By Nancy Davies

The November 25 march publicized the current movement's demands: get rid of Elba Ester Gordillo,  president-for-life of The National Education Workers Union, do away with the Agreement for Quality Education (ACE) which is generally regarded to be a move toward privatizing education in Mexico, free all political prisoners, obtain justice for those government criminals now formally charged by the APPO, stop repression,  and support other teachers sections across Mexico, specifically of Morelos where another repression occurred on the Oaxaca model following two months of teacher strikes. Teachers from Morelos in sympathy with the APPO and Section 22 also marched.

On the speakers platform, Flavio Sosa, Cástulo Lopez and Azael Santiago Chepi repeated calls for unity and putting aside the ideological differences which have hampered and all but destroyed the APPO since 2007. Lopez asked for a new beginning, with a new APPO assembly in January. Sanitago Chepi, a young Zaopoteco from the Sierra Norte, presents himself as more militant than his union predecessors, and more willing to take the strength of Section 22 into the streets on behalf of social protest. He issued a warning to Gordillo and Calderon, "We are building in the communities, and with the parents." The movement is not dead, and clearly the new secretary general of Section 22 intends to be --without violence-- on the front line of struggle.

Ironically, fighting broke out shortly thereafter in the same spot, between the EPR and VOCAL [see the opinion peace, Dispute Among APPO, for background]. Along the march route some unidentified youngsters –perhaps government agents-- destroyed property and tried to break into Chedraui (a national chain store, ala Walmart) to steal food. Teachers lined up in front of Chedraui to protect it.