These news were published in various Indymedias. The proposal was to tell all that news that the oficial media gave, and to explain some about its contradictions and to calm down the paranoia the media did about the topic.
All these news came from all sources I could have: some newspapers, TV, radio, and some web sources. I got upset as I saw the police brutality against the campesinos, as I couln´t stop getting afraid of the inminent repression (the federal army and federal police).

The news are edited from their original sources, because of avoiding repeated or unnecesary texts. Here is a resume of the news I recopilated and put into a public source:

To see the photos or the original articles, go to http://www.oocities.org/fightgraphiks/imagenes/atenco.html

||||| Friday July 12 |||||||
CAMPESINOS OF SAN SALVADOR ATENCO BRUTALLY DAMAGED BY POLICE FORCES

Mexico, July 11 2001.

((news compilled from the oficial media))

Aproxiomatedly, a hundred group of campesinos were seriously damages by the police forces (grenadiers) of the state and judicial agents as civil weared.

The campesinos were demonstrating against the construction of the new airport, and by the Teotihuacan road, were detained by cops armed with guns, sticks and gas grenades. The way was closed previously with 2 vehicles, and after a discussion, the "civil" agents attacked from the trees, but they were repeled. Inmediatly, the riot cops came in, and threw bottles, gas grenades, and big stones. The campesinos were armed with machetes (the big knifes used for their job).

They persecuted the demonstrators. As they reached them, the cops damaged 30 campesinos with their own machetes. Some were gun shoted.

There is no confirmation about a rumor that one demonstrator died in the battle.

The campesinos took six men as targets. 3 are cops and the other are funcionaries. They ask for the liberation of their partners to leave the targets free. And they did put barricades al through the raodway, warninig that they´ll burn a car every 2 hours if their partners aren´t liberated yet.

The situation got worse, baceuse autorities refused to dialog, and the campesinos warned the targets would be killed if their partners aren´t free. "We´re ready to die, but they´ll do it first".

The oficial media, as always, has targeted the campesinos as radical people manipulated by guerrilla, CGH (university strikers) PRD ("democratic party"), etc.

The University of Mexico General Council of Strike (CGH) students have put barricades in Insurgentes Avenue as a solidarity demonstration with the campesinos. Also some magisterial, studental and worker´s organizatoins are to go to Atenco.

July 12

After a long silence, the Republic president, Vicente Fox announced by Santiago Creel thata acts of violence won´t be tolerated and dispossed of an unknown members of the Fereal Preventive Police (PFP) totake care of "the State of Right".

Today autorities liberated 13 prisoners, but 2 are still in prison because they had previous aprehension orders.

July 13th

At this moment, ejidatarios have proposed a dialog (not negotiation). And unknowing the governor Arturo Montiel as participant. They propose Rosario Ibarra, Samuel Ruiz and Francsco Gallardo as interlocutors.

The secretary of Government announced "hard actions against agressions".

The enterprisemen have announced that the decision of building the new airport is still avaible, even the protests.

1500 people demonstrated yesterday in Mexico City to solidarize with the campesinos.

There were liberated 3 more prisoners (no one was campesino)

Saturday 13 and Sunday 14

- Aproximatedly (more) 300 soldiers, 300 federal and statal cops are preparing an action. there are in some provocators and infiltrators.

- Francisco Gallardo accepts to be the mediator between the two parts. the governor refused and the president asumed it as his position of mediator.

- 9 Leaders are consigned by some the 4 kind of infractions, some of them, federal.

- The lawyer Burgoa Orihuela refused to quit. (Burgoa Orihuela is the lawyer who supports lawfully the campesinos but jailed a year ago the students- why?)

- Ejidatarios are armed with stones, tricks, molotov bombs and are prepared for militar actions. People is patroling the zone.

- hostages were able to speak to the media, they accept they are not being damaged.

- By the other side, prisoners are being tortured and menaced. THERE ARE (at saturday night) 9 LEADERS CONSIGNED TO AUTORITY, 5 MORE HOISTAGES TAKEN AND 8 CAMPESINOS DISAPEARED.

- At 6:30 fo this Sunday, they were libertated the 11 prisoners (the number is not clear yet) under law restictions.

- The Texcoco - Lechería roadway is still closed.

- There are totally 17 hostages taken by campesinos, between cops, infiltrators, spies and funcionaries.

Monday 15

(The media paranoia)
The Investigation and National Security Center (CISEN) reports they have find two members of ETA (Basque Country, Spain) and one of Sendero Luminoso (Perú) in Atenco. Radio repoted that propaganda of the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) is being finded there.

At 6:30 PM, the Radio reported that all campesinos would be liberated. Monday at the first hours of the day, there were in freedom 11 campesinos. 2 are still under investigation and law reserves.

There is not much today. The campesinos, organizations and students that support them are patroling the place. The things seem to be more quiet than they were or Friday and Saturday.

Tuesday

A LITTLE VICTORY.

An enormous demonstration was done yesterday, the destination was the presidential residence in Los Pinos. it was wrongly convocated for Monday. The concentration started at 4 PM in the Diana Monument of the "Independence". it was very crowded and not monopoliced my small groups with particular reivindications, even the media covered with several importance to the ejidatarios armed and face - covered. The other contingents participated not with their own struggles, as it´s common. the principal slogan was the "ZAPATA VIVE, LA LUCHA SIGUE!!" , internationally famous slogan that all demonstrators sang half a year ago in Praga against the IMF and the World Bank . The best slogan in these moments when the ejidatarios won their first voctory, that the govermnment accepted to dialog and reconsider its position about building the new airport in San Salvador Atenco. A victory where blood, anger, prison, dissapeared people and efforts were spendt by the campesin movement.

There were present partners of all colors, social classes, ages, forma children to old people, and of all ideologies: zapatistas, anarchists, comunists, jubilees, owers, desobedients, some catholics, other of he medium class... Rebel heads, rebel hearts, rebel colors.

The present organizations were the FZLN (Zapatista Front of National Liberation), FPFV (Francisco Villa Popular Front), White Revolution (jubilees), CUT (Unitary Central of Workers), CNTE (National Coordination of Teachers) PCM (Comunist Party of Mexico), Urban Assemblei of Mexico City, Sindicato de Costureras, students of ENAH (Antropology), UAM
(Autonomous Metropolitan University), IPN (Politecnic National Institute), and form the General Council of Strike (CGH, UNAM), plus various anarchists, some with the campesinos, some other moving individually.

At aprox. five and a half arrived the Atenco ejidatarios, an enormous contingent of campesinos decided to fight until the end with their machetes at high. From armed children to ancient face - covered. The media don´t let the campesinos go on, until a human barrier puts order in the place. The anarchist partners paint in the streets, give information to the people, and the campesinos throw loud explosives to the air.

A woman that was with the zapatistas takes a machete and runs into the campesin´s contingent. Rumors run quickly "It´s Rosario Ibarra". The media acoses her.

The demo started later than 6 PM.

POPULAR COUNTER-POWER (Popolare Contropotere)

At 7:23 the demo has arrived to the Antropology National Museum. The forestal way of Chapultepec, the freshness of the ambient and the with coulds of the evaparation calms down the heat of the afternoon. because today didn´t rain. But the rage is still hot.

At 7:40 the demo rotates onto Chivatito Avenue, the Entrance of los Pinos. The security barrier and the way come closer, so the movements are slower.

At the entering, (no) surprisingly, there are two barricades in front of almost 15 police lines (the women group) , and behind there are 4 buses. While I´m writing some details of this report, I´m being pushed into the barricades and crash, as I can´t breathe. Until I can get out, I realize there are more cop lines. At the other side there is a not better men police group, but they are provocating shouting, and joking about the campesino´s words. some laugh, one of them can´t stop, it seems, or it´s obvious that some of them are drugged. Between them, there is a horse - riders big cop line.

A young guy throws a paper airplane to the cops, one of them jumps to trap it.

In the tribune at the top of the buses the campesinos are shouting their demands, against that democracy that kills, that kicks, that takes desitions not being concerned about if it damages others, the dfemocracy of the riches and of the powerful. But ot was a little victory won by the popular power, the solidarity and the efforts, a force demonstration that was lost in the universitary strike and wasn´t seen in the streets again.

Tuesday trasecnded that there were put in freedom 11 campesinos, also the 15 hostages taken by the campesinos. The treating of both were contrastant. The first were tortured, not medical cared, and the others recogniced they were treated with dignity.

Also trascended tha the paramilitar PFP retired. The governor hasn´t accepted in his "ejemplar lawful man" trauma and says that "the aprehension orders will go on".

FROM LOSE TO LOSE, UNTIL THE FINAL VICTORY!

The foxist govenment and its parasit circle had to admit they had to think again about the airport project. even the victory is still little, the media has maximized it, as in we remember the univerity strike (1999-2000), the media talking about "completed" demands but with their eufemistic style (If you are rebel - Drink Pepsi [?]). The struggle hassn´t finished yet, and as the campesinos said clearly, "the land is not for sale nor in seven, thirty or seventy pesos".

NOTES FROM THE TRIP

Later than I wrote this notes, I went with a couple of friends to San Salvador Atenco to cover the events from first hand, and to take some photos. This report is from the fisrt day that the rage got higher (thursday july 11th) until the total victory (july 22nd), when the govenment acceeded to quit the project. The reason for it was the vary increased popular and international suport, as the death of one of the campesinos in struggle: his name was José Espinoza Suárez. The story wasn´t happy. The ultraright and enterprisal government said in public that the repression was right, that the lifes of campesinos didn´t matter. The arzobisp (and previously of the visit of Pope) said that the government should continue doing ther airport even it would have killed 300 people!!! Later he said he didn´t told that. "I said 100, not 300".

Today the campesinos have declarated the land as an Autonomous territory, and they have not accepted the legal government as legitime. They choosed their own authorities. The campesinos have been active these days and proudly of the victory. They are going into schools, are still being discriminated by the media.

The stuggle continues.

Ludovico - ludovicoditimotio@hotmail.com