By Nacho

SEPTEMBER 26, 2006

Firefight at the Camino Real

Well, they had guns at least, and fired around 40 shots at us (a group of about 100, mostly Oaxacans) who had just taken, occupied, and searched a fancy hotel in central Oaxaca City. There may have been some shots from our side, but most of us -- unprepared for the news that the hated governor might actually be inside Oaxaca City, and inside this hotel -- had only thick sticks, expropriated police billy clubs, or just a little solidarity in our hearts.

The result: two wounded (on our side), several beaten (on our side), and two kidnapped (first quickly beaten, then shoved into cars). The battle took maybe 1 minute.

After we had occupied the hotel, we had decided (democratically, assembly-style, because that’s how most things are decided in this leaderless movement) to kick out the guests and close up the hotel. It was then that someone several yards from me saw the politicians and their paramilitaries try to escape from a side door. We gave chase. And that’s when they started shooting. Some, perhaps more familiar with the pinging and whizzing of bullets around them (or perhaps simply a lot braver than I) stayed near or took cover right there. Most of us, including me, ran the other way and took cover when the bullets started coming.

Neighborhood assemblies have been constructing and coordinating barricades in their neighborhoods and towns throughout the state. I’ve been to a couple of the main APPO (Popular People’s Assembly of Oaxaca, the "coalition," you might call it, that is the heart of this popular rebellion) as an IWW delegate, and the breadth of the democratic spirit here is incredible.

OCTOBER 4, 2006

They’ll come tonight. Probably, we think, because at about 4 pm military helicopters started circling the centro here in Oaxaca City, and now I heard two jets have passed over. It makes sense. Sunday morning is probably the one time of the week the locals aren't out on the streets, and, besides, everyone knows what's going to happen. They were here for the "desalojo" on June 14.

Of course, they could just be trying to scare us, which they try to do every time they launch a few rounds at us at the barricades, at night, or when the PRI's plainclothes, speed-addicted mercenaries beat up some locals (but blame it on the "terrorists" -- ie, the striking teachers and appo assembly members) or shove companer@s into a car, put a bag over their heads, and tell them they're going to kill them.

Things aren't quite so tense during the day (and, in fact, life in the Oaxaca Commune is fantastic, in general), but the pulse of the city changed when the helicopters started to circle (and dive-bomb) today.

Four indigenous women are running the CIPO house now, and none of them drive, so I'm one of the main "choferes," and today when the helicopters came we rushed to the zócalo to pick up two Mixe women who are staying at the house who had wanted to sell some pillowcases and shirts. We figured they'd be terrified. They may have been, but they didn't show it.

It's already dark.

OCTOBER 12, 2006