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EDUCATION UNDER ATTACK 2014kidnapping or other violence. But there were alsokillings of students and teachers by gunmen whoseaffiliation and motive were unexplained.In Ciudad Juárez, in November 2010, there were boththreats against individual teachers and threats postedon school walls warning that students would bekidnapped if teachers failed to hand over money to theperpetrators. 1078 One vice-principal of a primary schoolsaid criminals ‘wrote graffiti on the school’s wallssaying: “If you don’t pay up a massacre willhappen”.’ 1079 In December 2010, the Chihuahua statesenate called on the Governor and President to adopta security plan to protect educational institutions inCiudad Juárez from extortion. 1080On 30 August 2011, at least 80 primary schools inAcapulco, in the south-western state of Guerrero,closed when up to 400 teachers went on strike inprotest against threats of extortion and kidnapping. 1081One week later, it was reported that this figure hadincreased to 300 schools, affecting 30,000 studentsin the area. 1082 The trigger for the strike was reportedlya blanket demand issued to primary schools orderingteachers to give up 50 per cent of their pay before 1October and part of their Christmas bonus, or face theconsequences. The threat was reportedly made byphone, leaflets dropped off at schools and bannersposted outside them. 1083 One teacher, who was apaymaster for teachers, received a letter requestingdetails of all teaching staff working in a specific area ofthe Acapulco education system who earned more than8,000 pesos bi-weekly, and all of those earning morethan 20,000 pesos. The letter also demanded theteachers’ names, addresses and cell phone numbers,their voter registration cards and the names andaddresses of their schools, plus the names of anyonewho declined to divulge information. 1084 According tothe online newspaper Examiner.com, the threat wasconfirmed by an official in Guerrero’s Department ofEducation for the region of Acapulco-Coyuca deBenítez, and it was believed that a violent criminalgroup known as La Barredora had sent themessage. 1085Acapulco officials argued that teachers were overreacting.1086 However, the payroll officer at La Patria esPrimero primary school, Acapulco, who was told to161