OAXACA, Mexico, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Military helicopters stepped up flyovers on Sunday above the protest-racked Mexican colonial city of Oaxaca, where activists who have seized parts of the city fear a government offensive to expel them.
The helicopters, which first appeared on Saturday, swooped low over the center of the popular tourist town, angering striking teachers and leftists who have blocked streets for months and want state Gov. Ulises Ruiz to resign.
"They are trying to frighten us, but we will not be intimidated," said Flavio Sosa, a leader of the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca, the left-wing alliance behind the protests. "We're not just tense, we are furious."
President Vicente Fox has said he will resolve the standoff before he leaves office at the end of November, and has not ruled out the use of force if talks fail.
The protests have scared off most tourists drawn by Oaxaca's colonial architecture, indigenous culture and modern art. Burnt out vehicles and activists brandishing sticks now fill many streets.
The helicopters were of a type used by the Mexican navy and were accompanied by a military plane. Sosa said a government official told him the aircraft were doing reconnaissance.
The protesters accuse Ruiz, who belongs to a traditional wing of the party that ruled Mexico for 71 years until 2000, of stealing an election, corruption and heavy-handed tactics in dealing with his opponents.
He angered many Oaxacans when he remodeled the city's much-loved central plaza with little consultation and ripped up trees in the process.
Ambushes and paramilitary-style drive-by shootings have killed five activists since the conflict began more than four months ago. The activists say Ruiz ordered the shootings.
Ruiz denies involvement and says he will not step down.
Oaxaca state, famed for beaches, highland towns and elaborate cuisine, is also one of Mexico's most impoverished regions. Tensions often run high between its poor Indian population and authorities.
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