Oaxaca Officials Apologize for Death of NYC Journalist

[struggle4progress]

Source: WNYC

NEW YORK, NY June 16, 2007 —The government of the Mexican state of Oaxaca has apologized, for the first time, for a police raid on protesters last year that led to the death of a New York City journalist and activist.

Bradley Roland Will was among a dozen people killed in the conflict. He was killed while filming a clash between demonstrators and authorities last October.

Oaxaca's interior secretary said Friday that the state's governor laments the results of a raid in June of 2006. It was aimed at clearing striking teachers from a protest camp in Oaxaca City's main square. The teachers later drew on leftist allies, who took over the city, erected barricades and chased out police.

Soon after Will's death, Mexico's then president, Vicente Fox, sent federal troops to evict protesters from the city center.

Read more: http://www.wnyc.org/news/articles/80744

[Zensea]

1. This is long overdue

They should have apologized the second it happened.
I knew Brad.
He was one of the more peaceful people I have known and much more than just a journalist and activist, also a poet for starters.

I wonder if they are going to do anything to the perpetrators ... hell, they are on film, Will was filming them as they came up to him.

[Judi Lynn]

2. That was unbelievable. Many DU'ers were stunned, sick, horrified by this.

It would have been almost unbearable for someone who also knew him.

They are sorry, all right, that they know the rest of the world hasn't forgotten what they did, and they hope saying, "My bad" will be just the answer needed to make it all go away.

It's so bad this happened. Hope, in the long view, the struggle awakened the consciences of some people who had been lost to complete ignorance and indifference previously.

[MrPrax]

3. Mexican gov't massacres 12

including a journalist, but the trolls here are more worried about 'dictator' Chavez changing a television station. :eyes:

[Peace Patriot]

4. Disinformation:

"He was killed while filming a clash between demonstrators and authorities last October."

He was killed while filming HIS KILLERS--identifiable rightwing paramilitaries acting for the fascist governor--who were shooting protesters dead in the street. "Authorities," my ass. These were MURDERERS! And they have names, thanks to Brad and his unbelievably courageous journalism.

And what of the dozens of Oaxacans who were killed, and the hundreds kidnapped, tortured, raped, jailed for no offense--union organizers, teachers, community elders, children? What of the reign of terror in Oaxaca perpetrated by the illegitimate (stolen election) state government, under Ruiz, and supported and continued by federal troops, under the illegitimate (stolen election) central government, under Calderon?

Where's the apology for these other deaths and atrocities?

These cowards and liars are merely trying to allay controversy here at the shooting death of a North American by their fascist thugs. What a transparent ploy! And, of course, they are trying to avoid investigation, prosecution and jail, if there are any honest prosecutors and judges left in the state of Oaxaca. I hope friends and family of Brad call them on it. I hope they sue the hell out of these people. Brad deserves no less.