Un día sin migrantes: la huelga en Tijuana, Mexico


Snapshots from demonstrations that took place on the Mexican side of the Tijuana border crossing earlier today: Link to a set from BoingBoing reader Cesar Bojorquez, of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.


I was in San Diego myself, and there were reports throughout the day that trans-border traffic at the San Ysidro entry point was nearly nil. Around 10am, one Mexican radio station reported that all but one lane of the four- or five-lane crossing had been closed by demonstrators, and the one open lane only remained so because armed Mexican police kept it that way. On any other normal Monday, there might be miles of cars in all lanes waiting to cross, and bustling pedestrian traffic.

San Diego and Tijuana are very much a single region. Many people have family members or jobs just over the border on one side or another, and many cross and return daily to shop or do business. Signs carried by some of the Tijuana protesters made it clear that those who did commute north today during the boycott to buy goods or do business were considered "traitors."

Traffic volume on the 5 freeway from San Diego to Los Angeles was also extremely light, even during the typically crushing rush hour periods. I can't remember seeing Southern California streets this empty on an otherwise working weekday since 9/11.

Related BoingBoing posts about the May 1 marches: Tampa, Los Angeles part 1, New York City, San Francisco, Portland, Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles part 2, Los Angeles part 3. An update on reports that police used excessive force on protesters in MacArthur park is here.