Hundreds of Juarenses take border crossing in gas price protests

Hundreds of Juarez residents protested the government’s gas price hike Friday evening at the Megabandera, the giant flag directly across the border, and march toward the Bridge of the Americas

The protest, organized by the group Juarez Resiste, is meant to be peaceful, in contrast to the more violent demonstrations seen in the interior of the republic.

Organizers called on protesters to wear white clothing and not have their faces covered, given fears of people who may infiltrate the protest to turn the planned peaceful protest into a violent one.

This planned protest follows a blockading of most of the Bridge of the Americas this past Tuesday, where the agricultural group El Barzon blocked all north-bound lanes except one. They called for an end to the gas price hike until a federal employee met with them. The group turned in a letter to President Peña Nieto, asking that it reach the leader, and dispersed.

“The gas hike is absurd. With an increase like this, workers will need an emergency raise in salaries just to get by. If not, tensions will go far beyond protests throughout the country,” a protestor told ABC-7.

One Barzon organizer, Yaco Rodriguez, said protests are planned to continue throughout the state of Chihuahua as long as the gas prices remain high. State highways have been reopened by police after protesters seized them, but Rodriguez said they won’t stop demonstrating.

An accountant who spoke with ABC-7 said with the gas hike, Juarez residents could end up losing more in gas money than the entire city’s budget.

“If Juarez residents pump gas in El Paso, the city would be losing 4.8 billion pesos a year, more than the city’s 4 billion peso budget,” said Sergio Parra Tapia, President of the Juarez College of accountants.

Juarenzes don’t just visit El Paso just to buy gasoline, Parra said. Surveys show each driver spends an average of $20 per visit to El Paso, Parra added.