Small Protests Mexico City Back Leftist Mayor Sunday, April 10, 2005 MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Several small street protests broke out around Mexico City on Sunday in support of the capital's leftist mayor, a front-runner for the 2006 presidential election who could be jailed within days on minor charges. The mayor's case has polarized Mexico and fueled fears of a major political crisis that could damage the economy. One group of several hundred demonstrators formed a human chain stretching a few blocks, while another group gathered at the Angel of Independence sculpture downtown. Other tiny protests at city plazas and parks were reported by local radio. The protesters chanted and sang in opposition to Congress' vote last Thursday to strip mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of his legal immunity so that he can face contempt of court charges, which they see as a political drive to keep him from becoming president. "You're not alone!" read one homemade banner. "No to injustice!" said another. Lopez Obrador, a popular, austere former Indian rights activist, is accused of violating a court order in 2001 by building a road to a hospital through a disputed plot of expropriated land. If found guilty, he could be banned from running for office. After about 150,000 of his supporters gathered in Mexico City's main Zocalo square on Thursday, Lopez Obrador called for a long-running campaign of "civil disobedience" to pressure politicians to let him run for office. However, he has repeatedly urged his followers not to resort to violence, instead calling for peaceful, grass-roots activism like that seen on Sunday. Lopez Obrador has said he expects to be jailed soon in what he deems a conspiracy by President Vicente Fox to derail his populist agenda. However, the mayor expressed impatience over the weekend at courts' delay in issuing an arrest order. "Didn't they already have all this put together? Well, come on then. What are they waiting for?" Lopez Obrador complained to reporters outside his house on Saturday. Fox has said the issue is purely legal, but polls show most Mexicans see political motives behind the case. Lopez Obrador has vowed to campaign for the presidency from behind bars if necessary, promising an overhaul of free-market economic policies if he becomes president. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Take a look at donorschoose.org, an excellent charitable web site for anyone who cares about public education! http://us.click.yahoo.com/_OLuKD/8WnJAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
