APPO Seizes Oaxaca — Teachers and Protesters Hold City for 5 Months

After the failed police eviction, the APPO (Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca) forms as a broad coalition of teachers, indigenous groups, unions, and civil society organizations. APPO takes control of multiple government radio stations, the state television broadcaster, and large portions of Oaxaca City including the Zócalo. The occupation lasts over 150 days, paralyzing state government. Fox's federal government refuses to intervene during the electoral period, allowing the crisis to persist. The APPO occupations represent the most sustained challenge to state authority during Fox's presidency.