Reuters AlertNet Lite - Mexico police again battle Oaxaca protesters

Reuters AlertNet Full site

NEWSDESK

Mexico police again battle Oaxaca protesters

02 Nov 2006 18:21:56 GMT
Source: Reuters

OAXACA, Mexico, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Mexican riot police used tear gas and water cannon on Thursday to force back Molotov-cocktail hurling protesters as violence flared again in the strife-torn city of Oaxaca.

Federal police who took over the city center at the weekend in an attempt to end a political conflict that has killed more than a dozen people, were earlier pushed back by hundreds of protesters guarding the entrance to the state university, a protest nerve center.

The protesters, who have blockaded Oaxaca for five months demanding that state Gov. Ulises Ruiz step down, threw petrol bombs at riot police who had been pushing forward through barricades of burnt out vehicles, Reuters witnesses said.

But the gray-clad riot police regained the upper hand as reinforcements arrived in armored trucks and helicopters, spraying protesters with water cannon and firing tear gas canisters.

Protesters said one demonstrator was injured in the clash.

Mexico's government earlier said in a statement that police would not enter the university. Strict rules prevent government security forces from entering autonomous state universities.

Outgoing President Vicente Fox sent federal police to the colonial city after gunmen apparently linked to local officials shot dead three people on Friday, including a U.S. activist and journalist.

Oaxaca's state government said in a statement that it had arrested two people thought to be involved in the killing. Local media said on Thursday the two belonged to Ruiz's opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party.

Accusing Ruiz and his government of corruption and of using thugs to crush dissent, the protesters forced local and state police out of the city in June, took over offices, sentenced people accused of theft and charged street corner tolls.

(Additional reporting by Daniel Aguilar in Oaxaca)

AlertNet news is provided by

Email this article Send comments

Topics

• Water

MORE >>

Countries

Small country map
© 2004 Europa Technologies Ltd.

Reset map

• Mexico profile

· View Ciudad de México

MORE >>

NGO latest

• The UMCOR Hotline for October 31, 2006
UMCOR - USA

• Lebanon – ICRC Bulletin No. 18 / 2006
ICRC - Switzerland

• Uganda: Displaced helped by water project
ICRC - Switzerland

• People in Need completed an EC funded water supply project in Northern Afghanistan
PIN - Czech Republic

• Concern Assists 150,000 Liberians to rebuild their lives
Concern Worldwide - Ireland

MORE >>

Latest news

• Mexico police again battle Oaxaca protesters

• SOMALIA-ETHIOPIA: Agencies warn of possible flooding in southern Somalia

• Cholera kills 28 in Cameroon

• Crisis dominates Day of Dead in Mexico's Oaxaca

• U.N. agencies working with Sri Lanka on flood aid

MORE >>

Last updated:Thu Nov 2 18:23:45 2006