On April 30th, at 5pm, sympathizers of the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO) and students from the Benito Juarez Autonomous University occupied Radio Universidad in preparation for the May 1st general strike in Mexico. The Section 22 Teachers' Union will participate in a march to the main square, the Zocalo, that will take place on May 1st in Oaxaca City.

The radio hosts are asking for support from students and the general public to reinforce the radio installations and take security measures in case of state repression. The radio hosts are saying that the radio and the university will be occupied for the next two days.

Listen Online (the stream may not work yet)

Radio Universidad is the site of the November 2, 2006, battle between APPO sympathizers and Federal Preventive Police during an attempted eviction of the barricades protecting the occupied radio. The barricadistas and radio supporters were able to force thousands of Federal Preventive Police to retreat and continued to defend the occupied radio and it’s surrounding barricades for nearly a month despite severe paramilitary repression.

The radio was handed over to the university authorities a few days after the violent battle between APPO sympathizers and Federal Preventive Police on November 25th. Due to the siege of Oaxaca City by state, local, and federal forces and continuing repression, those upholding the university radio and the barricades felt that it was impossible to remain under the circumstances.

Although there were several radio takeovers by APPO sympathizers last fall, Radio Universidad had been the last remaining after violent evictions by Federal Preventive Police. This is the first time a radio station has been occupied in Oaxaca City since last November.

Live transmission from Radio Universidad can be accessed here:

http://www.uabjo.mx/radio/radioOnLine.php
(the stream may not work yet)

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