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Summary

In 2006, teachers in Oaxaca, Mexico, went on strike demanding better wages and resources, which escalated into a broader movement calling for the resignation of Governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz. The campaign involved massive protests, occupations, and the creation of a popular assembly, but ultimately failed to achieve its main goals. The governor refused to resign, and federal police dismantled the protest encampment.

Background

Governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz took office in 2004 after a contentious election, leading to widespread anger and repression of social activists. Teachers in Oaxaca went on strike annually to protest wage cuts and lack of resources for students, but the 2006 strike grew into a broader movement demanding the governor’s resignation and a new people’s government.

What happened

On May 22, 2006, teachers from Section 22 of the National Union of Education Workers began their annual strike, setting up encampments in Oaxaca City’s Zócalo and creating a radio station, Radio Plantón [source: nv-database]. On June 14, 3,000 police attacked the encampment with tear gas and pepper spray, destroying Radio Plantón [source: nv-database]. The attack sparked widespread support, and on June 16, 400,000 protesters marched, taking control of 56 blocks and occupying city hall buildings [source: nv-database]. The Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO) was formed to coordinate actions [source: nv-database]. On August 1, 2,000 women took over Channel 9, renaming it Radio Cacerola [source: nv-database]. Paramilitaries attacked the station on August 22, leading protesters to set up blockades that shut down the city [source: nv-database]. On September 1, APPO held a 50,000-person march demanding the governor’s resignation [source: nv-database]. In mid-October, the Mexican Senate passed a resolution asking Ruiz to resign, but he refused [source: nv-database]. On October 26, Section 22 voted to end the strike, but some APPO members continued protesting [source: nv-database]. On October 27, paramilitaries killed three people, including journalist Brad Will [source: nv-database]. On October 29, President Fox ordered 5,000 Federal Preventative Police to retake the city [source: nv-database]. In late November, police removed the last remnants of the encampment [source: nv-database].

Key people & organizations

  • Section 22 of the National Union of Education Workers
  • Enrique Rueda Pacheco
  • Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO)
  • Governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz
  • Revolutionary Institutional Party (PRI)
  • Federation of Democratic Labor Unions and Organizations of Oaxaca (FSODO)
  • Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN)
  • Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)
  • Catholic Church
  • Friends of Brad Will
  • Mexican Senate
  • President Vincente Fox
  • Brad Will

Tactics used

The campaign combined a professional strike with nonviolent occupations, marches, and alternative media to build a broad coalition and escalate pressure on the government, while blockades and symbolic actions aimed to disrupt the city and draw attention. [source: nv-database]

Outcome

Verdict: lost.

The campaign failed to achieve its main demands: the governor did not resign, and a people’s government was not established. However, the movement survived repression and grew significantly, and in 2010, voters ousted Ruiz’s party from office [source: nv-database].

Lessons

  • A violent police crackdown can backfire and expand a movement’s support base.
  • Building a broad coalition with diverse groups can sustain a campaign even after the original demands are met or changed.
  • Alternative media (e.g., radio stations) can help bypass mainstream media blackouts and maintain communication.

Sources

Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.

Sources & verification

  • nv-database — grounding: primary — license: link-only
  • Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via worker_casestudies_v2.py

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