Translation by Shawn Twomey
The protests for and against the recent seizure of the
administrative offices of UNAM [National Autonomous University of Mexico] by a group of youths from the affiliated
high-school-level School of Sciences & Humanities (CCH) in Naucalpan
continued yesterday in the school’s quad and on the north side of the building.
From dawn till dusk, there were protests and demonstrations from
student groups both large and small. At
times, it seemed that the majority of those protesting were in favor of the
student occupation, even though some said that they would have preferred that
open dialogue with school administrators had taken place first.
In other instances, it seemed that still other protesters
preferred an end to the building’s occupation: some of these taking a hard-line
position, while others at least supporting a round of discussions and open to
hearing the occupiers’ grievances.
“Get out, you UNAM thugs!” shouted some protesters from the quad at the building’s occupants.
“The real thugs are you! You’re the instigators!” in turn responded sympathizers of the sit-ins.
Still others yelled, “Get out of the office! Obey now, and we’ll talk!”
Meanwhile, the youths hidden inside used a loudspeaker to begin giving their demands, which involved the reinstatement of students expelled from CCH [in February] without the fear of disciplinary action.
“Get out so we can talk!” said other students.Through the speaker, those sitting-in responded,
“If you want more information, go to today’s second assembly at 4 PM in the Che Guevara Auditorium in the Philosophy Building. There, you can express your votes for and against our occupation!”
Soberón: “They’re already
too late”
In response, Guillermo Soberón, former chancellor of UNAM remarked this
morning that “the involvement of public force might be necessary” in order to
restore order to the school.
“They’re already too late,” added Soberón, who headed the
university from 1973 to 1981, and who was also Mexico’s Secretary of Health
from 1982 to 1988. The ex-chancellor also said that the school’s occupation,
“while seen before, doesn’t stop the sadness, frustration, and inability to make sense of all this.”
He commented
that current chancellor José Narro has taken the necessary steps and he should
apply the law “where it has to be applied.”
“a powerful institution with great vigor that has always come out on top.”Spanish original