Gender violence, violent protests, and political groups paralyze UNAM

Mexico City’s Attorney General’s Office

(FGJ-CDMX), in coordination with Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office (FGR), is investigating at least eight groups pointed out as the main organizers of protests and damages that have been caused in recent days at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) .

The information alerted local and federal authorities for they have not ruled out that on the next days, the movement – that began four months ago as a fight against gender violence and that has caused strikes in 23 schools and faculties – could become more violent.

Based on the information collected last year, the most aggressive groups that have taken by force several schools and caused damages at the central campus of the UNAM have been identified as Biblioteca Social Reconstruir (Reconstruct Social Library), Colectivo Anarquista (Anarchist Collective), Centro Cultural Ocupado El Engrane (El Engrane Occupied Cultural Center), Okupa Ché , Cooperativa Café Victoria (Victoria Café Cooperative), Comparsa Chanti Ollin (Chanti Ollin Group), Colectivo Reta (Challenge Collective), and Colectivo Coordinador Estudiantil Anarquista (Anarchist Student Coordinator Collective).

It is calculated that the organizations are comprised of up to 1,000 members and some have even received “ anarchist training ” from South American universities for four Chileans and four Argentinians have been identified among the leaders of the movement and who are protected by the students themselves inside Ciudad Universitaria .

Monitoring made by local and federal investigation authorities allowed the identification of the South American leaders : they live in the Justo Sierra Auditorium of the Philosophy Faculty , a cultural space taken by breakaway groups who have called it Ché Guevara .

According to the investigation reports, at that location, they organize meetings to establish the protest activities; there are pictures of the attendees but they have not been arrested since they have no charges because they do not participate actively in the violent acts.

In addition, every time they leave Ciudad Universitaria, they are guarded by half a hundred students and followers, which has further complicated the implementation of an operation against them, for it is known that they always carry drugs and weapons to avoid being attacked by rival groups that want to control students for protests.

These organizations began to be monitored by authorities after the chaos registered during the #NoMeCuidanMeViolan (They Don’t Take Care of Me, They Rape Me) protest.

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It is known that among the most radical sides of these groups are former soldiers , drug dealers , foreign citizens , robbers , and even former teachers of Ciudad Universitaria.

These people are considered moles in the protests, violent rioters , and event highly dangerous criminals when there are protests, including those that happen yearly such as the ones of October 2 and May 1 .

Likewise, these groups have established links with other organizations, like Antorcha Campesina , the SME , porro groups, the Frente de los Pueblos en Defensa de la Tierra , the Federación Libertaria de Mexico , Individualistas Tendiendo a lo Salvaje , Círculo Eco-Extremista de Terrorismo y Sabotaje , and Regeneración Radio .

Likewise, they are in touch and exchange support with collectives in Chile , Greece , France , Spain , Cuba , England , Canada , and Italy , which go beyond a simple solidarity message- After the vandalic acts committed last Tuesday in the central campus of the UNAM, Enrique Graue , dean of the institution, revealed that there are foreign interests that have the objective to destabilize the institution.

For their part, UNAM authorities have warned of the possibility of losing the school semester and year due to the extension of classes suspension in schools like the Philosophy Faculty and High School No. 9 .

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In total, there are 161,544 students affected by the strikes at UNAM, which is facing new class suspensions and a direct call to a general strike made by High School No. 9 students during a violent protest at the central campus.

Given the extended period of inactivity in some schools, authorities have sought to implement extraordinary measures to avoid losing the school semester and year. Last January 25, the Technical Council of the Philosophy Faculty sent a statement to professors saying that they had approved the adjustment to the school calendar to evaluate students online but nearly 200 teachers refused .

Meanwhile, at High School No. 9, parents and students are worried the school year will be lost and so students cannot enter college. Hence, last weekend, authorities began extramural courses at Mexico’s Latin American College .

Protests against gender violence and sexual harassment at the UNAM began last October 2 and have reached 23 schools and faculties until now. According to UNAM’s data, there are 149, 328 students in these schools.

Since the beginning of the strikes, according to UNAM information, 17 investigations processes have been initiated, 9 professors accused of sexual harassment were separated from their schools to protect the victims, and one student was accompanied to denounce one of her schoolmates for video recording her in a restroom.

According to UNAM, approximately 100 academics, administrative workers, and students have been terminated or definitely separated from the highest house of studies in Mexico.

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From 2016 to 2018 , 921 students claimed to be victims of sexual violence from their schoolmates, teachers, and workers. From the 817 sexual aggressors identified by students, UNAM only punished 47% , most of them students; only 9 teachers out of 352 were sanctioned.

Students in favor of the strike claim that there is an answer from the authorities but not an effective fulfillment of their demands. They have also reported there is harassment against them from members of porro groups as well as from members of UNAM surveillance .

One of the factors that have prevented the solution of the conflict is that the students demand college authorities to investigate and sanction the cases denounced through informal methods by pointing out authorities revictimize them since they do not promote denounces and dismiss the cases. For their part, authorities insist that it is not possible to investigate nor sanction any cases without a formal denounce before legal instances to follow the legal procedure .

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