Mexico City, December 17 (teleSUR-RHC)-- Recent takeovers and new forms of government are scarcely made public, yet highly significant responses to the police attack on the students of the Raul Isidro Burgos teacher training school at Ayotzinapa last September 26th, resulting in six deaths, 25 injuries and 43 forced disappearances.

After the massacre, massive protests prompted former Governor Angel Aguirre to resign and some arrests to be made, yet family, teacher and self-defense groups were not satisfied with such token gestures. They came to a decision that the total complicity of government officials, organized crime groups, police and military formations made it impossible to gain justice without making structural changes.

As part of their program of action, they decided that the indefinite takeover of all 81 town and city councils in the state of Guerrero would be a first step towards setting up Zapatista-style autonomous governments.

One by one, they began to take over town halls, and have now gained control of 35. Further steps in the plan involve the disappearance of current state powers and the establishment of autonomous forms of government.

To date, Local People's Assemblies have been set up in San Luis Acatlan, Ayutla, Acapulco and Tlapa. These will be spaces in which social organizations, community authorities and residents will come together to make decisions by consensus.

The Ayotzinapa students and family members have said that that the only way to avoid future acts of state repression is for the people to be in control of their lives and build community based governments based on service, respect and reciprocity.