Ayotzinapa | 43

(photo taken: October 28, 2014)

It's been over a year so I'm assuming everyone's heard about the "missing 43" or "los estudiantes de Ayotzinapa". In case you've missed out on the story...

On September 26, 2014 a group of students and teachers (took place in Iguala, Guerrero) were on their way to protest at a conference about the education system. But it took a horrible turn when they were stopped by the police and ordered them to leave. It's still unknown what happened to the college students after that. All that is known is that the police took them in and nothing was heard after. Some students were able to escape, some were killed in a gruesome way, and well the rest remain missing. At first they had said there were bags by a river which contained the remains of students. Then it was rumored that they weren't dead, they were alive but being held hostage. Some bodies were sent to a university in Austria to be examined and confirmed it was part of the students. All the communities revolted, fighting fire with fire. 

Immediately there were protests downtown and at El Consulado. It's sad just thinking or imagining what really happened to the students, if they're alive, if they're dead, if they were tortured, so many things. But hearing all the hate the families and so many other people have towards their president and all the harsh things being yelled at, hurts. Not because they're talking bad about him, but because you can notice in these parent's voices the hurt, the pain, wanting answers, and the looks on their faces.

(photo taken: October 28, 2014)

I'm not gonna lie, when my mum, brother and I were at these protests I was kind of scared. Whenever it's things like this, I feel like if someone will just pass by shooting everyone. And unfortunately I'm not wrong or stupid in thinking like this because we do live in a time where things like this happen. And they happen too often.  Something like this actually happened in Mexico, 1968 Tlatelolco massacre. There was a student demonstration which ended in a "bloodbath". A storm of bullets and so many people killed and left injured. 

The protests consisted of so many people, of different races not just Mexicans, drummers, dancers, and people with posters and banners of all the missing students. They also had the entire sidewalk with a big banner of pictures and names of the missing students and many candles lit for them. This protest began in La Placita and ended in El Consulado. There were so many people and it was comforting to know that people who were non hispanic were supporting this and were participating. The parents of some of the missing students also attended these protests, they were going around the country in a few different states. And one of the same survivors was there too with his parents! 

I swear it broke my heart hearing them talk! Just because my mum and brother were there, but if not I would have been in tears. Good thing I had shades to cover my teary eyes. The way they'd scream chants blaming the Mexican government, the way the mother wouldn't be able to talk because she was choked up crying, the way the father took a stand, screaming that he will do what it takes to find his son in this world, not the other world! The student talked about how he was blindfolded and wasn't able to see anything but he knew he had to run as fast as he could to get away. How it hurt him to know that so many of his friends and the rest of the students were left behind. How he's not able to sleep and he doesn't feel safe fearing that he'll be found and something can happen to him or his family. 

(photo taken: November 15, 2014)

I'm upset at the fact that these protests are no longer going on, at least I haven't heard of. But they're not forgotten because you hear about updates on the situation on the news. It's been over a year. I can't imagine what the families and the students themselves are going through, or went through. Not knowing what happened to them. I remember watching the news and a parent came on the news saying that if his son was really dead, he'd rather know and bury him so he can be at peace and have a place to go pay respect and know his son is at peace as well. Instead he doesn't know if his son is alive or not and doesn't want to imagine what they do to them considering one of the students they killed had his eyes gouged out and the skin of his face removed. 

And the worst part is thinking that this country could slowly turn into something like that. Just how my brother said, it's all starting south and slowly moving up. And a representative of an organization said we can't just ignore it just because it's not occurring in this country. As neighboring countries we need to support and help one another, because our government isn't truthful. There's also sneaky stuff they do, and it all starts with that. I mean heaven forbid, but "one day it's Mexico, the next day it's the U.S. You don't want to imagine that happening to someone you know, or worse, your child, but you're never too sure of what can happen."