[Onthebarricades] Mayday protests, 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/

Mayday protests, 2008:

*  GERMANY:  "Heaviest riots" in years as antifa confront Nazis in Hamburg
*  Further unrest in Nuremburg, Berlin, and later in the night in Hamburg
*  In Kreuzberg, Berlin, a police chief is chased off with rocks and bottles
*  TURKEY:  Police ban on Mayday demos leads to clashes
*  INDONESIA:  Workers march on presidential palace, fight with police
*  FINLAND:  Police attack anti-capitalist protest
*  US, OLYMPIA:  Mayday protesters storm governor's office
*  GLOBAL:  Protests across Asia, Latin America and the world
*  PHILIPPINES:  Workers march against Arroyo
*  KENYA:  Workers' protests raise salary demands
*  INDIA:  Train drivers observe protest day
*  RUSSIA:  Police attack Mayday rally, 35 arrested
*  THAILAND:  Thousands of workers march
*  SERBIA:  Workers jeer president at Mayday rally
*  KOSOVA:  Workers mark Mayday
*  NIGERIA:  Symbolic Mayday march replaced by protest at local government
*  TOGO:  Workers march
*  LEBANON:  Workers protest worsening economy
*  US: CHICAGO, ATLANTA, SAN DIEGO, RHODE ISLAND:  Thousands rally for
immigrant rights
*  US:  WEST COAST:  Dockers strike on Mayday against war
*  US:  RICHMOND:  Peace protest on Mayday
*  PHILIPPINES:  Thousands attend labour marches

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/05/398023.html

Germany, Hamburg: Heaviest Mayday Riots since 30 Years!
tomka | 02.05.2008 12:09 | Anti-racism | Social Struggles | World
Germany, Hamburg. Cops were hunted, barrikades were built - 10 000
protesters turned Hamburg into Chaos, yesterday.
They violently stopped 500 neo-nazis, protected by thousands of riot cops,
from marching through Hamburg.
tomka
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Additions
more information on:
02.05.2008 13:12
 http://de.indymedia.org/2008/05/215364.shtml (german)
john
video on:
02.05.2008 13:20
 http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=UqiBgApoHk0
john

Mayday Riots in Hamburg
02.05.2008 21:28

Hamburg, germany, 1st of may 2008. 1,000 nazis marched in through Barmbek
district, protected by the police, while 10,000 antifascists protested and
attempted to stop the Nazi demonstration.
the police violence against peaceful blockades sparked the heaviest riots
Hamburg has seen since the 80's.

the anti-nazi actions consisted of rallies, concerts, barricades on the
street and on railroad tracks (which actually delayed the arrival of the
neo-nazis), and a protest march.
when about 8 000 people blocked the starting point of the neo-nazi
demonstration, the police, instead of canceling the neo-nazi march, decided
to attack the blockade with water cannons, pepper spray and truncheons.
the organizers of the anti-nazi demonstration decided to cancel the march at
this point. right afterwards, the demonstration was attacked again by
thecops for standing on a crossroad which turned out to be part of the
alternative route for the fascist demonstration.

in the meantime, the nazi demonstration didn't receive as much attention
from the police as it should have. most of the police force was engaged in
fighting antifascist, while the nazis could attack people on the side of
their demonstration, among them a couple of journalists, without the police
giving them too much trouble.

on the nazi route, the water cannons were in permanent operation to keep off
protesters and clear burning barricades. a spontaneous demonstration of 3
000 antifascists was stopped by water cannons, close to the S-Bahnhof
Ohlsdorf (a train station), which was the end point of the neo-nazi march.
when the neo-nazis arrived,they were welcomed with flying stones. The
situation almost turned into a street battle with stones been thrown on both
sides.
When neo-nazi leader Jürgen Rieger started to sing the first verse of the
Deutschlandlied (german national hymn), which has been illegal since 1945
(only the third verse is legal), the concluding rally was immediately
canceled. the police attempted to arrests Rieger, which failed due to the
resistance of his fellow neo-nazis, who fought back the police. With massive
pepper spray use, the police managed to move the neo-nazis into the train
station. But their departure proofed to be difficult, since a lot of their
buses were destroyed or left without them. A number of later skirmishes on
subways and train stations were reported.

main article:  http://de.indymedia.org/2008/05/215364.shtml

related indymedia posts:

Riot in front of the Rote Flora.
later that night, in front of the autonomous culture center Rote Flora, a
fight between kids and the police broke out. 4 people were arrested. These
Quarrels are common, especially after big demonstrations, and have been more
frequent since the G8 protests last year.
 http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=UqiBgApoHk0

Neo-nazi identified in an assault on antifascists. Siegfried Borcher, called
SS-Sigi by his mates, lives in Dortmund. you can find a picture of him here:
 http://de.indymedia.org/2008/05/215334.shtml

200 Nazis riot in the Bremer HBF.
On the way back from Hamburg, 200 neo-nazis assaulted everybody at the train
station who looked remotely left-wing. the police watched and did nothing
for a long time. as the finally decided to arrest one of the fascists, they
were attacked by his kameraden. stones, bottles and firecrackers flew
through the air, and the cops decided to let the arrestee go.
 http://de.indymedia.org/2008/05/215405.shtml

nazi postings on indymedia.de,
during the demonstration, several postings appeared, claiming that an
antifascist was killed at protests. since no reliable sources could be
found, these posts were deleted by the indy-moderators. In a later post, the
name of the supposed victim was given, an antifascist journalist, who has
been defamed by nazi newspapers in the past.
The antifascist journalist enjoys best health. These postings are believed
to have been launched to stir up violence at the protest.
 http://de.indymedia.org/2008/05/215580.shtml

mainstream media reports:

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7379615.stm

 http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,551037,00.html

 http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3305672,00.html

a lot of these reports miss the fact, that Hamburg has a long history of
police violence, especially since 2001, when a coalition of the newly formed
ultra right-wing Schill party and the conservative CDU, (chirsitian
democratic union) took over the government. If you just only think about the
Bambule protests 2002-2003 or the student protests in the last 4 years, this
kind of militant resistance come as no surprise.
hello, my name is_____

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,551037,00.html

MAY DAY VIOLENCE
Hamburg Sees Worst Rioting in Years
May 1 is a traditional day of workers' unity rallies in Europe, but in
Germany the day often brings clashes, particularly between anti-fascist
leftists and neo-Nazis. On Thursday there were some isolated incidents in
Berlin but it was Hamburg that saw the worst rioting.
Major May 1 riots rocked the northern German port city of Hamburg and
isolated attacks occurred on Thursday in Berlin, where the head of the
city's police department was forced to flee an angry crowd of left-wing
demonstrators.
In Hamburg, an estimated 1,100 right-wing extremists and 7,000 left-wing
demonstrators clashed, escalating to an unusual level of violence for the
city. "These were the biggest riots the city has seen in a long time," Ralf
Meyer, a spokesman for the Hamburg police, told SPIEGEL ONLINE. The
intensity of the riots in the city has left officials shaken.

At a press conference on Friday, Peter Born, the Hamburg police officer in
charge of deploying officers during the protests, said he believed the
presence of officers prevented a loss of life during the particularly brutal
clashes between the two groups. "If the police hadn't thrown themselves in
between," Born said, "there would have been deaths. I am firmly convinced of
that." Born was refering to a brawl that broke out between several hundred
right-wing radicals whom he described as "nationalist anarchists" and a
similarly large far-left group.
Following Thursday's violence, Hamburg Interior Minister Udo Nagel and the
police union GdP sharply criticized the decision of a local upper
administrative court to invalidate a police order prohibiting the right-wing
and left-wing protest marches from coming into direct contact with each
other.
"We knew we had to expect violence," Nagel told the mass-circulation daily
Bild. "The police had developed a plan, but it was undermined by the court."
Nagel described the court's decision as "irresponsible," adding that "the
judges didn't just expose police to the worst dangers, but also people who
hadn't even participated."
In the city on Thursday, rioters burned trash cans and cars, vandalized
stores and cafés, lit firecrackers, set off smoke bombs and volleyed a hail
of stones. In one incident, a pile of tires was burned just 20 meters (65.6
feet) away from a gas station. Around 2,500 police were deployed in the
city, and officers attempted to disperse the crowds by firing water cannons.
Neo-Nazi groups in Germany often hold rallies during the May 1 holiday that
frequently end in massive clashes between neo-Nazis and anti-fascist,
left-wing groups. The day is traditionally one for workers' unity rallies
across Europe, but in Germany it often boils down to confrontations between
extreme-right and far-left protesters.
The event that triggered Thursday's violence was a march by far-right
activists and neo-Nazis through Hamburg, during which the demonstrators
shouted out slogans against the newly elected city parliament. The
right-wing radicals disparaged it as a "gay government," an apparent
reference to the city's openly homosexual mayor and his new city coalition
government of conservative Christian Democrats and the left-wing Green
Party. They also accused the government of working together with a
"left-wing radical mob." The demonstration ended with a speech by the head
of the far-right National Democratic Party (NPD) in the city, neo-Nazi
attorney Jürgen Rieger. But police quickly broke up the event.
In total, police arrested 55 people and temporarily detained another 200.
Police said most of those arrested were young men who had traveled to
Hamburg from either the formerly communist eastern German states or
neighboring Denmark. Two men were arrested on suspicion of arson for
allegedly burning two cars. Around 20 of the 2,500 police deployed were
injured, and one police car and six other vehicles were burned.
In evening demonstrations, radical left-wing protesters threw stones at a
local bank, set up barricades and then lobbed fireworks and rocks at
oncoming police.
Attack on Police Chief
Berlin, a past hotbed of May 1 violence, remained relatively peaceful on
Thursday -- with an estimated 10,000 people holding a demonstration in the
city's multicultural Kreuzberg district. Still, police on Friday said that
138 rioters had been detained in the city, with charges expected to be filed
against 92.
But as the city's police chief, Dieter Glietsch, visited the site in the
early evening to get a better view of what was happening, left-wing
extremists tried to attack him. Glietsch's security guards took him into a
police van for protection, but protesters threw bottles stones and chairs at
the vehicle. Police retaliated with pepper spray. Elsewhere, protesters also
threw bottles, stones and even bicycles at officials in a neighborhood that
has long been a lightning rod for left-wing violence.
The Bavarian city of Nuremberg also experienced left-wing violence on
Thursday after 3,000 left-wing protesters try to stop a demonstration by the
far-right NPD party. Police officials say protesters threw stones at
officers, who responded by deploying nightsticks.
The state's governor, who is a nationally prominent politician, described
the annual "violent excesses" of the right-wing anarchists and left-wing
extremists as "entirely unacceptable." Governor Günther Beckstein called for
changes in the law to allow security authorities to move to prevent violence
from these groups before it takes shape on May 1 each year. He proposed, for
example, implementing a rule that would require "known violent people" to
register with their local police office on May 1. Similar requirements are
on the books for registered football hooligans during some major matches,
and Beckstein believes it would keep many from traveling to major rallies in
bigger cities.
Neo-Nazis Take Control of Train
Meanwhile, police confirmed on Friday that a neo-Nazi group took control of
two cars of a commuter train near Hamburg on Thursday as they traveled
towards the march in the city, sending out xenophobic messages over its
loudspeaker.
NEWSLETTER
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Spiegel's and Spiegel Online's international coverage in your In- Box
everyday.

According to passengers, the neo-Nazi's took control of the loudspeaker and
made anti-foreigner statements like: "Starting today, the German National
Railway will transport foreigners and Germans in separate cars." For
foreigners, the neo-Nazis apparently said, "freight cars are available."
However, a police spokesman denied a report in the mass-circulation daily
Bild that federal police stood by and did nothing as the xenophobic incident
occurred. Police claim they didn't receive a call from a witness until the
train had pulled into a Hamburg train station. They said they were able,
however, to get the names of some of the people who participated in the
incident.
dsl

http://story.irishsun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/88176adfdf246af5/id/354714/cs/1/

German May Day riots continue
Irish Sun
Friday 2nd May, 2008
(IANS)
Hamburg/ Leftist radicals rioted in three German cities overnight into
Friday, clashing with riot police which had anticipated trouble in the
traditional May Day parades.

The clashes tended to centre on opposing rallies by the far-right National
Democratic Party (NPD).

In the worst violence in the northern port city of Hamburg, police said they
detained 250 rioters.

The leftists set fire to a police car, six private cars and 3,000 tyres in a
storage yard. They set bonfires on the streets and in a park in a bid to
draw off police and force cancellation of the parade by 1,500 right-wing
marchers.

After an initially quiet start to events in Berlin, leftists attacked police
in the Kreuzberg part of the city, targeting Berlin Police Chief Dieter
Glietsch with rocks and bottles and forcing him to seek shelter in a
protected police vehicle.

Kreuzberg has for years been the scene of violent clashes on the May Day
holiday between leftist radicals and the police.

In Hamburg, there were scuffles between rightist and leftist activists.

The NPD parade went ahead, hours late, after police cleared a path through
the crowd using powerful water jets mounted on tanker trucks.

Police counted 6,600 demonstrators opposed to the anti-immigrant NPD, which
has claimed to be a voice of the German poor and demanded to hold a labour
day parade in an old-time working-class district of Hamburg.

The 2,500 police officers struggling to separate the two groups were pelted
with stones and firecrackers, and 20 were injured.

After nightfall, the leftists, who say they are acting to end imperialism
and oppression in an annual May Day ritual, withdrew to their home base in
the city and skirmished with police for a second night running.

In Nuremberg, 1,500 NPD supporters paraded through empty streets but were
pelted with eggs and bottles during a final rally, as some of nearly 10,000
anti-NPD demonstrators managed to get within throwing range after scuffles
with police lines. Four police officers were injured.

Many Germans were outraged that the NPD had marched in Nuremberg, the city
adopted by dictator Adolf Hitler as the home of his Nazi Party. Attempts to
proscribe the NPD because of its alleged pro-Nazi views have never
succeeded.

The NPD, believed to have 7,000 card-carrying members, has seats in two of
Germany's 16 state parliaments but none at the federal level.

Police said they were obliged to provide the marches with security cordons
in the name of free speech and to avert serious bloodshed.

At a safe distance from the violence, mainstream labour and religious groups
held peaceful rallies in both Hamburg and Nuremberg to denounce the NPD.
German Social Democrats (SPD) and labour leaders called Saturday for renewed
efforts to outlaw the far-right party.

Bavarian State premier Guenther Beckstein, who comes from Nuremberg, said
that his government would use undercover agents, court challenges and youth
education programmes to undercut the NPD wherever possible.

The violence was associated with the Black Block, a loose movement of
several thousand German anarchists who led violent demonstrations in June
2007 against the Group of Eight (G8) summit in Heiligendamm, Germany, and
who seek to physically confront the NPD.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/function/0,,12215_cid_3306419,00.html?maca=en-rss-en-news-1092-rdf

02.05.2008 | 07:00 UTC
Hundreds arrested after May Day riots
Traditional May Day demonstrations in Germany have ended after riot police
clashed with leftist radicals in three German cities. The worst violence
occurred in the port city of Hamburg where police said they detained 250
rioters and numerous vehicles, including from the police, were set ablaze.
In Nuremberg, around 1,500 supporters of the far-right National Democratic
Party were pelted with eggs and bottles by some 10,000 anti-NPD
demonstrators. The leftists were angered by the legal NPD marches in the two
cities that were accompanied by thousands of police officers. Also in the
capital, Berlin, left-wing radicals fought with police after nightfall
following a relatively quiet May Day.

http://www.mathaba.net/rss/?x=590936

Berlin police chief attacked during May Day riots
Posted: 2008/05/02
From: Mathaba

 The head of Berlin's police Dieter Glietsch was attacked by militant
leftists during a May Day demonstration in Berlin Thursday evening, press
reports said.

Glietsch was touring the site of the May 1 demo in Berlin's working-class
neighborhood of Kreuzberg when he was pelted with bottles.

The police chief was whisked away by security forces to a police van which
was assaulted by protesters with bottles, chairs, bicycles and stones.

Police did manage to fend off the attackers.

Riots have reportedly spread to other parts of the German capital as police
have been reportedly targeted for attacks by militant leftists.

There have been numerous arrests, according to news reports.

Berlin has a long and sad tradition of bloody street riots since the
mid-1980s.

Germany had been the scene of ugly riots in several cities throughout the
day, especially in Hamburg and Nuremberg but also Cottbus and Leipzig.

Dozens of people have been arrested and wounded as a result of street
clashes with hundreds of baton-wielding riot police over the past 24 hours.

The riots were mainly provoked by a series of neo-Nazi marches across
Germany. --IRNA

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/05/01/may-day-protests.html

May Day marked with protests, celebrations
Last Updated: Thursday, May 1, 2008 | 2:23 PM ET Comments2Recommend0
CBC News
More than 400 demonstrators were arrested Thursday in Turkey as people
around the world marked May Day with protests and celebrations.
May 1 is considered the unnofficial International Workers' Day and is
typically marked with demonstrations and rallies. This year's protests
included calls for improved workers' rights and help with rising food
prices.
In Turkey, tens of thousands of workers and students clashed with police on
Istanbul's streets. Six police officers were injured and 467 demonstrators
detained as police fired tear gas and water cannons and used clubs to try to
prevent a rally in the central Taksim Square. Protests in the square have
been banned since 1977, when unknown gunmen killed 37 people.
In Germany, police said anti-capitalism and pro-socialism protests Wednesday
in Hamburg turned to violence and vandalism. The night before May 1 is known
in the country as Walpurgisnacht and is often a night of mischief.
In Berlin, 24 people were arrested late Wednesday night after a rowdy party
near where the Berlin Wall once stood. A police officer was slightly injured
after partygoers threw glass bottles and rocks, police spokesman Hansjoerg
Draeger said, and two cars were set on fire.
On Thursday, up to 10,000 people gathered for more rallies across the
country, including a march for the far-right National Democratic Party and a
counter-demonstration from leftist groups.
In Russia, police said about 30,000 people gathered for rallies around
Moscow. Members of the Kremlin-backed party United Russia carried banners
praising new President Dmitry Medvedev and former president Vladamir Putin
as the "saviours of higher education," while Communist groups carried red,
hammer-and-sickly flags and portraits of Lenin and Stalin.
Meanwhile, a reported 500,000 people gathered in Havana to see new Cuban
President Raul Castro lead a short parade as marchers danced, sang, waved
banners and screamed "Long Live Fidel! Long Live Raul!"
Raul Castro did not speak, but Communist labour union chief Salvador Valdes
Mesa used the podium to call on state employees to work harder and increase
production.

http://www.mathaba.net/rss/?x=590907

Turkish police break up May Day protests
Posted: 2008/05/02
From: Source

Police used clubs, tear gas and water cannons on Thursday to disperse
workers in different areas of the city. Around 30,000 security personnel
have been deployed to enforce a ban on demonstrations.

(Aljazeera)

Riot police in Turkey have clashed with labour activists trying to gather in
Istanbul's Taksim square to celebrate May Day.

Police used clubs, tear gas and water cannons on Thursday to disperse
workers in different areas of the city.

Authorities had warned they would use force to prevent the rallies, which
have been banned since 1977.

Over 500 demonstrators have been detained and six police officers injured.

'Tough measures'

Police wearing gas masks first broke up a crowd that had gathered in front
of a labour union office with the intention of walking to Taksim square,
where at least 34 demonstrators were killed on May 1, 1977.

The workers then ran into the building and police blockaded it, preventing
them from leaving.

The trade unions later abandoned plans to hold the march, the first time in
30 years they have agreed not to go into the square.

Metehan Demir, from the Ankara-based Hurriyet newspaper, told Al Jazeera
that the May Day demonstrations this year had turned into a "showdown"
between the government and the labour unions over the last week.

The unions ultimately decided not to go into Taksim Square on Thursday
morning because of  "tough measures" by the police, he said.

"Earlier this month the unions were fully determined to walk to Taskim
Square but later on, through the judiciary and police warnings they saw that
the situation was very serious."

Demir said the authorities had allowed the unions to demonstrate at other
public squares.

He said that they had also offered trade union leaders the chance to "lay a
wreath at the monuments in Taksin Square - but unions rejected this offer,
saying they wanted to bring the workers along too".

The demonstrations were relatively peaceful this year because of the
decision not to march into the square, Demir told Al Jazeera.

"If the unions had gone in there would have been a big catastrophe. Police
would have responded in a very harsh way and easily turned it into a
tragedy," he said.

Turkish officials have said that they had intelligence that groups of
extremists would also seek to provoke unrest during the march.

Turkey's Anatolia news agency reported that a man in possession of 17
molotov cocktails was arrested near Taksim.

Workers' rights

The first of May is marked annually in many countries as a day of labour
recognition.

Human Rights Watch (HRW), a New York-based rights group, used the day to
call on Lebanese authorities and employers to improve treatment of domestic
workers.

HRW's Nadim Houry said: "On the eve of Lebanese Labour Day, we would like to
highlight a huge segment of labourers who are not recognised as such.

"They are domestic workers, almost a 100 per cent of whom are foreigners."

Workers and activists in the Philippines on Thursday called for a wage
increase amid soaring food prices.

While in Greece, disruptions to public transport services and domestic
flights were expected due to trade union strikes.

Thousands of people were expected to turn out in Havana to hear Raul Castro,
Cuba's president, give his first May Day address.

Overnight, police in the German city of Hamburg arrested several rioters
after pre-May Day street protests turned violent.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/05/01/turkey.riots/index.html?eref=edition_europe

Riot cops rout Turkish May Day protesters
Story Highlights
Riot police use tear gas to break up demonstration banned by government
Turkish workers planned to defy ban on rallies in Istanbul's Taksim Square
Unions promised to mobilize up to 50,000 people for the May Day rally
Rallies at Taksim Square stopped after gunman opened fire there in 1977, 30
died

ISTANBUL, Turkey (CNN) -- Turkish riot police attacked hundreds of workers
with clubs, tear gas and water cannons to prevent them taking part in a May
Day march in Istanbul that was banned by the government.
The workers, representing several trade unions, planned to defy a ban on
holding rallies at the city's Taksim Square by celebrating the country's
former Labor Day there, but they were met by thousands of police, The
Associated Press reported Thursday.
Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler said 530 demonstrators were detained and 38
people were injured, AP reported.
The government banned rallies at the square after unknown gunmen fired on a
rally there in 1977. More than 30 people died, either of bullet wounds or
after they were trampled to death in the stampede.
May Day, like Labor Day in the United States, celebrates the achievements of
the labor movement.
But Turkey stopped marking May 1 as Labor Day after a 1980 military coup,
whose leaders regarded the festivities as an opportunity for leftist
activism, AP said.
In recent years, labor groups have sought permission to march to the square
to commemorate the massacre. Every year, the government has turned them
down.
Instead, Turkish authorities allow a small wreath-laying ceremony at the
location, and open up other areas of Istanbul to rallies.
This year, however, several labor groups and trade unions have said they
would flout the ban. They said they would mobilize up to 50,000 people for
the rally at the square, located in the heart of Istanbul.
Last year, dozens of people were injured in violent clashes making the 30th
anniversary of the 1977 shooting. See workers also protesting in South
Korea. »
To prevent that from happening, police used tear gas and water canons to
break up the crowd as they gathered in front of labor union offices.
Demonstrators retaliated by hurling taunts and rocks at officers.
Smoke from tear gas enveloped some city streets, while office workers in
shirts and ties walked away with handkerchiefs covering their mouths.
Unlike most of Europe, May Day is not a holiday in Turkey.
The governor of Istanbul said police have permission to use force to
disperse the crowd.
Authorities sealed Taksim Square to the public and shut down public
transportation to the area.
Undeterred, demonstrators took to the streets. They chanted slogans and
pumped their fists in the air. Officers with guns drawn tried to wave them
away.
One man, his shirt in tatters after a confrontation with police, was
escorted away by officers. Another tried to kick the shield off an officer
before he was taken down.

http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=140671

Indonesian workers take to streets; Germany May Day protests turn violent

Indonesian policemen push protesters in front of the presidential palace
during a May Day rally in Jakarta on Thursday.
Hundreds of thousands of workers to the streets on Thursday to celebrate May
Day and marched peacefully in Indonesia's major cities to protest a draft
proposal that would reform the existing labor law.

In Jakarta workers from the capital and surrounding areas marched to the
State Palace and parliament under tight security from the police until a
downpour forced them to disperse. "We are sending a message to the
government that workers nationwide are joining forces to oppose its plan to
revise the new labor law. We also demand the government declare May Day a
national holiday," said Rekson Silaban, chairman of the Confederation of
Indonesian Prosperity Labor Unions.
"We are against the planned revision of the labor law because the government
wants to restrict workers' rights and create job insecurity," Khoirul Anam,
deputy president of the Indonesian Trade Union Congress, added.
The 2003 Manpower Act granted workers rights such as the right to organize
and the right to strike. Proposed changes tabled in parliament in April and
immediately rejected by trade unions would allow companies to hire
contract-based workers and outsource permanent jobs and core businesses to
other companies. It would pave the way for foreign investors to hire
expatriates to occupy key positions and restrict the right to strike,
eliminate service payments, weaken minimum-wage provisions by 50 percent,
and give employers.
In Hamburg, anti-capitalism protests on the eve of May Day turned to
violence and vandalism, police said on Thursday before afternoon rallies
involving leftist groups and rightists.
May 1 is known in Germany and elsewhere as the unofficial International
Workers' Day and is marked with demonstrations and rallies that have, in
some instances, turned violent.
The night before May 1, known in Germany as Walpurgisnacht, is also an
occasion for mischief. This year nearly 1,000 people attended a rally in
Hamburg where protests against capitalism and in support of socialism
quickly escalated into scattered violence and vandalism.
Demonstrators stole materials from a nearby construction site to erect
barricades on at least one city street, police said, adding that rocks were
thrown at the windows of a kiosk containing ATMs. Several small fires were
lit. Police responded with water cannon to extinguish the fires, and the
protest ended shortly after midnight. As many as 10,000 people were expected
to gather later for more rallies, including 800 registered to march in a
parade for the far-right National Democratic Party. Leftist groups from
across Germany were expected to mount a counter-demonstration.
In Berlin, police arrested 24 people late Wednesday night at a rowdy party
in the Mauerpark, situated along the path where the Berlin Wall once stood.
One police officer was slightly injured when revelers threw glass bottles
and rocks, said Hansjoerg Draeger, a spokesman for Berlin police. Two cars
were set ablaze.
But this year's gathering at the Mauerpark was relatively quiet -- 120
arrests were made there last year.
"Everyone in Germany can and should use their right to demonstrate," said
Draeger, "but we're always glad when things stay peaceful." According to
Draeger, 4,700 police were deployed throughout Berlin on Thursday to monitor
any demonstrations that might arise on what looked to be a rainy May Day.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/344921/1/.html

Indonesian workers hold rallies to protest against rising food, fuel costs
Posted: 01 May 2008 1500 hrs
Labourers take part in a demonstration to mark May Day in Jakarta

JAKARTA: Thousands of Indonesians took to the streets of the capital Jakarta
for Labour Day rallies on Thursday, with rising food prices and an expected
cut in fuel subsidies weighing heavily on workers' minds.

"We are expecting more than 40,000 people demonstrating today," policeman
Hariyadi said as thousands of workers gathered at the central Imam Bonjol
traffic circle.

Carrying banners reading "Lower Food Prices Now" and "More Pay for Workers
and Farmers," many of the demonstrators said they were alarmed at soaring
inflation and the prospect of sharply higher fuel bills.

"We want the price of kerosene to come down. Food is getting expensive,"
said garment factory worker Yuningsih.

Factory worker Lia said: "If they keep increasing the price of food, maybe
we'll have to eat less.

"The price of formula milk for the baby has gone up. It's now 36,000 rupiah
(nearly four dollars) for a can of 600 grams and the baby drinks it up in
two days," she said.

Tarjiman, who was marching with a group of garment factory workers, said
people would go hungry if inflation was not brought under control.

"I feel it very hard with the increasing prices. We have to borrow money
before the end of the month and try to work extra odd jobs.

"If the price keeps going up, we'll be hungry."

High food prices helped drive Indonesia's annual inflation rate to 8.17
percent in March, the biggest increase since October 2006.

Prices are expected to keep rising, with the government considering hiking
subsidised fuel prices in June by almost 30 percent to minimise the impact
of record oil prices on the national budget.

Many workers were also concerned that their rights were being eroded through
companies' growing use of contract labourers hired from employment agents.

Jakarta police chief Adang Firman told reporters after monitoring the
capital from a helicopter that 10,000 security personnel had been deployed
to control the rallies and another 50,000 were on standby.

All May Day rallies were banned in Surabaya, the country's second largest
city, because the workers' holiday coincided with a religious holiday,
police said.

"Rallies are not allowed during a public holiday. Let's respect Jesus
Ascension day," Surabaya police chief Anang Iskandar told state news agency
Antara.

"If there are rallies, we'll break them up."

http://virtual.finland.fi/stt/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=18641&group=General

EuroMayDay protesters blame Finnish police for scuffles
2.5.2008 at 14:56
Demonstrators at the EuroMayDay rally held in Helsinki on Wednesday night
berated the Finnish police on Friday for allegedly aggressively provoking
the organisers.
Dan Koivusalo, the media spokesperson for the event, claimed that the police
pounced on the rally before a single bottle had been thrown at them.
"I think it is incomprehensible that the police stopped a well run
demonstration and the first people they detained were those responsible for
keeping order," Mr Koivulahti said.
Inspector Petri Juvonen from the Helsinki police told the Finnish News
Agency (STT) on Friday that around ten people are suspected for resisting
the police or violently resisting the police during the scuffles at the May
Day eve rally.
"Mainly there was bottle throwing. I am not sure if all of it was in
connection with the demonstration," Inspector Juvonen said. He did not know
of any police officers who were injured.
Mr Koivusalo for his part would not comment on the bottle throwing. However,
he maintained that the police attacked first, which may have annoyed some
people.
As far as Mr Koivusalo knew, no demonstrators were hurt either.
A total of 27 EuroMayDay demonstrators spent the remainder of May Day eve
behind bars but were released on Thursday.
According to police estimates over 500 demonstrators participated in the
event.

http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_050108WAB_may_day_olympia_protests_TP.bbd246e8.html

Olympia May Day protesters pound on Governor's door
10:24 PM PDT on Thursday, May 1, 2008
KING5.com Staff
OLYMPIA, Wash. - May Day protests for workers' rights ended up on Gov. Chris
Gregoire's doorstep Thursday afternoon as dozens of people marched into the
capitol building to Gregoire's office.
Protesters also clashed in Downtown Olympia with police who were armed with
pepper spray paintball guns.
About 40 protesters, some wearing masks over their faces, also spray painted
anarchist symbols on the marble walls and wood doors inside the building.
"Sanctuary now," the protesters chanted over and over as one man pounded on
Gregoire's door. Officials say Gregoire was not in the capitol at the time.
When a state trooper arrived, telling protesters that some of them would be
allowed to meet with a representative, one man yelled "We will not be
divided."
More troopers came in to block the door and make sure things didn't get out
of hand.
In the city, police controlled the crowd using pepper spray paintball guns.
Some protesters also blocked police cars and a few were arrested. A couple
of windows at a bank were also smashed in.
Protesters also rallied at Sylvester Park, carrying signs and playing music.
The protests coincide with immigration marches in Downtown Seattle. Workers
at Puget Sound ports held a work stoppage Thursday, protesting the Iraq War,
although there is speculation it's actually a ploy in contract negotiations.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/markets/china/article3857950.ece

May 2, 2008
Asian workers protest during May Day parade

Demonstrations in some Asian capitals were met with huge deployments of riot
police as people took to the streets
Leo Lewis, Asia Business Correspondent
May Day parades by hundreds of thousands of Asian workers were transformed
into angry protests over the rocketing price of food and wages that no
longer put rice on the table.
The demonstrations, which turned violent in some of Asia's capitals and were
met by mass deployments of riot police from Istanbul to Manila, came as
Rajat Nag, the director-general of the Asian Development Bank, declared that
a billion people across the region were seriously affected by the recent
food price surge.
But even as governments struggle to quell rising unrest, leading Asian
economists said that misguided policymaking bore heavy responsibility for
the current crisis.
According to a new report by HSBC, interest rates, foreign exchange policy
and a blinkered view of inflation are as much to blame for record rice
prices as cyclones in Bangladesh, drought in Australia and flooding in
Vietnam.
Related Links
Troubled times as harvest shortages hit home
Kraft to cut portions to keep prices down
Faced with the real threat of trouble on the streets and shop shelves
emptied by food hoarders, Asian governments must confront the task of
adopting interest rate tightening policies where white-hot growth is
sacrificed for the sake of more stable prices.
To view the $1,000 per tonne market price as a temporary supply shock, said
the report, was to underestimate the fundamental reasons that food prices
were so high. The main cause was there were simply more mouths to feed and
demand is accelerating.
But in a region fixated with stellar growth and maintaining a cheap currency
to encourage exports, low interest rates have played an important role.
Policymakers, said the report, had been beguiled into thinking of food price
rises as a transitory phenomenon when they should be thinking of them as
long-term forces of inflation.
Frederic Neumann, an economist at HSBC, wrote: "The synchronised global jump
in food prices also raises the suspicion that this is not just a story about
local supply disruptions. Rather, it may reflect excessively loose monetary
conditions in emerging markets where burgeoning liquidity is starting to
impact on the overall price levels."
Food prices, he said, were closely related to macroeconomic policy measures
such as wage increases and greater money supply, creating across Asia
instances where too much money was chasing too few goods. Raising interest
rates would, while not suddenly supplying more pigs to China or rice to the
Philippines, dampen the sort of demand pressures that had fuelled the recent
price rises.
The HSBC economists added that rice price surges, which were not easily
explained by supply-side arguments, were part of the same food "contagion"
that began with high crude oil prices and had created record highs for wheat
and corn. If central banks lost their credibility as controllers of
inflation, the report said, the currencies of those countries would fall
causing the problem to worsen.

http://rss.xinhuanet.com/newsc/english/2008-05/02/content_8090663.htm

Latin America marks May Day mostly with protests

    MEXICO CITY, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of thousands of workers on
Thursday throughout Latin America took to the streets on May Day, protesting
against food shortage and unemployment, and demanding better labor
conditions and wages.
    Workers from most labor sectors participated in the march throughout
Latin America, including peasants, educators, government employees, and sex
workers, while some people affiliated to labor unions and others marched as
independent workers.
    In Mexico, about 70,000 workers from 30 independent labor unions marched
to demand that the government stop food shortage and unemployment.
    In Peru, this day was marked by the death of four workers in a labor
accident and by complaints against an alleged political persecution of human
rights defenders.
    Mario Huaman, secretary general of Peru's General Workers Confederation
(CGTP), criticized enterprises "that murder workers," referring to a
landslide that buried four workers in a construction site in Lima on
Wednesday.
    Huaman protested against the high cost of living and Peruvian President
Alan Garcia's "modernization" process, which, according to him, is to "give
away" all the natural resources and lands to international enterprises.
    In Bolivia, during a Labor Day ceremony held in La Paz, President Evo
Morales rejected a report published by the United States claiming that
Bolivia is a country potentially capable of terrorist activities.
    Morales demanded that the U.S. withdraw its troops from Iraq ifit is
really fighting terrorism.
    In Santiago, capital of Chile, hooded protesters clashed with police as
a Labor Day march concluded, leaving 96 people arrested.
    In Ecuador, over 15,000 people participated in Labor Day march to
protest against labor subcontracting and hourly wage work.
    The celebration coincides with the Constituent Assembly's elimination of
labor subcontracting, which used to allow enterprises to contract cheap
labor through enterprises.
    Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa criticized state guilds for enjoying
too many privileges contrary to most Ecuadorians.
    In Guatemala, thousands of workers urged to put an end to general
corruption and basic food price hikes, and stop the high cost of living
affecting most of this Central American country's population.
    In Nicaragua, opposition labor union celebrated the day with
demonstrations and called on the government to stop food price hikes and
create more jobs.
    In Cuba, half a million people headed by socialist Cuban leader Raul
Castro show their loyalty to the revolutionary government during the main
Labor Day ceremony in this Caribbean country.
    Cuban workers urged to continue "the road marked by Fidel (Castro)
towards a more humane and efficient socialism."
    In Venezuela, thousands of people participated in different Labor Day
ceremonies throughout this South American country led by President Hugo
Chavez, who on Wednesday made a 30 percent increase in the minimum pay to
all workers in Venezuela.
    In Paraguay, President-elect Fernando Lugo participated in the Labor Day
celebrations, the first time an incoming president in this South American
country is invited to participate.
    On April 20, Lugo won the presidential elections while running for the
Patriotic Alliance for Change (APC), and his victory has put an end to
right-wing Colorado Party's 61 years of uninterrupted rule.
    In El Salvador's capital, San Salvador, thousands of people marched
through its streets to protest against price hikes and the wage and job
crisis in this Central American country, among other labor problems.

http://www.buzzflash.net/story.php?id=50617

Latin America marks May Day mostly with pro-labor, anti-right wing protests
news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-05/02/content_8090663.htm
sent by RicKelis since 98 days 1 hour, published about 97 days 19 hours 20
minutes
Hundreds of thousands of workers protested against food shortage and
unemployment, demanding better labor conditions and wages. Peruvians
protested the "give away" of all the natural resources and lands to
international enterprises. In Bolivia, Morales demanded that the U.S.
withdraw its troops from Iraq. In Chile, hooded protesters clashed with
police. Ecuadoreans protested against labor subcontracting and hourly wage
work. Guatemala's, Nicaragua's and El Salvador's workers urged an end to
corruption and food price hikes. Cuban workers urged to continue "the road
marked by Fidel (Castro) towards a more humane and efficient socialism."
Venezuelans celebrated Chavez' 30 percent increase in the minimum pay as
Paraguay celebrated the an end to right-wing Colorado Party's 61 years of
uninterrupted rule.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/asia/philippines/2008/05/02/154607/Phillipine%2Dprotesters.htm

Phillipine protesters demand wage hikes

AP
Friday, May 2, 2008

MANILA, Philippines -- Thousands of Philippine workers marched in scorching
heat Thursday in May Day protests demanding President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo's resignation for not raising the minimum wage to help them cope with
surging food and fuel prices.
Arroyo announced she had signed an order granting a 10 percent salary
increase for about 1.4 million government workers starting in July but left
it to regional wage boards to discuss possible minimum wage hikes for
privately employed laborers.
Watched by riot police, two major groups of workers marched separately
across Manila, waving red flags and placards, and then held noisy rallies at
a downtown Manila square where musical bands and singers delighted the
crowd.
About 3,000 members of the left-wing New Patriotic Alliance marched with red
umbrellas marked "125 Now," referring to their demand for an immediate 125
peso (US$3; euro1.93) increase in the daily minimum wage. Workers can no
longer cope with inflation, the group said.
"Every day, people are becoming more restless with the failures of the
regime," said alliance leader Carol Araullo. "It's a social volcano waiting
to erupt."
Some of about 4,000 marchers from another group, the Alliance of Progressive
Labor, carried Arroyo's portrait labeled "Exit Now." Joshua Mata, a leader
of the group, said workers were suffering from high unemployment and
skyrocketing food prices under Arroyo's rule.
"This is an administration that has zero credibility, zero legitimacy, zero
concern for the plight of the working class," said Rep. Risa Hontiveros, who
joined the protest.
The Philippines, the world's largest rice importer, has been struggling to
deal with a 10 percent shortfall this year. It failed to buy all the grain
it sought in an April tender despite agreeing to pay 62 percent more than at
a similar tender just a month earlier.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200805010794.html

Kenya: Protest Over Salaries

The Nation (Nairobi)
2 May 2008
Posted to the web 1 May 2008
Jeff Otieno
Nairobi
Labour Day celebrations ended in disappointment for thousands of workers
after President Kibaki failed to announce an increase in the minimum wage.
The celebrations at Uhuru Park in Nairobi, which had started on a high note,
ended in an anti-climax when a section the crowd walked out on the President
to protest over his failure to set new guidelines on minimum wages.

The minimum wage for workers in the industrial sector was last raised in
2006 when it went up from Sh4,817 to Sh5,395. The amount for agriculture
workers is Sh5,346.
In recent months, the cost of basic commodities has gone up significantly
partly due to inflation, the effects of post-election violence and the rise
in the price of fuel globally.
The President ruled out a pay increase and said: "Shida tuliyo nayo ni kubwa
(the challenge we are facing is immense). He also said that many countries
in Africa were also experiencing hard times. Food riots have been reported
in Cameroon and Senegal.
The President's explanation did not go down well with the workers. So
disappointed were they that some, who had been expecting good news, started
walking away before the national anthem was played.
Their hopes for a salary increase had been raised by the Central
Organisation of Trade Unions secretary general, Mr Francis Atwoli, who had
asked the President to consider workers' conditions in view of the rising
food prices.
Trouble started when the President, who was the chief guest at the
celebrations, finished his 30-minute speech without a word on salaries. No
sooner had he started thanking the crowd for attending the celebrations,
than they started chanting: "Mshahara! mshahara! (salary, salary)". At
first, the President did not understand what the crowd was chanting about.
He inquired from the podium.
"Ni kitu gani mnataka (What do you want)?," the President asked.
After his aides told him, he explained why he had skipped the issue.
According to him, the country was facing a major challenge due to
post-election violence and this had made it difficult for him to announce an
increase in the minimum wage. But his explanation did not go down well with
the workers who protested even more.
"If you don't want me to tell you the truth I will still tell it anyway,"
the President said.
It was then that the crowd started walking away as the President was saying:
"Asanteni sana (Thank you very much)". Soon after, the military band began
to play the national anthem.
After the President left the venue, the workers complained bitterly,
accusing the Government of short-changing them.
Labourer
"We came here with the hope that Government increases the minimum wage. Any
other agenda was not important for us," said Mr Peter Ligale, a casual
labourer in the city.
His sentiments were supported by Mr Francis Muthusi and Fredrick Omondi who
argued that the cost of living had gone beyond the reach of the common man.
Mr Omondi said that though the President's message of reconciliation was
important, he should have raised the minimum wage even if it was by 10 per
cent.
The crowd later surged forward after the President, left making it difficult
for ministers and assistant ministers and other invited guests to leave the
venue.
Police on horseback had to be called in to control the mob and create space
for the guests to leave.
Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi and Agriculture Minister William Ruto
had difficulties going to their vehicles as the crowd mobbed them demanding
that they should address them.
Among those who attended the function were Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka,
Labour Minister John Munyes and Public Health Minister Beth Mugo.
And in a speech that lasted one hour and 20 minutes, Mr Atwoli made a case
for workers' rights saying they were being exploited by employers.
"Mr President, these workers are your people who have been exploited. They
are hungry and with the high cost of living, the government needs to
intervene," he said amid applause.

He criticised some companies owned by foreigners for paying their workers
low wages, while making millions in profit. He also promised to name the
companies in question. "Some of them have even prevented workers from
joining trade unions yet it is the workers' right to do so," Mr Atwoli
added.
However his proposal that the constitutional review consider the proposal
that the public only elects MP and councillors while Parliament elects the
President and the Prime Minister was not received well by the crowd.
Mr Atwoli said the country was blessed with qualified top ranking leaders
among them "Economist Kibaki, lawyer Kalonzo Musyoka and Engineer Raila
Odinga".

However, the mention of Mr Musyoka's name was greeted with jeers by a
section of the crowd, who had earlier welcomed apologies sent by Prime
Minister Raila Odinga which was conveyed by Mr Atwoli.
Though Thursday's function was free of protocol hitches with the absence of
Mr Odinga, a section of the crowd heckled when the VP stood to welcome the
President.
He however received applause when he appealed to different ethnic groups to
live in peace and harmony, adding that Kenya must remain united.
The Vice President immediately got into trouble when he said the country was
now peaceful and "hakuna matata" (there was no problem).
Commodities
He was greeted with chants of "njaa, njaa, bei za bidhaa zimepanda" (hunger,
hunger. The prices of commodities have gone up).
The Vice President, who kept his cool, said the Government would ensure that
internal refugees return to their farms to help increase food production in
the face of a looming food shortage.
The President also urged Kenyans to live in harmony. He urged wananchi to
love one another and desist from acts of revenge.
There was drama when a man who had tried to dodge the heavy security detail
tried to deliver a message to the President.
He was immediately whisked away to a waiting police Land Rover.

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/02/stories/2008050259430300.htm

Train controllers observe protest day
Special Correspondent
TIRUCHI: Members of Tiruchi Railway Division unit of All India Train
Controllers' Association observed May Day as a protest day by wearing black
badges while on duty for 24 hours. This was to protest against the
anti-labour and the retrograde recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission.
A press release of Association Tiruchi division secretary N. D. Prem Kumar
said though the train traffic controllers were responsible for safe and
punctual movement of passenger and express trains and prompt movement of
freight train and thereby responsible for the turnaround of the railways as
a profit making organisation, they have been given a raw deal by the Pay
Commission without understanding the intricacies in their duty.
The release said that the Association pleaded with the 6th Pay Commission
among other things to treat the traffic controllers as special cadre and fix
scales as per the scales in the 3rd Pay Commission, sanction 30 per cent
stress allowance, ten per cent mike allowance apart from break-down
allowance, etc.
But the 6th Pay Commission neither accorded any special status to the
traffic controllers, nor higher grades, nor stress allowance, nor break-down
allowance.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080501/106343811.html

Moscow police break up unsanctioned protest rally
 17:19|01/ 05/ 2008

MOSCOW, May 1 (RIA Novosti) - Police in Moscow have arrested some 35 people
over an unsanctioned protest rally in the center of the city, a police
spokesman said Thursday.
"A group attempted to hold an illegal protest rally on Kaluzhskaya Square.
Around 35 people were arrested," he said.
Four underage protestors have been released on the condition that they later
report to court, the spokesman added. The others will stand trial today.
The spokesman also commented that the group had not professed allegiance to
any party or organization.
The protest came as 30,000 people took part in May Day rallies in downtown
Moscow.
May 1 is Spring and Labor Day across Russia, a national holiday. In Soviet
times, May 1 saw massive pro-Communist Party rallies.
Russia's modern political parties have also taken the opportunity to hold
rallies, with supporters of the ruling United Russia party, the Communist
Party, the ultranationalist LDPR party and A Just Russia taking part in
rallies across the city.
An opposition 'March of Dissent' also took place in St. Petersburg with the
participation of some 350 demonstrators. No arrests were reported, although
there are unconfirmed reports that two bags filled with excrement were
thrown at Eduard Limonov, the leader of the banned National Bolshevik Party.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/345014/1/.html

Thai workers protest for higher minimum wage
Posted: 02 May 2008 0254 hrs

Workers shout slogans as they march to mark May Day in Bangkok,

BANGKOK : Thousands of workers waving flags and banners gathered in the Thai
capital on Labour Day to call on the government to raise the minimum wage
and improve their welfare.

More than 3,000 workers from various industries across Thailand gathered for
a rally outside Government House, where they handed in a list of their
demands.

Speaking from a makeshift stage on the back of a truck, labour leaders
criticised the government, which they said was more concerned with
constitutional amendments than efforts to improve the welfare of workers.

"We will gather here with no time limit," Wilaiwan Sae Tia, president of the
Thai Labour Solidarity Committee, which helped organise the rally, told the
gathering.

"Today is the day that will prove whether this elected government is sincere
about solving our problems or not," she said, as protesters waved Thai and
labour organisation flags along with signs saying "Expensive rice prices,
cheap labour wages," and "How can labourers live?"

Demonstrators demanded a minimum wage of 233 baht (7.35 dollars) a day and a
curb on rising commodity prices. Many labourers around Bangkok earn less
than 200 baht a day, while in the provinces daily wages are as low as 144
baht.

They also called for legal amendments to protect labour rights and improve
their working and living conditions, while urging the government to stop its
policy of privatising state enterprises.

"We have long suffered from stagnant wages while inflation keeps rising
steeply," Arunee Srito, deputy chairwoman of the Women Workers Unity Group,
told AFP.

"Whenever we labourers pleaded for a wage increase, the governments always
told labourers to make sacrifices for the sake of the country. Have they
ever wanted to see us live like other normal people?" Arunee said.

The protesters later handed in a letter with their demands to labour
ministry deputy permanent secretary Nakorn Silpa-archa at Government House.

Nakorn said their demands would be put to a meeting between the government
and employers' and workers' representatives on Friday. - AFP/de

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/01/europe/EU-GEN-Serbia-President-Jeered.php

Protesting workers jeer Serbia's President Tadic

The Associated Press
Published: May 1, 2008

BELGRADE, Serbia: Dozens of workers have jeered Serbian President Boris
Tadic during a protest in the capital.
Tadic attended the May Day rally at a central Belgrade square to express
support for the workers' demands.
But several dozen workers angrily shouted at him and scuffled with his
security officers. Dozens of others clapped in support of the president.
Thursday's incident shows the mounting tensions between nationalists and
pro-Western reformers as crucial May 11 elections approach.
Nationalists have criticized Tadic for signing a pre-entry agreement with
the European Union. They argue the deal was designed to force Serbia to
accept the independence of Kosovo a former Serbian province.

Up to 2,000 people attended the protest.

http://see.oneworldsee.org/article/view/150879/1/3188

BSPK Organizes May 1 Protests
Luan Ibraj

30 April 2008
The Union of Independent Trade Unions of Kosova (BSPK) announced yesterday
that is completed the preparations for the protests announced for May 1,
International Labour Day.

The Organization Committee and Executive leadership of BSPK, as well as the
leadership of Independent Unions, have held numerous meetings with the
membership, to inform them about the protest and encourage their
participation.

Protest will be held on May 1, International Workers` Day, from 12:00 to
13:30 hours in the main street of Prishtina.

According to the BSPK, this protest is `the last warning` to Government and
institutions that they `must change their course and approach in regard to
numerous requests by employees, pensioners and other categories, otherwise
patience is coming to an end!`

BSPK adds that the Government may face with other forms of trade-union
pressure, as well as civic disobedience campaign, reports QIK.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200805020311.html

Nigeria: Workers Protest in Borno

Daily Trust (Abuja)
2 May 2008
Posted to the web 2 May 2008
Isa Umar Gusau
Maiduguri
Workers in Borno State refused to perform the usual march past by various
trade unions at the Ramat Square, Maiduguri to commemorate the May Day
celebrations.
Our correspondent reports that many of them instead displayed placards
peacefully in protest against the state government over their plight.

The workers, through the NLC, had initially decided to embark on an
indefinite strike by Monday next week to protest against government failure
to meet some of their demands.
It was gathered that when news filtered that workers had planned not to do
the usual match pasts during yesterday's celebrations, protocol officers
from the Government House Maiduguri had, before the arrival of Governor Ali
Sheriff, told NLC leaders that the governor was only going to attend the
occasion as a special guest of honour if different unions were going to
perform the match past.
The NLC leaders were said to have conceded, but workers who converged at the
venue kept on shouting 'no' when secretary of the state's NLC attempted to
persuade them.
When Governor Sheriff arrived at the venue later, he refused to mount the
podium to receive salute because the workers refused to do the match past in
honour of the governor.
Many workers displayed placards with messages bordering on payment of
salaries, leave transport grants, and promotions, among many other issues.
State's Chairman of the NLC, Comrade Garba Ngamdu, spoke on the issues which
were captured by workers displaying placards.
Governor Sheriff in his response promised that annual increment/ promotion
was going to be implemented immediately, while 2008 leave transport grants
would be paid between this month and July, and that of 2002 would be paid
between August and September.
The governor also announced that NI100 million is going to be set aside for
payment of gratuity.

It was, however, not clear if the promises made by Sheriff would change
Monday's proposed strike even though the NLC has called for an emergency
meeting at the time of filing

http://rss.xinhuanet.com/newsc/english/2008-05/02/content_8091574.htm

Togolese workers protest on May Day

Togolese workers march with a slogan during a May Day protest in Lome,
capital of Togo, on May 1, 2008. Workers from diversified labor union
leagues marched on Thursday, demanding better labor wages, reducing the
daily necessities price and value added tax, as well as settlement of
problems of energy and water.(Xinhua Photo)

http://www.zawya.com/printstory.cfm?storyid=DS030508_dsart16&l=064520080503

May day mayday Lebanese protest worsening economy

03 May 2008
BEIRUT: Hundreds of people protested against inflation on Thursday at a May
Day rally organized by the Lebanese Communist Party, demanding an increase
in the monthly wage.
Earlier this year Lebanon's General Labor Confederation of Workers (GLC)
called for the minimum wage to be tripled from LL300,000 to LL960,000.
According to consumer organizations, prices have risen by 43 percent over
the past 21 months, and while the official unemployment rate stands at 10
percent, independent estimates put it at 20 percent.
Up to 2,000 people took part in the protest, brandishing banners with
anti-government slogans, while one group carried a giant loaf of bread to
symbolize the rising cost of the staple.
"Where is Foufou? Is he eating a hungry man's bread?" asked one banner,
referring to Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
"Hunger kills more than the power vacuum," said another placard.
Lebanon has been without a president since November because of a standoff
between Siniora's government and the opposition.
Also on Wednesday, the GLC held its yearly ceremony to mark Labor Day at its
headquarters in Nahr al-Mot. GLC head Ghassan Ghosn said the general strike
scheduled for May 7 to compel both the government and the private sector to
raise the minimum wage to LL960,000 a month, "still stands."
The government, under pressure from the trade union activists, is expected
to raise the minimum wage to LL450,000 next week.- The Daily Star, with AFP
Article originally published by The Daily Star 03-May-08

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/02/america/Immigration-Protests.php

Thousands rally in U.S. for immigration reform

The Associated Press
Published: May 2, 2008
CHICAGO: Thousands of chanting, flag-waving activists rallied in cities
across the country Thursday, attempting to reinvigorate calls for
immigration reform in a presidential election year in which the economy has
taken center stage.
>From Washington to Miami to Los Angeles, activists demanded citizenship
opportunities for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S.
and an end to raids and deportations.
"We come here to fight for legalization. We're people. We have rights," said
Eric Molina, an undocumented factory worker who immigrated to Zion, Ill.,
from Mexico.
Molina, his sister and his 13-year-old daughter Erika, a U.S. citizen, were
among about 15,000 people who rallied in Chicago in one of the largest
demonstrations of the day.
Turnout has fallen sharply since the first nationwide rallies in 2006, when
more than 1 million people - at least 400,000 in Chicago alone - clogged
streets and brought downtown traffic to a standstill. Activists say this
year's efforts are focused less on protests and more on voter registration
and setting an agenda for the next president.

Some said participation likely was lower because many immigrants
increasingly fear deportation.
Margot Veranes, a volunteer organizer in Tucson, Ariz., - where 12,000 took
to the streets last year but early estimates Thursday put the crowd at about
500 - blamed the turnout on aggressive enforcement by Border Patrol and
police.
"People have been stopped and deported in the last week. This is a community
living in fear," said Veranes, a researcher for the International Union of
Painters and Allied Trades. "You never know when you're going to be stopped
by Border Patrol and now the police."
But she said that's also why people were marching.
"We're marching to end the raids and the deportations, but we're also
marching for health care and education and good jobs," she said.
Steamy downtown Houston saw between 300 and 400 marchers, including Victor
Ibarra, 38, who said he entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico 15 years ago
and remains undocumented although he's tried to attain legal status for the
past seven years.
"I'm here because we need immigration reform immediately," Ibarra said,
wearing handcuffs and chains. "We need to be able to travel and be free."
In Washington, immigrant rights groups and social justice organizations were
demanding that Prince William County, in northern Virginia, rescind its
anti-illegal immigration measure. They also called for an end to raids and
deportations and for establishment of worker centers in Washington, Maryland
and Virginia.
Activists also asked the Republican and Democratic national committees to
have their presidential candidates enact immigration reform.
A crowd of about 1,000 gathered on the steps of the Oregon Capitol in Salem
to call for changes in immigration and workplace laws within the first 100
days of the next congressional session. Many demanded that Oregon reverse a
decision, imposed by the Legislature in February, to require proof of legal
residence to get a driver's license.
Hugo Orozzo, a 17-year-old high school senior, was among hundreds who
marched through the streets of southwest Detroit. He was born in the U.S.,
but his father was born in Mexico and some other family members are
originally from Mexico.
"It is going to help my family and friends," Orozzo said of the effort. He
carried a preprinted sign that read: "Stop raids and deportations that
separate families!" in both English and Spanish.
In Miami, 75 people marched to the regional immigration offices from the
Little Haiti neighborhood. Among them was Elvira Carbajal, who came from
Mexico more than a decade ago and is a U.S. citizen but said many of her
family members are not.
"They are going to grow up with this anger of the government for the loss of
their parents, parents who were simply trying to give them a better life,"
she said.
In San Francisco, protesters Marta Acuchi and her husband Jose, from
Michoacan, Mexico, closed their child daycare center to march with about 400
others.
"We need to fix the legal situation of immigrants," she said. "Even if it's
not this year legislators are seeing we're still here, we're still marching,
we're still knocking on their door."
And in Milwaukee, factory worker Miguel Tesillos, 29, was among hundreds who
lined sidewalks waiting for the march to begin.
"Our people, we pay taxes, we pay the same as a citizen," said Tesillos, who
has a Green Card. "Maybe the new president can see this point, and do
something for us."
But activists say they know it will be a challenge to push their issues to
the political forefront.
Immigration reform did not resonate with voters in primary elections who
overwhelmingly listed the economy as their top concern. Immigration
legislation has stalled and been defeated in the Senate, and presidential
candidates have not extensively addressed the issues.
Democratic presidential rivals Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton
supported a 2006 bill, sponsored by Republican candidate John McCain, that
offered illegal immigrants legal status on conditions such as learning
English. All three also have supported a border fence.
In Chicago, 17-year-old Celeste Rodarte marched with a group of her friends
from the city's West Side. She said her parents came to the United States
more than 20 years ago and became citizens last year.
"I know a lot of people who don't have papers and I want to help them out,"
Rodarte said.
Seventh-grader Vicente Campos of Milwaukee was granted an excused absence
from school to attend the march. He said he was concerned by stories of
immigration officials separating parents and children.
"Immigrants come here to support their families in Mexico," said Campos, 13.
"They're not all here to do crimes."
___
Associated Press Writers Caryn Rousseau in Chicago, David Runk in Detroit,
Dinesh Ramde in Milwaukee, Arthur H. Rotstein in Tucson, Ariz., Joseph B.
Frazier in Salem, Ore., Mike Graczyk in Houston, Laura Wides-Munoz in Miami,
Juliana Barbassa in San Francisco and Jacquelyn Martin in Washington D.C.
contributed to this report.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/05/01/protest_0502.html

Immigration crackdown protested outside state capitol

By MARY LOU PICKEL
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/01/08
About 200 people gathered on the steps of the state capitol Thursday to
protest immigration raids and deportations.
The rally, organized by the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights, called
for comprehensive immigration reform and an end to the kinds of deportation
agreements in effect in Cobb County's jail. From July through March, Cobb
sheriff's deputies have worked with federal agents to identity and process
1,632 people for deportation.

Georgia protesters called for human rights for workers everywhere.
The rally was timed for May 1st, which is Labor Day in many countries
outside the U.S., including Mexico. It coincided with rallies in cities
across the country where thousands of immigrants and activists gathered
Thursday to demand comprehensive immigration reform, including citizenship
opportunities for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S.
Turnout appeared to be down since the first nationwide rallies in 2006, when
more than 1 million people rallied, including about 40,000 in Atlanta who
marched on Buford Highway and gathered at Plaza Fiesta in April, 2006.
On Thursday, Jose Ramirez, 25, came to the rally at the capitol with his
wife and one-year-old son. The Mexican immigrant has lived and worked in the
United States for 10 years with no papers.
The deportation program in Cobb County worried him enough that he moved to
Gwinnett County about three months ago.
"We don't feel comfortable going out as much as we used to ever since they
started that new law in Cobb," said Ramirez' wife, Reina, 25.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20080501-1027-immigrationprotests.html

Immigrant rights activists join protests nationwide

By Sophia Tareen
ASSOCIATED PRESS
10:27 a.m. May 1, 2008

Associated Press
May Day protesters, including Valentine Cavrera, right, take to the streets
in Los Angeles Thursday. Thousands of immigrants and activists gathered in
cities across the country to demand comprehensive immigration
CHICAGO - Thousands of immigrants and activists gathered in cities across
the country Thursday to demand comprehensive immigration reform, including
citizenship opportunities for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in
the U.S.
Turnout has fallen sharply since the first nationwide rallies in 2006, when
more than 1 million people - at least 400,000 in Chicago alone - clogged
streets and brought traffic to a standstill.
Activists hoping to re-ignite the immigration debate in time for the
presidential elections say this year's efforts are focused less on protests
and more on voter registration and setting an agenda for the next president.
Nevertheless, they planned to take to the streets from Miami to Dallas to
Los Angeles for May Day protests.
"We come to let Washington know we're still here. We're still fighting,"
said Jorge Guzman, 34, as crowds swelled in Chicago's Union Park before a
march to a federal plaza downtown.

Guzman, a legal immigrant from Mexico, was among a group of about 100
marchers from the Chicago suburb of Waukegan, where tension mounted after
city officials applied for a federal program that would train local police
to help enforce immigration laws.
He carried a giant hand-painted banner depicting a man being handcuffed by
immigration agents and a little girl crying and saying, "Where is my
 family?"
In Washington, D.C., immigrant rights groups and social justice
organizations were demanding that Prince William County, in northern
Virginia, rescind its anti-illegal immigration measure. They also want raids
and deportations to end, and are calling for worker centers to be
established in Washington, Maryland and Virginia.
Activists also plan to deliver a letter to the Republican and Democratic
national committees, asking the presidential candidates to enact immigration
reform.
In Tucson, a march organized by a coalition of immigrant advocate
organizations and labor union locals was expected to address border and
immigration issues, ethnic and racial justice and education, health care and
jobs.
In Milwaukee, factory worker Miguel Tesillos, 29, was among hundreds who
lined sidewalks waiting for the march to begin.
"Our people, we pay taxes, we pay the same as a citizen," said Tesillos, who
has a Green Card. "Maybe the new president can see this point, and do
something for us," he said.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/US/05/01/immigration.protests/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Protesters across America call for immigration reform
Story Highlights
Thousands protested federal immigration raids and deportations
Far fewer turned out in cities across America than in years past
Protesters hope to attract presidential candidates' attention
(CNN) -- Thousands of demonstrators gathered in U.S. cities Thursday to
protest federal immigration raids and deportations and to call for
comprehensive immigration reform.

Protesters in San Francisco, California, rally Thursday in support of
amnesty for all illegal immigrants.

In Chicago, Illinois, 3,000 to 4,500 people marched in the city's downtown,
police said. Several people carried a large American flag; others held
banners or signs.
The early estimate of participants paled greatly in comparison to protests
in Chicago in past years: In 2007, numbers reached about 150,000, and the
year before, estimates ranged from 400,000 to 700,000.
In New York, hundreds of sign-carrying protesters gathered in Union Square,
preparing for a march toward Foley Square in downtown Manhattan.
"We are demanding that the raids and deportations stop," said Teresa
Gutierrez, one of the organizers for the New York rallies.
"We are for the rights of all immigrants, whether they're documented or
not," she said.
New York protesters are also marching in support of workers' rights, she
said. Watch Gutierrez explain the issues »
In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, thousands of protesters carrying flags and signs
descended on the city for a scheduled march.
The march was scheduled to proceed from the city's southside to a park that
overlooks Lake Michigan, said the Web site of Voces de la Frontera, the
group organizing that city's march.
Last year, 80,000 to 95,000 people participated, the group said.
Turnout was even less impressive in the nation's capital. About a dozen
people began protesting outside of the Republican national headquarters
Thursday afternoon and later moved to the Democratic national headquarters.
Don't Miss
iReport.com: Are you at a rally? Send your pics, video
Commentary: Marches won't bring reform
Another 60 people gathered about noon by the U.S. Capitol's Reflecting Pool
where, in the rain, some finished writing protest signs. A group of American
Indians joined the demonstration, saying they are often mistaken for illegal
immigrants.
Elsa Zambrano, among the protesters at the reflecting pool, said she wanted
a path toward legalization for "the folks who are here, and to stop the
raids. Children are left at bus stops not knowing their parents have been
arrested. This is not just immigration; it's racial profiling."
Thursday marks the third year of such rallies and demonstrations on May 1,
known as May Day.
However, 2008 is the first time the rallies have been held during an
election year, and protesters are hoping to draw the candidates' attention
to their cause.
The two main Democratic candidates, Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and
Barack Obama of Illinois, have supported legislation that the presumptive
Republican presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, co-sponsored.
Among other things, the legislation would increase funding and border
security technology, improve enforcement of existing laws and provide a
legal path to citizenship for some illegal immigrants.
Critics had lambasted the legislation, which President Bush backed, as
"amnesty." The measure has stalled in the Senate.
The three candidates have also supported the construction of a 700-mile
fence along the U.S.-Mexican border.

"The debate might have died in Congress," Gutierrez said, but "immigration
policy is being carried out every single day statewide, locally and
nationally."
"We need to remember that [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] is carrying
out immigration policy every day," she said.

http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/newsblog/archives/2008/05/opponents_of_ex.html

May 1, 2008
Group to protest Carcieri's order vs. illegal immigrants
A group of Rhode Islanders is getting together today for another in what has
been a string of rallies decrying an executive order issued by the governor
to identify and remove illegal immigrants from the state.
The groups involved say in a statement that immigration reform is the
responsibility of the federal government, not the state.
"We are calling on the governor and legislators to rescind the executive
order," the statement reads, "and put an end to anti-immigrant legislation
built on stereotypes and misinformation."
While the order targets illegal immigrants, opponents have said enforcement
could lead to profiling all immigrants.
The groups involved include Immigrants in Action Committee, Ocean State
Action, the Rhode Island Mexican-American Association and the Center for
Hispanic Policy and Advocacy.
The rally is set for 4:30 p.m. today on the lawn of the State House.

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/5/2/25_000_dockworkers_shut_down_west

May 02, 2008

25,000 Dockworkers Shut Down West Coast Ports in Historic Antiwar Protest
In the largest labor strike since the invasion of Iraq, ports along the West
Coast-all twenty-nine of them-were shut down as some 25,000 dockworkers went
on a one-day strike to protest the war. We speak to Jack Heyman of the
International Longshore and Warehouse Union. [includes rush transcript]
AMY GOODMAN: We're going to turn very quickly now to the protests that took
place here on Thursday to mark May Day. There were-in the largest labor
strike since the invasion of Iraq, ports along the West Coast, all
twenty-nine of them, were shut down as some 25,000 dockworkers went on a
one-day strike to protest the war. Several other smaller antiwar actions
took place in other parts of the country. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of
marchers in defense of immigrant labor rights in several cities, including
Los Angeles, Chicago, Milwaukee, New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco,
Houston, Seattle and here in San Diego, took to the streets.
We're going to turn now to the dockworkers' strike, where the workers from
the International Longshore and Warehouse Union brought the port operations
to a halt from Long Beach to Seattle in defiance of their employers and
arbitrators.
We're joined on the phone from San Francisco by Jack Heyman, an officer with
the International. Welcome to Democracy Now!, Jack Heyman. Can you talk
about the significance of what happened yesterday?
JACK HEYMAN: Well, yeah. We were really proud here on the West Coast, as far
as the longshore union, the ILWU, making this stand, because it's part of
our legacy, really, of standing up on principled issues. And this, I think,
is the first strike ever-well, I would call it a stop work, work stoppage,
whatever you want-workers withholding their labor in demand-and demanding an
end to the war and immediate withdrawal of the troops.
AMY GOODMAN: What about the significance of the arbitrator saying that the
longshoremen should not go out on strike?
JACK HEYMAN: Well, you know, the interesting thing about this action is that
not only did we defy the arbitrator, but in a certain sense we defied our
own union officials. The union officials did not want to have the actions
that we organized up and down the coast. And the arbitrator's decision is
simply-we don't take our orders from the arbitrators. We don't take it from
judges. The rank and file goes out and does what it has to do.
We did that in 1984, when the ship came in from South Africa, the Nedlloyd
Kimberley. We refused to work that ship for, I think it was ten or eleven
days. And that was in defiance of what an arbitrator said and also against
what our union officials were telling us.
So we've got a strong tradition in the ILWU of rank-and-file democracy,
workers' democracy, where we implement what we decide in a democratic
fashion. And our action took place based on a motion that came out of our
caucus, which is like a convention of all longshoremen represented up and
down the coast. And we decided to stop work to stop this war, and that's
what was carried out.
AMY GOODMAN: The action within Iraq in solidarity with your strike, can you
talk about that?
JACK HEYMAN: Well, I think that really was the icing on the cake, because we
were appealing for solidarity actions. And I know there was some actions in
New York with the college teachers at a New York community college and
teach-ins with students and so forth; there were postal workers that had a
few moments of silence, a few minutes of silence in New York, Greensboro,
North Carolina, and out here in the Bay Area; but really, the most stunning
solidarity came from the port workers in Iraq, who struck in solidarity with
us. And that was really a very courageous move, because they're literally
under the gun of a military occupation there.
AMY GOODMAN: What are your plans now?
JACK HEYMAN: Well, what this action was was raising the level of struggle
from protest to resistance, and we're hoping that these kinds of actions
will resonate to other unions and workers.
It's already catching on with some of the port truckers. Actually, they've
been doing actions for quite awhile. While it's not mainly based on the
war-I think they're very much affected by the high price of fuel-they've
been shutting down ports over that issue, but also immigrant rights, because
many of them are immigrant workers.
And I hope that this will be an example to other workers that we have the
power, we've got to use it. And that's how we can bring this war to a halt.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, I want to thank you very much, Jack Heyman, for joining
us from San Francisco, an officer of the International Longshore and
Warehouse Union.

http://www.myantiwar.org/view/150612.html

West Coast ports closed by worker protest
Thu May 1, 2008 5:55pm EDT

By Jill Serjeant and Bernard Woodall
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Ports along the U.S. West Coast, including the
country's busiest port complex in Los Angeles, shut down on Thursday as some
10,000 dock workers went on a one-day strike to protest the war in Iraq,
port and union officials said.
Twenty-nine ports from San Diego to Washington state that handle more than
half of U.S waterborne trade ground to a halt, but shipping experts said the
economic costs of the walk-out would be limited.
"We are hearing there is no activity taking place up and down the West
Coast," said Steve Getzug, spokesman of the Pacific Maritime Association,
which represents all 29 ports. "There is no unloading or loading."
At the Los Angeles-area port of Long Beach, a hub for trade with Asia, a
Reuters reporter said the normally bustling area was unusually quiet and
there were no signs of protesters.
Long Beach Port terminal operators expect union workers to return for the
second shift beginning at 6:00 p.m. PDT (9:00 p.m. EDT/0100 GMT on Friday).
Paul Bingham, an economist with Global Insight, which tracks container
volume and congestion at U.S. ports, said labor officials had alerted
shippers and carriers.
"If this had come as a surprise it would have been a lot more serious in its
impact," said Bingham, also noting that it was not peak season for shipping.
"This isn't like the West Coast port lockout in 2002 when we shut down the
ports for 10 days," he added.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union said some 10,000 workers
joined the anti-war protest, spurred in part by its belief that big shipping
companies are profiting from the war.
"Longshore workers are standing down on the job and standing up for
America," said ILWU International President Bob McEllrath. "We're supporting
the troops and telling politicians in Washington that it's time to end the
war in Iraq."
'LEVERAGE CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS'
But port officials cast doubts over the war protest motive.
PMA's Getzug said the action came two months prior to the expiration of the
current labor agreement.
"Today's actions raised the question of whether this was an attempt to
leverage contract negotiations," he said in a statement.
He added that the work stoppage was illegal under the PMA's contract with
the ILWU.
It was not clear how many ships or containers were affected by the longshore
workers action. But the PMA said that on a typical weekday shift between 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. about 10,000 containers are moved on the West Coast.
Arly Baker, spokesman for the Port of Los Angeles, said 15 ships were to
arrive at the port on Thursday and about half of them had arrived and
berthed before the work stoppage began for the day.
"What this amounts to is probably the same effect of an official holiday
where the terminals shut down," Baker said. "There won't be a backup in
cargo or some kind of bottleneck resulting from it."
Together, the neighboring ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach handle 43
percent of the container cargo imports, including most of the household
goods shipped from China.
The two ports bring in about $1 billion of cargo daily, Baker said.
(Additional reporting by Alexandria Sage in Los Angeles and Dan Whitcomb in
Long Beach; Editing by Eric Walsh)

http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2008-05/2008-05-01-voa73.cfm?CFID=23069677&CFTOKEN=87944898

US Port Workers Strike in Anti-War Protest
By VOA News
01 May 2008

US President George W. Bush addressing the nation aboard the nuclear
aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, 01 May 2003
Workers at ports on the west coast of the United States staged a one-day
strike Thursday to call for an end to the war in Iraq, five years after
President George Bush stood underneath a banner that declared "Mission
Accomplished."
On May 1, 2003, the president visited a U.S. aircraft carriers the USS
Abraham Lincoln to declare an end to major combat operations in Iraq and
call it a victory in the war on terrorism.
West coast dockworkers marked the anniversary with a brief strike that
halted loading and unloading of ships from southern California to Washington
state. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union said at least 10
thousand workers stayed home.
The White House says the "Mission Accomplished" phrase referred to the
aircraft carrier's completion of its 10-month mission at sea, not the
military completing its mission in Iraq.
White House spokesman Tony Fratto said Thursday the Bush Administration is
looking forward to helping the Iraqi government take greater responsibility
for its own security.
Fratto also said President Bush is ignoring a new poll that shows the
president's approval rating has dropped to just 27 percent. The poll
indicates 73 percent of voters believe the country is on the wrong track.
The poll was conducted by the Wall Street Journal and NBC news between April
28 to April 28.
Democrats have repeatedly criticized the president for his Iraq policy and
the mounting casualties there. The war is a major issue in the presidential
campaign.
On Wednesday, a White House spokeswoman, Dana Perino, told reporters that
President Bush is well aware that the "Mission Accomplished" banner should
have been more specific.
Since the war started, more than 4,000 members of the U.S. military have
been killed, along with thousands of Iraqi civilians.

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/33180

Richmond Citizens Join Nationwide Protests to End the Iraq War
Submitted by davidswanson on Fri, 2008-05-02 16:05.
Media
By Mary Delicate
Richmond, Virginia - May 1, 2008 - As part of a day of nationwide labor
strikes, a dozen Richmond citizens left work on May 1st to gather in front
of Senator Jim Webb's Richmond office to demand he stop funding the
occupation of Iraq. While the Democratic Senator has said he opposes the
war, he continues to vote to fund it.
The protesters expressed their exasperation with Senator Webb and other
Democratic members of Congress who continue to fund the occupation. "The
Democratic Party has pretended to be against the war," said Chris Dorsey,
co-founder of RVA4Peace, "however, whenever the President requests funding,
the Democratic-controlled House and Senate march in lockstep with the
administration." The result, Dorsey stated, has been an escalation of the
occupation that the Democrats were elected to end. "In short," he continued,
"the Democratic Party has become a controlled opposition party."
During the demonstration, volunteers with Project 1, Inc. a Richmond-based
not-for-profit organization, collected canned food for the Central Virginia
Foodbank. "While 51 cents out of every tax dollar goes to military
 spending," said Toni Davy, co-founder of Project 1, "the average American
is finding it hard to pay for daily expenses." The Central Virginia Foodbank
is currently experiencing severe shortages due to increased need and reduced
donations.
This event was organized by RVA4Peace, a group of Richmond citizens focused
on peace and justice. For more information, see
http://www.myspace.com/rva4peace .

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storyPage.aspx?storyId=116793

Thousands join Labor Day protest actions in Bacolod
By RAGIE MAE ARELLANO
ABS-CBN Bacolod
Around 1 o'clock Thursday thousands of workers started to march from
different points in Negros Occidental.
Members of Labor Power Council and Lumaya Ka, marched from Rizal Park to
Bacolod City Public Plaza. Another labor group Manggagawa para sa Kalayaan
ng Bayan or MAKABAYAN converged at the Department of Labor and Employment
building and started marching to the Rotonda near the public plaza.
Protestors carried placards and streamers demanding a P125 across-the-board
wage increase for workers in Western Visayas.
While the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines is pushing for a P50
increase in workers' wages, the Wage Increase Solidarity Negros or WINS on
the other hand filed a petition for a P125 wage hike.
WINS said that a P50 hike in wages is not enough to strengthen the
purchasing power of workers amid the crisis.
Aside from asking for a wage increase, workers also called on the government
to bring down prices of basic commodities.
Protestors will be converging at the plaza Thursday afternoon for a
culminating program.
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police remain on alert and continue to
observe maximum tolerance.