[Onthebarricades] Anti-corporate protests, Apr-Aug 2008

[Andy]

ON THE BARRICADES:  Global Resistance Roundup, April-August 2008
https://lists.resist.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/onthebarricades
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/globalresistance/



*  SOUTH AFRICA:  Protesters oppose mine's removal of graves

*  AMERICA/DOMINICAN REP:  Protests over oil price gouging

*  GREECE:  Protesters storm supermarket, give out free food

*  US/DR CONGO:  Coltan protest by rocker at NME awards

*  US:  Workers target Carlyle Group meeting

*  UK:  British American Tobacco protested over sales in global South

*  HUNGARY:  Microsoft CEO egged

*  US:  Protests over Super Target store

*  CANADA:  Protest against store building

*  US:  Consumer groups target car dealer for exploiting vulnerable people

*  UK:  Starbuck's targeted in Birmingham over suppression of unions

*  US:  Sweatshop activists rally in Lansing

*  INDIA:  Students protest against Dow Jones sponsorship

*  US:  Louisiana residents protest at unfair mineral payments

*  INDIA:  Traders' group protests against retail giants

*  US:  KB Homes is focus for anti-foreclosure protest

http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_General&set_id=1&click_id=139&art_id=nw20080529131344777C969239


Seven held for gravesite protest

    May 29 2008 at 01:51PM

Seven people were arrested on Thursday after residents from Sekuruwe in 
Limpopo staged protests against Anglo Platinum's removal of gravesites, 
police said.

Spokesperson Captain Sebogsero Motavi said protests started early Thursday 
morning when Anglo Platinum contractors and funeral undertakers came to 
remove the graves from the land purchased by the mining company.

"Protesters threw rocks at the contractors and funeral undertakers. The 
graves were being removed for re-burial.

"Police intervened and shot rubber bullets to disperse the angry crowd," he 
said.

Jubilee South Africa alleged that Anglo Platinum was trying to remove 
gravesites without permission from families.

Simon Tebele - head of corporate communications at Anglo Platinum - told 
Sapa that the company had received permission from the next of kin for the 
removal of the graves.

"The protests do not affect us in any way and we are continuing with normal 
activities," he said.

According to Motavi, all 82 gravesites were removed under heavy police 
presence. - Sapa

http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2008/7/31/28870/Dominican-Americans-protest-oil-price-gouging-in-NYC-PWW-reports

Dominican-Americans protest oil price-gouging in NYC, PWW reports
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Adriano Espaillat. Photo elnuevodiario.com.do
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NEW YORK-Dozens of community members and a group of Dominican-American and 
other Latino elected officials protested petroleum speculation here in Times 
Square on Wednesday, a picket held outside the headquarters of NASDAQ, which 
trades oil futures, said People's Weekly World.
"We are here to address rampant unregulated speculation conducted in the 
NASDAQ trade market," said New York State Assembly Member Adriano Espailla, 
who is co-chairman of the League of Dominican American Elected Officials, 
which called the protest.
He and other speakers blamed market speculators and deregulation of the oil 
markets for the unprecedented oil and gas prices in working-class Dominican 
American communities in the U.S., and in the Dominican Republic, PWW said.
The average for a gallon of gas in the Dominican Republic tops US$6.00.
"Speakers blamed the staggering gas prices on the Commodity Futures 
Modernization Act of 2000, which opened the door to speculation on energy 
commodities. U.S. gas prices have more than doubled since the act was 
passed," PWW said, adding that the league is supporting legislation 
introduced by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), which would 
reestablish some regulation to curb such speculation.
Espaillat told reporters that Congressional Republicans attempted to kill 
Reid's bill by introducing offshore drilling proposals into it last week.
"This winter in New England is going to be a difficult one," said Rhode 
Island State Senator Juan Pichardo, referring to predictions of high 
heating-oil prices next season. "We are stepping up not only for 
congressional action but to build an alliance with [Dominican Republic] 
President Fernandez." Pichardo is the other co-chairman of the league.
In response to the global oil crisis, Dominican President Leonel Fernandez 
is proposing a Global Petroleum Solidarity Fund be created to assist 
countries with annual per capita income less than $6,000. Under the 
proposal, oil-producing nations would allocate 3 percent of their record 
earnings to the fund.
"Our goal is to let the speculators on Wall Street know, we will not be 
invisible. We are being impacted by oil prices not only in this country, but 
in the Dominican Republic," Councilman Reynaldo Martinez of Haledon, N.J., 
told the World.
Elected officials from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New York, 
New Jersey and Maryland participated in the protest and press conference. 
The American Northeast is home to the majority of Dominican Americans.

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=94184

Greek Protesters Strike Supermarket, Give out Food
16 June 2008, Monday
Greek Protesters Strike Supermarket, Give out Food: Greek leftist 
demonstrators entered a supermarket in the Exarxeia district of Athens, 
filling up shopping trolleys and leaving without paying to give out the food 
to people on the street.

The group also handed out leaflets protesting rising food prices and managed 
to escape before the police appeared.

The protest came at a time of growing dissatisfaction with the
government of Kostas Karamanlis whose administration has been involved in a 
number of financial scandals since its re-election in 2007.

Rising food and petrol prices have caused hardship amongst those on low 
incomes and many accuse the government of negligence over its inability to 
curb the spiraling cost of living.

http://www.postchronicle.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=67&num=144162

Published: Apr 25, 2008Share It | Most Popular | Send A Tip

Pete Wentz Stages Silent 'Coltan Diamond' Protest At NME Awards
by Staff

Fall Out Boy rocker Pete Wentz got political at the NME Awards in Los 
Angeles on Wednesday night (23Apr08) by scribbling 'Coltan Is A Conflict 
Diamond' on his T-shirt.
The bass player was protesting the mining of coltan diamonds in Africa.
The gem, which is used in the manufacture of mobile phones, has become a 
massive commodity that some say is now more valuable than gold.

It's mining has led to warring rebel groups in the Democratic Republic of 
Congo exploiting coltan to help finance war - an issue raised in Leonardo 
DiCaprio's hit film Blood Diamond.
Wentz told reporters, "People have got to be careful what they buy."
The rocker went on to state that the engagement ring he bought his new 
fiancee Ashlee Simpson was not made with conflict diamonds: "I trust the 
jeweller. He's a reputable person." (c) WENN

http://newsok.com/company-director-unyielding-in-face-of-noisy-protestors/article/3238470

Sun May 4, 2008
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Company director unyielding in face of noisy protestors

By Clytie Bunyan
Business Editor
BALTIMORE, Md. - There's nothing like a little drama to liven up a dull 
event.
After about an hour listening to what was one of the most boring speeches 
I've ever heard, I folded my laptop and headed for the door, only to be 
ordered to lock the door and return to my seat.
The frantic order followed the dramatic lockdown of a conference ballroom 
last week at the Sheraton Inner Harbor where Robert Steel, Treasury 
undersecretary for domestic finance, was speaking to a group of business 
journalists.
Within minutes there were shouts outside: "Better staffing, better care; no 
more money for the millionaire." A group of about 30 people had slipped past 
security intending to storm the room.
But just when I thought things were going to get really exciting, I learned 
the protestors weren't there to embarrass Steel. Instead, they were about 30 
minutes early. Their target: David Rubenstein, co-founder and managing 
director of the Carlyle Group.
Rubenstein, who appeared for a conversation about private equity and 
leveraged buyouts, later explained that he'd been the target of the Service 
Employees International Union since Carlyle Group bought Manor Care, the 
nation's largest nursing home company.
It's not working
The way Rubenstein sees it, the union takes every opportunity to embarrass 
him, hoping he'll give in and put pressure on Manor Care management to 
improve benefits and allow workers to unionize.
But Rubenstein is unmoved. It's not working. He's used to the protestors and 
expects them to show up wherever he is.
The noisemakers were removed long before he showed up. (Steel, by the way, 
made his exit through the hotel's kitchen when his session was over.)
And Rubenstein delivered a candid conversation that made leveraged buyouts 
sound like the best thing since ... well, IPOs.
Transparency typically isn't a word associated with private equity firms, 
and definitely not with a company like Carlyle, known for its high-powered 
associations with the rich and the powerful, among them several former White 
House connections, including past presidents. In one publication, the 
company has been described as the "CIA of the business world - omnipresent, 
powerful, a little sinister."
But Rubenstein said he decided in recent years to start speaking out more 
about Carlyle basically to keep government off their back.
Looking abroad
Private equity firms, he said, have to try to explain what they do, who they 
are or they may have a hard time getting the government to leave them alone. 
They don't want to draw cumbersome government regulation that would prevent 
such firms from doing deals or raising money for deals.
That's partially because private equity is not just a domestic practice. 
Firms are looking abroad for investment opportunities and investors.
"Private equity started in the U.S., now it's all over the world," 
Rubenstein said. "Perhaps it's the largest U.S. export."
Firms are putting good people on the ground in Europe, Africa, South America 
and allowing them to hire local talent to identify investors and investment 
opportunities. In China, for example, people are hired who were educated in 
the U.S. and are knowledgeable about Western private equity and how it 
works.
And private equity firms are focusing on emerging markets, Rubenstein said. 
That's anywhere that's not Canada, Australia, Western Europe or Japan.
But the U.S. is still the best place to invest because of transparency, 
management and respect for the rule of law, he said.
Maybe private equity firms should add Oklahoma City to their list of 
emerging markets. Long overlooked as a possible growth community for large 
firms, Oklahoma City's growing biotech, aerospace and energy sectors, 
efforts to grow a more skilled workforce and success in transforming its 
former underdog image surely make it a more attractive investment 
opportunity.

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/05/398110.html

British American Tobacco AGM targetted by ASH protest
rikki | 03.05.2008 09:44 | Globalisation | Health | London
BAT sells 100 billion cigarettes each year in africa causing a hundred 
thousand deaths. early on weds 30th april young volunteers from 'action on 
smoking and health' (ASH) laid shoes outside the BAT HQ to represent the 
dead, then energetically harangued delegates outside the AGM.
WMV movie of demo - video/x-ms-wmv 10M
despite torrential rain, groups of young people (from salford, south wales 
and elsewhere) arrived outside the BAT hq and placed a 1000 shoes on the 
pavement, tagged with common cigarette-induced illnesses, each meant to 
signify an estimated thousand yearly deaths in africa

later, the young people successfully harangued delegates as they entered the 
AGM at the mermaid conference hall. the noisy and boisterous protest was 
policed by a very hands-off U747 city of london police officer (paul) who 
sat in his car and observed. BAT were also filming the protest from an 
upstairs window.

a tv production team filmed the events - they were working on a documentary 
due to be broadcast in july and fronted by duncan bannatyne (a scottish 
business entrepeneur known for his role in the 'dragons den' tv shows). he 
said he hadn't liked the practices he'd seen as part of his research in 
africa. these include aggressive marketing, the officially sanctioned 
selling of 'single sticks' (for greater sales and more child-friendliness), 
the encouragement of corruption in governments, the child labour and 
restrictive practices in tobacco farming, and many other issues covered in a 
far-reaching report released by ASH this year.

some of the delegates were astonishingly bravado about their profits from 
death. comments included that there were too many people in africa already, 
that child labour was ok if they had no other means, and that they were all 
foreign so it didn't really matter. lovely people!

ASH have vowed to be back again next year with an even bigger protest. in 
the meantime you can check out their websie to read more about the issues 
and their campaigning work

http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2008-04/2008-04-30-voa44.cfm?CFID=23177045&CFTOKEN=51366195

Anti-Smokers Protest British American Tobacco Expansion in Africa, Asia
By Tendai Maphosa
London
30 April 2008

Shareholders' meeting of British American Tobacco on Wednesday was besieged 
by anti-smoking activists protesting the cigarette manufacturer's increasing 
focus on Africa and Asia. Tendai Maphosa has more for VOA in this report 
from London.

British American Tobacco (BAT) has been in Africa since 1902. The 
shareholders at the London meeting had reason to celebrate; the company made 
a pretax profit of more than $4.5 billion last year. But Action on Smoking 
and Health, a non-profit group that works to eliminate the harm caused by 
tobacco, used the opportunity to protest the company's growing presence in 
Africa.
Group spokesman Martin Dockrell says African countries are experiencing the 
highest increase in tobacco use among developing countries.
"The shareholders are meeting in London today to count their profits," he 
said. "They sold 1.1 billion cigarettes in Africa and the Middle East region 
last year, and we are not so happy because by our calculation that is 
equivalent to about 100,000 deaths."
Dockrell says since smoking is on the decline in the West due to pressure by 
organizations like his and the general public's awareness of the health 
implications of smoking, companies such as BAT have shifted their focus to 
Africa and Asia with aggressive advertising.
Dockrell also says tobacco is not a good crop for African and Asian farmers.
"It is harmful economically for the farmers," he said. "What they have got 
is a system where British American Tobacco will have a near monopoly on the 
product so you can only sell your product to British American Tobacco. They 
will give you a loan, they will supply you with the fertilizer, they will 
supply you with everything that you need to grow your plant and you just 
have to pay them back come harvest time. Increasingly African farmers are 
finding that the money that they get for the harvest from British American 
Tobacco is scarcely enough to pay the debts."
Dockrell also says land used for growing tobacco cannot be used for growing 
food crops and that child labor is often used.
BAT responded with a written statement saying Action on Smoking and Health's 
facts just do not stand up. It also dismissed the charge it is breaking into 
emerging markets to dodge regulation, since it has been in those markets for 
more than 100 years and abides by the laws and regulations of all the 
countries it operates in.
The company says the health risks associated with smoking are well-known and 
warnings about the hazard are printed on every single pack of cigarettes it 
makes whether the law requires it or not.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/16338460/detail.html?rss=atl&psp=money

Protester Hurls Eggs At Microsoft CEO
POSTED: 10:49 am EDT May 20, 2008
UPDATED: 11:22 am EDT May 20, 2008
While delivering a speech at a university in Budapest, Hungary, Microsoft 
CEO Steve Ballmer had to take cover behind a desk when a man threw three 
eggs at him.
The man reportedly was protesting a deal between Microsoft and the Hungarian 
government that he claimed is costing Hungarian taxpayers.
When Ballmer addressed the audience, asking them how many still had finals 
to take, the man stood up and yelled in English in a thick Hungarian accent. 
He finished his quick rant by saying, "Give that money back right now."
The man then pulled an egg out of his pocket and hurled it at Ballmer from 
about 10 to 15 feet away, missing him. The audience laughed as the first egg 
was thrown, but by the time he threw the second and third egg the audience 
began to yell out in protest at the man's egg throwing.
Ballmer hid behind a desk and did not appear to have been hit by any of the 
eggs. The man had the words "Microsoft = Corruption" written on the back of 
his shirt.
What followed was a lot of awkward silence as the man then made his way down 
the aisle to leave. Other audience members in the aisle had to stand up, 
some holding their laptops, as the man exited. As he calmly made his way 
down the stairs, two men in suits met him and led him out of the auditorium.
After the man left, Ballmer turned to the audience.
"It was a friendly disruption," he said as the audience laughed. "That broke 
my train of thought."

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jun/05/super-target-okd-despite-protests-highlands-ranch/

Super Target OK'd despite protests in Highlands Ranch
By Tillie Fong, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Originally published 07:47 a.m., June 5, 2008
Updated 07:47 a.m., June 5, 2008
Residents in Highlands Ranch are hoping that a developer who plans to put in 
a Super Target store next to their homes will listen to their concerns.
"This land is zoned for this and they have the right to do this," said John 
Lyon, 35, a health worker who moved into the Westridge Glen neighborhood a 
year ago.
"They don't have to get the approval of the residents, but we wish we had 
been consulted."
Late Wednesday night, the Highlands Ranch Development Review Committee 
unanimously approved Shea Properties' proposal to build a Super Target on a 
15-acre parcel of land northeast of Lucent Boulevard and Highlands Ranch 
Parkway.
"One of the things is that Highlands Ranch is underserved in terms of the 
amount of retail," said Gordon Von Stroh, chair of the committee.
"People were going over to Park Meadows, they're going to the Streets of 
Southglenn. The key thing is the importance of having more opportunity for 
people to shop in Highlands Ranch and not elsewhere."
More than 50 people attended the committee meeting held at the Southridge 
Recreation Center on Wednesday night. Many had concerns about the impact of 
having a Super Target practically in their backyards.
"We don't think it's necessary," said attorney Lisa Pray, who's part of a 
loose group of Westridge Glen residents opposed to the project.
Pray, like many residents, was worried about the impact of lights, noise and 
traffic from the Super Target.
"It's right behind the residences," she said.
Pray said she had circulated a petition protesting the project at a farmers' 
market recently and obtained 90 signatures.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2008/06/03/tims-protest.html?ref=rss

Flower power over coffee beans, anti-Tim's protesters say
Last Updated: Tuesday, June 3, 2008 | 9:00 AM NT Comments21Recommend31
CBC News
Demonstrators used flowers and soil Monday evening to protest a proposed Tim 
Hortons franchise in a western Newfoundland city.
About 30 adults and children planted dozens of brightly coloured flowers in 
a grassy field on West Street in downtown Corner Brook, where a coffee shop 
has been proposed.
"We're going to kind of make a little, happy statement about possibilities 
for this neglected green space here," said organizer Les Sasaki.
Marie Mathews, who has lived in the area for more than 40 years, said the 
area needs an open space more than a Tim Hortons shop.
"I know that I've always appreciated this area quite a lot, and you always 
seem proud when you come, bring visitors down this area - nice, open green 
spaces," she said.
"Hopefully we won't lose it."
The City of Corner Brook, though, says that the site is private property, 
and already meets all zoning regulations for commercial development.
Participant David Maggs said he was far from confident that the protest 
would amount to much.
"This will be bulldozed in, in no time," said Maggs, as he prepared soil for 
planting.
"But it's like the Buddhists and their sand paintings - you know, you just 
make it and it teaches you a little lesson about beauty and trying to make 
it happen in your community."

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23942962-2862,00.html

Protest against motor dealer
Holly Ife
June 30, 2008 12:00am
CONSUMER groups protested outside a car dealership at the weekend over 
claims the business focuses on vulnerable customers.
Consumer advocates Choice and the Consumer Action Law Centre spent Saturday 
providing customers with information outside the Dandenong dealership of 
Motor Finance Wizard.
Choice claims Motor Finance Wizard -- which sells and provides finance for 
secondhand cars -- often sells vehicles in poor condition for inflated 
prices.
CALC spokesman Gerard Brody said more than a quarter of all complaints about 
motor car traders or financiers over the past 12 to 18 months were related 
to Motor Finance Wizard.
"Generally the complaints relate to the poor quality of vehicles, the fact 
that they are overpriced -- sometimes three or four times their market 
value -- and the company does not disclose the cost of the credit," Mr Brody 
said.
He said the vehicles were marketed as interest-free, but the inflated prices 
meant buyers ended up paying the equivalent of well over 50 per cent 
interest.
Motor Finance Wizard spokesman Peter Llewellyn denied the cars were poor 
quality, and said all went through 32-point checks and were sold with a 
roadworthy certificate.
He said the company had competitive prices and provided customers with an 
upfront cost. "We do remind consumers that they do have a choice when 
purchasing a car," Mr Llewellyn said.
"If they are not happy with the price of the cars sold at our yards we 
suggest they consider purchasing a vehicle from an alternative dealership."
Choice and CALC want Motor Finance Wizard and its related finance company, 
Kwik Finance, to comply with the Uniform Consumer Credit Code, to stop 
hiding finance costs in the price of the car and to disclose interest and 
fees, and to adequately assess borrowers' ability to pay.

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/06/402015.html

Birmingham Starbucks Protest
D | 27.06.2008 10:11 | Globalisation | Workers' Movements | Birmingham
In Solidarity with Sacked Workers
Protest Picket-12pm, Saturday 5th July, Starbucks, New St, Birmingham
Bollox to Union Busting!

An Injury to One is an Injury to ALL!
To protest against the latest illegal firings of union activists in
Starbucks organising for a better life in Michigan USA and Seville
Spain.

On Thursday 24th April, Monica, a barista in the central Seville
branch of Starbucks, was fired without notice for creating problems
with her workmates. She had worked there for a year and a half. She
had been active in organising with the CNT and defending her rights.
The store manager told her on several occasions that she must have
nothing to do with unions. She is a member of the Commerce Union of
the CNT, in Spain. The CNT is demanding her reinstatement.

Barely a month later, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, Starbucks fired
barista Cole Dorsey on June 6th. Cole had over 2 years of service and
was active in the IWW Starbucks Workers Union. The National Labor
Relations Board in the US has already made the firm rehire two sacked
workers in 2006, and are looking at Starbucks latest violation.

Please come and join us and show Starbucks bosses will not tolerate
their union busting.
This is part of an international day of action.
Bring placards, banners, instruments and your mates.

Solidarity Federation and Industrial Workers of the World
www.solfed.org
www.iww.org.uk

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/06/401637.html

Arrested & Charged McLibel Protester!
Mr. A. Protester | 21.06.2008 23:48 | Animal Liberation | Ecology | 
Globalisation | Cambridge | World
Campaigner arrested. McLibel protest. See the video at: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld3I4zVxc2A
On the 21st June 08, as part of the anniversary of the now famous 1997 
McLibel court case in which two campaigners were sued by the McDonalds 
Corporation for distributing a leaflet critical of the company, campaigners 
entered the McDonalds in Rose Crescent, Cambridge.

After being removed from the restaurant by police a campaigner was 
approached and his details requested. He gave his name and address but was 
told if he did not give his date of birth he would be arrested under Section 
5 of the Public Order Act. He refused, as he believes that a person is only 
required to give their name and address for the purpose of a summons and no 
additional details. He was subsequently arrested under Section 5 of the 
Public Order Act. The arrest got public attention with people making use of 
their cameras and coming up to take leaflets.

He has been charged and bailed to attend Cambridge Magistrates - Narey - 
Court 613 - Magistrates Court at 43 Hauxton Road, Cambridge on the 3rd July 
at 9.30 a.m. - ANY SUPPORT APPRECIATED.

The protesters hoped to highlight the issues that originally comprised the 
leaflet that led to the court case ranging from animal farming to 
environmental degradation. According to a campaigner, "McDonalds hasn't 
really changed. Whether it be the environmental impact of animal agriculture 
or the fact they continue to market junk food to children in the middle of 
an obesity problem, McDonalds still makes a lot of people very Mcangry."

Many of the original leaflet's criticisms of McDonalds were vindicated in 
court. According to the ruling of the High Court, Mcdonalds had 'exploited 
children', was 'culpably responsible for animal cruelty' and used marketing 
that had 'pretended to a positive nutritional benefit which their food did 
not match'.

The campaigners are calling on the people of Cambridge to boycott the 
restaurant chain. We can all make a statement about our values by the way we 
spend our cash. We call on everyone to say no to this business in our city.

- You can learn more about the McLibel case at  http://www.mcspotlight.org/

- An additional video of the protest was taken by an independent camera man 
see  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/06/401610.html (thanks!)

- Protester's video at:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld3I4zVxc2A

COURT DATE:

Cambridge Magistrates - Narey - Court 613 - Magistrates Court at 43 Hauxton 
Road, Cambridge on the 3rd July at 9.30 a.m.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080701/NEWS06/80701052/1118/RSS

Group protests oppressive conditions in global factories at state Capitol
July 1, 2008
LANSING - Activists opposed to what they regard as oppressive working 
conditions in garment factories around the globe held a news conference at 
the state Capitol today to call on elected officials in Michigan to use 
their purchasing power to force improvements.
The SweatFree Michigan campaign, backed by labor, religious and student 
organizations, called on Gov. Jennifer Granholm to issue an executive order 
joining Michigan to other communities and states which have formed a 
coalition to monitor conditions in overseas factories. When substandard 
conditions are uncovered the coalition pressures vendors and manufacturers 
to make changes, said Victoria Kaplan, the Midwest regional organizer of the 
campaign.

Michigan and other public agencies across the state purchase many of the 
uniforms worn by police officers and firefighters, among others, from 
manufacturers who own factories where workers are mistreated, Kaplan said.

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/index.php?sid=382232

IITians protest Dow sponsorship of golden jubilee celebration

IANS     Monday 14th July, 2008
Mumbai/Hundreds of former and present students, including many faculty 
members of the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B), have protested 
acceptance of sponsorship by an alumni group from US-based Dow Chemicals for 
a golden jubilee conference in New York July 18-20.

Addressing the media in Mumbai Monday, Janak Daftari, an IIT-B alumni, said: 
'A group of IIT-B alumni, mostly from Silicon Valley, in total disregard to 
the sentiments and the callous practices being followed by the firm in their 
(alumini's) origin country, has gone ahead and under the aegis of IIT-Bombay 
Heritage Fund are organizing a two-day golden jubilee function in New York 
between July 18-20.'

The Bhopal gas tragedy, which is often considered as one of the world's 
biggest industrial disasters, took place December 3, 1984. A Union Carbide 
subsidiary pesticide plant released 40 tonnes of methyl isocyanate, which 
killed more than 3,800 people and affected many thousand more. The Dow 
Chemicals now owns Union Carbide.

Daftari said that over 1,000 students signed a petition last year urging the 
IITs to debar Dow from on-campus recruitment or sponsoring programs, 'purely 
because of Dow's mishandling of its subsidiary Union Carbide's environmental 
and criminal liabilities in Bhopal and its disregard for Indian courts.'

He said the company was forced to call off its recruitment plans in Mumbai, 
Chennai, Kharagpur and New Delhi and 'IIT Kanpur and IIT Delhi returned 
Dow's sponsorship at the last minute, succumbing to pressure from alumni, 
faculty and students'.

'It is a sheer irony that in 2005, the organisers of Global IIT Conference 
in the US, cancelled their invitation to the then CEO of Dow, William 
Stavropoulos. And here the IIT-B Heritage Fund has gone ahead and not just 
accepted the sponsorship but has even put the firm at the pedestal of gold 
sponsor,' Daftari said.

Asked whether IIT authorities have given any approval to the contentious 
event, Daftari said an invitation has been sent to all senior members of the 
institution.

'Obviously, the golden jubilee celebration is being done privately but then 
there is a tacit approval from the senior administrators. After all they are 
seriously contemplating to attend the event even though scores of faculty 
members have opposed the sponsorship itself,' he said.

In Delhi, Ravi Kuchimanchi, another alumni, said he, like scores of others, 
was shocked that the organisers of the conference could even think of 
associating themselves with a company that has caused such an enormous 
disaster and given birth to innumerable tales of agony.

'In 1984 when the gas leaked in Bhopal, I and other students in IIT-Bombay 
were shocked and angry. Today I am shocked to see, instead of forcing Dow to 
fork up money and clean up the Bhopal site, the organisers of the 50th 
anniversary celebrations have sought its money. As IIT alumni we can do 
better,' a disappointed Kuchimanchi said in a press statement in the 
national capital.

http://www.ksla.com/Global/story.asp?S=8631237
Protestors say Shreveport company not being fair in mineral right payments

Posted: July 8, 2008 12:28 AM
Updated: July 8, 2008 01:05 AM
By Liz Elan - bio | email
SHREVEPORT, LA (KSLA) - Northwest Louisiana landowners have begun cashing in 
on the Haynesville Shale, which is being called one of the largest natural 
gas deposits in the country. But some people feel they're not getting paid 
what their mineral rights are worth.
 " They're paying (a) certain (amount of) money on one side of town and then 
less, at least (an) $8,000 difference on the other side of town," said 
protestor Artis Cash.
Picketers gathered in downtown Shreveport, angry because they say one 
company buying up many of the mineral rights from land owners, is taking 
advantage of them."If you start looking at the neighborhoods, you will come 
to realize those are the impoverished neighborhoods that are getting less 
money," Cash said.
Blanchard Landowner Kevin Terry feels he's one of those not getting a fair 
deal. "They use divide and conquer tactics and pressure tactics to get 
people to hurry up and sign."
The company targeted by Monday's protestors was Twin Cities Development. 
It's the middle man for Chesapeake Energy.
"When you are dealing with people and prices of this magnitude, you are 
going to get all types of reactions," said Matthew Montgomery with Twin 
Cities Development.
One common reaction, Montgomery says, is confusion.
"They reported on your station (KSLA) that they were paying $15-25,000-per 
acre. We know that's not the case," Cash said.
 What was actually said on KSLA News 12 was a quote from Chesapeake Energy 
that stated in one area,  bonuses reached higher than $15,000. Nowhere did 
we report that $15,000 was a blanket amount for everyone.
"Our offers differ on what we call market conditions. It has absolutely 
nothing to do with race or ethnicity whatsoever. It has everything to do 
with competition, drill site availability, and then acreage involved within 
the trade," Montgomery said.
The lines get blurred when words like signing bonus and lease offers are 
used, and who gets how much money. Both sides say to clear it up, learn as 
much as you can.
"If I was in their position, I would be getting the best deal possible. 
That's what I am trying to do," said Terry.
Kevin is trying to become as educated as possible. Montgomery says Twin 
Cities wants to help. "We want everyone to feel comfortable with the deal 
before they sign."
Picketers say they plan to stay out in front of the Twin Cities' Edward 
Street office all week long to make their point.
One of the reasons the Haynesville Shale is taking off so quickly is because 
of higher natural gas prices. The price for natural gas on the New York 
Mercantile Exchange has increased every month since December, when it traded 
for around $7 per million British Thermal Units.
It now is at the highest levels since setting records in December 2005 in 
the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Sunday's closing price was $13.39, nearly doubling in the past six months.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/11/stories/2008071155120600.htm

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Traders' body holds protest against retail giants
Special Correspondent
UP IN ARMS: President of the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi T. 
Naziruddin addressing the protesters near the Assembly complex in 
Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.
Thiruvananthapuram: A majority of traders all over the State downed shutters 
in response to a call for a dawn-to-dusk protest by the Kerala Vyaparai 
Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi (KVVES) against the entry of monopoly retail 
chains in the State.
Hotels and medical shops remained open but most other shops were closed. 
Markets and shopping centres wore a deserted look. Thousands of traders 
participated in an Assembly march organised in the city by the KVVES 
demanding legislation to control retail giants. The rallyists also raised 
slogans demanding withdrawal of the cess on Value Added Tax.
The march led by KVVES leaders started from the Museum Junction. The police 
blocked the protestors near the War Memorial.
KVVES State president T.Naziruddin addressed the rally. Pannian Ravindran, 
MP, Aanathalavattom Anandan, MLA, KVVES general secretary Alex M. Thomas 
spoke.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/08/09/20080809swv-kbprotest0809.html

Buckeye homeowners join mortgage protest
77 comments by Cynthia Benin - Aug. 9, 2008 08:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
Buckeye homeowners joined a demonstration in Los Angeles on Thursday to 
protest high interest rates on loans that are threatening to throw many 
residents into foreclosure.
Six homeowners from the Santarra subdivision in Buckeye joined supporters 
from the Laborers' International Union of North America in a protest at the 
KB Homes headquarters in Westwood, Calif.
The protest comes in conjunction with a report just released by LIUNA 
detailing the mortgage crisis and revealing that an even bigger wave of 
foreclosures is likely forthcoming.
The report examines mortgages made in Maricopa County by the lending 
partners of three of the nation's largest home builders: Richmond America, 
Lennar and KB Homes.
"We've been in touch with homeowners in lots of subdivisions in Maricopa 
County," said LIUNA strategic organizer Jordan Ash, who authored the report. 
"There were a lot of the same issues."
Notably, more than one-third of the mortgages made in 2005 and '06 were 
five-year adjustable rate mortgages, known as ARMs, poised to reset in 2010.
When the loans were made, homebuilders and lenders assumed the loans would 
be refinanced before the rates reset. But plummeting home values will likely 
prevent residents from refinancing.
"There's been a lot of attention paid to the three-year ARMs that are 
causing foreclosures now," Ash said. "But we may only be at the tip of the 
iceberg."
At the Santarra development built by KB Homes in Buckeye, home values 
decreased an average of $78,800 last year, according to the report. Rosa 
Garcia, a single mother of two, bought her home two years ago for $231,900. 
Now it's worth $145,800, according to Maricopa County assessors, much less 
than the $208,000 she owes on her mortgages.
Although home prices are decreasing nationwide, part of Garcia's problem may 
be that her loan was based on an inflated initial appraisal. KB Homes and 
Countrywide KB Home Loans - a lending enterprise formed by Countrywide 
Financial and KB - have been the subject of two lawsuits in the past year 
claiming the companies conspired with appraisers to inflate home prices.
Ash's report states that another couple from Santarra wanted to take out a 
loan on a home priced at $394,000, but their credit union denied their 
request, claiming the house was worth $351,000. KB referred the couple to 
Countrywide, which appraised it at KB's price.
What's more, many homeowners are behind on their payments due to rising 
interest rates from property taxes. In the first year, Ash said, interest 
rates on homes in new developments are often based on the value of the 
undeveloped property, but in the second year rates are based on the value of 
the home.
In Garcia's case, that means her monthly payments almost doubled from one 
year to the next.
"I started out paying $1,274 a month on my first loan," she said. "Now it's 
at $1,729. With my second loan, it started at $74 a month, and in two years 
it went up to $398.
It nothing happens to relieve her debt, Garcia expects she'll be kicked out 
of her house by late October. So far, Countrywide and KB have offered no 
real solution, she said.
"All they've done is to send me more paperwork for a third loan. What makes 
you think I'm going to sign paperwork for a third loan if I can't even pay 
you the loans I have?" Garcia asked.
LIUNA hopes the protest will inspire KB homes and Countrywide to offer some 
assistance. "We just want the builder to take responsibility for what 
they've done," Ash said.
A release from KB Homes' Corporate Communications Director Lindsay 
Stephenson stated, "We could not disagree more with the assertions made by 
LIUNA."
While the company does not believe it is responsible for the current 
situation, Stephenson said, "We want every KB homeowner to know that we 
stand ready to assist them in any way we can to ensure that they are pleased 
with their purchase."