Rolling Stones: Nostros Somos 132

Thought I was kidding, did you?

Today's Marches In Mexico: Crickets in the US Trad Media

Well, surprise, surprise, surprise.

I think I told you that something important was happening today in Mexico. I wrote about it yesterday, and I then rescued my own diary to tell you about it again today.

So here's the big question after all of that: did anything of note happen in Mexico today? Did it? Do you know? Funny you should ask.

First, let's try an experiment. If you are in the US, do a google news search for "yo soy 132 Mexico," and what do you see? Nada. Zilch. Cero. Bupkis, Nothing. Evidently, nothing happend according to the Trad Media^TM. No surprises there. If it did happen, and you will find no spoiler in this paragraph, why should it be reported in the US? Why indeed.

And then, you wander over to to CNN Mexico and see this, the lead story headlined "Miles de ciudadanos marchan contra Peña Nieto" (Thousands of Citizens March Against Pena Nieto):

Jóvenes de diversas escuelas y organizaciones sociales se reunieron este domingo en el Zócalo de la Ciudad de México, de donde partieron hacia el Ángel de la Independencia para realizar la que denominaron la segunda marcha anti-Peña Nieto.

Alrededor de 90,000 personas participaron en la manifestación, según cifras que la Secretaría de Seguridad Pública del Distrito Federal brindó a CNNMéxico. En la primera marcha, el 19 de mayo, asistieron unos 46,000 manifestantes.

Los contingentes gritaron consignas contra el aspirante presidencial de la coalición Compromiso por México, Enrique Peña Nieto, para iniciar su recorrido por Paseo de la Reforma. Peña Nieto es militante del Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI), que busca recuperar la presidencia que perdió en el 2000.

Oh yes. In English (pardon me for that and my rush translation):

Young people from various schools and social organizations gathered Sunday at the Zócalo in Mexico City, from where they left the Angel of Independence for the second march against Peña Nieto.

Around 90,000 people participated in the demonstration, according to figures the Ministry of Public Security of the Federal District provided to CNNMéxico. In first march on 19 May, some 46,000 protesters attended.

The contingents chanted slogans against the presidential candidate of the coalition Compromiso por Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, before starting their march on Paseo de la Reforma. Peña Nieto is a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which seeks to regain the presidency it lost in 2000.

And then there's this small photo, too:



One of Yo Soy 132's main gripes is that the Trad Media^TM in Mexico are dominated by the PRI. That they don't report the news, that their polls are rigged, and that, of course, they keep saying that EPN will win the July 1 election. Why should all of that be reported in the US? I mean: we don't have that problem in the US, do we? I mean: in the US the Trad Media^TM aren't like the Mexican Media. Hell no. I mean: they tell it straight. And they report the facts. And they're not dominated by the major parties. What goes on south of the Rio Grande is utterly without significance here. Right?

No reason to report what's going on in Mexico. No, Sir. Why FFS none of that has any applicability here at all. It's obvious. Nothing to see in Mexico. Nada.

Sunday: Yo Soy 132 Marches In Mexico

This from NarcoNews:

On Sunday, June 10, the Mexican movement known as “YoSoy132” will participate together with the convening organization “Enrique Peña NO” in the “Second March of Anti Peña Nieto Information.” The first occurred when tens of thousands marched through the streets on May 19. ...

The national march on Sunday will converge from two routes [in Mexico DF]. ...:

• At noon from the Zocalo in Mexico City the “Second March of Anti Peña Nieto Information” will head toward the Angel of Independence.

• At 10:30 a.m. a contingent of the YoSoy132 movement’s Arts Commission will head out from the Casco de Santo Tomás, near Metro Station Normal, toward the Zocalo, in memory of the June 10, 1971 massacre in which government and paramilitary squads massacred 120 students who had marched peacefully against the PRI government. That massacre is today known as “El Halconazo.”

Both marches will converge at the Zocalo and then march to the Angel of Independence, where demonstrators will watch, together, the broadcast of the second presidential debate (which, thanks to the pressure of the student movement will be aired by the Televisa and TV Azteca duopoly) at 6 p.m....

[S]imultaneous protests have been organized in at least 52 cities and towns throughout the Mexican Republic.

We will march with placards, megaphones, banners, etcetera, making evident to all of society all the errors, goof-ups, evil governance, repression, corruption and other messes by Peña Nieto. We will tell the truth since the traditional media of television and newspapers refuse to broadcast it… Together we will demonstrate our rejection of the most repressive and corrupt party in the country and it’s candidate, a plastic puppet!

All who attend the march pledge to:

• Attend on Sunday, June 10, 2012 in the Zocalo without any partisan political displays. The recommendation is to dress in black.

• Not engage in any prosletism in favor of any candidate or party. This means not wearing the colors associated with political parties, images that allude to the candidates, cheers for any of their names, etcetera.

• March PEACEFULLY and on the indicated route.

• Remain in only one lane of traffic so as to not impede the travel of vehicles.

• Respect all who attend the march, pedestrians and vehicles along its path, regardless of their political inclinations. There will be some guides during the march solely to indicate what that means, but we trust in your civility and if we act according to these guidelines everything should happen exactly as it is planned.

• Do not respond to any provocations by infiltrating groups nor occur in acts of vandalism or violence, such as taking down, damaging or destroying campaign signs. We must not damage any public services.

• Do not bring your voter ID of the Federal Elections Institute nor expensive objects of value that could be robbed or a target of provocations.

• Expose vandals and people who participate in acts of violence. If this occurs we suggest stopping the march and sitting down with arms crossed around the violent person, filming and taking photographs. This is how we will expose the aggressor.

• Deliver any person who conducts acts of vandalism or violence to the authorities.

• Inform the people of the truth about candidate Enrique Peña Nieto: his errors, goof-ups, evil governing, inexperience, ignorance, et cetera.

• Inform about the dishonest news by media companies bought by the PRI party (like Televisa) that have edited or ommitted relevant information that would expose the true face of Peña Nieto.

• In the event that any of these cited agreements are violated, retreat from the march.

I am in solidarity with Yo Soy 132 and this march. Join me in this. Wear black if you are marching. If you are in Mexico, join a march near you. If you are in the US, and there is a march near you (So Cal, you hear me?) join it.

More info here at FB.

Yo Soy 132

The Election in Mexico is July 1, 2012. EPN is not inevitable. If you want it.

What's it mean? On May 11th an uncounted number of students jeered at Peña Nieto when he addressed them at the Ibero University in Mexico City. The Media tried to diminish the importance of their protest by reporting that there were only 131 students involved. There were many more than that… and so the students started to furiously spread the word: “I am # 132” The slogan appeared on T shirts, banners, placards Then a group of them made a You Tube video clip that went viral.

And, as if that weren't enough, one of my heroes, Paco Ignacio Taibo II applauds:

“The real miracle is that a complete generation that was condemned to apathy, to only observe, and to individualism, is once again making the nation’s destiny their own.”