Celebrating International Women’s Day

Celebrating International Women’s Day

To celebrate, the APPO (Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca) held a peaceful march through the city of Oaxaca to end at La Plaza de Danza, next to the Basilica de la Soledad. Today around one hundred thousand of people walked through the streets carrying banners and chanting, holding giant puppets of women, signs calling for the freedom of political prisoners and lots of women with umbrellas. At the Plaza de Danza, speakers called for an end to the crimes of the “bad government” and their oppression and impoverishment of the masses for the sake of the rich. Many called for the resignation of the governor, Ulysses Ruiz (URO) – a very unpopular dude right now. Many times the women were thanked for their leadership in this movement and for all the organizing work that they have been doing here in the last 10 months. There was definitely a local focus at this march, although in other parts of the world people are reflecting on the widespread oppression of women and their struggle in much of “the developing world”.

The police seemed to really be scared of these women and their compañer@s – they constructed multiple barrier fences with razor wire and fencing between them and they lined up in formation throughout the zocalo donned in full riot gear. They completely cut off access to this main plaza for most of the day, causing more fear and disruption in the city than the march.

Oaxaca is still reeling economically from the events of the last 10 months, but tourism is coming back and the people are generally in high spirits. Music fills the air and the zocalo and parks are full of children, balloons and dancing. Cultural performances and art are to be found around every corner here and the gastronomy is incredible.