Ten students arrested in El Salvador after march against anti-terrorist law

This is an urgent appeal for protest and solidarity with nine El Salvador youth, belonging to the Peoples’ Youth Block, who have been arrested after taking part in a demonstration yesterday. They face torture at the hands of the brutal El Salvador police. También en español.

Ten students arrested in El Salvador after march against anti-terrorist law Ten student activists were arrested on Wednesday, January 31st in San Salvador, after having participated in a march against the new anti-terrorist law proposed by the ruling ARENA party (the party which was in power during the dirty war and death squads in the 1980s).

The march, which saw the participation of nearly 2,000 students, started from the National University UES at 8am and ended at the National Assembly. Throughout the march, the students were closely watched by the Unit for the Maintenance of Order and by special agents of the National Civilian Police.

There were no incidents during the march, but at the end, when the march had already disbanded, several youth belonging to the Peoples' Youth Block (BJP), were followed into Ciudad Delgado by members of the National Civilian Police. The youth tried to flee, but were chased by police officers and brutally beaten.

Ten students arrested in El Salvador after march against anti-terrorist law Amongst those arrested is Rudy Sandoval, the main leader of the Peoples' Youth Block and nine other youth. They have been taken to the Cuscatancingo jail and charged with public disturbance, carrying illicit weapons, attacking the police and resisting arrest.

We are making an appeal to international solidarity with these leading activists of the BPJ who now may well be undergoing torture in El Salvador.

The names of those arrested are:

Tomas Enrique Argueta Castillo
Héctor Nehemias Campos Peraza
Pablo Benjamín Noyola Martínez
José Eduardo Nolasco Araujo
Johny Franklin Carcamo
Raúl Ernesto Barrera Fuentes
Roberto Esteban Rivera Trejos
Rudy Alexander Sandoval Osorio
William Alexander Campos

Please contact the El Salvador consulates and embassies demanding the immediate release of these youth:

Embassy in the United Kingdom: +44 20 72249800 / email: elsalvador.embassy@gmail.com

(See full list of embassies around the world here: http://www.rree.gob.sv/sitio/sitiowebrree.nsf/pages/sembajadasconsulados)

And write politely worded letters of protest to:
http://www.gobernacion.gob.sv/eGobierno/SeccionesPrincipales/Contactenos/

Messages of solidarity can be sent through the Mexican Marxist Tendency Militante (redaccion@militante.org)