Oaxaca Teachers Strike Begins — Annual Wage Protest Escalates

Section 22 of the SNTE (Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación) begins its annual wage strike in Oaxaca, occupying the Zócalo of Oaxaca City. Governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz (PRI) orders police to forcibly evict the encampment on June 14, 2006. The violent eviction fails spectacularly — teachers and supporters repel the police, and the resulting outrage leads to formation of the APPO (Asamblea Popular de los Pueblos de Oaxaca), a broader coalition demanding Ruiz Ortiz's resignation. Fox refuses to intervene against the PRI governor or to remove Ruiz Ortiz.