*Please distribute widely*
Wal-Mart Stores tied to attacks on Mexican Peasants in outskirts of Mexico City (San Salvador Atenco).
Groups in Southern California mobilize in response encourage bi-national protests
WHAT: Protest at Wal Mart in response to Repression, death and brutality of Flower vendors near Mexico City
WHEN: Sunday May 7th, Noon
WHERE: 17150 E. Gale Ave.., La Puente, CA 91745
COLLECTIVELY SPONSORED BY:
Automous Peoples' Collective, La Otra en el Otro Lado, Harmony Keepers, and more t.b.a.
MAY 5, 2006 —SAN SALVADOR ATENCO, MEXICO-Violent attacks against the people of San Salvador Atenco by Federal Police have led to several casualties, including the death of a child. Federal Police have declared a state of siege and continue to ransack the homes of community members, searching for police officers that have been detained in response to the imprisonment of protestors. The violence started on Wednesday May 3, as local vendors attempted to sell flowers in the nearby community of Texcoco, to remove competition at the future site of a Wal-Mart store. Police forcefully dispersed the vendors, injuring several of the vendors in the process. As the Anteco-based Frente de Pueblos en Defensa de la Tierra (Peoples’ Front in Defense of the Land) gathered to protest, the demonstration quickly turned for the worse with the violent response of Federal Police.
Atenco is a self-governing community that is aligned to the EZLN’s “La Otra Campana” (Other Campaign). Through militant protests last year the people of Atenco successfully blocked the construction of an airport in the region, in effect becoming famous across Mexico for their zealous protests against injustices mitigated by the Mexican government and Corporate interests.
A demonstration is planned for Sunday May 7th at the La Puente/ City of Industry. Wal-Mart store located at 17150 E. Gale Ave., 91745, in response to the Corporation’s ties with the Mexican police & WalMart’s effective death sentence to local farmers and merchants . Organizers believe that an urgent response directed toward the Wal-Mart Corporation is needed in order to inform the public about Wal-Mart’s questionable ethics. As of May 3, 2006 the EZLN declared a Red Alert in support of the people of Atenco. Organizations across southern California, including the Autonomous Peoples Collective and Harmony Keepers began protesting the brutal events at the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles today, May 5th, and many plan to continue actions to protest the Wal-Mart stores.
Wal-Mart is effectively brutal on all peoples of the Americas and beyond. Partly as a result of trade agreements like NAFTA, many transnational corporations, including Wal-Mart super stores have emerged in Mexico in the last decade. Wal-Mart, now infamous for its blatant disregard for employee rights and use of sweatshops in China, is an unwelcome guest for many Mexican intellectuals, artists, working people and activists. This is not the first time Wal-Mart has encountered problems with moving in on new territory. In recent years, community members in Inglewood, CA successfully turned away the super-store, due to concerns that Wal-Mart would destroy small businesses in the area. The concerns of groups in the US along with those of the people in Atenco is a reflection of growing outrage about Wal-Mart’s unethical business practices, notorious union busting, and general disregard for the people affected by their practices. Thus it becomes apparent that Wal-Mart’s low prices are brought to you at a very high human cost.
For more information please email
uprising@sbcglobal.net or
valvel@hotmail.com