Riots Renewed In Mexico City

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31771, 30 August 1968, Page 11

Riots Renewed In Mexico City

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

MEXICO CITY, August 29.

Heavily-armed troops supported by tanks and armoured cars surrounded student-occupied university buildings in Mexico City early today.

With fixed bayonets and machine-guns, the troops cordoned off the buildings shortly after midnight, fewe rthan 12 hours after they had clashed with students and workers outside the Presidential Palace. The move was an apparent attempt to ward off further student protests.

The demonstrations were originally against alleged police brutality, but in the last 24 hours they have turned into bitter demonstrations against the Government.

The troops made no attempt to enter theu niversity’s agriculture school and polytechnic buildings to dislodgue the students, who have been there for the last three weeks in a strike to support their demands for tht disbandment of the riot police and the dismissal of the city police chiefs. Late last night, a small group of youths hijacked buses and set up barricades at a school near the Presidential Palace, but were swiftly routed by ttnk-borne troops. Earlier, about 500 students had clashed with troops and riot police outside the Presidential Palace. The trouble started after a scuffle between students and workers, loyal to President Gustavo Diaz Ordtz. This incident occurred after a mass rally by about 100,000 students who chanted slogans Condemning the

Government and ridiculing the Olympic Games to which Mexico will be the host in October.