"El IFDC fue tomado"

This poster was hung by the students.-

Last Wednesday we were invited to participate in an assembly organized by the Students’ center of the Institute where I’m studying at. According to them, a teacher (or “compañero” as they call him) was about to be fired without a clear justification. They alleged that the teacher has a wife and a newborn baby to feed so he shouldn’t be fired, especially because “he hadn’t done anything wrong”. When I was leaving uni, I saw around 40 people (even though they stated there were about 150) gathered in the main hall and they were deciding whether to do a sit-in or not. Finally, they decided to do it. They claimed that they were doing it not only to support the teacher, but to demand the authorities to commit themselves to improve the infrastructure of the place, since after the heavy rain that took place a few days ago; the building is not “adequate” for students to be in. That same day, the conferring of degrees was taking place and our ex class mates were being granted with their so expected and deserved degrees. However, this important and happy day was spoiled by a group of people who went there to demand impolitely and arrogantly to the Minister of Education to solve the situation (of course, the Minister was unaware of what was going on at the Institute).

      Moreover, on Thursday they didn’t let students get in to the Institute, at least they’d signed on a sheet of paper that they agreed with their sit-in. Some students had been studying for weeks to sit for final exams; however, some of them were not allowed to sit for the exams and were violently taking out by their own classmates off the classrooms, one of them being a pregnant young lady. Not only did they not respect their classmates’ rights to sit for the final exams, but they contemptuously prevented them from even walking in the Institute.

Even though this group of students claim that they did not block the
entry, we can see the chairs blocking the main entrance of
the Institute.

       I strongly believe that it is important to fight for and demand people to respect our rights, but also I believe that we can’t do so by disrespecting or denying other people’s rights. By taking the institute and the students as “hostages”, this minor group of students is only denying and damaging the ones that go to the Institute to study (for real) and not to support a political party. They did not only restrained people from their rights, but also they stopped the traffic impeding drivers to go to work or go back home.

Needless to say, the majority of the teachers and students that attend classes at the Institute are strongly against this sit-in. We attend classes at the institute because we are eager to learn, improve ourselves as teachers and as citizens as well and, of course, get our degree. If our own classmates violently prevent us from attending classes, sitting for exams or even going to office hours, I don’t see that happening.

     I consider that what they are demanding (that teachers should be paid for their work, building and infrastructure improvements, etc) is very relevant; however, the end doesn’t justify the means. If they call for respect, respect me back.