New Year's Day marked the tenth anniversary of the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas, Southern Mexico. Janauary 1st 1994 saw the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, made up primarily of indigenous peoples, take control of several key towns in the region including San Cristobal. This action ws taken in protest against the policies of the Mexican government and the implementation of NAFTA the 'free trade' agreement which came into effect on the same day.

The Zapatistas have subsequently been an inspiration to those resisting throughout the world and served as a major influence on the grassroots globablisation movemernt which forced it's way into the mainstream, conciousness at the protests against the WTO in Seattle in November 1999.

Despite international support the Zapatistas and their communities have come under attack by the Mexican state, often with US support. This has taken the form of what is known in military-speak as "low-intensity warfare", the term terrorism might be applied if such tactics were used by them against us rather than vice versa.