Mel Gibson sparks prison protest

Apocalypto Gerardo Duran How I Spent My Summer Vacation Ignacio Allende Ignacio Allende prison Mel Gibson Mel Gibson jail Mel Gibson prison Mel Gibson protests Mel Gibson Veracruz Mexican prison Veracruz

5:25 am, December 30th, 2009

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Mel Gibson hasn’t even begun production on his latest film, “How I Spent My Summer Vacation,” and already there are protests.

Yesterday, approximately 300 relatives of inmates being held in Mexico’s Ignacio Allende prison — where part of Gibson’s movie is slated to shoot — protested because there’s word that their incarcerated family members would be moved to other facilities in order to accommodate the production.

The relatives rallied, claiming it would be difficult for them to visit their loved ones should they be relocated to far away prisons.

And while it’s true that part of the facility in the Gulf Coast city of Veracruz would reportedly be cleared out for the Gibson film, the prison’s director, Gerardo Duran, said the transferring of inmates is, at this point, just a rumor. However, should some prisoners need to be moved, said Duran, relatives would be notified in advance.

As you may recall, three weeks ago Gossip Cop reported that Gibson, who also penned the film, is a friend of that Mexican state. Not only did he shoot his 2006 film “Apocalypto” in Veracruz, but he also donated $1 million to repair homes in the hurricane-prone region.

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