ABSTRACT
Las Abejas had expressed publicly on three different occasions their refusal to allow militaries in a “campamento civil por la paz” (civil peace camp). As the militaries attempted to plant their tents near the only source of water for the refugee camp, Las Abejas9 women-many of them with children on their backs-surrounded them within minutes. For about four tense hours before they finally retreated, Las Abejas formed a human chain to push the militaries back. The soldiers, in turn, hit the indigenous people who shouted things like, “Away with the army, you are useless here!” and “Women rapists, go away!” (Ibid.). Similar to the nonviolent resistance of other Zapatista com munities, Las Abejas women chose to be the first line of resistance, followed by the children and then the men. When a Mexican Army helicopter tried to land, Las Abejas women ran under it, shouting, “If you want to land here, do i t . . . but it will be on our bodies!” (Interview 68).
