WHEN: 5PM Thursday, March 26th, 2015
WHERE: Mike Brown Memorial on Canfield Dr
WHAT: Solidarity vigil with parents of Ayotzinapa 43
Marking 6 months since the 43 students were abducted in Iguala, Guerrero on the night of September 26th, 2014, parents of the missing students traveled from Mexico to Ferguson, MO with other community members to join hands with local activists as a grand stand against police brutality and state funded violence.
The missing 43 Mexican students from Ayotzinapa Teacher Training College drew worldwide attention and led to nonstop actions, vigils and protests across Mexico and internationally. The pain of families continues to grow as the Mexican government remains silent about the Iguala municipal police department’s involvement with the missing students.
“The students are believed to have been kidnapped after police opened fire on a bus that they claimed had been hijacked by the youths,” states an article by the International Business Review. “Eyewitnesses said that the students were forced to sit in police cars and taken into custody.” Others suggest students were on their way to protest when police opened fire on the buses killing 6, wounding 25, and forced the other 43 in police vehicles where they were passed to drug cartels.
“Vivo los llevaron, vivos los queremos,” is a heart-shattering chant echoing from the voices of mothers, fathers, grandparents, community members and other activist demanding the safe return of students. Hands Up United’s own Rika Tyler and T-DubbO traveled to Guerrero in February as an act of solidarity, and this powerful trip has forever left an impression on their lives.
“We were able to experience first-hand every day life for the community in the state of Guerrero,” T-DubbO shared. “We want justice for them as well as ourselves and we will continue to stand in solidarity and fight for our brothers and sisters and our community against a government that murders, abducts, and protects the ones doing so.“
Tonight at 5pm, the parents of the missing 43 students will hold a vigil at Mike Brown’s memorial in Canfield. Join us for this historical moment to honor the missing Ayotzinapa students and their families. “Today is an emotional day but even through all the trauma, we want the parents and Mexico to know: We are one, and that we believe that we will win!” Rika closed.
Show the families of Mexico’s 43 missing students an act of solidarity by posting the following quote on social media with a picture: “Vivo los llevaron, vivos los queremos”