State Police Attacks Ayotizanapa Students After Fuel Tank Appropriated (13/9/2017)
por Bernardo Torres - Chilpancingo, Guerrero. -- State police from Guerrero opened fire on Ayotzinapa students as students from the Ayotzinapa Normal traveled through the Chilpancingo-Tixtla federal road. 12 are reported missing, detained by state police, while 4 police officers were retained by the Ayotzinapa students as a way to secure assurances from the state police.
TweetThe events violently unfolded after the state police intervened in the retention of a gas truck. At the height of Crucero de Tierras Prietas, north of the state capitol, Chilpancingo, Guerrero. The students also appropriated the trucks carrying products from Bimbo and Coca-Cola, as is habitually done by them in protest of the state capitalist governments to privatize all resources in the state.
The actions led to a heavy police deployment. Federal, state and municipal police began to spread in the area as the students sought to evade them. State police fired several rounds at two buses carrying the students in a manner reminiscent of the September 26, 2014 events in which 43 students were forcibly disappeared, 3 were killed and 3 other civilians were killed in an attempt to hunt more students.
The bus with its tires shots off the Matlalapa area. Foto: Bernardo Torres
The second bus was intercepted at the junction of the Matlalapa township in Guerrero. The students promptly abandoned the bus with its tires punctured by assault rifle rounds. The students then ran into the nearby hills while 6 were detained by the police and are being held in Chilpancingo to determine whether charges would be pressed. Another set of students were confirmed held.
As a way to receive assurances from the police about their fellow students welfare, the Ayotzinapa students detained 4 elements of the municipal police, a Municipal police vehicle, a public works vehicle, that was then taken to the Ayotzinapa Teachers college.
Federal police mobilize against students. Foto: Bernardo Torres
The state police also deployed heavily armed elements over the same Tixtla-Chilpancingo federal toll road to prevent the escape of the students. They erected 4 checkpoints throughout the immediate area of Tixtla. They also attempted to prevent reporters from filming any of the events.
State police prevent reporters from recording police operative Video: September 13, 2017
The buses were removed by a police and public works truck. A group of police manned a checkpoint, allowing only civilians and not press to traverse through the toll road. They explicitly forbade the press from recording the events.
Bullet casings littered through the Tixtla-Chilpancingo tollroad. Foto: Bernardo Torres
In the evening, the students were supposed to exchange the police for their 12 classmates who were held by the police. However, the police failed to provide the students to the Ayotzinapa students. The state commission on Human Rights, Ramon Magdaleno Navarrete and representatives of the state prosecutors office inspected the scene as well. They witnessed the shell casings, according to on the ground reports.
This new attack on the Ayotzinapa students takes place in the eve of the 3 year anniversary of the forced disappearance of the students which took place in Iguala, Guerrero, September 26, 2014 and on the morning of September 27, 2014.