FOUR Mexican teachers have been arrested for the theft of 10,000 schoolbooks, vandalism of a military base and three occupations.

Teaching union members Carlos Orozco Matus, Othon Nazariega, Efrain Picaso Perez and Roberto Abel Jimenez Garcia were detained by police in the small hours of Thursday on suspicion of federal crimes.

The potential charges relate to occupations of a local election office in the city of Tehuantepec, an oil refinery and a fuel storage and distribution centre, as well as vandalism against a military base and the theft of 10,000 textbooks belonging to the Public Education Department.

Prosecutors said the four face possible prison sentences of three to 40 years if convicted.

But Section 22, the Oaxaca state section of the National Education Workers’ Union (SNTE), marched through the streets of the state capital Oaxaca de Juarez to the central square to demand the release of the four men.

Teachers also rallied in the port town of Puerto Escondido, while smaller marches in Tuxtepec and Putla de Guerrero attracted up to 100 people each.

A handful of masked and hooded individuals tried to disrupt the peaceful protest in Oaxaca de Juarez, smashing the windows of a police van and spraying graffiti on bank buildings.

Oaxaca authorities have in the past been accused of using agent provocateurs to justify violent police crackdowns on demonstrators.

Teachers have been fighting for years against attacks on their labour rights, coupled with the imposition of a punitive evaluation regime used to sack staff.

In recent days union protesters have surrounded the heavily guarded headquarters of the Educational Department in the state capital.

New anti-trade union laws introduced by the government of President Enrique Pena Nieto will allow authorities to fire or dock the wages of teachers absent for more than three days for “unjustifiable” reasons, including strike action.