable. Despite the discomforts, sacrifices and risks involved, one person after another expressed the view that the opportunity to be there, taking a stand together on behalf of a democratic Mexico, was an honor and a privilege.
The next few days may be key to the fate of the encampments. Friday, September 15 begins the Mexican independence celebration in which President Vincente Fox plans to give the traditional cry of "grito" from a balcony overlooking the Zocalo. The following day calls for there to be a traditional symbolic military parade that begins in the Zocalo and continues down Reforma-a route currently occupied by the encampments. Obrador has asked his supporters to "step aside" for the parade and Calderon has called for dialogs to begin to bridge the divide. But whether this means that the tents will simply be folded and the protesters will head home isn't clear and the potential for angry confrontation clearly exists.
Monica Rix Paxson is an award-winning author of a number of books including Dead Mars, Dying Earth, about global warming from a planetary science perspective.
+++
Links:
www.cepr.net/publications/ mexico_discrepancies_2006_08.pdf
Photos that accompany this article can be found online here:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ixax/detail?.dir=/d51ere2&.dnm=aea8re2.jpg&.src=ph
[Photo Captions (photo title shown in brackets)]
[Maria Juana Gutierrez, Guadalupe Guerra]
Guides to the encampments, Maria Juana Gutierrez and Guadalupe Guerra
[View down Reforma]
The view down a single block, one of many along several miles of encampments on Reforma. The blue-tiled building on the left is the original Sanborns, a famous restaurant and historic landmark.
[Tent with Protestor]
An encampment resident inside her tent with translator Luis Felipe Garc�a Pe'rez.
[Awning covering the streets]
Political cartoons are festooned everywhere in the encampment. Despite the awning-like tents erected overhead, drenching downpours flood the streets nearly every day.
[Entertainer]
Passersbys are offered entertainment along with political views.
[Coyoacan]
The community of Coyoacan is proud of their well-organized tent. Over 500 neighborhood residents have contributed to manning the booth or providing other volunteer services.
[Video]
Many large-screen televisions showing videos of various political actions and politicians play to rapt audiences.
[Crafts]
Classes teaching arts and crafts for both children and adults are common in the encampments.
[Water table]
Fruit-flavored water is prepared with filtered bottled water and offered to residents for free.
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