Mexican Teachers Riot Over Education Reforms

The protesters in Mexico’s Guerrero state attacked the offices of four political parties and a building of the state’s education department after legislators approved controversial education reforms.

Thousands of teachers have rioted in southern Mexico in protest at education reforms, setting alight the ruling party’s local headquarters.

Plumes of black smoke billowed from the offices of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in state capital Chilpancingo after masked protesters broke into the building and tossed chairs, papers and plants out of windows.

Some spray painted anti-government graffiti on the building, while others tore up pictures of President Enrique Pena Nieto in protest at government reforms of the education sector passed in December.

The teachers were joined by farmers and student groups as they also took out their anger on the offices of the three opposition parties that backed the reforms.

The protesters used pipes and sticks to destroy windows and doors at the local headquarters of the National Action Party (PAN), the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) and the Citizen Movement Party.

Protesters wrote “traitors of the people” on the PRD’s walls.

The Mexican television channel Milenio showed footage of small fires inside the state education department’s audit office, with computers and broken pieces of glass strewn on the parking lot. Firefighters were later seen dousing the flames.

Police officers watched but did not intervene. Some 300 officers protected the state legislature.

Teachers have held several protests in recent weeks over legislation that will require them to pass periodic tests to qualify for jobs or promotions.

Minervo Moran, a spokesman for the teachers union CETEG, said the protests were “a reaction to the aggressive policies that are being imposed by the reforms”.

http://news.sky.com/story/1082843/mexican-teachers-riot-over-education-reforms

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/mexico/10017455/Mexico-teachers-riot-over-education-reforms.html