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Mexican activists release blimp to urge US to stop arms from pouring into Mexico

Associated Press
Published | Updated

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. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) (The Associated Press)

A blimp with a message that reads in Spanish: "Post for Peace, #goodbyetoweapons" flies over the Juarez Monument 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 but the signatures were eventually delivered by the organizers. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) (The Associated Press)

Mexican poet and activist Javier Sicilia walks past riot police as he tries to make his way to the U.S. Embassy to deliver thousands of signatures and a letter in Mexico, City, Monday April 29, 2013. The signatures and the letter, condemning the illegal sale of U.S. weapons into Mexico were supposed to have been flown by a blimp flown remotely by the Post for Peace organization but was unable to fly to the embassy due to technical problems. The signatures were eventually hand delivered by the organizers. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills) (The Associated Press)

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.