Mexican authorities said Monday they were conducting autopsies on six people who died during clashes between officers and teachers to determine if any were killed by police bullets.
The victims, aged 19 to 33, and more than 100 officers and civilians were injured in Sunday's violence in Asuncion Nochixtlan, in the southern state of Oaxaca, when police sought to break up a week-long road blockade.
A journalist, meanwhile, was shot dead by masked gunmen after taking pictures of looting in the town of Juchitan, raising the day's death toll to at least seven.
But Juan Garcia, a leader of the Section 22 of the CNTE union, which has been protesting President Enrique Pena Nieto's education reform and the arrest of two leaders, reported that eight people had died and 22 others were missing.
Authorities initially denied using firearms during the clashes but federal police Enrique Galindo later admitted that an armed unit was deployed after unidentified gunmen shot at civilians and officers.
"We were ambushed," Galindo told Radio Formula, adding that officers were surrounded by 2,000 people, including some who opened fire.
"(Officers) arrived with guns to try to help the population," he said.
Galindo said "autopsies are being conducted" to determine if any of the dead were hit by police bullets.
The six dead include two shopkeepers, a farmer, a worker, a student and a local official, Governor Gabino Cue said.
Section 22 leader Garcia said the violence was perpetrated by civilian "infiltrators" and that the union demands Cue's resignation.
Garcia also asked for an investigation by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and charged that police "fired without pity."
Mexican authorities said Monday they were conducting autopsies on six people who died during clashes between officers and teachers to determine if any were killed by police bullets.
The victims, aged 19 to 33, and more than 100 officers and civilians were injured in Sunday’s violence in Asuncion Nochixtlan, in the southern state of Oaxaca, when police sought to break up a week-long road blockade.
A journalist, meanwhile, was shot dead by masked gunmen after taking pictures of looting in the town of Juchitan, raising the day’s death toll to at least seven.
But Juan Garcia, a leader of the Section 22 of the CNTE union, which has been protesting President Enrique Pena Nieto’s education reform and the arrest of two leaders, reported that eight people had died and 22 others were missing.
Authorities initially denied using firearms during the clashes but federal police Enrique Galindo later admitted that an armed unit was deployed after unidentified gunmen shot at civilians and officers.
“We were ambushed,” Galindo told Radio Formula, adding that officers were surrounded by 2,000 people, including some who opened fire.
“(Officers) arrived with guns to try to help the population,” he said.
Galindo said “autopsies are being conducted” to determine if any of the dead were hit by police bullets.
The six dead include two shopkeepers, a farmer, a worker, a student and a local official, Governor Gabino Cue said.
Section 22 leader Garcia said the violence was perpetrated by civilian “infiltrators” and that the union demands Cue’s resignation.
Garcia also asked for an investigation by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and charged that police “fired without pity.”
