UNT Dallas Dallas4Ayotzinapa Forum

On September 26, 2014, 43 students were disappeared from the Raúl Isidro Burgos Rural Teachers’ College, in Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico.

The world was stunned.

The parents were heartbroken, and unbelieving.

The Mexican government has given them – to this date – no explanation to where their children have disappeared, and they have closed the case, against the world’s demands.

The parents, relatives, and friends of the disappeared students have gotten together with a group of us from the United States – now called the Caravana43 – to bring awareness to their cause, because the world needs to know that this horror cannot be silenced any longer.

Although 43 lives were lost, it is much more than that. There are over 25 thousand disappeared, over 100 thousand murdered because of drug-related crimes and violence. And it includes much more than Mexico, although Mexico is central to this case. It includes all disenfranchised people, all marginalized poor, all people who have no power.

With this caravana, we are saying NO MORE!

On December 2, 2014, we decided to hold our 1st live talk with the families of the 43 disappeared students via livestream at UTA Arlington, the Center for Mexican American Studies.

• Between USTired2, Dallas4Ayotzinapa, the Ya Nos Cansamos Solidarity Network, and many others, we captured over 1500 online people through universities alone, and thousands more out-of-network who became aware of what was going on in Ayotzinapa.

• People were beginning to know about Ayotzinapa, through this loose network, which was a broad-based coalition of cities coming together to work on one common goal: disseminating information about what was going on in Mexico & the world: how the commoners, the plain folk, get trampled by power, by corruption, by organized crime. Ayotzinapa is only an extreme case of the situation we live everywhere!

• 54 cities have now evolved to many more as we sponsor the USA Caravana43 across the entire United States. When the Caravana crosses the border on March 15th, the families who are coming will split into 3 groups and take 3 routes: a Pacific route up the west coast, a central route – which will visit us in Dallas – and the Atlantic route of cities, to finally converge in DC & New York City.

• If you want to look at the various maps, you can check out the national Caravana43 FaceBook page, or the Caravana43Dallas page as well. We have also posted this information on our Dallas4Ayotzinapa page, on my Adjunct Justice blog, and all over.

• Many cities are involved in the US caravana. Tell your friends in other places about their coming here, and have them check out the routes and become involved.

• I would like to quote for you one of the survivors of the Iguala student massacre, Omar García, who saw his friend die in his arms, killed by the local police that fateful night of September 26th, 2014 – there is much to think about with these words.
  • “They are after not only education. They will destroy all sectors of society.”
  • “Do you understand why we leave our country, why many of us flee? We have no home here. We are forced out by our own government.”
  • “Even though we are young and poor, we will not bow down, and the government cannot stand our defiance.”
  • “They will not forget that 43 poor families have hijacked the Mexican government.”

• Dallas4Ayotzinapa grew from our wanting to always remember and always wanting to do something more. Please tell others about us, so that we keep growing and supporting what is good in people!

• Thus, the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge has become our symbolic bridge, where we hold many of our actions. Do you think that might be one of the reasons it is called the White Bridge?

• Now each time Dallas4Ayotzinapa gets together for an action, we usually end it with each one of the participants taking a photograph of one of the 43 disappeared students. We take the photo and place it next to a lit candle that we have shaped into the number 43, to remember each student, to remind us that we will never give up hope, that we will never forget that we must keep on searching, que “no estamos cansados.”

• When the president of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, came to Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2015, actions occurred all over the US, although it was right after Christmas. 54 cities called out 43 names. It did not matter that Peña Nieto tried to sneak in his visit during the holidays. We the people were waiting, and we reacted.

• In Dallas, in DC, in 54 cities, we condemned his actions. Even the snow tried to keep us out of the White House, but our anger at Mexico’s injustice would not be stopped.

• Now we have been tirelessly fighting to raise funds everywhere for the Caravana43. I want to congratulate my colleagues’ successful karaoke night, and I hope we keep on showing that solidarity, by supporting our brothers and sisters of Ayotzinapa.

• We held our first protest on the White Bridge, so we will also hold our first event there as the Caravana comes to Dallas, on Friday evening, March 20th at 7 PM. I hope you can all come, and you invite ALL your friends!

• As we meet to solidify our plans, we will be posting the events on our pages. Please look to see what will happen, and please support us, SUPPORT THEM. They are us: TodosSomosAyotzinapa!

To see a photo gallery of the event see my YouTube page or visit my last DC article, “Ayotzinapa Somos Todos From Dallas to All“.

THANK YOU!