A few days before I arrived in Mexico last summer (22 June 2001), students rioted and burned the Benito Juarez University in Oaxaca. Apparently, they were protesting against governmental corruption.

The Story as I was Told

According to local teacher Miguel Sosa, the governor of Oaxaca is corrupt and a few other things that I can't print here. Well, the governor's cousin's boyfriend was unemployed, so the governor gave him a job as the Dean of the Law School at Benito Juarez University. Not only were the students angry about the governor's nepotism (hiring his relatives and friends), they were angry about the new dean's incompetence. Apparently, the new dean only had a 6th grade education. So, the students took it to the streets.

The Protest

The national news showed clips of black-clad and masked protesters throwing molotov cocktails at the University's wooden doors and into its windows. When the smoke cleared, the historic Benito Juarez University was gutted by fire. The newspaper blamed the incident on local anarchists and punk rockers. Geli, a teacher at the language school that I was attending, believed that the riot was the work of troublemakers rather than serious students. But, no matter who burned the University, the riot grew out of a frustration with the government and was a popular response to governmental corruption.

The Counter-Protest

A few days later, I heard drums and explosions coming from downtown. My friend Rich and I went to check it out. But, instead of finding another riot, we found what looked like a roving fiesta. There were huge puppets; people dressed up like an angel, Monica Lewinsky, and a savage; a band; and some guys shooting off huge bottle rockets. I didn't know enough Spanish to find out what was going on. The next day, one of my teachers said that the University faculty was protesting against the students' violence.

So, there you have it--two ways to protest against something that you don't like in society. You can riot, and you can have a party. But, which form of protest is more effective? I think that we'll all have to figure that one out for ourselves.

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Oaxaca
Violent versus Peaceful Protests

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