Leftist PRD sympathizers protest past elections in front of Cathedral

Since the statewide municipal elections that took place in early September, nearly daily protests and vigils have been staged in the plaza in front of the Cathedral, facing the State Government Building. Until only recently a local teacher`s union gathered in the plaza every morning, pitching a canvass tent from which they spent the day handing out propoganda supporting their dissatisfaction with the government`s dismissive attitude toward the rights of local teachers. However, yesterday`s PRD protest in which more than 300 party supporters squeezed into the plaza as a show of solidarity, was the first display of public frustration with the September`s election results that could really be taken seriously.

The crowd stood silently as a light drizzle fell. Donning black trash bags as rain coats, the supporters waved big yellow flags adorned with the PRD`s party symbol. A group to the side also held up a white banner accusing the victorious PRI candidate in a nearby municipality`s elections of electoral fraud. There was an eery tone to the whole affair as the only sound that broke the silence was an occasional word over the loudspeaker by the protest`s organizer. Also, as is true with most protest`s in the Cathedral`s plaza, the crowd seemed to facing off with the squadrons of police, just beginning to arrive as I walked by on my way to classes, lining the front face of the State Government Building.