Residents of Western Mexican Town Protest Arrival of Vigilantes Eduardo Verdugo - Sapa-AP
go to original January 10, 2014

A vehicle burns at the entrance of Paracuaro, Mexico, on January 9, 2014. Paracuaro residents set at least three trailer trucks on fire to protest the arrival of more than 100 vigilantes to their town. (Eduardo Verdugo/Associated Press)

PARACUARO, Mexico - Residents of a town in western Mexico set fire to at least three trailer trucks on Thursday to protest the arrival of more than 100 vigilantes to their community.

The burning trucks blocked roads leading into Paracuaro in Michoacan state before federal police and soldiers removed them.

The “self-defence” group arrived on Saturday in pickup trucks and SUVs and set up a checkpoint at the entrance to Paracuaro, a town of artisans and lime farmers. They disarmed some police officers on suspicion they were working with drug traffickers. An unidentified man was killed in a gunbattle after the vigilantes seized the town.

Townspeople said they oppose the vigilantes because they are forcing young men to join them.

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