Gozamos will be livestreaming all events at www.gozamos.com/live
Members of the “Caravana43” will arrive in Chicago to spend Easter weekend speaking to the public about their family members, the 43 students who were “disappeared” in the state of Guerrero, Mexico as part of an international campaign calling for justice and accountability from the Mexican government. Please note the 2 scheduled press conferences.
The media and public are invited to all events below.
Schedule of events
Friday, April 3
Arrival of family members from Ayotzinapa
6 PM
Candlelight vigil from Plaza Tenochtitlan (18th St. & Blue Island) to Benito Juarez Park (Cermak & Ashland)
Saturday, April 4
9:30 AM
PRESS CONFERENCE with visiting Ayotzinapa family members and students at UIC Social Justice Initiative Gallery, 1255 S. Halsted
• Cruz Bautista Salbador, Teacher and Uncle of Disappeared Student Benjamín Ascencio Bautista
• María de Jesús Tlatempa Bello, Mother of Disappeared Student José Eduardo Bartolo Tlatempa
• Omar Vázquez Arellano, Ayotzinapa Student and Survivor of the Attack on September 26th
• The gallery is hosting the “28, 43″Photo Exhibition on the mass mobilizations following the police attacks on Ayotzinapa in Mexico and Ferguson in the US
• Please arrive 30 minutes prior to register and set up.
11 AM
March from Providence of God Church (717 W. 18th St.) to St. Pius Church (19th & Ashland)
1:30 PM
Community forum at St. Pius Church
7 PM
Informational forum at the National Museum of Mexican Art
Sunday, April 5
Caravan visitors will go to several Chicago churches to speak to congregations as part of Easter Celebrations
Monday, April 6
9:30 AM
PRESS CONFERENCE with visiting Ayotzinapa family members and students at Workers United Hall (333 S. Ashland)
• Cruz Bautista Salbador, Teacher and Uncle of Disappeared Student Benjamín Ascencio Bautista
• María de Jesús Tlatempa Bello, Mother of Disappeared Student José Eduardo Bartolo Tlatempa
• Omar Vázquez Arellano, Ayotzinapa Student and Survivor of the Attack on September 26th
• Please arrive 30 minutes prior to register and set up.
10:00 AM
March to Mexican Consulate
10:30 AM
Protest at Mexican Consulate (204 S. Ashland)
About the Caravan
As one of three groups traveling to different cities throughout the U.S., the Chicago visitors hope to speak to the public, the media, and legislators about what really happened that day, in contrast to the Mexican government’s official explanation.
The community group Coalicion Caravana43 Chicago is coordinating the visit to Chicago, which will consist of a variety of events, including a vigil, a march, an informational forum, and press conferences.
All three “Caravana43” groups will conclude the tour by convening mid-April in Washington, D.C. and New York to present their concerns to national and international legal bodies.
The parents of the disappeared students and much of the Mexican public do not accept the government’s account of what happened to the students. In the months since the disappearances, there have been many demonstrations throughout Mexico and in other countries as well.
Human rights organizations as well as respected journalists from publications like The Guardian, The Economist, The New York Times, and the New Yorker have also questioned the government’s claims.
The Mexican government claims that the students were arrested on the orders of the Iguala mayor, turned over to a drug cartel, and murdered by the cartel. This is the official story, one that the parents and much of the Mexican public do not believe. The Attorney General of Mexico arrested the mayor, his wife, and several others and then declared the case closed.
Photographs of the students, which have been carried in demonstrations around the world, have become a symbol of the thousands of people killed or disappeared in Mexico since 2006.
Many people, in the U.S. and other countries, as well as Mexico, are speaking out against the continuing funding of Plan Mexico, by which the U.S. government gives many millions of dollars to the Mexican military. They say this military aid should not be given to a government negligent and even complicit in human rights violations.
Further information:
http://www.facebook.com/ayotzinapachicago
http:///www.twitter.com/comitechicago
Hashtags:
#Chi43
#Caravana43
[All information taken from press release]