Some 200 people took to the streets of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, on Monday to demonstrate against the growing violence in the region, which has displaced thousands of people from their communities.
The march, which was preceded by a religious celebration, called for unity and peace among the inhabitants of the region and was joined by a hundred young people and children expressing their fear of the violence, insecurity and injustice that exists in the area .
Civil organizations, single mothers, victims of violence and members of the diocese of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, fasted, prayed and took to the streets calling for peace and respect for life.
The mobilization began at 7:30 p.m. from the Guadalupe church to the Plaza de la Paz, in the city’s historic center, where violence has increased in recent months.
“We want peace for Mexico !”, “Viva la vida!”, “We want peace!”, “Peace for San Cristóbal !”, were some of the slogans that broke the silence after the torrential rain that fell in the city.
During the sermon, the parish priest of the church invited those present to join forces, to transmit love and peace to their families and urged them to join the army for peace, to break impunity and violence in the region.
Upon making this demand, the priest raised the flag of Mexico, the banner of the Virgin of Guadalupe and the flag of peace and said “like Father Hidalgo, I invite you to join the army, but this time without weapons, today It’s time to fight with a dialogue of peace and brotherhood,” he said.
In recent months, Chiapas has suffered an escalation of violence in some indigenous communities, due to the action of organized crime, which frightens the indigenous peoples of the Altos de Chiapas area .
