At least one person died and three more were injured in Mexico on Wednesday during an early morning raid by local authorities who sought to remove a group of protesters from the municipal government headquarters in the town of Tlalnepantla in Morelos state.

Close to 800 police officers took part in the raid, during which one civilian was fatally shot.

The building had been occupied since November 1, 2003 by a group of protesters who were unhappy about the outcome of local elections, which took place on July 6, 2003.

On Sunday, shortly after protesters installed a de facto people's council, local authorities equipped with riot gear attempted a raid but were repelled with firearms, rocks and rudimentary rockets.

The situation in Tlalnepantla remained tense as night fell, with sporadic gun battles being heard in a nearby forest. (AP)



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