More than 200 students from the Jacinto Canek Intercultural Bilingual Normal School marched through the streets of San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, this past Sunday to commemorate the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. The students, who traveled from the municipality of Zinacantán, stated that their demonstration was not a celebration, but rather a necessary action to make visible their demands for the recognition and protection of indigenous rights.
The march began in the western zone of San Cristóbal and concluded in front of the San Cristóbal Museum (MUSAC), where the participants held a cultural event. Throughout the mobilization, the students emphasized that there is “nothing to celebrate” regarding the current state of indigenous rights, choosing instead to focus on raising awareness about the systemic violence and lack of recognition that indigenous communities continue to face. Municipal police were present in the city center during the event to monitor the situation, and the students departed peacefully once their activities concluded. This protest took place within the context of a day traditionally used for 32 years to highlight the struggles and demands of native peoples.
Source: https://oem.com
