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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2009
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Mexican activists place 5,100 crosses at border fence to mark migrant deaths

5,100 crosses at Mexico border mark migrant deaths

Associated Press | Oct 30, 09 9:05 PM CDT in World 

Rights activists in the northern Mexican border city of Tijuana have hung 5,100 small white crosses on the fence straddling the U.S. frontier to commemorate migrants who have died trying to cross.

Volunteers from the Pro-migrant Defense Coalition hang crosses on the US-Mexico border fence as part of Day of the Dead commemorations in memory of migrants who have died trying to cross the border in Tijuana, Mexico, Friday, Oct. 30, 2009. The Pro-migrant Defense Coalition hung 5,100 wooden crosses in...
Volunteers from the Pro-migrant Defense Coalition hang crosses on the US-Mexico border fence as part of Day of the Dead commemorations in memory of migrants who have died trying to cross the border in...   (Associated Press)
A volunteer from the Pro-migrant Defense Coalition hang crosses on the US-Mexico border fence as part of Day of the Dead commemorations in memory of migrants who have died trying to cross the border in Tijuana, Mexico, Friday, Oct. 30, 2009. The Pro-migrant Defense Coalition hung 5,100 wooden crosses...
A volunteer from the Pro-migrant Defense Coalition hang crosses on the US-Mexico border fence as part of Day of the Dead commemorations in memory of migrants who have died trying to cross the border in...   (Associated Press)
Volunteers from the Pro-migrant Defense Coalition hang crosses on the US-Mexico border fence as part of Day of the Dead commemorations in memory of migrants who have died trying to cross the border in Tijuana, Mexico, Friday, Oct. 30, 2009. The Pro-migrant Defense Coalition hung 5,100 wooden crosses in...
Volunteers from the Pro-migrant Defense Coalition hang crosses on the US-Mexico border fence as part of Day of the Dead commemorations in memory of migrants who have died trying to cross the border in...   (Associated Press)
Leticia Jimenez hangs crosses on the U.S.-Mexico border wall as part of Day of the Dead celebrations in Tijuana, Mexico, Friday, Oct. 30, 2009. Volunteers from the Pro-migrant Defense Coalition hung 5,100 wooden crosses in honor of 5,100 migrants who have died crossing to the US...
Leticia Jimenez hangs crosses on the U.S.-Mexico border wall as part of Day of the Dead celebrations in Tijuana, Mexico, Friday, Oct. 30, 2009. Volunteers from the Pro-migrant Defense Coalition hung 5,100...   (Associated Press)
A marigold hangs on crosses hung at the U.S.-Mexico border wall as part of the Day of the Dead celebrations in Tijuana, in Mexico, Friday, Oct. 30, 2009. Volunteers from the Pro-migrant Defense Coalition hung 5,100 wooden crosses in honor of 5,100 migrants who have died...
A marigold hangs on crosses hung at the U.S.-Mexico border wall as part of the Day of the Dead celebrations in Tijuana, in Mexico, Friday, Oct. 30, 2009. Volunteers from the Pro-migrant Defense Coalition...   (Associated Press)
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The protest coincides with preparations for Mexico's Nov. 1 Day of the Dead holiday. The crosses represent the number of migrants estimated to have died in the 15 years since the United States toughened border security.

The Coalition for the Defense of Migrants also erected a traditional floral offering for the dead.

The Mexican government estimates about 350,000 of its citizens migrate to the U.S. annually.

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