On December 21, which marks the turning of the Maya calendar, thousands of Maya followers of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) marched in silence in Mexico's southern state of Chiapas. Including a video of the march.
Thousands of indigenous people of the EZLN, from five regions of Chiapas, their faces covered with the legendary Zapatista pasamontañas and paliacates around their necks, marched in silence in the towns of Ocosingo and San Cristóbal de las Casas, in Chiapas, as part of the 14th Baktun, or the start of the Mayan era.
About 6,000 Indians from the Lacandon Jungle arrived early on Friday at the municipality of Ocosingo in a silent march, which toured the town and reached the headquarters of the municipal presidency of the constitutional government, all amidst a steady drizzle.
ROAR
Zapatista Army of National Liberation march in silence, December 21, 2012
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, they placed a temporary shrine, where each of the approximately 6,000 Indians gave a show of hands to show the validity of their movement, and their demand for labor, land, health services, as well as the constitutional recognition of rights of the indigenous culture.
The
Zapatistas also marched in the municipalities of Las Margaritas, Comitan and Altamirano and San Cristóbal de las Casas, where they, together with Ocosingo, on January 1, 1994 declared war on the Mexican Governments. However, this war has been primarily nonviolent and defensive against military, paramilitary, and corporate incursions into Chiapas.
The December 21 march was the most impressive since May 2011, when, together with the Movement for Peace, Justice, and Dignity of the poet Javier Sicilia, more than 30,000 people gathered in the central square of San Cristóbal de las Casas against the “War on Drugs” of Felipe Calderon that had already cost Mexico more than 70,000 lives.
ROAR
Zapatista Army of National Liberation march in Chiapas, Mexico, December 21, 2012.
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While they were totally silent, and no leaders were visibly present, Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation released this defiant communiqué from the depths of the Lacandon jungle:
ROAR
Zapatista Army of National Liberation - declaration of December 21, 2012.
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Which
ROAR magazine translates as follows:
21 December 2012
To whom it may concern
DID YOU HEAR?
It is the sound of their world collapsing.
It is that of our comeback.
The day that was the day, used to be night.
And night will be the day, that will be the day.
Democracy!
Freedom!
Justice!
From the Mountains of the Mexican Southeast.
On behalf of the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee — General Command of the EZLN
Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos
Mexico, December 2012
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