[News] Support the striking students in Puerto Rico

[Anti-Imperialist News]

Support the striking students in Puerto Rico

Luis Fortuño
Governor of Puerto Rico
P.O. Box 9020082
San Juan, PR 00902-0082
Fax 787/723-3287

Dear Governor Fortuño,

             As the non-confrontational strike of 
students at the University of Puerto Rico 
continues, those of us in the United States are 
watching with great concern as events unroll.

             The students’ demands, including 
repeal of Certification 98, which limits and in 
some cases eliminates tuition waivers for 
students; guarantees there will be no tuition 
increases; no privatization of the university or 
of university services; and implementation of 
their alternatives for the budget cutbacks 
demands which are supported by the vast majority 
of Puerto Rican civil society are reasonable. 
Your Board of Trustees, which has consistently 
rejected the students’ demand for dialogue, 
should immediately dialogue with the students and 
allow this promising generation of Puerto Ricans 
to resume its education at the nation’s public university system.

             The presence of your police shock 
troops surrounding the university is not only 
provocative, but they have already assaulted 
students, parents and the media. You should 
withdraw these aggressive troops immediately, and ensure that they harm no one.

Yours truly,

Name

City/State


****************************************
Puerto Rico – The Strike Continues

http://www.dailyhotnews.org/1013/puerto-rico-the-strike-continues/

Posted on May 16, 2010 by <http://www.dailyhotnews.org/author/preto/>preto

The strike at the University of Puerto Rico 
entered its twenty-fourth day. Puerto Rico Strike 
has become worse because of the Puerto Rico 
earthquake.This day includes a demonstration by 
artists of the court which convened for the 
students food and water in the Rio Piedras 
campus. Yesterday there were clashes with police 
because they were prevented from delivering food to the strikers.

Here the impact of today, Sunday.

1:50 pm-Victor Rodriguez, chairman of the Broad 
Front of Teamsters, said his directive to the 
drivers of the country is “not to cross picket 
lines.” “The truckers made their position clear 
on the 15th of October 
 we will support all the 
people of Puerto Rico in seeking justice and 
students are setting an example of civility and 
democracy and the Government is setting an 
example of dictatorship and fascism, “he said.

1:35 pm-The demonstration called by the union 
coalition continues to grow. It takes two lanes 
Pond De Leon Avenue and extends from just before 
the gate of the Ponce de Leon Avenue to access 
Social Sciences. “Chop, chop, picketing and De la 
Torre falters,” sung by the young among other slogans.

1:20 pm-Alumni of the University of Puerto Rico 
(UPR) showed their solidarity with the striking 
students from the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, 
one of the famous monuments of this city.

“We know of many Puerto Ricans living abroad like 
us, who are very concerned and attentive to what 
is happening at the UPR, we decided to create the 
group” Boricuas in support of the UPR since the 
World “(http:/ / 
www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=107911439252900&ref=mf) 
and people’s response has been immediate, are 
extremely grateful and excited with all the 
messages, “said Aurora Muriente Pastrana, one of 
the students who participated in protest in 
Tarragona who is doing a masters degree in archeology.

The group was created on Saturday afternoon and 
several hours later it had about 300 members. 
Puerto Ricans, many of them graduates of the UPR, 
have shown solidarity with the strike of students 
from cities such as Barcelona, Madrid, Salamanca, 
Granada and Seville in Spain, Prague in the Czech 
Republic, Vienna in Austria, Cologne in Germany, 
Buenos Aires Argentina, New York, Florida, South 
Carolina, North Dakota and Houston in the United 
States, Montreal in Canada, Kunsan in South Korea 
in Seoul, Daegu, Belfast in Northern Ireland, 
France, England and Nicaragua, and other cities the world.
1:05 pm-A group of parents was able to throw bags 
into the building water, roasted chicken and 
other food. A group of cadets tried to stop, but 
on arrival was very late. Young people took the food and ran.

24:50, continues to grow in number of 
participants the event that takes place in the 
grounds of the campus. Students have joined with 
loudspeakers from inside the campus. At 1:00 p.m. 
is supposed to start the march organized by trade unions.

12:30 p.m. Parents and citizens who have people 
close to the grounds of the campus to show their 
support began picketing gate Ponce De Leon Ave. 
“I do not want blood inside or outside. We will 
push, because this negotiation we will win,” said the mother Rosalinda Soto.

A group of educators at the Teachers Association 
and the president of the agency, Aida Diaz, 
joined the picket line. Also present is the actor René Monclova.

24:23-Gabriel Laborde, president of the General 
Student Council of the UPR RP, described as 
incredible that “it is easier to get drugs into a 
prison meals to these students.” The university 
has not ruled out to bring these claims before 
any international organization that works with 
civil and human rights. He further noted that one 
should not return to the negotiating table until 
they terminated the order not to allow food and water to enter the campus.
12:12 p.m. – reopen Ponce De Leon Ave. Only one 
lane is open for regular traffic. Police took two 
lanes and the AMA is taken by students.

24:10-Used for ornament of the Municipality of 
San Juan cleaned the rice that fell to the ground 
during the altercation that sucitó this morning.

24:08-José Torres Valentin, observer of the Bar 
Association alleged that the police removed a 
tent that parents and teachers had been placed 
near the entrance to the exhibition by Gándara 
Avenue. We talk to the police, who said that it has to be.

24:03 “The police do shift change agents keep 
watch so far in front of the main gate. 22 agents were withdrawn.

12:00 “Ponce de Leon Avenue was closed to 
vehicular traffic. Police kept occupying two 
lanes. The service of the AMA has also been interrupted by the above procedure.

11:23 a.m.-René Vargas, Estudiantl Negotiating 
Committee member, regretted the incident between 
artists and members of the police when first 
tried to enter the fair food. “I think this 
demonstrates the level reached by the 
insensitivity of the administration and the 
government to keep things as basic as water and 
food to collapse and die from starvation,” he said visibly distressed.

11:18 a.m.-singing artists are held in Ponce De 
Leon Ave. Silverio Perez has taken his guitar to 
sing several songs for the students. “Long live 
the students!” Shouted the end of the song.

11:06 a.m.-artists and protesters against the 
police continue applauding as a sign of rejection 
of behaviors that have arisen. Learners are at 
the gate shouting slogans in protest of the order 
not to miss meals. Currently they started singing 
along with Silverio Perez and Danny Rivera “I want people to laugh and sing.”
10:59 a.m.-About 100 officers from different 
police units recently mobilized to the gate of 
the Ponce de Leon Avenue at the insistence of a 
group of artists led by Silverio Perez to deliver 
food to the students that are within the campus. 
A tray of rice fell on the floor, among other foods.
10:45 a.m. – Silverio Pérez is in talks with 
Colonel Field Operations in San Juan, Leovigildo 
Vazquez, to enter food to students who are inside 
the enclosure. Vazquez insisted that they order 
to prevent such management. Further alleged that 
by 24 days the young people have managed to bring 
in food to the hall, and there has never been given access to such effects.

10:43 a.m.-Amnesty International asserts that 
acts carried out by the administration of the 
University of Puerto Rico on the morning of May 
14, 2010, violate several human rights set out in the Universal Declaration.

“We understand that all these actions are aimed 
at preventing the free expression of students and 
their right to a democratic (strike) and duly 
endorsed by the student body and academic 
institution. We demand to demonstrate his 
readiness for dialogue and openness to the 
process of negotiation, the administration of the 
UPR, Rector and Board of Trustees, agreed to 
withdraw the strike force in the vicinity of the 
University, allowing access to water and food 
demonstrators in university facilities, restoring 
water service facilities and resume the 
negotiation process in an open and transparent, “it said.




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