Mexico's CNTE Teachers End Strike Day Amid Protests, Plan Assembly for Future Actions

Members of the National Education Workers' Coordinator (CNTE) concluded their twelfth day of national strike activities in Mexico City on June 12. The day's actions included protests and graffiti at the Ministry of Public Education (SEP) headquarters.

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Attentive to the decisions of the National Representative Assembly that will convene this afternoon-evening, and tomorrow colleagues, representatives of schools, secretaries, general secretaries, struggle committees, we propose that we can have a meeting at 12 noon there at the 9th, remember that our camp is outside the 9th.

The teachers marched to the SEP's Directorate of Incorporation of Private Schools and Specific Projects. However, they were reportedly not met by educational authorities from Mexico City or the Secretary of Public Education, Mario Delgado Carrillo. Following this, teachers from sections 9, 10, and 11 decided by a show of hands to leave the building, leaving graffiti on the main doors before heading to their protest camps.

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I put it to your consideration whether we march to the camp or here we conclude the activity for today. We understand that there is no direct way through Isabel La Católica because there is a part where it is closed. So right now the colleagues will say on which street, I think it is Uruguay, we will turn, we will exit to Eje Central and on Belisario Domínguez which is where our camp is.

Pedro Hernández, a leader from section 9, indicated that the group would consider marching back to their protest camp or concluding the day's activities. He noted that access to the SEP building was partially blocked. The CNTE plans to hold a national representative assembly on the afternoon or evening of June 13. During this assembly, representatives from schools, general secretaries, and struggle committees will convene to determine whether to continue their ongoing protest camp in Mexico City.

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In this building there are people without a job, here is where discounts are applied, here is where reports arrive. At 10 in the morning Mario Delgado through a message tells me that he offers an apology (...) waiting for them to let us know if it is later I told him if it is later no problem if it is another day too, that he sets the time well and that this cancellation does not happen again.