A student protest at the Oaxaca Institute of Technology (ITO) ended in a brawl with five injured youths in the state capital.
The incident was reported when two rival gangs infiltrated the student celebration and began attacking each other, until a confrontation broke out in Jardín Madero Park. The party ended and a battle erupted, with the groups throwing rocks, beer cans, and bottles at each other.
Despite the violence that erupted, security forces refused to intervene, and it wasn’t until the confrontation subsided that one of the groups retreated, and Red Cross emergency services brought ambulances into the area to treat the injured, who reported injuries to their heads and various other parts of their bodies.
According to the municipal police report, the altercation stemmed from excessive alcohol consumption during the calenda, which commemorates a generation of high school students.
Calendas to be Regulated
The Oaxaca municipal government announced that it will regulate the Guelaguetza calendas to prevent excessive alcohol consumption, improper handling of fireworks, and road disruptions that have caused recent altercations and accidents.
The mayor of the capital, Raymundo Chagoya, recalled the accidents that occurred during recent festivities. Therefore, an agreement has been reached in the city council to regulate the commemorative calendas and prevent them from continuing to trigger problems or from losing their festive character.
The mayor of Oaxaca said that the initial action includes advancing three routes, accompanied by an ambulance and a Civil Protection brigade, as well as providing protection from traffic police to prevent collisions with one another should they occur simultaneously.
“We are interested in organizing the calendas, with order without authoritarianism, so that the city doesn’t collapse. That’s why we are currently seeking to ensure that all calendas held have permits and pay damage deposits so that there are funds to repair any damages,” he stated.
He also clarified that the regulations will define the permits that will be granted to authorize parish, traditional, wedding, and student calendas, as well as university calendas.
Source: milenio
