The Assembly is madness. Hundreds of people, maybe thousands attend. They crowd together around the temporary stage which has been set up inside the Foro Sol athletics stadium where they have been housing during their stay in Mexico City. Those who have been sleeping in the stands of the stadium have box seats for the event. While we wait for the assembly to begin, reggaeton plays and the crowd dance. Women gyrate against male dance partners. Men dance alone with hip thrusts. The trans community enter to jeers and whistles and cheers. The dance floor pulsates with sexuality. When it is time to start the assembly and the music turns off half the crowd scream for more music.
Even though I was told by multiple people that there was no organisational structure, I could hardly believe it. Every migrant I spoke to said the caravan was a natural phenomenon that grew out of a collective desire to migrate. News of the caravan spread through word of mouth, Facebook, news reports and everyone joined. And now the caravan’s movements were decided by the people. According to UN figures, there are seven thousand people in the caravan. They couldn’t all vote, could they? I could hardly believe it until I saw the Assembly.
Public assemblies are held every evening to decide the Exodus’ next steps: whether they will move, what route they will take and what time they will depart. Any migrant can stand up and speak at the assemblies. Everyone who attends votes, apparently. This assembly in Mexico City was a significant one. Up until now the route to Mexico City was more or less simple. There wasn’t much possible deviation. Although at Juchita the assembly elected to travel through Veracruz state rather than Oaxaca, but other than that, there were few reasons to debate the route.
At this assembly, there is a big decision to make. Which route shall they take north to the US border? The perceived safer route along the west coast through the states of Sinaloa and Sonora to Tijuana? Or the shorter, more dangerous route through Tamaulipas state to Reynosa? Keep in mind both routes will pass through drug cartel territory.
At this evening’s assembly, a representative from the women’s committee and another from the Trans and LGBTQI community address the crowd. Other male speakers take the stage arguing why the Exodus should leave for Tijuana the next day, urged on by a roaring crowd.
A group enters chanting and screaming and the crowd goes wild. The assembly reverberates with the chants of “yes we can”. It is a chaotic mob. They claim they negotiated with the United Nations to provide buses for transport. This later turns out to be false.
A man named Walter takes the stage and argues for the caravan to leave tomorrow. He appears popular and the crowd cheer louder. A few members of the audience point at maps, wanting the shorter and more dangerous route through Tamaulipus state.
In reality, the decision is made without a huge amount of discussion. The crowd groans for Tijuana.
“Mañana vamos,” Walter screams and the crowd cheers.
