Protesters And Police Clash Ahead Of Missing Student Protest In Mexico

APTOPIX Mexico Missing Students

A planned peaceful march by tens of thousands who are demanding the return of the 43 missing Mexican students ended in violence, as a small group protesters wearing masks battled police in Mexico City’s main square. Associated Press covers the full story:

The march late Thursday sought the return of the students from a rural teachers’ college. Nov. 20 is usually a day reserved for the celebration of Mexico’s 1910-17 Revolution, but Mexicans were in no mood for celebrations.

Many of the marchers carried “mourning” flags with Mexico’s red and green national colors substituted by black stripes.

“The entire country is outraged,” said housewife Nora Jaime. “It is not just them,” she added, referring to the 43 young men who haven’t been seen since being attacked by police in a southern city Sept. 26. “There are thousands of disappeared, thousands of clandestine graves, thousands of mothers who don’t know where their children are.”

The march in Mexico City was mostly peaceful, in contrast to recent protests that have ended with the burning of government buildings in Guerrero state, where the students disappeared. Whenever masked protesters tried to join Thursday’s march, demonstrators shouted them down with chants of “No violence!” and “Off with the masks!”