Cancun Dispatch: 9/13

Article Tools

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

Her Spanish is better than mine, and she translates what I've said. The women want to stay where they are, and cut down the fence. At last Lisa arrives with a backpack full of bolt cutters, which disappear quickly down the line. Lisa has been on the run since early morning, going to the coordinating meetings that I skip, buying the bolt cutters, taking care of a thousand details. She manages to hold onto one pair of bolt cutters, and starts cutting away at the links that hold the fence to the metal supports. The other women join her, and soon they are working away at the fence like lionesses tearing apart a carcass.

But the Koreans are upset. Somehow they don't seem to understand that this is supposed to be a women's part of the action -- they only know that they are being held back when they want at that fence themselves. They are awesomely strong, unified and disciplined, but feminism does not seem to be part of their political analysis as yet, and they are trying to push forward. I manage to stem the tide with the help of many of our companeros from the student coordinadora, and some of the other men from the mobilization who hold their line tight as I try to explain to them what is going on. Finally I recognize one brother who speaks English, and when he understands the plan, he becomes very helpful, calling the rest back, grabbing a few who are revved up and madly going for it and making them wait. That leaves only the media to deal with, who are pushing and shoving and trying to bash their way forward. And a few of our own compas who want to help us, or protect us, or just take over the damn tools and do it for us. I remove a couple of them by the simple expedient of grabbing them around the waist from behind in a gently hug, and then turning my body and hurling them into the waiting arms of Jorge from the student coordinadora who shoves them back behind the lines.

Soon enough of the fence is removed that there are holes through all the double sections of cages, giving the police access to us. We decide to send a line of women through to hold back the police. I go forward, followed by Sue and Roberta and Ray. We stand pressed up against the riot shields, but separated from our sisters by uncut side sections. It is not a great place to be, tactically speaking, but I don't actually believe these cops are going to start beating us, and in any case most are a head shorter than me, which lessens the intimidation factor. Sue is helping Rae breathe and ground, and I just talk to the police in Spanish, telling them that we are peaceful, that we are not going to use violence against them and hope they won't against us. Somewhere down the line, one of the women gets hit in the head with a billy club, but overall they don't attack. Then we get the word that the Koreans are ready to pull down the fence, and we climb back out.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print