Mexicans demand return of students

A largely peaceful march by tens of thousands of people demanding the return of 43 missing students ended in violence, as a small group of masked protesters battled police in Mexico City's main square.

The march on Thursday sought the return of the students from a rural teachers' college. Nov 20 is usually a day reserved for the celebration of Mexico's 1910-17 revolution, but Mexicans were in no mood for parties.

Many of the marchers carried "mourning" flags with Mexico's red and green national colors replaced with black stripes.

"The entire country is outraged," said housewife Nora Jaime. "It is not just them," she added, referring to the 43 young men who have not been seen since they were attacked by police in a southern city on Sept 26.

"There are thousands of disappeared, thousands of clandestine graves, thousands of mothers who don't know where their children are."

Largely peaceful

The march in Mexico City was largely peaceful, in contrast to recent protests that have ended with the burning of government buildings in Guerrero state, where the students disappeared. Whenever masked protesters tried to join Thursday's march, demonstrators shouted them down with chants of "No violence!" and "Off with the masks!"

The protesters converged on the city's main square, where families of the missing students stood on a platform in front of the National Palace holding posters of their relatives' faces. Amid chants for President Enrique Pena Nieto to step down, family members repeated that they do not believe the government's account that the youths were killed by a drug gang.

"We're not tired," said one man speaking from the platform. "On the contrary, we are mad with this Mexican government and its entire structure, because it has not done anything but deceive the families."

After most of the protesters left the square, a small group of masked youths began battling police with rocks and sticks. Police responded with fire extinguishers to put out fires started by the youths and to force them out of the square.

Earlier in the day, 200 young protesters, some with their faces covered by masks or bandannas, clashed with police as they tried to block a main expressway to the international airport. Protesters hurled rocks, fireworks and gasoline bombs at the police, at least one of whom was hit. Some passengers had to walk to the terminal, but flights were not interrupted and the expressway was reopened.

With the annual parade called off, Pena Nieto led a ceremony with top officials at the Campo Marte military field, where he denounced violent protests.

"Mexico is hurting, but the only path to soothe this pain is through peace and justice," he said, hours after making details of his personal assets public to quell conflict-of-interest allegations over his wife's mansion.

AP - AFP

(China Daily 11/22/2014 page12)