tent city, mexican style

those from seattle are very familiar with the heated, ongoing debate that seems to follow the tent city program wherever it goes in our lush, drippy region. residents from any community where the temporary encampment for homeless people has plans to set up shop are consistently up in arms about what a tent city in their community will mean for its image, its crime rates, the safety of its children, among a myriad of other - generally unfounded - concerns. these reactions often get a lot of media play time in and around in seattle, and each time plans for tent city moving to a new area are announced, it begins to seem that we are watching the news on replay.

when politically-motivated tent cities are constructed around the mexican capital, in an effort to cripple the city and the national economy, such media attention - at least internationally - is not as readily available. we are heading into Day 5 of the efforts of lopez obrador and his most committed supporters to get the federal electoral institute to grant the vote-by-vote recount they are demanding. they have set up huge tent cities along one of mexico city's major east-west arteries, and have also taken over most of the historic center, which is the heart of the tourist industry in this bustling metropolis. what surprises me more than the lack of media attention to this dramatically large-scale display of civil disobedience is the fact that no one with the power to stop it appears to be prepared to do so. vicente fox has said they he will only step in to do something about it if requested by the mexico city government. the mayor of mexico city - who took over when lopez obrador had to step down to run for president - is of the same party as lopez obrador - the PRD - and is thus supportive of the effort, and recognizes that his ally's supporters aren't doing anything illegal. it is starting to seem like a distinct possibility that the demonstrations might actually continue until the IFE's september 6th deadline to make their decision - either to grant the vote-by-vote recount, or to declare calderón the president-elect. it's amazing to me really. a country where peaceful demonstrations, that cause no physical harm but do take a toll on the economy and tourist industry of the country, are left to go on their merry way, with no intervention from the federal government. such a foreign - and refreshing - idea.

i got a bird's eye view of the whole ordeal since my parents' hotel was in the historic center. i would emerge from the metro station closest to their hotel to find myself among the demonstrators and their temporary homes on the city's main square, the zócalo. finding my way through to where i could exit to the get myself in the general direction of the hotel was disorienting and overwhelming. i have never seen anything like it, and i probably never will again. and what a week for my family to visit - on top of the constant hyper-stimulation of simply experiencing the city, they got a little taste of political history in the making to boot.

our visit was jam-packed, mostly thanks to the fact that my sister had an ambitious agenda for her stay here, and that when she is on vacation, any need she might normally have for rest and/or recuperation apparently vanishes. in semi-chonicological order, the visit with my family included: a trip to the top of the torre latinoamericana in downtown mexico city - we were lucky enough to get a clear, smog- and rain-free evening and the view of the city and its immensity was unbelievable; lunch and the frida kahlo museum (for them, work for me) in coyoacán; a visit with the cousin of my mom's friend in coyoacán; a day trip on one of mexico's cushy first-class buslines to puebla; a visit to the world-reknowned museum of anthropology in chapultapec park; a night out on the town for my sister and myself that included beers and a little dancing at the mariachi-packed plaza garibaldi and booty shaking at mama rumba in san ángel; a day trip to the basilica of guadalupe, which is a huge deal if you're latino/a and catholic, and then onto the ancient city of teotihuacan; a sunday evening performance of the ballet folklorico in the fine arts palace; some time apart followed by a birthday dinner for my sister's 31st on the patio of a fancy restaurant near my parents' hotel; breakfast at the original sanborn's in the casa azuelejos and then a visit to diego's murals at the secretary of education building. we then saw my sister off, and my parents and i had a late evening dinner at the hotel magestic, overlooking the zócalo and its endless sea of white tents.

as we wrapped up our week of non-stop activity, we took in the scene far below us. and we couldn't help thinking about how such a demonstration would go - or more likely, not go, given the powers that be - in our own country. we were left to soak up the emphatic display of political fervor - along with our last round of tacos and beer, and even chocolate cake, as our little family unit in mexico city - and realize that we would likely never see anything like it again.