Students reoccupy Radio Universidad

At approximately 5pm on Apr. 30 in Oaxaca City, Radio Universidad was reoccupied by Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO) sympathizers and students from different departments of the Benito Juarez Autonomous University who are sympathetic to the APPO. With protest songs and political information, the transmissions were initiated to spread information about the different mobilizations planned for the first days of May. On May 1, a national labor holiday, teachers from section 22 union, together with other social organizations, planned to march to the Zocalo of the capital city to protest the continuing governance of Ulises Ruiz, ousted by popular demand since June of last year. The radio hosts are asking for support from students and the general public to reinforce the radio installations and take security measures in case of state repression. The radio hosts are saying that the radio and the university will be occupied for the next two days. The university radio is the site of the Nov. 2, 2006 battle between APPO sympathizers and the Federal Preventive Police during an attempted eviction of the barricades protecting the occupied radio. The barricadistas and radio supporters were able to force thousands of the Federal Preventive Police to retreat and continued to defend the occupied radio and its surrounding barricades for nearly a month, despite severe paramilitary repression. The radio was handed over to the university authorities a few days after the violent battle between APPO sympathizers and the Federal Preventive Police on Nov. 25. Due to the siege of Oaxaca City by state, local and federal forces and continuing repression, those upholding the university radio and the barricades felt that it was impossible to remain under the circumstances. Although there were several radio takeovers by APPO sympathizers last fall, Radio Universidad had been the last remaining after violent evictions by the Federal Preventive Police. Apr. 30 is the first day a radio has been occupied in Oaxaca City since November.