Gainesville SDS Demonstrates In Solidarity With Oaxaca
Gainesville SDS demonstrating on the University of Florida Campus (Photo: Gainesville SDS)
Gainesville, FL - November 21, 2006. Gainesville Students for a Democratic Society held a demo on the University of Florida campus Monday in solidarity with the rebels in Oaxaca, Mexico.
A mock barricade was erected in the highly trafficked Plaza of the Americas around lunch time. It was covered with collages of photos from Oaxaca and a large banner reading “Our dreams will never fit in your ballot boxes! Nuestros suenos nunca cabran en sus urnos! - viva la APPO!”
We staged periodic dramatizations of the street battles that have characterized the movement, with costumed riot police advancing on the barricade behind DIY riot gear being met with a barrage of missiles and masked protesters armed with sticks.
There were pitched battles, mock arrests, police abductions, and plenty of informational flyers and posters for those drawn in by our street theater. (A special thanks to the folks at crimethinc for their great Oaxaca poster!)
After the event the banner and crimethinc poster were again displayed in two different high traffic locations on campus, where they will likely stay for a week or more (if past banner drops are any indication).
As Gainesville SDS’s first public action, it was a very clear success. We accomplished our goals of raising awareness on campus, attracting media attention to the ongoing events in Oaxaca, and going public in an exciting and fun way.
Original post by Jonathan Surrency and reposted by Radical Blogs
