Four years ago, 43 teaching students from the Mexican town of Ayotzinapa were on their way to a protest in Mexico City Sept. 26 when their bus was intercepted by police. They were taken away and were never seen again. Many activists presume they were taken by the Mexican government.
Ever since the incident, Long Beach State’s La Raza Student Association has made it a point to showcase a movie in September as a way to educate students on the atrocities of that day as well as the movement against the corrupt government that arose as a result. With the help of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the club will screen Vice News’ documentary “The Missing 43: Mexico’s Disappeared Students,” Wednesday at the University Student Union Alamitos Bay, near the USU ballrooms. The film is set in the Mexican state of Guerrero.
“We’re all about justice,” said Asia Gonzalez, fourth year political science major, La Raza secretary and Latino Student Union representative. “Whenever administration or the government or fellow students are acting unjust towards our allies or our peers, we’re not going to be quiet about it.”
Jennifer Benitez, senior sociology major and La Raza treasurer, praised “The Missing 43” in its ability to tell the story of the missing students.
“[The documentary] is a good compilation of the historical events that were happening around the time of the disappearance,” Benitez said. “It has videos of what happened and after effects.”
La Raza will also be holding a die-in demonstration on campus Sept. 26, the anniversary of the event. During the demonstration, students with photos of the 43 students says one of the 43 names and immediately falls to the ground, a symbolic gesture representing the sudden disappearance of the teaching students.
“Since I started college, I’ve gotten really involved with activism,” Gonzalez said. “I think about what would happen if I disappeared. How would my mom feel if I was gone?”
Those who want to learn more about the 2014 attack in Ayotzinapa can attend the screening from 5-6:30 p.m. There will also be a discussion afterwards, where students can reflect and share their own thoughts.
“With this documentary, we hope that students can see the how the plight of student struggles in Latin America is directly tied with state violence,” Benitez said.
For those who cannot attend the event, The Missing 43: Mexico’s Disappeared Students is available on YouTube.