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We are the 99 percent

#YoSoy132 Blockades Mexico's Largest Media Company; Support Them At #OccupySaks!

Posted 11 years ago on Aug. 2, 2012, 4:39 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

On July 26, 2012, members of the #YoSoy132 movement and other Mexican social movements held a siege of Televisa, Mexico's largest TV broadcaster and media conglomerate. Afterward, the following statement from the Student Assembly was read (translated by OccupyWallSt.org):

Closing remarks from the siege of Televisa

The symbolic and peaceful siege of Televisa is an historic and unprecedented accomplishment, the first action directly resuming our program of struggle, particularly our number one point: the democratization and transformation of the media and dissemination of information, as our letter states: "We fight against media monopolies and oligopolies that concentrate and manipulate information, particularly in the current electoral context where collusion between political parties and media companies is evident." We note that the current model of commercial media, represented by Televisa and TV Azteca, are excluded from society and civil organizations in general. We believe that only the socialization and collective management of the media will allow for a true open media and guarantee the right to information and freedom of expression.

Summoned by shame, indignation, and suffering, we are here today at the gates of the media company which has been tasked to misinform and manipulate the Mexican people.

YoSoy132 is a nonpartisan, nonviolent, autonomous, anti-neoliberal social, political, and student movement independent of the parties, candidates, and organizations who respond to an electoral program -- a democratic movement where decisions emanate from the local and general assemblies which has transcended the electoral situation and continues to be organized and to fight to profoundly transform Mexico, to act as a counterweight to any decision and policy that violates the rights and interests of our people.

We have taken to the streets and now surrounded the pack of lies which Televisa represents, and we are developing the cohesion and organization of the people by raising awareness and organizing to fight for: The democratization of media, information, and its dissemination; changing the education system, science, and technology; changing the neoliberal economic model, changing the national security model; promoting participatory democracy in connection with social movements; and changing the healthcare model.

Although this demonstration was entirely peaceful, as is the struggle of this movement, there was an unnecessary deployment of police elements that stopped us by surrounding the perimeter of Televisa's installations and extended the fence to the adjoining streets, impacting the roadways and the free movement of residents. After 24 hours of the massive fence, we demonstrated a high degree of organization and unity of effort between the YoSoy132 movement, the People's Front in Defense of the Earth, the EMS, the CNTE, and the other social organizations for successful completion of the first action agreed in the framework of the National Convention against Taxation, held in Atenco. This convention has the clear objective of defending democracy, preventing the imposition [of presumed President-elect Peña Nieto], and seeking profound transformation of the current state of Mexico.

The protest was sparked in large part by the"victory" of Peña Nieto, whom social movements claim was elected via fraud and manipulation, with only the vote of a tiny percentage of Mexico's total population. Peña Nieto is of the PRI, the party that ruled Mexico autocratically for 70 years. The National Commission of Human Rights has documented that Peña Nieto was directly responsible for violating the human rights of the people of Atenco in 2006 as they demonstrated for their land rights against neoliberal expansion. The events occured while he was the governor of the state of Mexico and included abuses by his security forces such as torture, illegal detentions, mass rape, and murder.

For background on #YoSoy132, who continue to draw tens of thousands to street demonstrations, see here. To support them locally, come to this event this Tuesday in New York:

Occupy Saks Fifth Avenue (Direct Action Against Carlos Slim)

Telecommunications magnate Carlos Slim is responsible for overcharging Mexico's rural poor over $129 billion. Slim owns TELMEX, a formerly public company that is now his private monopoly thanks to the neoliberal policies of the Mexican government. Carlos Slim, the richest man in the world, continues to build his telecommunications empire on the backs of Mexico's poor and crippling the nation's economic development. We will not stand for such abusive practices that exploit people just so that the richest man in the world can get richer.

Join Mexico's Dos Paises Una Voz, Yo Soy 132, labor & Occupy Wall Street activists as we confront Slim at Saks Fifth Avenue, where he owns the largest private stake. We will bum rush the store, and flood it with the 99% on August 7th at 4:30 PM....

Use the hash tag #OccupySaks

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[-] 4 points by PetadeAztlan (113) from Sacramento, CA 11 years ago

Que Viva Mexico! Support Mexican Freedom Fighters! #YoSoy132 Venceremos Unidos! We Will Win United! Peter S. López AKA @Peta_de_Aztlan ~ Sacramento, California, Aztlan c/s

[-] 3 points by 20onefreedom00 (3) 11 years ago

All I want to say to the Occupy Wall Street and Occupy DC is thank you for the solidarity to the neighbor next door ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
JUST A LITTLE REMINDER FOR WHAT I KNOW ABOUT MEXICO'S BLEEDING DEMOCRACY. Brothers and sisters Mr. Peña, is the most corrupt man in the world and is going to be in the undercover drug cartel walking on our free soil like nothing has happened, hopefully the F.B.I. can investigate this big mess, Pedro Joaquin Coldwell is the PRI's national leader (the Institutional Revolutionary Party) who was Governor for Quintana Roo, Mex., he protected and supported the drug cartel Mario Villanueva Madrid.

" May 8, 2010, Mario Ernesto Villanueva Madrid, Former Governor P.R.I. of the Mexican state that holds Cancun and dozens of other Caribbean beach resorts, has been extradited to New York on charges of accepting bribes from a violent drug cartel that smuggled hundreds of tons of cocaine into the U.S. and then laundering the bribe money through Lehman Brothers."

Mr. Coldwell is now allied with the Former President of Mexico Vicente Fox who returned to the Mexican public in the middle of the presidential term of Felipe Calderón, when he criticized the fight against drug trafficking and the current management of insecurity in the country, the comment made by Fox caused the most controversy about the request to the Federal Government to allow the "legalization of drugs.", Mr. Fox was also telling members in the Military Camps of Mexico before starting the current election that there is a man named Enrique Peña Nieto that is going to be the next President of Mexico, no matter if he gets only one vote on his side, he will be the next President.

In the middle of the Presidential term of Felipe Calderón, "Friday, September 4, 2009 Veracruz, Veracruz - The Former Foreign Secretary Jorge Castaneda Gutman, said the Mexican Television Televisa intends to impose the Mexican State Governor Enrique Peña Nieto as a President of 2012, In a brief interview in the Boca del Rio USBI, which gave the keynote address "2012: Plebiscite and Referendum", in the presence of hundreds of university professors, former administration official PAN's Vicente Fox, where Mr. Castaneda expressed his rejection to the pre-campaign P.R.I. that Peña Nieto has been doing through the television monopoly he also stressed that Televisa seeks to IMPOSE the governor of Mexico State as a candidate for President of the Republic of Mexico, through an early campaign should not be allowed he said. accused that State of Mexico Government resources are being transferred to the television company Telivisa "under water". Hence it is delivered by overturn the electoral reform of 2007 " ( with Felipe Calderon Hinojosa who was IMPOSED as a President only with 0.5% of the total Mexican Votes ). July 1, 2012…The Former Foreign Secretary Jorge Castaneda Gutman on voting day of the Mexican General Elections he changed his mind and worked with Televisa live supporting Mr. Peña.

Today, these guys not only have Televisa involved but now they have another ally I.F.E.

IFE (The Country’s Federal Electoral Institute) is trying to hide this great nasty business under the carpet. International heavyweights from Barack Obama to the European Union to Hugo Chavez have officially recognized the result. All that’s left is for the Mexican people to vent their frustration, this is what IFE calls the “most transparent election in Mexican history” and a “fraud-proof electoral system” in which, according to IFE president Leonardo Valdes Zurita, the only mistakes were “human errors.”

The PRI’s (the Institutional Revolutionary Party) Enrique Peña Nieto is officially the president-elected. Despite evidence gathered by both defeated Democrat Candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) and the #YoSoy132 Pro-Democracy movement to show the vote-buying, threats and ballot-tampering were widespread on July 1, he will likely remain so – in large part thanks to IFE’s refusal to condemn what AMLO’s Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) has called “the dirtiest election in Mexico’s history.”

[-] 1 points by AnaClara132 (1) 11 years ago

are you going to do streaming of the action??? how can we be informed of what will be happening? saludos desde México, somos el 99% #YoSoy132!

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[-] 1 points by TrevorMnemonic (5827) 11 years ago

thanks for the post!

great video! Always great to see so many people unite on specific issues.

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