Alive in Mexico

This seems to be turning into the ‘watch my friends get arrested’ blog. Brian, from Alive in Baghdad, has been down in Oaxaca working on his newest project, Alive in Mexico. The site has only just been launched, but they’ve got some impressive video of the ongoing disturbances. This apparently didn’t endear them to the local authorities and on December 3rd Brian and his companions were arrested (while sitting in a pizza restaurant, no less) and charged with disturbing the peace.

The arrest on trumped-up charges is ugly enough, but events seem to have taken a still more sinister turn following their release. Read Brian’s account at Alive in Mexico.

I’ve been looking at pictures and film from Oaxaca and recognizing many of the places. “I know that street … only I remember there not being quite so many burning trucks and heavily-armed riot police.” I think I like Oaxaca better the way I remember it, which was as a rather peaceful, pretty town. It’s not like that now.

The accompanying picture is from my last visit seven years ago. The picture quality is poor, due to light meter problems with the camera I was using, but it shows a street in the center of town that has been the scene of heavy fighting during the current protests.