Members and supporters of the CNTE teachers’ unions gathered in Mexico City Friday to demonstrate against proposed education reform.
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The demonstration follows the violent confrontation between federal police forces and protesters in Oaxaca, which left at least 12 dead and dozens injured.
The fatal escalation of the conflict has raised alarms over the use of force by Mexican police, with international and local organizations decrying the attack as an act of police repression.
Protesters at the Angel of Independence Monument | Photo: teleSUR
The demonstrators marched from the Angel of Independence monument to the main city square in protest of the sweeping changes and to demand justice for those killed and detained fighting against the reform.
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Protests began in 2013 when Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto introduced a total of 11 neoliberal structural reforms during his first 20 months in power.
The controversial education reform imposes teacher evaluations in order to determine which applicants will be chosen to fill open posts in the public school system nationwide. Critics say the testing only justifies mass layoffs and does not effectively measure teaching skills.
The CNTE, members of leftist party Morena, and social organizations will return to the streets Sunday, June 26 to pressure the government to negotiate the terms of the reform.