A violent clash near Mexico City between police and residents of a town known for its radical politics has killed a 14-year-old boy and injured more than 50 people, most of them policemen.
The trouble began Wednesday with the arrest of several street vendors. Residents of San Salvador Atenco attacked police with machetes, wooden sticks and firebombs, took several hostages and barricaded the town, which is 25 kilometers north of the capital.
The governor of Mexico State, Enrique Pena Nieto, says about 50 police officers were injured, and at least 11 of them are in serious condition. Television pictures from the scene showed civilians severely beating and kicking a semiconscious policeman.
How the 14-year-old died during the rioting is still unclear. At least 30 protesters were arrested during the clashes.
A leader of southern Mexico's Zapatista rebel group, Subcomandante Marcos, says the organization supports Atenco residents and is watching the situation closely.
San Salvador Atenco was the scene of violent clashes with Mexican authorities in 2002, when residents protested against the government's plan to build a new airport in the area. President Vicente Fox later scrapped the project.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
