| UPDATED ON: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2006 20:39 MECCA TIME, 17:39 GMT

WATCH NOW |  |
FRONT PAGE |  |
AFRICA |  |
AMERICAS |  |
CENTRAL/S. ASIA |  |
ASIA-PACIFIC |  |
EUROPE |  |
MIDDLE EAST |  |
BUSINESS |  |
SPORT |  |
PROGRAMMES |  |
WEATHER |  |
YOUR VIEWS |  |
SEARCH |  |
ABOUT US |  |
ARABIC |  |
LOG IN |  |
FLASH |  |
There are no main images
NEWS AMERICAS
New riots hit Mexican city |  |
Oaxaca's governor has said he will re-take the city from protesters
Police have re-taken control of several main squares in the centre of the Mexican city of Oaxaca after fighting street battles with demonstrators over the weekend. Police also broke up a protest camp that had been a focus for anti-government demonstrations. The fighting injured more than 43 people and led to 152 arrests.
The weekend's outburst of violence is the latest flare-up since protests erupted in the city in May. Governor Ulises Ruiz also made his first public tour in months of the damaged downtown area on Sunday and said he would use "all the weight of the law" against protests that turned violent.
The conflict began months ago as a teachers' strike against poor pay turned into a broad protest against social and economic conditions in the poor Mexican state. Between May and October, thousands of protesters seized and paralyzed much of the city before being dislodged by police. Protest camp Florentino Lopez, the protester's spokesman, told local media that the demonstrators would set up their protest camp again in the Santo Domingo plaza on Monday. Federal police broke up the camp by using tear gas and water jets from tankers. The previous day masked youths broke away from a protest march and hurled petrol bombs, fireworks and rocks at federal police in a failed attempt to re-take the city's main plaza. On Sunday, the police removed protesters from the nearby Santo Domingo plaza, where they had regrouped after police re-entered the city in late October, ending a five-month takeover. Police patrols stepped up The federal police, who have largely remained in the main square and a few positions around the city, said they would actively patrol the city in search of those who committed "direct attacks" against them. The police said that four of their officers and several bystanders had been injured in the confrontation. They accused outside activists of playing a key role in the weekend's unrest. The latest troubles left three hotels damaged, more than 20 cars burned out and parts of Oaxaca's lawcourts gutted by fires. Protesters also tossed petrol bombs at a tax office.
Source: Al Jazeera
Related:
| Left foot forward (12 Nov 2006)
| Mexico police retake tourist city (30 Oct 2006)
| Mexico police rape 'cover-up' (05 Oct 2006)
| Mexican left in parallel government (16 Sep 2006)
Tools:
| Email article
| Print article
| Send your feedback
Top news
| Canada recognises Quebec 'nation'
| N Korea envoys gather in Beijing
| China jails Uighur activist's son
| Afghanistan to dominate Nato agenda
| Turkish PM to meet pope in Ankara
AMERICAS news
| Canada recognises Quebec 'nation'
| Correa declares victory in Ecuador
| Colombia truth commission urged
| Bolivian farmers plan hunger strike
| Fuelling the Chavez revolution