12 may 2006, London

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.

Mexican Embassy in London Occupied. Demonstration Outside. San Salvador
Atenco Massacre Solidarity Protest.

Today, at this very moment, and from 9:45 a.m, anti-capitalist activists,
human rights campaigners individuals and groups, from all over the United
Kingdom, including London's Zapatista Action Project ( z.a.p. ), Bristol
Solidarity group Kiptik and the Comite Cerezo support group in the U.K.,
are staging a peaceful occupation and noise demonstration inside and
outside the Mexican Embassy in London. Closing it down for business.

Jo, one of the people chained to the outside railings in front of its main
door said “ we will not move until the Ambassador, Juan José Bremer de
Martino, comes out and sits down with us to discuss what steps the Mexican
government or in its absence the relevant authority in power in Mexico
will take to put right the human rights violations perpetrated by the
Mexican security forces in San Salvador Atenco”.

For a live interview with the campaigners at the scene or to find out more
call +44798424115.

Confrontation, deaths disappeared and human rights abuses in Mexico.

During clashes with the Mexican Police, One 14 year old child's life was
taken away by a shot he received from a 38 special police gun. The
National Human Rights Committee, a Mexican Government agency, reported
seven raped women and 16 were sexually abused while in police custody. 239
People where arrested, and an unconfirmed number are reported dissapeared.

Reporters without borders denounced the mistreatment and deportation of
three foreign journalists during the Security Force's attack. They had
been beaten and had their equipment and material seized by police.

Despite Mexican Government denials, in a recent video, also released by
the National Human Rights Committee, 3 police operatives deployed in San
Salvador Atenco, admit: “ ... ( some officers ) carried weapons like R15s,
shotguns 38 and 9 millimetre. We received orders to hit everything that
moved, as long as the media wouldn't see us, and that we should break into
houses to take as many people as possible out”.


The purpose of the action today is to show solidarity with the victims of
these brutal attack from the Mexican authorities as well as demand
responsibility and justice. Sending a clear message to the Mexican
Democratic Institutions - Activists and Human Rights campaigners all over
the world are watching the situation in San Salvador Atenco, surrounding
the 'other campaign', the pre-electoral process in Mexico and warn that
as demonstrated by solidarity action all over the world, actions and
protests targeting the government and it's representatives as well as
Mexico's economic interests to defend the rights of ordinary people in
Mexico and to see the release of the prisoners as well as those
responsible for the events in San Salvador Atenco WILL NOT STOP until
those responsible are brought to justice.

Of the arrested, the National Human Rights committee noted that 90% had
been beaten and many had broken bones.

Francisco Cerezo Contreras, campaigner from the human rights organisation
Comite Cerezo, who was overseeing the Other campaign's visit to Mexico
City and attended San Salvador Atenco in the position of human rights
observer, was being illegally recorded and monitored by the Mexican
Security Forces In Mexico City after the events of Atenco while he was
talking to Melanie del Carmen Salgado Lopez, a student who has been
suffering death threats. The people surrounding them noticed the recoding
taking place and the agent was uncovered. Alejandro has been receiving
dead threats since. He is now under constant accompaignment of Peace
Brigades International observers to safeguard his life. Campaigners will
demand the immediate stop of such activities and an official and
independent investigation and hold the president of the Mexican Republic
Vicente Fox Quesada responsible for what could happen to him if
appropriate action is not taken to safeguard their lives.

San Salvador Atenco is a town in the State of Mexico, situated 15 miles
north east of Mexico City. On May the 3rd, a confrontation broke out in
the nearby village of Texcoco when police moved in to remove street flower
sellers, answering market forces' orders to cleanse traditional street
sellers out to clear the way for a new WALLMART superstore. The flower
sellers then asked for solidarity from Atenco's “machetero” movement. Back
in 2002, in San Salvador Atenco, also withstanding the powerful forces
behind politicians, The peasant Popular front for the Defence of The Land
( Frente Popular en Defensa de la Tierra-FPDT ) resisted the development
of a new airport for City of Mexico on their land and successfully stopped
the plan2. They then declared San Salvador Atenco an Autonomous
Municipality.

UK climate and anti airport expansion campaigners are also present in the
protest at the embassy.

Parallel to the june 2006 election campaign in Mexico, grassroots
organisations from all over the country, who put no hopes in a change of
government, might it be from the centre, left or right, set out the so
called ' Other Campaign' to organise 'anti- capitalist' grassroots
solutions and set out in a strategic journey to find out practical ways to
better the condition of Mexico's excluded, indigenous peoples and the
poor.

On May 6, putting words into action, over 8000 marchers who signed up to
the EZLN's 6th Declaration of the Lacantun Jungle, including Zapatista
spokes person "Subcommander Marcos", as well as students, and people from
the surrounding areas and Mexico's capital City arrived in San Salvador
Atenco. Demanding the release of all of Atenco prisoners, including those
from the FPDT, the immediate stop of threats and intimidation as well as
political responsibility and justice. This is just the beginning.

La lucha sigue.



For a live interview from the Mexican embassy and to request high
resolution images from the protest you can Telephone +44798424115 for more
information, email  zap06@riseup.net





Notes to editors
_________________________________________________________________________________
For a transcript of the interview with the 3 officers deployed in the San
Salvador Atenco masacre, see
 http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2006/05/11/003n1pol.php

Reporters without borders>  http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=47

The website of the Human rights comission is:  http://www.cndh.org.mx

Comite Cerezo website:  http://www.espora.org/comitecerezo

The other campaign: EZLN  http://www.ezln.org.mx