Solidarity picket for Mexican teachers today 9/20/2013
Please join the Trinational Coalition to Defend Public Education in a picket of the Mexican Consulate,
to protest the repression of the Mexican teachers and attempts to privatize public education in Mexico.
Where: The Consulate is at 2401 W 6th St., at the NW corner of McArthur Park.
There is a Metro stop at Westlake/MacArthur Park Station on both the Red and Purple lines.
When: Friday (9/20) -- 3:30-5:30 pm
Please put the word out to all appropriate lists and activists, and tell your colleagues!
(See some suggested slogans at end of this letter)
Just as the government here has been pushing for a so-called reform of public education, which will
ultimately allow corporations to turn education into a business, the Mexican teachers and students
face the same attack only much more extreme. The Mexican government has actually CHANGED
THE CONSTITUTION to:
* use standardized tests to determine if teachers can be hired or maintain their
jobs
* cut federal funding of the schools so that local schools and communities have to find their own
sources of money- opening the schools up to private entities
*use standardized test to evaluate all students, which will have the most negative impact on the poorest
states which also have the largest number of indigenous students who often do not even speak Spanish.
The teachers of CNTE (the democratic alternative to SNTE, the corrupt national teachers union, are on strike
in Oaxaca, Guerrero and Michoacan and have been marching and protesting in 25 of Mexico's 31 states and in Mexico City.
CNTE members in the multi-state occupation of the Zocalo were violently removed by federal police on Sept. 14th and have been
attacked in other states. CNTE members have regrouped in the capital and have been joined by students from UNAM
and other universities who voted for a 2-day boycott of their classes. Other citizens have joined with them as well, especially
in the face of the governments plan to open up Pemex, Mexico's national oil company to privatization.
Protests are occurring at Mexican consulates and embassies in a number of countries and here in New York City.
Letters of solidarity can be sent to:
Coalicion Trinacional en Defensa de la Educación Publica- Mexico
seccionmexicana.coali@gmail.com. The Mexican section do the Trinational will translate
them if necessary & circulate them in Mexico.
Letters of protest can be sent to:
MTRO. ENRIQUE PEÑA NIETO
Presidente Constitucional de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos
LIC. OSORIO CHONG MIGUEL ANGEL
Secretario de Estado
LIC. CHUAYFFET CHEMOR EMILIO
Secretaria de Educación Pública
SLOGANS:
*STOP GOVERNMENT ATTACKS AGAINST TEACHERS AND EDUCATION
*STOP THE CRIMINALIZATION OF THE TEACHERS' STRUGGLE TO DEFEND EDUCATION
*END THE REPRESSION OF TEACHERS
*AN IMMEDIATE SOLUTION THROUGH AN HONEST DIALOGUE WITH CNTE
*NO PRIVATIZATION OF EDUCATION IN MEXICO
*PROTECT THE LABOR & HUMAN RIGHTS OF EDUCATION WORKERS, STUDENTS AND PARENTS
*STOP CUTS TO EDUCATION FUNDING IN MEXICO
*WE SUPPORT THE RIGHT TO TO DEMOCRATIC EDUCATION REFORM BY AND FOR THE PEOPLE
*STOP THE PRIVATIZATION OF EDUCATION IN MEXICO AND THE USA
*THEIR STRUGGLE IS OUR STRUGGLE
MEXICO - USA
* MEXICAN TEACHERS
YOUR STRUGGLE IS OUR STRUGGLE
*EDUCATION IS NOT A CLASS PRIVILEGE
IT'S A HUMAN RIGHT
*PUBLIC EDUCATION IS NOT FOR SALE
YOUR STRUGGLE IS OUR STRUGGLE
In solidarity,
Rosemary Lee * Marc Rich
for Trinational Coalition to Defend Public Education-USA
