Normalistas cause rampage in Michoacán

Members of Michoacán’s rural Teachers’ College, normalistas, vandalized several historic buildings in downtown Morelia, sprayed paint on police cars and assaulted members of the Federal Police during a demonstration that took place this Saturday to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the break-in of state forces to their schools, where explosives and vehicles were seized as the latter were believed to be stored for further burn down.

At the time, state authorities arrested around 170 normalistas after confrontation with federal and state authorities which left many officers injured, two of them being left in seriously injured conditions as one lost one eye and another showed several skull fractures which kept him in intensive care therapy for many weeks.

Further demonstrations are expected elsewhere in the country. Last Thursday and Friday, students of the Bilingual Intercultural School “Jacinto Canek” vandalized trucks in Tuxtla Gutierrez and San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas. They justified their actions by claiming the “government’s ineptitude” as authorities failed to build infrastructure works in their schools as was promised to them six years earlier.

In a press conference, the protesters argued that their claims “are not extraordinary or unusual” as they need proper infrastructure in their school, however “the government has failed to meet their promise”. The students requested to remain anonymous and noted that the protests are in no way related with the demands to receive automatic teaching positions.

They added that they originally waited for a government’s response as they are keen to dialogue, but that they have also waited long enough as six years is way too much time for them to wait any longer.