We students, workers, teachers and fathers unjustly imprisoned in the Mexico City Preventative prison urgently appeal to students throughout the world to demonstrate their solidarity with our [cause].
On July 23rd the Mexican students began a valiant struggle in defence of democratic freedoms. These students have been the object of one of the world's bloodiest repressions.
The authorities in this country have not hesitated to use bazookas to shoot down the doors of schools or to send more than 10,000 soldiers backed up by tanks and heavy artillery against the university and other educational centres. They did not hesitate to open fire on a peaceful gathering, killing more than 500 people and wounding an undetermined number.
Monster trials have been initiated against the students arrested. These students have been savagely tortured. Their families and friends have been threatened. In Mexico City alone the number of students imprisoned now exceeds 7,000 and they are charged with crimes carrying penalties from 15 to 100 years in prison.
Exercising the rights which the constitution of this country grants them, the Mexican students have carried out a series of mass demonstrations. These demonstrations expressed the Mexican people's desire to win back their freedom, which has been even more trampled under foot, especially in terms of the least presidents.
So long as there was no intervention by the repressive forces or shock groups organised by the government, these demonstrations were orderly and peaceful. Hundreds of thousands of citizens took part in them.
On July 26th the government began a whole series of provocations aimed at justifying its repression. Schools were machine-gunned. There was an attempt to organise the workers against the students. Through an intense campaign of slander in all media of communication, the government tried to turn national and international public opinion against the students. But once these attempts and the customary repressive tactics (which for some time in Mexico have included use of the army) had failed, they resorted to mass murder.
After the cowardly massacre of October 2 in the Plaza de las Tres Culturas of Ciudad Tlatelolco, the government pretended that it sought a solution to the conflict through negotiations. It imposed a whole series of conditions on the students, ranging from the truce during the Olympic games to the return to classes which began this week.
[Whilst] demonstrating their desire for a solution to the conflict, the students accepted the government's demands and fulfilled their agreements to the letter. However, all this turned out to be just another manoeuvre by the government for the purpose of continuing and intensifying its repression.
[On] December 3, when the students held a new demonstration in support of their imprisoned comrades, the government again resorted to repression, imprisoning several thousand students.
Under these circumstances, we students, workers, teachers, and fathers in the Mexico City preventive prison decided to launch a hunger strike which we will not break until we have won restoration of the constitutional order violated by the government and in particular the following points:
1. Unconditional release of all those imprisoned as a consequence of the student and people's movement throughout the country.
2. Cessation of police and military repression.
[3. illegible]
4. Respect for the rights of individuals and citizens.
We call on all students struggling throughout the world for a more just society to join in the struggle of the Mexican students, the bravest of whom have not hesitated to sacrifice their blood and their liberty for the victory of the cause of all the world's youth.
FOR A WORLD STUDENT STRIKE IN SUPPORT OF MEXICAN STUDENTS
FREEDOM OR DEATH