EZLN on Red Alert

Companer@s,
As of this afternoon, the EZLN is on red alert and has cancelled its participation in all activites of the Other Campaign for the time being. This morning ejiditarios (communal land owners) in Salvador Atenco, the community that gained international rapport when it successfully resisted the building of a new airport on its communal lands, came under attack by police forces. The community defended themselves, and as of now, over ninety community members have been arrested, including a prominent leader of the resistance. Eleven police officers are being held by the Atenco community. The Other Campaign was in the middle of a meeting in the Plaza de las Tres Culturas, Tlatelolco (site where over 300 students and civilians were massacred by the Mexican military in 1968) when the news arrived of the first Atenco death--a 14-year-old boy. Shortly thereafter Subcomandante Marcos announced the red alert and stated, "from this moment on an alternative command structure is in place in case anything were to happen to me."
"I don't know about all of you," he added, "but today, as Zapatistas, we are all Atenco"

Lieutenant Colonel Moises, of the Intergalactic Commission, posts this on the Intergalactic site of the Enlace Zapatista webpage:

Zapatista Army of National Liberation

May 3, 2006

Compañeros and Compañeras around the World:

This is Insurgent Lt. Col. Moisés speaking to you,

Today we have entered into a Red Alert.

Our compañeras and compañeros from Texcoco near San Salvador Atenco (State of México) were attacked. This is a place where our compañero Subcomandante Marcos has just visited.

We are calling for a national and international mobilization against the government of Vicente Fox for April 4th beginning at 8 in the morning in front of Mexican embassies.

Up to this point we do not know how many dead and injured there might have been because our brothers and sisters from Atenco were confronted by the forces of the bad government and they defended themselves.

Stay tuned compañeros and compañeras.

We will be in contact when necessary.