May 8 Mexico solidarity marches to be held worldwide

Video of the marchers en route to Mexico City from La Jornada’s YouTube channel

The silent “March for Peace with Justice and Dignity” reached the outskirts of Mexico City this morning, two days after it commenced on Cinco de Mayo. “Silence is the only way in which we can focus on our indescribable pain, our national pain, our communion,” said poet-turned-activist Javier Sicilia.

Several hundred people are believed to be participating in the march including survivors of drug-related violence, victims' families and migrants from Central America. The number of protesters is expected to swell at the conclusion of the march on Sunday afternoon in Mexico City’s main Zocalo Plaza.

Several marches in solidarity with the silent trek will be held on Sunday in Mexico and around the world. The Marcha Nacional Por La Paz blog contains a comprehensive list of most of these events if you’re interested in participating. The following are some of the solidarity marches being held in the U.S. on Sunday according to the aforementioned blog:

• Austin, Texas

Start Time – 2:00 pm
Location – The Mexican Consulate (410 Baylor Street)

• Chicago, Illinois

Start Time – 11:30 am
Locations – From Plaza Tenochtitlán (Blue Island Ave. and 18th St.) to the Villita Arch (“Arco de la Villita” on 26th St. and Kedzie Ave.)

• Houston, Texas

Times – 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Location – The Mexican Consulate (4506 Caroline St.)

• Los Angeles, California
  

Start Time – 12:30 pm
Location – The Mexican Consulate (2401 W. 6th Street)

• New York, New York
  

Start Time – 10:30 am
Locations – From the Mexican Consulate (39th Street between Madison and Park Avenues) to the United Nations (approximately 1st Avenue and E. 44th St.)

• Seattle, Washington

Times – 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Locations – From the Space Needle to the Mexican Consulate (2132 Third Avenue)

• St. Paul, Minnesota

Start Time – 10:30 am
Location – The Mexican Consulate (797 7th Street East)

What do you think of the “Marcha” in Mexico? Do you agree with the theme of the protest led by Sicilia and others? Will the protest have a significant impact on the tug-of-war between government forces and drug gangs? Do you plan to attend one of the solidarity protests on Sunday? Please let us know what you think by respectfully commenting to this post.

Online Sources- Too many to list!