Teachers in Mexico have begun striking against the continuing crime and violence against them in their own schools.
Tuesday, roughly 7,000 teachers marched in Acapulco with banners, signs, and chants demanding that Mexico’s government provide protection.
A number of teachers in Mexico have received death threats from cartels that say they have until October 1 to start forking over half of their salaries.
“If you don’t pay, you die,” elementary school teacher, Alejandro Estrada, told the NY Times. “This isn’t about money, this is about life or death.”
In Acapulco, a once vibrant tourist destination, more than 100 schools have been shut down, as teachers refuse to go back to teaching until their safety is ensured.
The teachers are not the only ones believed to be paying off the gangs. Doctors, local business owners, taxi drivers, and nearly everyone else has been forced to pay for to keep their lives.
