A group of students have taken over a university radio station in the Mexican city of Oaxaca in support of a left-wing movement which is demanding the governor's resignation.
The students forced their way into Radio University, which had served as the nerve center for the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca, or APPO. The group led protests last year calling for Gov. Ulises Ruiz to resign, virtually paralyzing the city for months.
This is a peaceful takeover and we're doing it with the rights that we have as university students," said an improvised radio announcer, according to the government news agency Notimex.
The students called on others to participate in a march today to demand the release of APPO leaders who were arrested in December, deflating the movement. They said that they would leave the station tomorrow and block highways throughout the state.
The conflict began last May as a strike by teachers seeking higher pay. It quickly exploded into a broader movement including Indian groups, students, farmers and left-leaning activists claiming Ruiz rigged his electoral victory and has repressed opponents. At least nine people were killed in the violence, including New York activist-journalist Bradley Roland Will.
Residents and tourists also stayed away from the city's historic center for more than five months until federal troops were sent in to restore order in October.
AP