Around 30 women were violently detained during a demonstration in Irapuato, Guanajuato, and taken to the local Center for Social Reintegration (Cereso), feminist collectives reported.
On Sunday afternoon, a march was held to demand justice for the disappearance of women in the state and in the country, which would depart from Irekua Park and reach the Municipal Palace, where there would be a peaceful demand.
According to the municipal authorities, 300 women participated, who were guarded by 107 police members of the group ‘Vivo Segura’, who were “duly trained in gender issues” and wore a purple bracelet.
However, once in the City Hall, a group of hooded women beat the doors of the building with hammers and hammers, then poured gasoline into it and set it on fire.
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This was reported by the Secretary of Citizen Security, Víctor Armas, who said that they also broke the windows of the facade of the Palace and that a woman climbed to the window of a file warehouse to spill gasoline and set it on fire.
After this, demonstrators and police began to have various confrontations, which led to beatings, pushes and arrests by the elements of the group ‘Vivo Segura’.
In various videos disseminated on social networks, women police officers can be seen beating young women in the face and body, as well as subjecting them to the ground, and then arresting them.
Thus the @irapuatogob that calls itself an ally of women. Imagine if not. https://t.co/GrihI6CZ9w
— Marea Verde Mexico (@MareaVerdeMex) May 2, 2022
The Irapuato Radical Resistance Collective denounced an abuse of authority by the police and held the authorities responsible for any harm that the detained women may be victims of.
Through a statement, the collective spoke out against the police repression against the demonstrators and reported that 30 comrades were violently detained, in addition to their families being threatened.
“The authorities not only act violently, they also violate their human rights to a fair process, since they were transferred to CERESO and their relatives are threatened with prosecution to the Public Ministry and do not stop denying them information about the detainees,” he wrote.
For his part, the Secretary of Citizen Security said that “to establish public order,” the police arrested 23 women of legal age, five underage women and one adult male.
Víctor Armas said that at first they were sheltered in the courtyard of the Municipal Presidency and then they were transferred to civic courts, “guaranteeing respect for their integrity and safeguarding their human rights.”
Until noon on Monday, the collective reported that they still did not release the detained women and denounced a refusal by the municipal government to offer information about their legal situation to the relatives.
Therefore, he called on the citizens of Guanajuato to make a peaceful presence in the Cereso de Irapuato, “to support and monitor that the human rights of all do not continue to be violated, as well as to ask for their prompt release and prevention of reprisals by the government.”
“We have not turned our backs on them”: mayor
The feminist collective Radical Resistance Irapuato held the mayor of Irapuato, Lorena Alfaro, responsible “for anything that happens to our comrades who were taken in their units.”
However, in a video released on social networks, the mayor said that she will not tolerate “under any circumstances” acts of violence, or acts that attempt against third parties, for which she denied an opening to negotiation.
“Whoever violates the law must assume the consequences of their actions, in Irapuato we say no to violence, no to radicalism, no to polarization, no to illegality, no to silence, no to confrontation, no to indifference, no to impunity,” Alfaro said.
See also: National Guard kills student in Irapuato; element triggered by “bewilderment and uncertainty”, justifies
In the video, she stressed that her government has given “consistent and unconditional” signs of support for feminist movements that demand an end to harassment, insecurity, violence and crime.
“My government has never, in any way, turned its back on this reality or denied it, we have granted facilities and protection for the different demonstrations to take place and within the scope of our competences we have carried out all the actions of prevention and protection for them.”
Opening of ex officio complaint about detention of demonstrators
The Human Rights Prosecutor of Guanajuato, Vicente Esqueda Méndez, reported that complaint 450/22-B was opened in response to the events that occurred during the demonstration in Irapuato.
The complaint has been opened ex officio 450/22-B before the facts raised in the mpio of Irapuato Gto., where several people were arrested during a public demonstration, will be informed as the investigation that corresponds to us progresses. @irapuatogob
— Vicente Esqueda (@vicentesqueda) May 2, 2022
In addition, the Platform for Peace and Justice of Guanajuato urged the municipal government to release the women detained without charge, based on the recognition of social protest through direct action.
The network denounced that “direct action is relevant in contexts of structural violence such as impunity and widespread disappearances.”
Being attacked the police by the black block and some of the members of the Bruhas de Irapuato, 11 police injured, 3 seriously who are in the General Hospital and are being evaluated by doctors.
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