[Onthebarricades] Health and welfare protests, Dec-Jan 07/08

[Andy]

*  IRELAND:  Over 2000 protest cuts at Roscommon hospital
*  SPAIN:  Hundreds of thousands protest Barcelona train service due to mass 
suspension
*  AUSTRALIA:  Protests over hospital closure intensify
*  INDIA:  Flight delays cause passenger protest in Kozhikode
*  US:  New Orleans public housing protesters target mayor's house
*  UK:  Shropshire ambulance centre cuts protested
*  IRELAND:  Protest at parliament over breast cancer misdiagnosis scandal
*  AUSTRALIA:  Nurses protest over staff shortage
*  INDIA:  Massive protest, boycott in Mumbai over poor state of train 
network, "carriages like torture centres"
*  CANADA:  Thousands rally for healthcare in Brampton
*  US:  Protesters pour mineral water in protest over supplier's grab for 
town's water
*  INDIA:  Protest over lack of gas
*  INDIA:  Villagers protest defects in food ration system
*  UK:  Passengers plan refusal to pay in rail timetable protest
*  CANADA:  OCAP stage protest against attacks on panhandlers, ban on 
sleeping rough
*  IRELAND:  Rally against closure of hospital
*  AUSTRALIA:  Protesters march across bridge to defend hospital
*  HUNGARY:  General strike targets health service privatisation
*  PAKISTAN:  Socialists organise protests against increasing flour prices
*  INDIA:  Protest movement organised against "power famine" in Gaya
*  US:  Elderly people protest funeral parlour across street from old 
people's home
*  MAURITANIA:  Newspapers strike over rise in printing costs

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/article3172025.ece

Over 2,000 protest removal of acute services at Roscommon Hospital

Saturday, November 17, 2007
Up to 2,000 people took to the streets of Roscommon today to protest against 
the removal of acute services at Roscommon County Hospital.
It comes as the Health Service Executive continues its review of the 
hospital, which is due to be published in the New Year.
Among those addressing crowds at today's rally were three consultants 
working in Roscommon.
Senior Consultant Pat Mc Hugh said that lives would be lost if services in 
Roscommon are downgraded
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=200309&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=30243

Week-long jobs protest Gulf Daily News
A SIT-IN by three men outside the Civil Service Bureau (CSB), Juffair, will 
today reach the one-week mark. The three unemployed Bahrainis have been 
living outside the building since last Sunday protesting against not having 
a job. They claim they were promised jobs more than five years ago by the 
CSB, but are still waiting. "We will do whatever it takes for us to be given 
our rights - even it means that we have to live under the...

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iChW_wnbyf7DIXfG8hm0xrJaqhwg

Hundreds of thousands protest Barcelona train service
Dec 1, 2007
BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) - Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets 
of Barcelona on Saturday to protest against the recent chaos in the local 
train system after service was suspended for 42 days.
The platform the Right to Decide (PDD) called for the protest to demand that 
infrastructure management in Catalonia be transferred to the autonomous 
government there, and also demanded more "respect" for the northeastern 
region of Spain.
Organisers estimate that 700,000 turned out, while police held the figure at 
200,000.
"We are a nation and we say 'that's enough'. We have the right to decide our 
infrastructure," according to PDD organisers.
The marchers are calling for trains to be put on track again after 42 days 
of suspended service due to a landslide triggered by work on high-speed 
train lines.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/19/2094286.htm

Hospital site protest to intensify
Posted Mon Nov 19, 2007 8:41am AEDT
Map: Bega 2550
A meeting held at Merimbula on the weekend, to protest against a decision to 
centralise hospital facilities in the Bega area, has voted to take the fight 
to State Parliament.
Various estimates say there was up to 300 people in attendance.
It was called by local health professionals who say that the decision to 
close the Pambula Hospital in favour of a new regional facility near Bega 
will severely disadvantage people in the southern half of the Bega Valley 
Shire.
Organiser Dr Frank Simonson says Saturday's meeting was just the start of a 
campaign, which will include further meetings and petitions which aim to 
have the New South Wales Government reconsider the decision.
"The petitions are going out and the feedback that we've had has been very 
strong," he said.
"Later in the year we'll collect those petitions and we'll take them to 
Sydney and we're hopeful that we'll be able to meet the Minister for 
Planning and the Minister for Health and persuade them to revisit the 
decision and then to engage in wider community consultation."

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200711182173.htm

Agitated passengers protest at Kozhikode airport
Kozhikode (PTI): Agitated over the inordinate delay in flight services 
caused by fog over the airport at Dubai, passengers staged a protest at the 
International airport here on Sunday after the Air India Express flight 
arrived 24 hours behind schedule.
Passengers of the delayed flight included former Kerala Minister and Muslim 
League leader M K Muneer who led the protest before the Airport's Emigration 
Counter for a while.
The agitated passengers complained that the airline authorities did not even 
bother to treat them properly despite the severe inconveniences they had to 
face, due to the delay.
They said it was after issuing boarding passes at Dubai that the airline 
authorities informed them of the delay in flight schedule and it took 
another three hours for them to be accommodated in hotels. The flight, 
scheduled to arrive early here in the morning, reached here at 4 am on 
Sunday.
"It was a harrowing experience. We were not even provided seats to rest at 
the airport," a passenger said.
A visibly agitated Muneer told the media that the issue would be brought to 
the Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel's notice.
"What we have here is a small section of people coming from the Gulf who 
have been facing problems for a long time. We will not rest until things are 
improved," he said.
Meanwhile, the Air India Express Dubai-Kochi flight, which was scheduled to 
arrive on Saturday at 5.10 am landed at Kochi international airport only at 
4.20 am on Sunday. The passengers initially refused to disembark, protesting 
the delay.
Air India was making all efforts to bring the passengers home as quickly as 
possible as soon as the weather conditions improve in the UAE, an Air India 
official, said at Kochi.
Jude Crasto, Station Manager, Kochi and Michael Joseph, Airport Manager, Air 
India, Kochi, told reporters that due to adverse weather conditions in the 
UAE, almost all flights operated by various airlines into and out of UAE 
were disrupted.
"The adverse weather, especially the fog, has led to delays of all Air India 
and Air India Express flights in the Kerala Region," Crasto said.
In addition to the weather conditions, flight duty time limitations and 
closure of Kozhikode airprt from 2200 hours to 0600 hrs added to the 
disruption, Joseph said.
It was understood that "there are thousands of passengers for different 
countries stranded at Dubai Airport," he said.
Referring to the passengers protest earlier, he said "it is their right to 
protest but that will aggravate the situation since the flights will get 
delayed.Air India is committed to solving the problems of the passengers, he 
said."

http://wgso.com/content/view/3436/40/

Plans to Raze Public Housing Sites Spark Protest at Nagin's Home

By The Associated Press
Monday, December 10 2007
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Public housing residents and advocates went to Mayor Ray 
Nagin's house to protest the planned demolition of four public housing 
developments. But they never got to see him.

Sunday's protest came days after a local civil rights attorney was taken 
from City Hall in handcuffs after housing advocates disrupted a City Council 
meeting; it was peaceful.

Some current and former public housing residents and their supporters claim 
the redevelopment plan is an effort to rid the city of its poorest 
residents. Housing officials want to raze the four developments to make way 
for mixed-income neighborhoods. Demolition is planned to begin Saturday.

The intent of Sunday's protest, participants said, was to ask Nagin to 
support the city's working poor and to help bring those still displaced, 
home.

The city's Housing Conservation District Review Committee was scheduled 
Monday morning to review local housing officials' requests to demolish three 
of the sites. The fourth site is not in a neighborhood considered historic 
and not under the panel's jurisdiction.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/7123541.stm

Protest to save 999 control rooms

Staff from the centre will be moved to regional bases
About 100 people protested against the closure of Shropshire's ambulance 
control centre on Sunday.
West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) is shutting the Shrewsbury base and 
another near Worcester and moving staff to Brierley Hill and Stafford.
Campaigners fighting the move gathered outside the Shropshire site, in Abbey 
Foregate, from 1430 GMT.
They claim the decision will mean ambulances being frequently diverted from 
rural towns to cover urban areas.
'Public support'
But WMAS, which made its decision on Wednesday, said it would phase in the 
closures with checks to ensure rural areas were not left without emergency 
vehicles.
Steve Jetley, a former ambulance technician who quit over the controversy, 
said he was delighted with the turn-out.
"There's 100 people here that have come out on a cold, wet Sunday afternoon. 
People care, there is so much public support in Shropshire for this," he 
said.
"We lost a battle, the decision was made and it appears they are going to 
close it. But we haven't lost the war, not yet."
Shrewsbury and Atcham Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski also took part in the 
protest.
He said he hoped trade unions would help to fund a judicial review in a bid 
to stop the closures.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/article3221080.ece

Protest to highlight anger over breast cancer debacle
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
A protest rally is due to be held outside the Dail this morning to highlight 
anger over the recent cancer misdiagnosis scandal at Portlaoise Hospital.
The demonstration has been arranged by the National Women's Council to show 
public dissatisfaction with the way the Government and the HSE have handled 
the debacle.
The council claims people have lost all confidence in the cancer care system 
and says it is concerned about the effect that this will have on women 
across the country.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/04/2108818.htm

Nurses protest over staff shortage
Posted Tue Dec 4, 2007 10:25am AEDT
The NSW Nurses' Association is threatening strong industrial action if 
staffing levels at the Coffs Harbour Hospital are not boosted.
Off-duty nurses are holding a protest rally in the mid-north coast city this 
morning.
They are angry about chronic low staffing levels and excessive nursing 
workloads in the emergency department.
The union says hospital management has failed to deliver on promises for 
more nursing.
It says if today's rally does not achieve any results the next step will be 
a stop-work meeting

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai_gears_up_for_record_protest/articleshow/2605053.cms

Mumbai gears up for record protest
7 Dec 2007, 1858 hrs IST,Vasundhara Sanger,INDIATIMES NEWS NETWORK

MUMBAI: In what may turn out to be unprecedented and unique in the history 
of mass movements in the world, nearly three million local train commuters, 
from Virar to Mira Road, in the western suburbs of Mumbai, are expected to 
boycott train services on December 10 to register a peaceful protest against 
the Railways' failure to introduce more services on the Virar-Churchgate 
route.

Political parties, local organisations and pressure groups have appealed to 
the millions of commuters on the route between Virar and Mira Road to not to 
board any of the trains in the rush hour between 6 am to 6 pm to mark their 
protests and to make a symbolic gesture, as the day is also the World Human 
Rights Day. They call it unique because it's going to be peaceful and 
voluntary in nature.

Trains akin to torture chambers

The protesters are demanding introduction of a trains services every five 
minutes, on the route. Currently, there is a gap of 10-15 minutes between 
each service, resulting in overcrowding in trains. Hundreds of deaths have 
occurred due to overcrowding and elderly and children cannot even dream of 
boarding any of the trains.

The commuters from this area are having a harrowing time. Protesters 
complain that the railway authorities are insensitive to the plight of the 
commuters from the hugely populated suburbs who, are forced to travel in 
crammed compartments due to less services on the route.

Terrorists took advantage of the cover provided by this overcrowding and 
stimulated a series of coordinated bomb blasts in seven trains on July 11, 
2006, on this route. The blasts killed 187 people and injured hundreds of 
others.

People living in the Vasai-Virar region are solely dependent on trains due 
to the absence of any direct road route (except for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai 
highway) connecting them to the main city.

Voices should reach Delhi

As a result of the mass boycott, the protesters hope their voices would be 
heard by those occupying the seat of power in Delhi , especially the Union 
Minister for Railways, Lalu Prasad Yadav, who, in July this year, 
inaugurated the fourth railway track line on the route promising to take 
care of the woes of regular train travellers. At the time the railway 
authorities too had promised to introduce more services but, barring 
introduction of some services at odd hours, nothing more was done.

Miffed with the railways

In an interview to the TOI this week, a senior railway official said, as per 
the protesters' demand, it would be possible to introduce a train service 
every five minutes only in the next 4-5 years. He also accused the 
protesters saying that they were organising the mass movement for the sake 
of publicity.

This elicited sharp response from Shailendra Kamble of Democratic Youth 
Federation of India, one of the groups taking part in the protest. He said, 
"The railway authorities sit in their air conditioned cabins in the city and 
even if they have to travel this far, they do so in the motorman's cabin. 
What do they know about the problems of the commuters?"

On whether there was any response from the railways Kamble said, "We have 
given them a memorandum but till now they have showed no interest in it." 
However, he is certain that a large number of commuters will voluntarily 
join the protest and make it successful. "We have distributed pamphlets in 
large numbers, asked local groups as well as political parties to mobilise 
their cadres and workers to enlist citizens' support and also approached the 
general secretaries of housing societies to inform their members during the 
society meetings."

The preparation for December 10

On December 10 they will hold public meetings and have requested the police 
to deploy adequate forces in order to ward off any anti-social elements from 
taking advantage of the situation.

Outside the railways stations on the routes the groups will hold public 
meetings. "We will not force anyone to join the protest, as we want it to be 
voluntarily and peaceful," assured Kamble.

Ahead of the mass protest on Monday, commuters were heard discussing the 
impending event on Friday as they waited on the platform for their trains. 
Majority of them were in favour of the protest and said that everybody 
should show support, as it was being organised for their benefit. To gather 
momentum for the mass movement, volunteers were seen distributing leaflets 
at the railway stations lining the Virar-Mira Road route.

On being contacted the office of the Deputy Superintendent of Police in 
Vasai (Thane rural) confirmed there would be police deployment on that day 
with the Railways Police and possibly the force from the city pitching in to 
maintain law and order and avoid untoward incidents. The police personnel 
was unable to confirm on the number of policemen to be pressed into duty, as 
a meeting was yet to be held to take a final decision.

Two years ago a similar protest was launched by pressure groups and 
political parties to force the railways to complete the quadrupling of 
tracks project. Following a Bombay High Court order on a PIL, the 
authorities were forced to complete the work. Thousands of people had joined 
the demonstration then which had turned violent with the police resorting to 
lathi charge. Hundreds of protesters were put behind bars and the cases 
registered against them are still going on in different courts.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Novel_protest_Mumbai_boycotts_local_trains/articleshow/2612703.cms

Novel protest: Mumbai boycotts local trains
11 Dec 2007, 0024 hrs IST,TNN

MUMBAI: They did not hesitate to board the train the very morning after 
terror struck Mumbai's lifeline in July 2006. But a section of the same 
intrepid Mumbaikars, residents of the Dahisar-Virar stretch, stayed away 
from trains - and work - on Monday, World Human Rights Day, to demand 
travelling conditions fit for human beings.

Churchgate-bound trains originating from Virar and Bhayandar, each used to 
transporting around 5,000 people during the rush hours, ferried a couple of 
hundred commuters on Monday. Around 5 lakh of Western Railway's 32.5 lakh 
daily commuters stay on the Dahisar-Virar stretch and an overwhelming number 
responded to the train-boycott call given by the Pravaas Adhikar Andolan 
Samiti (PAAS).

The commuters, forced into rioting several times in the past, had one key 
demand: run a train to and from Virar, the last of the stations serving 
Mumbai's north-western suburbs, every five minutes.

WR officials claimed protesters scared away commuters by locking doors of 
trains and physically preventing them from boarding trains. But TOI 
reporters, who travelled between Virar and Dahisar throughout Monday, found 
that Monday's protests were overwhelmingly voluntary.

Malad resident and teacher of an engineering college in Vasai, Vaishali 
Maskar, was one such peaceful protester. She came to Borivli station unaware 
of the boycott call. But, once she learned about the issues involved, she 
found it difficult to ignore the call. Maskar, like lakhs of other 
commuters, returned home.

"My work can wait but an improvement in travelling conditions is an absolute 
must," she said.

Maskar was not exaggerating. Thousands of commuters die every year on 
Mumbai's trains; most fall off while boarding or after boarding as they 
fight for some square centimetre of imagined space. The death count this 
year has already crossed 2,900. WR, thankfully, did not use force against 
protesters on Monday. The last such people's agitation, on the same day in 
December 2005, ended in violence as police - adding insult to injury - 
lobbed tear-gas shells and cane-charged demonstrators.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Train_boycott_to_hit_Mumbaikers/articleshow/2609452.cms

CPM calls rail protest on Dec 10
10 Dec 2007, 0059 hrs IST,TNN

MUMBAI: Commuters between Virar and Borivli are chalking out alternative 
plans to reach their workplace on Monday as train services in the section is 
likely to be disrupted owing to a protest by the Democratic Youth Federation 
of India.

The youth wing of the CPM has called a rail protest on December 10, which is 
incidentally the Human Rights Day, to protest against the plight of train 
commuters on the Virar belt. The agitators, including various residential 
associations, will request commuters not to board trains on the Western 
Railway section between 6 am to 6 pm.

The agitators are demanding better frequency of trains to Virar, that is, 
instead of a 15-minute gap, there should be a Virar train every five 
minutes. "A few additional trains here and there is of no help. Every day, I 
have to let go of four to five trains before I can board one. The coaches 
are so crowded that we can hardly stand,'' said Vasai commuter Raymond 
Menezes.

While some residents in the belt have decided to take the day off, others 
plan to stay at friends and relatives' places near their workplaces so that 
they do not have to take the train. "I work in Mindspace in Malad. I will 
stay at a friend's home, which is near my office. This way, my protest will 
be re-gistered and at the same time, I will not miss work,'' said a Virar 
commuter Rajan Brahme.

Students in the area may have to stay away from their schools and colleges 
owing to the demonstration. Bombay University has not changed the first year 
exam date of the law department that is supposed to be held on Monday. "The 
exam will be held at 10.30 am on Monday, as scheduled,'' said A D Sawant, 
the pro-vice chancellor of the university. Students, staying in the protest 
zone, are worried over how they are going to reach their exam centre. Their 
counterparts in other colleges, however, are not so bothered. "Since, the 
agitation is meant for a good cause, I don't mind bunking college on 
 Monday," said Rupali Shukla, who travels from Vasai to Mira Road. She 
studies in Royal College.

DYFI activist K K Prakashan said the protest would be peaceful and they 
would not force anyone not to get on a train. They would merely request the 
commuters to stay away from the transport system for a day. "By boycotting 
the trains for one day, we can highlight the commuters' plight,'' said 
Prakashan. The demonstration will be in the lines of a similar agitation 
held by the DYFI on December 10, 2005. Radheshyam Pathak of Uttar Bharatiya 
Ekta Manch said there would be 500 men in different stations, asking 
commuters to stay away from trains. But, schoolchildren will be spared, he 
said.

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_17522.aspx

 Thousands Protest Healthcare Issues In Brampton
Sunday December 9, 2007
CityNews.ca Staff
A sea of bodies worked its way down Brampton streets Sunday, as some 3,000 
locals gathered to protest what they feel is a lacking commitment to health 
care in their ever-growing city.
"Issues are related to the manner in which people are receiving services," 
said Raj Sharda, co-chair of Bramptonians for Better Healthcare. "Issues are 
related to the capacity of the hospital."
The hospital in question is the newly-built Brampton Civic Hospital, a new 
supposedly state of the art facility. But protestors say that bed shortages 
and severe understaffing are preventing the building from operating at 
optimal efficiency.
The family of Harnek Singh Sidhu led the march. The 52-year-old died 
November 19th after, the family alleges, he waited for hours in emergency 
before being seen by a doctor.
"If it's emergency, why are you waiting for a dozen hours?" asked Sundeep 
Sidhu, Harnek's son. "You're better off going to your family doctor, you'd 
wait less time."
The hospital is a so-called "P3 Project," meaning it was built with both 
public and private funding. Brampton families contributed millions, 
including $25,000 from the Sidhu family.
CityNews' Melissa Grelo couln't get comment from anyone at the hospital, but 
the William Osler Health Centre, which runs it, issued the following 
statement Wednesday:
"We ackolwedge that wait times in the emergency department at Brampton Civic 
and Etobicoke General like most in major centres in Ontario are longer than 
we would like ... no individuals have passed away while awaiting care in a 
BCH waiting area."
Organizers of Sunday's protest will be holding a town hall meeting in 
January with the hope that government officials will join to discuss their 
concerns, otherwise, they say, more protests are likely to follow.

http://www.sunjournal.com/story/242404-3/OxfordHills/Poland_Spring_water_poured_out_in_protest/

Poland Spring water poured out in protest

By Terry Karkos , Staff Writer
Sunday, December 9, 2007

FRYEBURG - More than 50 people attended an elderly Fryeburg man's protest on 
Saturday against Poland Spring's withdrawal of millions of gallons of water 
from the town's aquifer.

The protest was marred by two lukewarm confrontations between Howard K. 
Dearborn, 89, and two Poland Spring officials who quietly but purposely 
crashed the event, only to get booted out by Dearborn.

Although Dearborn offered $10 to the first 50 people who joined him in 
pouring Poland Spring water into the pond, most donated their ten-spots to a 
group of East Fryeburg residents who are fighting the company's proposals to 
build a bottling plant and truck-loading facility in Fryeburg.

Many attendees, of varying ages, participated just to protest, but several 
helped Dearborn conduct his version of the Boston Tea Party.

Standing on a wooden footbridge adjacent to the local business owner's house 
overlooking the pond, they poured several bottles of Poland Spring water 
into an inlet draining into Lovewell Pond.

"It felt good, especially since when I open my faucet, I get the water right 
back," Scot Montgomery of Fryeburg said.

According to Dearborn, water in the Fryeburg aquifer flows into Lovewell 
Pond through many small springs. Pond water then flows into the Saco River 
through a natural channel.

Dearborn said he was pleased that so many participated in his symbolic 
rejection of Poland Spring, a subsidiary of Nestle Waters North America Inc.

According to Dearborn, ever since Poland Spring began withdrawing water from 
the aquifer, natural springs that feed the pond have gone dry.

Additionally, he says the water removal has changed the pond's natural 
ecology and purity of its water by allowing an increased phosphorous load to 
spur plant growth on the pond's bottom. That's why he's fighting back.

"Howard once said to me a year ago on this, 'I don't want to leave this 
world without knowing Lovewell Pond is safe,'" protester Jim Wilfong of Stow 
said. "That's his motivation. He cares about the ecology of the pond."

While people socialized before "The Big Pour," Poland Spring environmental 
manager Ron Dyer of Poland and Elizabeth Swain breached the crowd.

"I didn't want (Dearborn) to think we were sneaking in. We wanted to be 
clear," Dyer said.

Swain is president of Barton and Gingold of Portland, the environmental and 
public policy management firm that represents Poland Spring.

They were met by a few hecklers.

When he spotted Dyer, who was wearing a green Poland Spring jacket, Dearborn 
quickly braced him.

"We're not here to discus your problems," Dearborn told him.

"Let's let science solve this," Swain shot back.

While the men and Swain jousted verbally, Dearborn reached out an arm and 
grasped Dyer's left shoulder with a gloved hand, removed it, then put both 
hands on Dyer's shoulders and gently shook them. He then walked away.

Afterward, Dyer said he didn't expect to be confronted. He was only there to 
argue his employer's side of the Lovewell Pond/Fryeburg aquifer issue.

"It broke my heart to see water being dumped out," Dyer said.

Everything the company has reviewed, he added, tells them that the lake is 
just going through its life cycle of natural succession from lake to pond, 
pond to marsh, marsh to meadow and meadow to dry land.

Lakes in Maine also get into trouble with increased lake fertilization 
through nonpoint-source erosion, which boosts a lake's biological 
production, Dyer said.

"People have strong opinions, but we're pretty calm about this. It's really 
a science question, and we want to look at it deeper," he added.

However, he never got to elaborate. At 1:15 p.m., Dearborn returned.

"I think you ought to leave. No counter-talks. Leave before I get mad," 
Dearborn said, then watched Dyer quiet a rising outburst from Swain as they 
headed for their car.

Afterward, Dearborn said to friends, "I was very nice. I didn't hit him."

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C12%5C10%5Cstory_10-12-2007_pg7_52

Karak residents protest lack of gas facility

Staff Report

KARAK: Residents of Banda Daud Shah tehsil took to the streets on Sunday 
against the non-availability of gas in the area, and also blocked the 
Karak-Bannu Road for a while.

During the demonstration, residents of Makoori, Mansoor Ghar and Ahmadi 
Banda villages demanded the government provide them with natural gas. They 
accused Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and foreign gas 
exploration company MOL of not honouring their commitments to supply gas to 
Banda Daud Shah tehsil by September 31.

They also complained that the SNGPL had supplied insufficient pipes for the 
supply of gas to the Terri, Makoori and other areas of the tehsil.

The protesters demanded SNGPL sub-office in the tehsil to solve public 
problems at the local level. They currently have to go to Kohat to register 
their complaints.

They also demanded the recruitment of local people in the office, and 
immediate gas supply to around 36 villages of Banda Daud Shah tehsil.

Later, the protesters dispersed when Banda Daud Shah Deputy Superintendent 
of Police (DSP) Noorul Qamar and Tehsil Nazim Hameedullah visited them. The 
DSP and nazim assured them that the MOL and SNGPL authorities would visit 
Banda Daud Shah on December 11 to talk to local elders for a solution to 
their problems.

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEK20071208233829&Page=K&Headline=Defects+in+BPL+%26+APL+card+lists%3A+Villagers+stage+protest&Title=Southern+News+-+Karnataka&Topic=0

Defects in BPL & APL card lists: Villagers stage protest
Sunday December 9 2007 09:59 IST

Express News Service

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SOMWARPET: Residents of 7th Hoskote near Kushalnagar have staged a protest 
while taking photographs to distribute ration cards.

The villagers said that before taking photographs, the authorities should 
rectify the defects in BPL and APL card lists. They also stalled the 
photographing process.

Later, the protest was withdrawn following assurances of the deputy director 
of the Food department, Mante Swamy, who promised the villagers to rectify 
the defects.

ZP member V P Shashidhar, TP member C L Vishwa and GP president Latha Harish 
were present.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/7141755.stm

Rail timetable protest threatened

First Great Western has promised that services will improve

Rail passenger are threatening to protest against First Great Western's new 
train timetable.

Many have complained that since it was introduced on Monday, services have 
been late, cancelled or overcrowded because of a shortage of rolling stock.

The train operator admitted there were problems but claimed services would 
improve over the coming days.

On 22 January, a protest saw some 2,000 commuters refusing to pay fares on 
services between Bristol and Bath.

Simon Carpenter, from the group More Train, Less Strain, said: "I think 
we're looking at another protest.

"That seems to be the only way First Great Western actually listens to us.

"Not only have we had problems with the timetable changes, we've still got 
the overcrowded trains and we're not looking forward to a fare rise in the 
new year."

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071212/mass_panhandle_071212/20071212?hub=Canada

OCAP panhandle protest ends peacefully

Updated Wed. Dec. 12 2007 1:30 PM ET

toronto.ctv.ca

Dozens of police officers and security guards kept a close eye on a 
panhandling protest in Toronto's financial district on Wednesday, but the 
demonstration ended up being much smaller than authorities had anticipated.

Only about two dozen protestors attended the rally held in the city's 
underground PATH walkway. The event was organized by the Ontario Coalition 
Against Poverty.

Police and businesses in the area were expecting a massive rally. As a 
precaution, dozens of officers were stationed throughout the downtown core 
and underground walkway, while businesses hired extra security guards.

The rally was short and ended peacefully. The event began with protestors 
handing out soup and bread to the homeless and ended with a march through 
the PATH system, described as the world's largest underground shopping mall.

Organizers described the rally as an "information demonstration" to shed 
light on the city's shortage of shelter and hostel beds.

"People talk to me and tell me they're being turned away," OCAP's Gaetan 
Heroux said. "People are telling us the overcrowding is bad, the bed bugs 
are impossible.

"A lot of them would rather stay on the street."

Another demonstrator said he knows firsthand that the homeless are not 
getting proper shelter.

"I've been in those places where they don't get the beds," the activist 
said. "We obviously need better shelters and more shelters."

Before the demonstration, Heroux told CTV Newsnet social assistance rates 
and the minimum wage are both too low.

"We want people to understand that these issues, where you see homeless 
people begging on the streets, are social issues," he said.

"In a large city like Toronto, we do not have the social housing that's 
necessary to house people."

Heroux said charity alone can't solve the homelessness problem, which he 
said really took flight starting in 1995.

"People want housing. People need a safe place where they can lay down," he 
said.

Right now, homeless people can be fined $125 for sleeping on the street. But 
the shelters are overcrowded, he said.

"To me, it says we lack leadership," Heroux said.

Toronto should start by not enforcing the bylaw against homeless people 
sleeping on the street, and Ottawa should spend money on social housing 
rather than fighting a war in Afghanistan, he said.

With a report from CTV's John Musselman

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/1215/breaking33.htm

Protest over closure of hospital

The proposed closure of a Dublin cancer hospital is an indictment of 
government policy on health, an MEP claimed today.

At a rally calling for the retention of services in St Luke's Rathgar, Sinn 
Fein's Mary Lou McDonald accused Minister for Health Mary Harney and her 
colleagues of pulling the rug from under cancer patients and their families.

"St Luke's Hospital as a provider of cancer care services in Dublin has an 
excellent reputation," the Dublin MEP said.

"It is this reputation that made it possible for the Friends of St Luke's to 
raise 22 million euro for the hospital. "Any sensible administration with a 
modicum of sense and compassion understands that a consistently high 
standard of care in a fully resourced environment is critical to a cancer 
patient and their family. St Luke's Hospital provides this, in spades.

"There has been minimal consultation with the staff and patients on its 
proposed closure which is all the more aggravated by the Department of 
Health's plan to move the hospitals services to St James and Beaumont as 
part of the government's co-location plans."

The minister has plans to close the specialist hospital and sell the site, 
moving the facilities to St James' Hospital.

However, a national 'Save St Luke's' campaign has been set up bringing 
together groups of patients, families and locals who want to save the public 
hospital and see it expanded. Protesters marched from the hospital today to 
the Central Bank demanding a government U-turn.

Ms McDonald told them: "This Government has had at their disposal resources 
undreamed of by any previous government. "Yet they have presided over a 
failing, chaotic and inequitable health services. They have failed to meet 
the needs of the people at national, regional and local level.  PA

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22934771-2862,00.html

December 17, 2007 12:00am

HUNDREDS of protesters marched across the San Remo bridge to Phillip Island 
yesterday in an effort to keep the Warley Hospital alive.

The 84-year-old hospital, with 13 acute-care beds, 80 staff members and 35 
aged-care beds, does not have enough funding to stay open.

Hospital board member Tony Zoanetti said the hospital's dire financial 
situation led to the decision to close its acute-bed services from January 
31.

Mr Zoanetti said he hoped the protest would send a clear message to the 
State Government.

"We need assistance," he said.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/17/europe/EU-GEN-Hungary-Strike.php

Many of Hungary's train services stopped to protest health sector 
privatization

The Associated Press
Published: December 17, 2007

BUDAPEST, Hungary: Around half of Hungary's state-owned train services were 
affected Monday by an open-ended strike against the Socialist-led 
government's intention to privatize health insurance services and lower 
pensions from next year, officials said.

Shorter strikes also were held at several hospitals, hundreds of schools and 
some regional bus services. Anti-government protesters formed one-lane 
roadblocks to slow traffic at about three dozen locations around the 
country.

A two-hour, early morning strike at Budapest's Ferihegy Airport did not 
cause any flight delays, airport spokesman Domokos Szollar said.

While state-owned railway MAV said less than half of scheduled trains failed 
to run, union officials said the railroads were practically at a standstill, 
and even those trains that ran were mostly empty, as commuters looked for 
other means of transport.

A request by MAV to declare the strike illegal will be reviewed by the 
courts, with a decision expected within five days.
Today in Europe

Despite the strike, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany said he was confident 
the much-disputed health sector bill would be approved in parliament Monday 
by deputies of the two governing parties.

The push for privatization in the health sector has been a key policy of the 
Alliance of Free Democrats, the Socialists' coalition partners.

Disputes went on for months between the two parties over how to implement 
much-needed reforms in the state health services. While most services in the 
system are nominally free of charge, many patients still pay illegal 
"gratuity fees" to doctors and there are large regional differences in 
quality of service.

Opponents, including the Hungarian Chamber of Doctors, say private health 
insurers, by seeking to make profits in the sector, would break with a 
long-standing tradition of "social solidarity" and would leave the poor and 
those already suffering from health problems without adequate coverage.

Government officials dispute that contention.

Last year, Gyurcsany's government began to implement a wide range of reforms 
in the state sector, including the closing of secondary railway lines, the 
introduction of daily fees for doctor's appointments and hospital stays, as 
well as university tuition fees, and the firing of tens of thousands of 
state employees.

Hungary's struggle to cut what was the European Union's highest state budget 
deficit in terms of gross domestic product in the past few years has 
resulted in a higher inflation rate - an annual 7.1 percent in November - 
and low growth.

Hungary's economy expanded by an annual 0.9 percent in the third quarter of 
2007, the lowest figure in 11 years.

The reforms have also helped erode the popularity of Gyurcsany and his 
coalition.

According to a Gallup poll released last week, support for the Socialist 
Party among all respondents was 13 percent, while the Free Democrats stood 
at 2 percent.

Fidesz, the main center-right opposition party, was supported by 38 percent 
of respondents, while 44 percent of the 1,010 people asked said they would 
not vote or were uncommitted. The poll's margin of error was plus or minus 
3.1 percentage points.

Parliamentary elections are set for April or May 2010.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C12%5C20%5Cstory_20-12-2007_pg7_13

LPP to protest against flour price hike from 26th

LAHORE: The Labour Party Pakistan (LPP) is planning to start a nationwide 
protest campaign against price hike of flour from December 26.

The party has urged the masses to boycott the coming elections as a protest 
against price hike of consumer products, especially flour.

LPP spokesman Farooq Tariq told Daily Times that through the campaign, the 
party would raise awareness among the masses regarding sudden price hike of 
flour.

He said various seminars and rallies were part of the nationwide campaign, 
especially in three major cities of Lahore, Karachi and Multan. "The LPP 
will distribute literature among the masses on how the flour price increased 
so much in only a month. We will also give facts and figures to show the 
government's incompetent economic policies," he said. He said the government 
had decided to import wheat at a time when its price in the international 
market was rising. "This decision has resulted in a loss of Rs 12 billion," 
he said. staff report

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Patna/Differences_over_protest_symbol/articleshow/2651111.cms

Differences over protest symbol
26 Dec 2007, 0333 hrs IST,TNN

GAYA: Differences have reportedly cropped up among members of the Vidyut 
Upbhokta Sangharsh Samiti, the umbrella organization agitating against power 
famine in Gaya, on the issue whether 'lantern' or 'candle' should be adopted 
as the symbol of power cut. The sangharsh samiti has planned a protest 
demonstration during the CM's visit to the town scheduled for December 30. 
Before that, a bandh call has been given for December 27 on the power issue.

Whereas a section of the sangharsh samiti activists favour a lantern 
demonstration during the CM's visit, a sizeable section including the 
representatives of Central Bihar Chamber of Commerce, is opposed to the 
lantern demonstration on account of the political connotations of the 
lantern demonstration. Lantern is the election symbol of the RJD and these 
activists want the agitation to remain apolitical as it is a people's 
agitation, and anything even remotely connected with political parties and 
politicians will rob it of its moral high ground.

Peeved with prolonged power cuts going upto more than 20 hours a day, 
different organizations including Central Bihar Chamber of Commerce, Bar 
Association, IMA and independent activists have joined hands to register 
protest and fight for the fulfilment of the NDA promise of uninterrupted 
power supply.

Downplaying the differences and the lantern vs candle controversy, activist 
corporator Lalji Prasad says that sangharsh samiti was united on the issue 
of power and no politician or political party will be allowed either to 
sabotage the agitation or take credit for it. 'We are very vigilant on this 
issue," said Prasad.

According to reports filtering out of the samiti, though there is unanimity 
on the issue of keeping the agitation totally apolitical, a section believes 
that lantern is a very impressive symbol of electricity crisis and its 
psychological impact is bound to be much more than that of the candle. But 
the vast majority wants to leave no scope for any controversy and as such 
favours candle as the protest symbol.

A third view floated by some samiti activists favours 'dhibri' (small oil 
lamp) as the protest symbol, as it would also highlight kerosene scarcity 
and its high price rising above the Rs 35 per litre in the blackmarket. The 
dhibri requires very little kerosene.

The district administration, on its part, has already apprised the state 
govt about the simmering discontent on the power issue and its apprehended 
violent manifestation, causing a law and order problem in the town. The BSEB 
officials including the Magadh area board general manager Md Yaqub are not 
in a position to give any deadline for the restoration of the power supply 
to the pre-crisis level. The crisis began about three months back and it has 
aggravated further in the last three four weeks and the people's patience 
appears to have worn thin.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j01uYx92laLsGWYYkwInSzTtc1NwD8TULRLG0

Seniors Protest Proposed Funeral Home

Jan 3, 2008

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) - Several older residents of this town are 
protesting plans to open a funeral home across the street from a senior 
center, saying it would be a little too close for comfort.

About 100 people have signed a petition calling on the City Council to deny 
James Asper and Mary Hansen, partners in Aspen Funeral Home LLC, a special 
use permit giving them the right to lease the building across the street 
from the Lake City Senior Center as a funeral home, senior center manager 
Vickie Harrison said. They plan to present the petition at a Feb. 5 hearing 
on the matter, she said.

"I don't like it at all. It kind of gives you an uncomfortable feeling," 
said 65-year-old Marg Dunkle, who signed the petition.

The city's planning commission approved a special use permit in December for 
the business, but a neighbor appealed the decision, citing concerns over 
traffic and parking.

Hansen said the building was chosen because it suited the business' needs, 
not because of its proximity to the senior center.

"We find it a little disconcerting that they would think that location is 
intentional," Hansen said.

Some, like 81-year-old Doy Seng, had a practical view of the proposed 
funeral home.

"We're old here. We're all ready to go," she said. "I think it will be 
handy."

http://www.afriquenligne.fr/news/daily-news/mauritania-private-press-orders-black-out-to-protest-high-printing-costs-2008010114283/

Mauritania private press orders black out to protest high printing costs

Dakar, Senegal - Eighteen privately-owned newspapers in Mauritania have 
decided not to publish their papers until further notice to protest against 
a steep rise in printing costs announced by the Government publications 
office.

A communiqué reaching PANA in Dakar on Tuesday said 2008 began with the 
private newspapers being absent from the newsstands.

The Government publications office said that the rise in its tariffs was 
necessary because "the state did not pay the promised grants".

The private newspapers are also to launch a campaign to protest against "the 
excessive slow pace" of the implementation of press reforms, total absence 
of grants in the year 2007 and absence of transparent mechanisms for the 
granting of subscriptions and public advertisements.

The privately-owned press also denounced difficulties related to access to 
sources of information, the predominance of anarchy in the sector and 
non-compliance with the provisions laid down by the press-enterprise- 
creation Act.

A law abolishing censorship was passed in Mauritania in October 2006 during 
the military transition. However, private publishers say several provisions 
in the new law have not yet been implemented.

Dakar - 01/01/2008

Panapress