Peace Activist Javier Sicilia Urges US to Stop Arms Pouring Into Mexico Associated Press
go to original April 30, 2013

Mexican poet and activist Javier Sicilia walks past a blimp with a message that reads in Spanish: “Post for Peace, #goodbyetoweapons” after it arrived at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, City, Monday April 29, 2013. The blimp, flown remotely by the Post for Peace organization, attempted to fly to the U.S. Embassy to deliver thousands of signatures condemning the illegal sale of U.S. weapons into Mexico and to contribute to the U.S. gun control debate. The blimp was unable to fly to the embassy due to technical problems so organizers pushed the blimp there and delivered the signatures. (Marco Ugarte/Associated Press)

MEXICO CITY - Mexican anti-violence activists have released a blimp as part of a campaign to urge President Barack Obama to stop arms trafficking into Mexico.

Peace activist Javier Sicilia and the Mexico chapter of Amnesty International say the blimp is part of a "virtual" campaign to put attention on the problem of guns ahead of Obama's visit to Mexico on Thursday.

Sicilia and other activists are urging Mexicans to tweet with the hashtag "Goodbye to weapons." The slogan is printed on the blimp, which traveled from outside the Museum of Memory and Tolerance to the U.S. Embassy.

Sicilia said Monday that activists hope to collect 1 million signatures urging Obama and Mexican President Pena Nieto to discuss halting the flow of weapons into Mexico.

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