2006 civil unrest in San Salvador Atenco

The 2006 civil unrest in San Salvador Atenco began on Wednesday, May 3, when police prevented a group of 60 flower vendors from selling at the Texcoco local market in the State of México, about 30 km (19 mi) from Mexico City. State police used violence against the vendors and arrested those who resisted. The flower vendors appealed to the residents of San Salvador Atenco, a small neighboring community about 25 km (16 mi) northeast of Mexico City, famous for creating their resistance organization against the development of an airport on their land in 2002 ( an organization called the "FPDT", and known to be allied with the Zapatista Army of National Liberation).

The Atenco residents then blocked the highway to Texcoco near their town. In response, hundreds of state police were summoned to remove the blockade, but were unsuccessful after five attempts.

The confrontations were violent, causing Enrique Peña Nieto, then Governor of the State of Mexico, to ask president Vicente Fox for support from federal forces. The resulting chaos lead to the death of two protesters, and the sexual assault of dozens of people (mostly women) by the police forces.

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