A Demonstration in Patzcuaro

This morning (Friday, December 17), as I was going to the weekly organic market at a lovely B&B about 2 blocks from the Plaza Grande, I encountered a demonstration. It was led by a municipal police truck and the police brass band. Drums predominate in Mexican bands, and I must admit the bugles and/or trumpets were not well played, but it did get attention.

Following the band were perhaps 200 people—men, women and children—carrying white balloons and signs reading “Basta la violencia,” and “Mexicanos desean la paz”—Enough violence, Mexicans want peace. (Some of the words weren’t spelled correctly, unfortunately. It’s a sad commentary on the state of education in Mexico when this gringa can spell better than native speakers.) They marched around the central area and ended up on one side of the Plaza Grande, where people started making speeches and the crowd responded enthusiastically.

Now, under some circumstances I might think that this was organized by La Familia, the local drug cartel, in order to discredit the government. However, given the police escort, possibly this particular demonstration was not. But in Mexico, no one can be certain of anything.

Of course I did not have my camera, for which I apologize.