Thread: Mexican protesters block 3 U.S. border crossings

Mexican protesters block 3 U.S. border crossings, demand army leave

Hundreds of Mexicans blocked three U.S. border crossings this afternoon, protesting alleged drug raids and arrests by the Mexican army.

Protesters demonstrated in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas; Nuevo Laredo across from Laredo, Texas; and Reynosa, across from McAllen, Texas.

The El Paso Times reports that the border crossings have reopened.

Many protesters were masked men holding signs demanding that soldiers leave their cities. Some women and children also participated.

The army has blamed previous protests on drug cartels trying to disrupt the anti-drug crackdown.

Five people were killed today in Reynosa, Mexico, during a street shootout between federal police and suspected drug cartel members, The Monitor of McAllen says. Two of the dead were civilians.

The escalating violence has prompted University of Arizona officials to warn students about traveling to Mexico for spring break, the Arizona Daily Star reports.

The intelligence provider Stratfor offers an analysis of the Mexican crisis and new developments.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/

You can post a comment about this article at the USA TODAY Online site at this link:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/

Juarez, El Paso border crossings reopened after being closed by protesters

Times staff, wire report
Posted: 02/17/2009 03:13:27 PM MST

EL PASO - Three border crossings from Juarez to El Paso were blocked by protesters Tuesday afternoon.
The protesters wre demanding that Mexican soldiers leave their cities.

The Bridge of the Americas was closed from 12:40 to 3 p.m., and the Santa Fe Street Bridge was closed from 2:15 to 3 p.m., according to Roger Maier, U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman. The crossing in Fabens was also closed for a time. Traffic is now flowing smoothly at all the bridges.

Hundreds of people blocked the international bridges to the U.S. to protest alleged army raids and arrests.

Officials said the protests happened in three cities: Ciudad Juarez; Nuevo Laredo across from Laredo, Texas; and Reynosa, across from McAllen, Texas.

Many of the protesters were holding signs demanding the army leave. Many were masked men, but some were women and children.

The army has blamed previous protests on drug cartels, which they say are trying to disrupt the government's anti-drug crackdown.

Juárez municipal police officials said Mexico's attorney general's office was handling the protest.

"We know there's a protest against the military," Angel Torres Valadez, spokesman with Mexico's attorney general's office. "They haven't put in a request for us to get involved."

He said Juárez's border agents are dealing with the situation.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_11723896

Many of the protesters were holding signs demanding the army leave. Many were masked men, but some were women and children.

So they would rather have the drug cartels there instead? Wow, just wow.

Originally Posted by miguelina

Many of the protesters were holding signs demanding the army leave. Many were masked men, but some were women and children.

So they would rather have the drug cartels there instead? Wow, just wow. :roll:

Their income depends on the drug business, not the government, so their loyalty is to the drug gangs.

In Mexico they want the Mexican police to leave them alone. In the U.S. they want the U.S. police to stop enforcing our laws. At least they're consistent.

I just cannot believe these people. What a mess that nation is. It's just a crying shame they're our "neighbors".

Originally Posted by PatrioticMe

I just cannot believe these people. What a mess that nation is. It's just a crying shame they're our "neighbors".

Some pundits have tried to blame NAFTA, and for all I know there is some truth to that, but when I was living on the west side of Michigan, NAFTA helped shut down the factory I was at and shipped my job to Mexico.

Originally Posted by millere

Originally Posted by PatrioticMe

I just cannot believe these people. What a mess that nation is. It's just a crying shame they're our "neighbors".

Some pundits have tried to blame NAFTA, and for all I know there is some truth to that, but when I was living on the west side of Michigan, NAFTA helped shut down the factory I was at and shipped my job to Mexico.

I live in Ohio...and we're in the same boat. Thousands of families in our small city have been devastated by jobs being shipped to mexico, communist china and who knows what other slave nation. And now they want to hike taxes to pay for services (police, fire, street repair, schools, etc.) that the tax base the factories here used to provide. Now they're asking the very people this nation and it's big businesses betrayed to foot the bill on half the money they used to make. Our little city has gone to hell in a handbasket and they're losing so many homes, they had to hire a person just to handle foreclosures. I'm barely hanging on myself.

Hundreds of Mexicans blocked three U.S. border crossings this afternoon, protesting alleged drug raids and arrests by the Mexican army

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Hmm...probably the family members of the drug cartels. The mexican army must be bad for business!