ZacParker.com

It’s Saturday, 8pm and the music from the living room is making it’s way through my bedroom walls with ease. The pounding of the bass is coinciding with the pounding in my head. It’s not any fun being sick. It’s even less fun being sick in a foreign country. There’s nobody here to bring me vegan noodle soup. No computer in my room to pass the time (my laptop is out of commission until I get back to DF). No art store to buy supplies to keep me occupied. Just unreasonably loud music in the living room to remind me I have a headache.
Things here in Mexico never cease to be interesting. In three days I participated in two marches and one highway blockade.All three events were very peaceful in nature, and no violence was purported by either side. The marches were comprised of mainly San Cristòbalites, and a few foreigners, but the blockades brought people from all over Chiapas. We blocked every single entrance and exit to and from San Cristòbal.
When I arrived at the San Felipe blockade, at 9am, there were about 200-300 Zapatistas already sitting in the middle of the carretera. They had been there since 6am. All were wearing their signature black masks, and I had a hooded sweater with a bandana, to cover up the fact that I am white. It is illegal for foreigners to participate in political protests, and I have to admit I was a bit more than slightly nervous. However the entire 8 hours I was there, the only police presence was one police helicopter, early in the morning. Perhaps because of the nature of our blockade. It was only partial, meaning, we blocked the highway for 45 minutes per hour, allowing cars to pass for 15 minutes before blocking the road again. This same formula was used in all of the blockades. The blockade started at 6am, and went until 5pm, when 5 huge trucks showed up, and all the Zapatistas loaded into the backs of the trucks, and drove away. There were also blockades in many other places in Mexico, as well as parts of the USA as well. All in support of the people of Oaxaca.
In Oaxaca, the government is killing peaceful demonstrators. They are blocking food, gas, and water from entering the city. The people are going hungry. Right now I have the opportunity to go to Oaxaca as a human rights observer, but I’m not going to go. I should go. I want to go. The people need help. I seem however to always find a reason not to do anything important with my life. This time? I’ve only got 300 dollars left for two months. Not good. Also, I’ve got less than 30 days left on my FMT (Tourist Card). That means that with 300 dollars I need to go to Guatemala (I have to leave the country and return, to renew my tourist card), and then make it back to Mexico City and survive until Christmas. The likelihood of this is not so great. Even less if I go to Oaxaca. I would be expected to bring enough food and water for myself, as well as for about 10 other people. Another reason not to go to Oaxaca, is I have a friend arriving in Mexico City on December 9th. A friend I am quite fond of, and miss terribly. I should go to Oaxaca. It’s the right thing to do. I’m not going to Oaxaca.