A bus burns as consequence of a riot between teachers on strike and some unknown agressors in Oaxaca, Mexico, 21 August 2006. The US State Department issued a statement alerting US citizens to violent demonstrations in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca.
(AFP/File) |
The US State Department issued a statement alerting US citizens to violent demonstrations in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca.
Gunmen on Tuesday killed one man in an attack on protesters in the city of Oaxaca who seized broadcasting stations and sealed off the city with burning barricades.
Protesters supporting a three-month-old strike by local school teachers said two others had been abducted by the attackers.
The striking teachers are demanding a salary increase and the resignation of the state governor, who has ordered a major police deployment to dislodge the teachers from the city center.
The State Department's public announcement "alerts US citizens to ongoing demonstrations in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico," where "the possibility for violence continues and the situation remains tense.
"Vandalism, arrests, and injuries continue as a result of the ongoing confrontations. The US Embassy in Mexico City has received reports of robberies and assaults in areas of the city not normally known to pose a high crime risk," reads the statement.
"In light of these increasingly violent demonstrations, US citizens should carefully consider the risks of traveling to Oaxaca City at this time."
The statement also reminded US citizens "to avoid participating in demonstrations and other activities that might be deemed political by Mexican authorities.
"The Mexican Constitution prohibits political activities by foreigners, and such actions may result in detention and/or deportation."
