Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Victims of Mexico’s Drug War Rally for Peace and Justice at Texas Capitol


Attention Austinites and those close by! The Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity, led by renowned Mexican poet Javier Sicilia, is taking part in an historic caravan from San Diego, California, to Washington D.C. in August and September 2012, and it will arrive in Austin on August 25th.

Sicilia, who lost his son in drug-related violence in 2011, is traveling with over 100 family members who have lost loved ones to violence in Mexico. Together, they are advocating for an end to the bloodshed and for new government policies and reforms in both the United States and Mexico that will help to combat violence.

WHAT:               At least 60,000 people have died in Mexico's drug war since 2006, as many as 10,000 have disappeared, and over 160,000 are internally displaced. During the 27 stops along the Caravan for Peace with Justice and Dignity route, families of victims from Mexico will share their stories to highlight the human costs of the war on drugs, while Sicilia and others will discuss policy changes that can reduce drug-related violence. In Austin, Grupo Teocalli Aztec Dancers will be opening the event, and local singer/songwriter Gina Chavez and Kiko Villamizar Y Banda will perform on the south steps of the State Capitol Building.

WHEN:                Saturday, August 25, 12:00PM - 3:00PM

WHERE:          Texas State Capitol Building, South Steps. Parking will be available at the Capitol Visitors Parking Garage at 1201 San Jacinto Boulevard (between Trinity and San Jacinto Streets at 12th and 13th streets).

ORGANIZERS: Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, St. James' Episcopal Church, Texas Fellowship of Reconciliation, Texas NORML, #Yo Soy 132 Austin, MORENA Austin, Austin Tan Cerca de la Frontera, SOA Watch Austin, Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition, Texans $mart On Crime, Austin NAACP, Texas NAACP, and many volunteers

SPONSORS:       Drug Policy Alliance, Market Mail Print, Mi Sazón (Dallas), El Meson, Beanitos, La Michaocana, El Milagro, Sam's Club, Randalls, Nokoa Newspaper, Z-Fashion Jewelry, Loko Dok Computerz, Zona Urbana, CBella Hair Salon, St. Hildegard's Community, Addixxion (band), Saucedo Brothers Boots, and Macho Prieto Toro Mechanical  

Read more about the Caravan here:

Read more about Javier Sicilia here and the Caravan route here, which includes Houston on August 26th and 27th.  

For more information about the Austin event please contact:
Craig Adair, 512-297-6611, cmadair@gmail.com or
Ana Yáñez-Correa, 512-587-7010, acorrea@CriminalJusticeCoalition.org or
Jane Ehinmoro, 512-441-8123, ext. 110, jehinmoro@criminaljusticecoalition.org

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Somebody needs to ask fed.gov why they supplied thousands of weapons to the Sinaola drug cartel much like Iran-Contra meme.

Anonymous said...

Let Mexico be a warning to all who want to disarm U.S. citizens! Mexicans cannot own firearms which makes them victims of any criminal. When the people of any country are disarmed it only takes a small number of armed criminals to turn the country into a killing field.

Mexico's drug violence is a glaring example of how a government cannot protect its citizens. If the people of Mexico could shoot back when the drug gangs start violence it would change how the gangs operated. The movie theater in Colorado was a free fire zone because concealed carry was legally prohibited. If one person would have been armed how different the outcome would have been. Even with body armor severe injury occurs distracting the shooter or causing him to retreat.

Guns in Texas and no in your face drug gang killings by the thousands. No guns in Mexico, except for the criminals, and tens of thousands killed by drug gangs. Do the math....

Anonymous said...

Im not understanding why they are wanting to change Texas laws,rules and regulations because of something happening in Mexico!!!!...sanctions and embargos i can understand,but they are acting like its everyone elses fault but their own...

Phillip Baker said...

Here's a clue, 8:21- Which country smokes, snorts, shoots the vast majority of those drugs that the cartels deliver? Maybe....us? So Mexicans have a legitimate beef with the US drug policies. 50 years of the "war on drugs", yet it was, is and will remain an abject failure that politicians on both sides will continue to throw billions into. Here's a thought- we tried Prohibition back in the 30's and that was an epic fail. HOw about we abandon a clearly failed approach, decriminalize drugs, and in an instant vaporize the wealth of the cartels. Was the US just awash in addicts before the Controlled Substances Act of 1935(maybe not exact year)? No, it wasn't. All criminalizing drugs has done is ruin millions of lives, stuff our prisons with non-violent offenders, and suck billions upon billions from our pockets. This is a sane drug policy?

hyperqube said...

And you probably never will if you can't understand how our policies empower the cartels.