[Onthebarricades] Anti-capitalist, anti-neoliberal and anti-corporate protests, August-September 2008

[global resistance roundup]

* SWEDEN, Malmo - unrest at ESF
* CHILE: Anniversary protest
* KOREA: Beef import protests continue
* GERMANY: Berlin - protesters target arena opening, oppose gentrification
* PHILIPPINES: Protest against VAT on basic commodities
* INDIA: Kerala, Kollam - electricity workers observe anti-restructuring day
* INDIA: Karnataka, Raichur - protest against privatisation of Devadasi 
protest
* INDIA: Maharashtra, Mumbai - workers protest Dow closure
* GREECE: Thessaloniki - Unions rally against Greek neoliberal reforms
* INDONESIA, Jakarta - small traders protest Carrefour hypermarket
* US: Maine - protest against water bottling plant
* GREECE: Airline workers block runway in privatisation protest
* NIGERIA: Ijaw and Itsekeri protest Chevron over employment issues
* GHANA: Farmers protest against free trade deals
* BRAZIL: Graffiti artists target street art exhibition
* NEW ZEALAND: Food tax protest group defy crackdown
* US: Milwaukee - protest against fast food outlet
* PHILIPPINES: Protesters shot-at during chicken farm protest
* US: Bailour protests across the country




http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/09/409104.html

Riots and 20 arrests at ESF Malmo
Nessuno | 20.09.2008 00:01 | Repression | Social Struggles | World
As the full European Social Forum got underway for proper, Swedish 
police, backed by foriegn police made 16 pre-emptive arrests at Malmo 
central train station in the mid-afternoon.

A policewoman said that the protesters were mistaken for being Antifa 
members. One protester was charged with carrying an 'illegal weapon' but 
this turned out to be a leather sewing needle. He has been bailed to 
return.

At 6pm all were released but whilst walking towards the swedish reclaim 
the streets party in central Malmo were intercepted again and several 
were re-arrested after attempting to run. At least 2 possibly 8 are in 
custody as of tonight.

There has been several autonmous demonstrations today in Malmo. The 
first was a group of cyclists against AIM weapons factory in south Malmo 
in the morning. AIM make gunsights for fighter aircraft and helicopters.

During the afternoon, over 2000 protesters assembled in South Eastern 
Malmo to demonstrate against E.ON over plans to build power stations in 
sweden and also in support and solidarity with the UK climate camp 
Kingsnorth which happened in early august. The event was very peaceful, 
colourful and with no arrests.

At 8pm tonight in Malmo there was the largest reclaim the streets party 
in the centre. until 10pm it was peaceful with the cops just waiting and 
watching. As news of the arrests filtered through, the windows of a bank 
were stoved in and broken. Riot police then issued warnings to disperse 
and most did. However 100-150 protesters decided to stay and confront 
the police. A tense standoff then ensued with swedish riot police for a 
while with bottles being thrown.

Latest news as a few minutes ago (midnight) is that there have been 
several more arrests and large scale property damage in Central Malmo 
near the City Hall.

Tomorrow, there will be the main ESF official demonstration with what is 
expected to be at least 18-20,000 people demonstrating.
Nessuno






http://www.openspaceforum.net/twiki/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=672

A report from Malmo
By: Wladek Flakin on: Sat 18 of Oct, 2008 03:07 BST (181 Reads)
(9059 bytes)
European Social Forum: a report from Malmo
@ http://www.permanentrevolution.net/entry/2316
Last Sunday, the European Social Forum (ESF) came to a close in the city 
of Malmö, southern Sweden. Nearly 10,000 people from across Europe took 
part in hundreds of political and cultural events over four days, 
reports Wladek Flakin, from the independent youth organization REVOLUTION.
The highlight was a demonstration on Saturday with 15,000 participants 
where trade unions, environmental groups, autonomists, left parties and 
socialist youth organizations together called for "Power to the People!".
The ESF participants came primarily from Scandinavia. For example, 
14-year-old Vilma came with two friends from "Ung Vänster", the Swedish 
Left Party’s youth organization. "We have spent the last few days 
painting banners, but we were also at the demonstration for immigrants' 
rights", she said about her personal highlights at the forum. But 
activists from across Europe - from Spain to the Ukraine - and even from 
Latin America were also there. From Germany, dozens of people traveled 
in buses from the "Left Youth - Solidarity" and the trade union youth. 
Even from the Basque Country, over 20 young activists came, after 
spending 40 hours in two small buses. The ESF’ers stayed in gymnasiums 
and schools around the city, while the events took place in public 
buildings, rented ballrooms and a mosque.
The ESF is an opportunity for different movements to network 
internationally. Opponents of the U.S. Air Force base in Vicenza in 
Italy could meet up with opponents of the planned U.S. missile base in 
Poland. In a large gathering, they exchanged experiences and planned 
protests against the forthcoming 60th anniversary of NATO. 
Representatives of European students also had a special meeting to 
discuss a Europe-wide day of action against education cuts.
Special events
New for the ESF was a "Labor Youth Space": a church building in which 
the trade union youth from different countries organized their own 
workshops. "The point is to have the youth of the European trade unions 
network from below" said Joachim Heckel, a young activist of the German 
metalworkers' union from Nuremberg. "Here, we see that flexibility a 
huge problem for young workers across Europe. That is why we must think 
about organizing Europe-wide days of action."
At an event about the EU "terror lists", representatives of the 
revolutionary left from Turkey, the left-wing independence movement from 
the Basque country and anti-imperialist organizations from Denmark 
shared the podium. They explained how these "black lists" are used to 
repress left-wing parties and movements around the world. At the time of 
the forum, a huge wave of repression by the Spanish state against the 
Basque independence movement was in full-swing, in which several 
political parties were banned. Ulrik Kohl from the Danish group 
"Fighters and Lovers," which sells T-shirts with the logos of the 
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Colombian 
guerrilla organisation FARC, had been condemned the day before for 
"supporting terrorism" – at the ESF, however, he announced he would 
continue the solidarity work.
Riot and chaos
Over the the weekend, the Swedish tabloid press headlined: "Krawall och 
Kaos!" or "Riot and Chaos!". This was referring to a "Reclaim the 
Streets" party which had gone through Malmö's city centre on Friday 
evening. The approximately 2,000 participants danced to hip-hop and 
techno - and because the Swedish autonomists seem somewhat more class 
struggle-oriented than their German counterparts, the whole party took 
place behind a banner with the slogan "Klass mot Klass" ("class again 
class"). Some people sprayed graffiti along the road and a window pane 
of the bank SEB was smashed - i.e. it was hardly the mass riot that the 
press had been warning about for days! The police, who were present, 
remained surprisingly reticent. "If they were to attack, then everything 
would get much, much worse" said an ESF organizer about the police tactics.
Outside the official ESF program, numerous actions by the 
anarchist-oriented "Action Network" took place. On Friday, for example, 
around 1,000 people gathered in front of the office of the energy 
corporation E.on to protest against climate change. The day before, a 
few hundred had demonstrated in front of the "foreigners' office" in 
Malmö to call for an end to deportations.
The ESF ended on Sunday with the Assembly of Social Movements that 
decided on a final declaration of the forum. A major mobilization for 
all ESFers will be the protests against the 60th Anniversary of NATO in 
April 2009. But the protests against the G8 summit in Sardinia in July 
2009 or against the climate conference in Copenhagen in November 2009 
also have a great significance. The venue and date of the next ESF has 
already been decided too: 2010 in Istanbul.
A preliminary balance-sheet
Overall, the forum was different from previous forums in Florence 
(2002), Paris (2003), London (2004) and Athens (2006). Malmö is the 
smallest city to ever host the ESF, and in light of this, the 15,000 
participants at the demonstration represented a success. Since the 
venues were scattered throughout the city, it was difficult for an 
individual to get an overview of the forum – but the number given by the 
organizers of 10,000 registered participants would certainly be accurate.
The size of the 5th ESF was below expectations (20,000) as well as below 
the levels of previous ESFs (with the possible exception of the more or 
less disastrous 3rd ESF in London). This can be partly explained by 
external factors. For example, there were hardly any participants from 
Germany, given that there were almost 60,000 people at different 
demonstrations at the same time in Cologne, Berlin and Stuttgart. So the 
three buses from Germany were on average only half full. But that's not 
enough to explain the ESF’s small size. The ESF is the great forum of 
"talking past" or "talking at" one another – the political diversity 
amongst the participants, from social democratic NGOs to 
environmentalist hippies to revolutionary Marxists makes it difficult to 
find a common denominator. But the functioning of the forum and 
especially the final assembly makes it completely impossible. The final 
declaration is not decided by a democratic vote, but rather presented by 
a more or less self-appointed preparation group and then rubber-stamped 
with "consensus". The text contains bullet points to satisfy nearly all 
of the participants, but no concrete mobilization plans. After years of 
noncommittal chatting, many are wondering what the use of the whole 
event is, and that is a good explanation for the almost constant decline 
in number of participants.
Given the shrunken size of the ESF, the anarchist counter-activities on 
the sidelines had a much greater weight than before. In past years, it 
was no more than splinter groups who organized, parallel to the ESF, 
small (and hard to find) "counter-forums". But this time, the "ESF 
Action Network" represented a serious competitor to the ESF. Simply 
because of high ticket prices (€40 or €20 for students), there were 
certainly more than 1000 young people from southern Sweden or the 
neighboring Copenhagen who came to the ESF, but not to the official 
seminars, only to the anarchistic actions on the all around.
Problems and potential
The vast majority of seminars were alienating for young people. It was 
not unusual for an event lasting two and a half hours to consist of two 
hours of speeches from the podium and half an hour of "discussion", 
whereby the latter consisted in reading out different communiqués. The 
demands in the flyer from REVOLUTION for independent youth structures at 
the ESF proved to be completely correct. It was positive that for the 
first time there was a "youth space" by the trade union youth, but this 
was occupied by up-and-coming functionaries and offered little 
opportunity for an independent organization.
The non-stop attacks on workers, migrants and young people in Europe, 
which are centralized by the EU, make a common, Europe-wide resistance 
more necessary than ever before. But the unofficial bureaucracy which 
dominates the ESF (which is in turn made up of various social-democratic 
and trade union bureaucracies) again and again prevents that the ESF 
from becoming a focus of such resistance. We greatly appreciate the 
networking that takes place at the ESF - after each meeting, activists 
from across Europe exchange their email addresses - but overall the ESF 
is and remains pretty aimless.
As far as we are concerned, we will participate at the ESF - the 
relatively larger revolutionary left in Turkey will certainly make the 
forum in Istanbul more exciting - but always emphasize that a 
revolutionary international organization is needed to turn the diffuse 
slogan "another world is possible" into a concrete, socialist reality.







http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,3658686,00.html?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf

Globalization | 20.09.2008
Massive Anti-Globalisation Protest Puts Sweden on Alert

Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Swedish authorities 
fear outbreaks of anarchy such as these seen in Rostock in 2008

Some 20,000 anti-globalisation protesters are set to march in Sweden on 
Saturday in what is expected to be one of the biggest demonstrations 
ever held in the Scandinavian country, organisers and police said.
"This will probably be the biggest demonstration (in Sweden) since the 
end of World War II," organiser Peter Johansson told reporters at the 
European Social Forum in the southern Swedish town of Malmo.
The four-day forum has requested that police keep a discreet presence at 
the march, and only a few dozen officers will be visible along the 
demonstration route, Anders Svensson, who is in charge of protest 
security, told reporters.
"That is one of our demands to police," he said, adding that organisers 
wanted to avoid a repeat of the 2001 clashes between protesters and 
officers in the southwestern city of Gothenburg, when 250 people were 
injured, including three demonstrators shot by police.
"We will have a very low profile. We won't have lots of policemen in the 
streets (but) we will have officers (on call near) the demonstration," 
Malmoe police spokesman Lars Foerstell told reporters.
"We will have plenty of police resources to take care of whatever might 
happen," he added.
The demonstration, titled "Power to the People -- Against Capitalism and 
Environmental Destruction. Another World is Possible!" will begin in a 
working class neighbourhood on the outskirts of Malmo.
Protesters will then march 7.5 kilometres (4.7 miles) into the center of 
town.
Calls for independent activists to demonstrate on Friday evening have 
also been circulating on the Internet.









http://story.australianherald.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/c08dd24cec417021/id/405858/cs/1/

Pinochet demonstration precedes violence
Australian Herald
Saturday 13th September, 2008
In Chile, at least 30 people have been injured and 234 arrested during 
nationwide demonstrations denouncing the military coup of 1973 that 
launched the dictatorial regime of Augusto Pinochet.

Hooded protesters armed with sticks, stones, Molotov cocktails and 
firearms set up barricades, set bonfires and threw chains on power 
lines, knocking out power to some 200,000 people in the capital, Santiago.

Officials said a police vehicle was struck by gunfire in the Santiago 
neighbourhood of Pudahuel, while in the southern district of Hermida, 
some 200 demonstrators armed with handguns and rifles clashed with 
security forces.

Outside the capital, the most serious incidents occurred in the southern 
region of Bio Bio, where police arrested two individuals who had 
barricaded a road and two vehicles were set on fire.

The Chilean government, when headed by Pinochet who died in late 2006, 
was involved in the killing of more than 3,000 people.

Nearly 30,000 others were tortured and forced into exile.

Chile's National Human Rights Assembly is expecting some 18,000 people 
to turn out Sunday for a march in Santiago to honour the victims of the 
military regime.








http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200808/200808250009.html

19 Held Over Weekend Protests in Seoul
Police arrested 19 protesters in demonstrations against U.S. beef 
imports near the Myeongdong Cathedral and Gangnam Subway Station and in 
Apgujeong-dong on Saturday night and early Sunday.
Police said some 250 protesters, most of them members of Agora web forum 
on portal Daum, rallied from 6 p.m. on Saturday until 6 a.m. the 
following morning, disobeying police order to disperse and shouting 
slogans such as "Down with Lee Myung-bak!"
Separately, another group of about 200 protesters staged guerrilla-style 
rallies by swiftly moving from one location to another in the Gangnam 
Subway Station area and Apgujeong-dong from around 7:10 p.m. on Saturday 
until 2 a.m. on Sunday.
Police sprayed protesters with colored water and arrested seven for 
illegal occupation of roads.





http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200808/200808290026.html

Rallies Teem With Professional Protesters
An investigation of seven people arrested for throwing bottles of 
hydrochloric acid at police during a protest near Myeongdong Cathedral 
on Aug. 9 has revealed that only one of them had a stable job. Another 
of the seven was an itinerant laborer, and the other five were 
unemployed. They met during anti-U.S. beef protests in June and formed a 
group called Passionate Citizens and gave themselves the ranks of 
“chairman,” “advisor,” “spokesman” and “marksman.” The spokesman for the 
group was a homeless man living in a park in Yeoido and used a slingshot 
to fire ball bearings at police. If arrested, they conspired to make 
false confessions that they had been instructed to do so by the ruling 
party or a conservative group.
There are professional protesters who appear at each rally, clad in 
masks and wielding steel pipes as if they had been waiting for such an 
opportunity. It has been a mystery what kinds of jobs these people had; 
now the truth is gradually being revealed. On July 26, two riot police 
were dragged off to Boshingak Pavilion and beaten after being stripped. 
Police arrested four of the assailants and found that one was a 
university student, another was an employee at a boarding house, and the 
remaining two unemployed men in their 20s and 30s. The jobless man in 
his 30s had been arrested four times for assault at protest rallies 
since May, but had been released each time. Out of 23 violent protesters 
who had been arrested at demonstrations, 17 are said to have criminal 
records. Eight of them had more than five prior convictions. People are 
even saying that homeless people were no longer spotted in their usual 
haunts since the mad cow protests escalated.
Among the people who drove around in trucks with loudspeakers during the 
beef protests inciting the public to storm the presidential office were 
many leading officials of progressive civic groups that were created 
when pro-North Korean and leftwing factions joined hands. The co-leaders 
of these civic groups are people who have been rushing to each and every 
anti-U.S. rally -- over a U.S. firing range, the death of two 
schoolgirls under an armored U.S. vehicle, and the Korea-U.S. Free Trade 
Agreement.
In the early stages of the beef protests, there were many people who 
were genuinely worried that the government had not done its job properly 
to protect the health of the public. In retrospect, these people with 
genuine worries were used by anti-U.S. and pro-North Korean factions 
that planned the protest rallies and by disgruntled homeless and jobless 
people and ex-convicts who stood in the front lines of the rallies to 
assault the police.






http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2894388

Institute owner arrested for protests
September 02, 2008
Police yesterday decided to seek a warrant to further detain the 
48-year-old president of an educational institute, identified only by 
the surname Na, on charges of leading dozens of unlawful political 
protests and throwing stones at police.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced yesterday that they 
arrested Na early Sunday in Jongno District when he was illegally 
occupying downtown streets with six other demonstrators during an 
anti-government rally.

Police said that over the past few months, Na has organized 40 protests 
in central Seoul separately from the main rally organizer, the People’s 
Conference Against Mad Cow Disease, including a May 24 protest with 200 
participants near Gwanghwamun.

Na is also suspected of throwing stones into a group of police near 
Myeongdong Cathedral on Aug. 17, police said.

According to police officers, Na has left about 400 posts on Agora, the 
nation’s largest online forum. His goal was to encourage people, in 
particular “the 386 generation,” Koreans who were born in the 1960s and 
attended college in the 1980s, to appear at the protests against the 
government’s resumption of imports of U.S. beef and its decision to fire 
former KBS chief Jung Yun-joo.

In the 1980s, many 386ers joined pro-democracy student demonstrations 
across the country when Korea was under military rule.

“He admitted posting the date and time of protests on the Internet to 
lead protests,” said a police officer who asked not to be named. “His 
purpose is to have President Lee Myung-bak impeached.”

He has also promoted the establishment of a militant protest group, 
police said, consisting of 386ers and former members of a special 
commando corps, in an effort to keep up the anti-Lee protests.

“A former student activist, Na is now a radical protester,” said the 
officer. “He also urged other protesters to participate in the boycott 
campaign against firms advertising in the nation’s three major 
conservative newspapers: the JoongAng Ilbo, Chosun Ilbo, and Dong-A Ilbo.”

The reaction on the Internet to Na’s arrest has been mixed. Some said 
that they will issue a manifesto, claiming such a leader is needed to 
keep the government in check.

Others said that as an educator teaching young students, his actions are 
unacceptable and deserve to be punished.

By Park Sang-woo Staff Reporter [spark at joongang.co.kr]






http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/10/117_31983.html

10-01-2008 17:38


Protesters in Military Uniform Detained
By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter

Two reserve soldiers, who took part in an anti-U.S. beef import protest 
in August wearing military uniforms, have been detained for interfering 
with police officers in the performance of their duties.

Gwanak Police Station said Wednesday it had detained two anti-U.S. beef 
protesters who had spearheaded a group of military style protesters 
widely called the ``reserve soldier squad'' in a street demonstration, 
Aug. 30.

The ``reserve soldier squad,'' formed by volunteers, served as a human 
shield between riot police and protesters to prevent possible clashes 
between the two.

Investigators said the two had stolen police officers' two-way radios 
during the protest in Gwanak, southern Seoul.

``Riot police at the scene said the two had stolen their radios. We also 
have ample evidence proving their wrongdoings,'' a police officer said. 
However, the detainees deny the charges. It is unknown whether police 
will seek warrants to arrest them.

In related news, the People's Association for Measures Against Mad Cow 
Disease, which led the country into three months of chaos with candlelit 
protests, has become crippled in the wake of a government crackdown. 
Heads of the association have been indicted or fined, while the 
prosecution sought a two-year prison sentence for the association's 
secretary general Ahn Jin-gul, Tuesday.







http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200809/200809260018.html

Beef Protests 'Cost W3.75 Trillion'
Street protests against the import of the U.S. beef which continued for 
more than 100 days since May this year led to social costs of some W3.75 
trillion (US$1=W1,159), according to a report published by the Korea 
Economic Research Institute under the Federation of Korean Industries on 
Thursday. KERI based its research on protests between May 2, the day of 
the first candlelight vigil, and Aug. 15, the 100th day of the protest, 
saying the demonstrations created W1.57 trillion of direct costs and 
W2.69 trillion of indirect costs.
According to KERI, the direct damage includes W35.6 billion of 
production loss from the strikes by the Korean Confederation of Trade 
Unions, which drew participation of 136,000 workers, W84 million in cost 
of mobilizing police and subsequent damage to human and material 
resources to quell demonstrations, W904.2 billion in loss to shops near 
the sites of demonstrations, W31 billion of losses in advertising 
profits to major newspapers due to threats to advertisers, and W2.7 
billion of losses due to night and morning traffic congestions every day.
KERI also analyzed the relationship between economic growth and 
investment in infrastructure and frequency of street protests between 
1990 and 2006, and concluded that social instability created by the 
street protests led to W1.84 trillion of macroeconomic costs such as 
decrease in investment and economic growth. The institute said at least 
two months of delay of various public reforms including privatization of 
public firms also cost W856.1 billion.
According to the National Police Agency, the number of demonstrators in 
Seoul last year was 736 cases per 1 million inhabitants, distinctly 
higher than in Paris and Washington D.C., which had 186 and 207. Seoul’s 
figure is 12.5 times greater than Tokyo’s, which had 59 cases for every 
1 million people.










http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,577656,00.html

09/11/2008


UNWELCOME O2 DEBUT
Protesters Crash Berlin Arena's Opening Party
By Rachel Nolan in Berlin
The German capital put on a big display Wednesday night to herald the 
opening of its new O2 Arena. But as celebrities gathered inside, 
protesters clashed with police outside, fearing not only rising rents 
but also a loss of identity.
The latest round in the contest over who controls Berlin -- property 
developers or residents attached to their low rents -- has been decided. 
City administrators could not have picked a more sensitive place to 
approve the construction of a shiny new venue. But, it's now there, 
dominating an area that straddles the still punky but ever-gentrifying 
neighborhoods of Kreuzberg in the West and Friedrichshain in the former 
East Berlin.

After two years of construction, the enormous sports and entertainment 
complex christened the O2 Arena and built to hold 17,000 spectators 
opened Wednesday night on the banks of Berlin's Spree River. According 
to Berlin police, about as many protesters showed up for the party as 
people who attended the black-tie gala inside -- 1,000 on each side.
In a speech at the center, Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit observed that the 
arena demonstrated the viability of large projects in the city and 
voiced his approval that a group led by foreign investors could 
undertake such a project “without expecting to draw on state support.”
The mayor was referring to the Anschutz Entertainment Group, the 
American investment consortium that spent €165 million ($231 million) 
building 02 World. In a city with €60 billion of debt, Wowereit’s point 
is well-taken.
Sink the Boat
Local fury is mostly reserved for Mediaspree, the municipal 
urban-renewal group responsible for approving and organizing various 
developments along the Spree River, including O2 World and the new 
headquarters of MTV Networks Germany and Universal Music Deutschland. 
Protests against Mediaspree have simmered all summer, with locals 
accusing the organization of an array of alleged offenses, including 
raising rents, promoting gentrification, allowing ugly buildings to be 
built and spoiling a historical area -- the new arena looks directly 
onto the East Side Gallery, the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin 
Wall.
“02 World is the core of the entire Spree River area,” Christian Meyer, 
director of the Mediaspree iniative, told SPIEGEL ONLINE. He objects to 
the "emotional tenor" of the protesters, who call their group “Sink 
Mediaspree.”
RELATED SPIEGEL ONLINE LINKS
• Photo Gallery: Protest Rocks the Opening of Berlin's O2 World
• Building Spree: Developers and Dreamers Battle Over Berlin Identity 
(09/11/2008)
The nautical metaphor fits with a number of the monikers that have been 
given to the new venue, such as “U-boat” and “spaceship," and many of 
the opponents of the bright-blue-roofed building also refer to 
themselves as "Spree pirates." The LED screen out front displays a 
continuous loop of advertisements for upcoming events -- Metallica, 
Coldplay, ice hockey games. Love it or hate it, there's no denying that 
the structure sticks out in what is still a largely undeveloped, 
post-industrial space.
An editorial in Die Tageszeitung, a left-leaning Berlin daily, called 
the building the "no name arena," saying it is strange that no architect 
will take responsibility for a such a landmark in a city obsessed with 
architecture. "The entertainment UFO has landed," is how Der 
Tagesspiegel, another Berlin daily, announced the opening.
Another issue is the complex's size. The O2 Arena is the second largest 
in Germany after the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, which also opened to loud 
protests in 1998. "The protesters call it too big and monstrous," said 
Meyer. "But the developments help create jobs, and we are leaving niches 
for riverside bars, for creative and cultural offerings."
Opposition to Mediaspree has not been toothless. On Sept. 7, for 
example, opponents won a local referendum that may help them block 
future projects. While only 35,000 out of a potential 187,500 voters 
turned up to cast their votes, a massive 87 percent of them were in 
favor of massively altering other planned riverside developments. They 
want the buildings to be built further back from the water and to be 
drastically smaller. The referendum is not legally binding, but "Sink 
Mediaspree" has found sympathetic ears among many Berlin politicians.
Diverse Protests
Protesters arrived at the O2 World opening Wendesday night in two waves. 
First came those donning high heels, gowns and tuxedos, which clashed 
with the beat-up bikes they arrived on. Organized by a group called 
"Hedonism Internationale," they were hoping to be admitted into the 
event by blending into the crowd. "Not chic enough," one muttered after 
being turned away.
Most demonstrators arrived later after gathering across the river in 
Kreuzberg and marching toward the arena. Some 600 policemen were there 
to meet them, cordoning off the road in front of the arena and keeping 
many away from the building. Riot police kept protesters who slipped 
through the roadblock at a 300-meter distance from the building.
Demonstrators made their point in writing, too, wielding signs saying 
"Keep the Spree banks open for everyone!" "Against yuppies and 
investors!" and "Down with capitalism!"
“I’m here because the building is hideous; I hate it,” said a protester 
who would only identify herself as Anna D. “My boyfriend is up there 
protesting because of gentrification, but I just think it’s ugly.”
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Anna stood back from the ring of protesters around the front of O2 
World, which the police periodically rushed, knocking down some 
demonstrators in the process. "Tear it down, tear it down," shouted the 
whistle-blowing protesters. At this distance, the only signs of life to 
be seen from inside the complex were event-goers who emerged onto the 
enormous balcony to smoke and point down at the protesters.
In the end, the protests only succeeded in delaying the opening by about 
30 minutes, and the closing event -- an impressive fireworks display -- 
went off as planned.
Back at the police roadblock after the event, most of the protesters had 
dispersed, though some remained sitting on the grass drinking beer.
A handful of people took advantage of the opportunity to argue with 
policemen. “Just let me through, already” said a woman from Kreuzberg, 
hanging onto the crowd-control barriers. “I’m moving after a year, anyway.”
“That’s nice,” one policeman responded.
“What do you mean, nice?," the woman answered back. "I can’t afford my 
apartment, anymore."
“I don’t really understand why all these people, these demonstrators, 
are standing outside,” said Karl Heitz, a tourist from Nuremberg who had 
made his way through the roadblock to take photographs of celebrities 
arriving at the gala. Protesters had been busy all night dropping their 
pants to moon celebrities and cameramen.
“What can they do?" asked Heitz. "Take it down? It is already there.”
In a statement issued after the event, "Sink Mediaspree" representatives 
accused the police of "disproportionate exercise of violence." In its 
statement, the police said that 20 of the 600 officers in attendance 
were injured when a protester broke a bottle filled with acid.







http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,3631060,00.html?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf

Berlin | 09.09.2008
East Berlin Building Project Sparks Protest, Praise

Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Protests are planned 
for "O2 World" opening on Wednesday Sep. 10

A controversial development project designed to reshape the River Spree 
bank in east Berlin opens Wednesday amid weeks of fierce protest.
The site cuts through three of Berlin's twelve districts and crosses the 
border which formerly divided the city into East and West. Projects 
already realized under the Mediaspree label include futuristic office 
high rises as well as redeveloped industrial sites.
But the drastic change the project has caused to the city's landscape 
has also aroused fierce protest. One objection is to a large 
multi-purpose arena accommodating up to 17,000 visitors, which opens on 
Wednesday Sep. 10 after two years of construction.
Local opposition to Spree river building
Hans-Christian Stroebele, a Green party member of the Bundestag in 
Berlin, told the AP news agency that he felt "great sympathy" for the 
protest initiative "Sink Mediaspree" -- an organization opposed to 
building projects along the Spree river bank.
With its bright blue roof and large LED screen catching the eye from 
afar, the "O2 World" arena sticks out in an area of what is still a 
largely undeveloped post-industrial wasteland. The venue and the 
surrounding 24 hectare-compound is owned by US event company Anschutz 
Entertainment Group.
Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: A 
computer generated image of the Spreeport complex
Critics maintain the arena destroys the character of the district and 
many have been protesting against the building of "O2 World" and other 
projects in the area. Some said they would stage another protest at the 
official opening. Local pressure groups have been lobbying to keep the 
Spree river banks free from private real estate developments.
On Sunday Sep. 7, 35,000 out of 187,500 potential voters cast their 
votes in a non-legally binding poll and eighty-seven percent were in 
favor of massive changes to the other Spree river-bank building projects.
District mayor remains positive
Franz Schulz, Green party member and mayor of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg 
where the arena is located, said that investors, politicians and those 
opposing the project should get together and seek a negotiated 
settlement. He also said that the notion of changing the building plans 
would be very delicate and could incur huge fees in damages.
Schultz also leant his praise to the flashy building: "It is an 
important development engine for the entire district."
"The Anschutz project will attract other investors. It has also had a 
direct effect on the ailing local labor market, providing about 900 
jobs," Schulz added.
Together with its sponsor, mobile phone operator O2, Anschutz plans to 
celebrate the completion of the 165 million euro ($235 million) "O2 
World" arena with an impressive line up of stars. Metallica, Coldplay 
and German singer Herbert Groenemeyer will be performing in the coming week.








http://www.gmanews.tv/story/116891/Mendiola-closed-off-ahead-of-planned-protest-rally

Mendiola closed off ahead of planned protest rally
08/29/2008 | 12:01 PM
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MANILA, Philippines - Manila police and presidential guards closed off 
Mendiola Bridge near Malacañang before noon Friday, in anticipation of a 
protest to be staged there by militant students.

Radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo reported that militant students had been 
planning a protest to call for the repeal of the value-added tax (VAT) 
on basic commodities.

On Thursday, militant groups mounted localized protests calling for the 
repeal of the VAT and seeking a P125 wage hike.

The Manila City government allows rallies in the area only during 
weekends and holidays. - GMANews.TV







http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/topstories/topstories/view/20080829-157580/Alleged-govt-spies-nabbed-by-protesting-PUP-students

Alleged gov’t spies nabbed by protesting PUP students
SWAT team blocked from entering school
By Abigail Kwok
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 15:33:00 08/29/2008

Filed Under: Protest, Youth, Education, Espionage & Intelligence, Police
MANILA, Philippines -- Youth activists at the Polytechnic University of 
the Philippines (PUP) claimed to have caught four alleged government 
agents conducting surveillance on a student protest Friday noon.
In a phone interview, Ken Ramos, chairman of the youth group Anakbayan, 
said the protesters first pounced on two men they caught taking pictures 
of PUP student council chair Krishna Ayuson.
Two other men, who tried to sneak out the first two, were also caught.
The men, in their late 30s, wore civilian clothes and were allegedly 
armed, Ramos said.
As of posting time, the four have been taken into the custody of the PUP 
security office, where they are being interrogated by the school 
administration and student council. However, Ramos said the four have 
refused to answer questions, not even about their identities.
“They refused to tell their motives for documenting our picket-program. 
But it is clear from their actions that they intended to spy on and 
intimidate us,” Ayuson said.
Ramos said after the four men were apprehended, 15 members of a police 
Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team arrived at the school but were 
prevented from entering by the students.
An agreement between student activists and the government signed in the 
1980s prohibits armed policemen from entering school grounds without the 
administration's permission.
Ramos accused the government for the alleged “underhanded tactic to 
stifle student unrest.”
“Surveillance, intimidation and misinformation have always been part of 
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's arsenal in confronting protesters. 
These moves are almost always coupled with violence. This dangerous 
concept in dealing with opposition is now being used in educational 
institutions. Arroyo is responsible for the seeping fascism in the 
schools,” he said.







http://www.gmanews.tv/story/116728/Militants-stage-protests-in-20-areas-eye-nationwide-revolt

Militants stage protests in 20 areas, eye 'nationwide revolt'
08/28/2008 | 08:00 PM
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MANILA, Philippines - After claiming success in its protests for a P125 
wage hike and for the removal of the value-added tax (VAT) Thursday, 
militant workers are eyeing a "nationwide revolt" if government fails to 
address their concerns.

The Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) said workers, urban poor and other sectors 
staged their protests in more than 20 areas in Metro Manila and nearby 
provinces.

"We not just prepared for metrowide protests, but also for nationwide 
revolts," said KMU chairman Elmer Labog, in a statement on the KMU website.

"The Arroyo government better not be stubborn. This is just a prelude to 
a nation-wide transport strike we are gearing up for next month if our 
demands are not met," he added.

In the same statement, Labog pointed out the "evident" exploitation of 
big oil companies that set the prices petroleum products, and that the 
regime taxes heavily from it.

As example, he pointed out that when the world market oil price was $114 
on the average last May, the average diesel price for the same month was 
P44 per liter.

For this month of August when oil price is pegged at $114, the price of 
diesel is at P55 per liter.

“That should already amount to a minimum of P11 instant rollback. We are 
not yet considering the P12 overprice cost exposed by IBON, and the 
excessive profiteering of big oil companies.

"All the oil cartel's lame arguments have already been debunked. We are 
expecting a big or substantial rollback in oil prices, and no less," 
Labog said.

Labog also lambasted the recent announcement of the National Wage Board 
of the effectivity of the P5 Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) adjustment 
starting Thursday.

"If this is the Arroyo regime's way of recognizing the bites of monthly 
record-breaking rates, of pacifying the people in the anticipated round 
of increases in the prices of canned goods, vegetables, and other food 
products, and of evading again the legislated P125 wage increase, we 
warn her to stop her delusions,"Labog reacted.

"The P5 cannot even adjust the 'cost of living,' it's not even par with 
new minimum jeep fare of P8.50," he added. - GMANews.TV









http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/29/stories/2008082954940500.htm

Kerala - Kollam

KSEB staff protest
Staff Reporter
KOLLAM: Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) workers under the banner 
of the INTUC-affiliated Kerala Electricity Employees Confederation 
observed Thursday as anti-restructuring day.
They wanted the government to drop the move to convert the KSEB into a 
company.
The confederation alleged the move was part of a conspiracy to implement 
the 1008 Lavalin agenda in the KSEB.





http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/28/stories/2008082859150300.htm

Kerala - Kochi

KSEB staff plan protest
KOCHI: The Kerala Electricity Employees Confederation will organise 
campaigns before the various circle offices of the Kerala State 
Electricity Board on Thursday against the decision of the government to 
convert the KSEB into a company.
The Federation has urged the government to reconsider the decision, said 
a statement issued by P.M. Abdul Lathif, president of the Federation.
Aug 28








http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/21/stories/2008092153520400.htm

Kerala

KSEB employees’ protest
— Photo: S. Gopakumar

for a cause: Members of the Kerala Electricity Board Employees 
Confederation staging a dharna in front of the Secretariat on Saturday 
in protest against the move to restructure the Kerala State Electricity 
Board.








http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/21/stories/2008092151200300.htm

Karnataka - Raichur

Devadasis protest against privatisation of project
Staff Correspondent
Raichur: Members of the district unit of the Karnataka Rajya Devadasi 
Vimochana Sangha staged a dharna here on Saturday in protest against 
privatisation of the Devadasi rehabilitation project. They demanded that 
the Government reserve separate funds for Devadasis while implementing 
the Amrut Yojana.
About 200 activists staged the dharna in front of the Deputy 
Commissioner’s office.
H. Padma, president of the district unit of the sangha, said there were 
22,000 Devadasis in 22 districts of the State. Most of them led 
miserable lives owing to lack of proper employment.
She said that since last year, the Government had been implementing a 
subsidised loan scheme and the Amrut Yojana for Devadasis under the 
Devadasi rehabilitation project of the the Karnataka State Women’s 
Development Corporation. This had benefited many Devadasis. However, the 
project had failed to achieve the target set. This had prompted the 
Government to hand over the project to non-governmental organisations 
(NGOs).
Ms. Padma said the handing over of the project to NGOs would lead to 
exploitation of Devadasis by middlemen and would not help provide social 
security to them.
Ms. Padma said implementation of the Amrut Yojana had not achieved the 
expected success. The scheme was meant to extend financial assistance 
with 50 per cent subsidy to poor women belonging to the Scheduled Castes 
and the Scheduled Tribes, including Devadasis, so that they could buy cows.
Separate provision
The Government should make a separate budgetary provision to extend 
financial assistance exclusively to Devadasis, she demanded.





http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/businessline/blnus/27271020.htm

Maharashtra Govt halts work on Dow unit after protests
MUMBAI: After followers of the `Warkari' sect in Maharashtra intensified 
their agitation against Dow Chemical demanding closure of its proposed 
unit near Pune, the Chief Minister Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh has ordered a 
month's stay on the project work.
Mr Deshmukh, currently on a week-long official visit to Europe, has 
taken the decision keeping in mind the sentiments of the Warkaris 
(members of the sect), sources close to him said here.
The Government has also decided to appoint a committee headed by a 
former High Court judge to study the objections to the multi-crore R&D 
project, the sources said, adding the panel is expected to submit report 
within a month.
The US chemical multinational is the owner of Union Carbide, responsible 
for the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy in which several thousand people were 
killed due to the release of 40 tonnes of deadly methyl isocyanate (MIC) 
gas.
Dow is trying to build a chemical experimentation facility in Vasuli 
Shinde village, near Pune, and the project is facing stiff opposition on 
ground of pollution.
In January, angry villagers dug up the road leading to the plant and 
stopped construction. In July, when the company attempted to restart 
construction with police protection, Warkaris entered and demolished the 
construction site. They also staged pro test in Chakan, Alandi and Khed 
regions of Pune district. The Warkaris, known for their peace loving 
nature and devotion to Maharashtra's reigning deity Lord Vithoba of 
Pandharpur, are up in arms against the project over pollution fears. - PTI







http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/09/06/europe/EU-Greece-Protests.php

Unions rally against Greece's conservatives

The Associated Press
Published: September 6, 2008

THESSALONIKI, Greece: More than 10,000 people demonstrated in the 
northern Greek city of Thessaloniki on Saturday to protest economic reforms.
The protest, called by labor unions, was largely peaceful, but a small 
group of demonstrators damaged a bank with a gasoline bomb and smashed a 
nearby storefront, police said.
Police fired tear gas to disperse the violent protesters. Authorities 
said 10 demonstrators were arrested. Brief clashes also broke out 
between two rival protest groups.
Police had deployed some 2,000 officers to keep protesters away from an 
international trade fair, where Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis was due 
to speak on the state of Greece's economy.
The annual speech has repeatedly been marred by violence in recent years.
Greece's largest unions are pressing a series of demands that include 
pay hikes, pension reforms and an overhaul of labor rights.
Police and firefighting associations were also due to stage rallies, 
with their members protesting in uniform.
"We are expecting the prime minister and the very talkative members of 
his Cabinet to tell us what will happen with all the low-income 
pensioners, the unemployed and all of those people who are in danger of 
losing their jobs," said Yiannis Panagopoulos, leader of Greece's 
largest labor union, the GSEE.
Greece's monthly minimum wage rose to €701 (US$1,000) on Sept. 1, up 
from €680 (US$970).
"We must make the changes to transform a generation of (economic) 
submission into a generation of confrontation," said Alexis Tsipras, 
head of the small Left Coalition Party, who joined the protesters in 
Thessaloniki on Saturday.






http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/230123,more-than-10000-people-rally-to-protest-economy-in-northern.html

More than 10,000 people rally to protest economy in northern Greece

Posted : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:52:58 GMT
Author : DPA

Thessaloniki, Greece - More than 10,000 people rallied in the Greek 
northern port city of Thessaloniki on Saturday to protest the poor state 
of the economy. The demonstrators marched through the city just as Prime 
Minister Costas Karamanlis was giving an annual speech on the economy 
and badly needed economic reforms at the site of an international trade 
fair where 2,000 police where deployed to contain any potential violence.
A small group of demonstrators damaged a number of storefront windows 
and a bank, setting it ablaze with homemade gas cannisters while riot 
police retaliated by firing tear gas into the crowd.
Smaller clashes also broke out between two main rival protest groups.
Officials said a dozen demonstrators were arrested. Four people were 
slightly injured and taken to hospital.







http://www.iii.co.uk/news/?type=afxnews&articleid=6926890&subject=companies&action=article

(AFX UK Focus) 2008-10-02 17:02
Greek PM vows to pursue reforms despite protests
ATHENS, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis vowed 
on Thursday to press ahead with reforms despite mounting union protests 
at his privatisation plans for debt-ridden state carrier Olympic Air 
[OLY.UL].
Hundreds of pilots, dock workers, and employees at other public 
companies marched on parliament chanting "Elections now!" before a vote 
to permit the privatisation of Olympic and other state-owned firms.
"These reforms will continue, despite the opposition of those with 
vested interests, who wallowed for decades in stagnation," Karamanlis 
said after meeting his cabinet. "We have been elected to change things, 
and this is what we will do."
Karamanlis's New Democracy party won re-election to a fresh four-year 
term a year ago, but faces strong union opposition to its plans to 
privatise state companies and tighten the rules on labour and social 
security benefits.
The government, which launched a tender this week to sell off Olympic, 
saw its tenuous grip on parliament weakened on Monday when Karamanlis 
dismissed a rebel deputy, cutting its presence to 151 seats in the 
300-member house.
Greece announced last month it would break the loss-making airline into 
three units and privatise them, ending years of wrangling with the 
European Commission over illegal state aid. No investors have expressed 
interest yet.
"We will continue fighting until (the minister) withdraws his plan," the 
head of the Olympic Airways unions (OSPA), Manolis Patestos, told Reuters.
The protesters, who promised not to disrupt Olympic flights, said they 
would meet unions from troubled Alitalia and other European airlines on 
Wednesday to plan coordinated action. Workers from the transport sector 
and other state-owned companies will stage a 24-hour strike the same day.
New Democracy has fallen behind the opposition Socialists in opinion 
polls on concern over its handling of the economy. A senior official 
said on Thursday the government would guarantee all bank deposits, amid 
reports some savers were withdrawing their funds because of concern over 
the global financial crisis.








http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2008/9/4/melawai-market-traders-protest-against-carrefour-presence/

09/04/08 00:28
Melawai market traders protest against Carrefour presence


Jakarta (ANTARA News) - A group of small retail traders from Pasar 
Melawai in the Blok M area in south Jakarta demonstrated at the Jakarta 
City Legislative Council (DPRD DKI) building on Wednesday to protest 
against the presence of a Carrefour hypermarket in the same building 
where they are operating.

Accompanied by activists of a number of small traders` advocacy 
organizations, representatives of the traders` group said the Carrefour 
hypermarket was a threat to their businesses.

"We have filed a lawsuit, reported to the Corruption Eradication 
Commission (KPK), the Business Competition Supervisory Commission 
(KPPU), State Audit Board (BPK) and Commission B of the City Legilsative 
Council. And they said Carrefour had no permit," said Sujianto, chairman 
of the Federation of Indonesian Market Traders Organizations ((FOPPI).

The Melawai traders said Carrefour had violated a city administration 
regulation on private marketplace affairs issued in 2002 stipulating 
that hypermarkets cannot be set up within a distance of less than 2.5 
kilometers from a traditional market.

"But in Melawai, Carrefour is operating in the same building as small 
traders who now feel threatened," Sujianto said.

Aliman Aat, chairman of the City Legislative Council`s Commission B, who 
received a delegation of the protesters, said he would check with 
economic affairs bureau of the city administration whether Carrefour 
really lacked a permit to operate at Melawai.

Meanwhile, the Melawai traders said they would continue to demonstrate 
at the City Legislative Council building if the city authorities did not 
revoke the permits of hypermarkets that had violated the 2002 regulation 
on their proper location.(*)








http://news.mainetoday.com/updates/033079.html

Anti-bottled water protest held
E-mail this page Reader Comments (below)
By Noel K. Gallagher Portland Press Herald Staff Writer September 17, 
2008 03:40 PM
Recent Updates
Search on for possible missing boater off Biddeford 10:20 AM
Maine film hits number 1 10:02 AM
Motorsports Expo today 9:32 AM
PORTLAND -- About 50 people turned out for an anti-bottled water protest 
in Tommy's Park in downtown Portland this afternoon.
The protest was mostly aimed at Poland Springs, which has met resistance 
in several York County towns this summer after proposing possible 
drilling on town-owned land.
Other speakers brought up anti-free-trade sentiments and urged people to 
drink tap water instead of any bottled water.
Anti-bottled water protesters emphasized that Poland Spring is a 
subsidiary of Nestle Waters North America. Its corporate parent is based 
in Switzerland.
Organizer Jamilla El Shafei, of Save our Water, urged people to "say 
'no' to the corporate takeover of our natural resources."
Poland Springs spokesman Tom Brennan released a statement today saying 
the company is creating jobs and is environmentally responsible.
"To Maine people who know about our economic development in rural parts 
of the state and our environmental and sustainability practices, these 
protests just don't make sense" Brennan wrote in an e-mail.
Shapleigh resident Mary Taylor told the crowd she was hopeful a water 
extraction moratorium would be passed at a special town meeting this 
Saturday.
"It seems someone wants to steal that water from us," she said. "I hope 
we stop them cold. We have to say no to Nestle."
Among the speakers' concerns are global water privatization, how much 
oil is used in the production of plastic bottles and transportation of 
bottled water, and the quality of bottled water compared to tap water.






http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/09/18/europe/EU-Greece-Olympic-Airlines.php

Greek airline workers stage protest near runway

The Associated Press
Published: September 18, 2008
ATHENS, Greece: About 200 Olympic Airlines workers have staged a protest 
at Athens International Airport to oppose plans to privatize the only 
fully state-owned airline in the European Union.
Airport officials say the demonstration did not disrupt Thursday's flights.
The Greek government wants to break up and sell Olympic Airlines and 
transfer most of its 8,100 staff to public sector jobs.
The EU has criticized Greece for breaking competition rules by paying 
Olympic illegal subsidies.







http://allafrica.com/stories/200809180294.html

Nigeria: Ijaw, Itsekiri Protest Chevron's Employment Style
Daniel Gumm
18 September 2008
The Ijaw-Itsekiri Consultative Forum (IICF), yesterday, in Warri 
protested Chevron's "unholy employment attitude," to the two 
nationalities, warning that if the oil giant did not cease their 
attitude, the forum would have no other option than to "come out largely 
with our women and children to protest against a system that deprives 
them the source of living."
In a letter to the management of Chevron Nigeria Limited, signed by 
Collins Eselemo, for the Ijaws, and Hosnana, Jalogho-Williams, for the 
Itsekiri, made available to Vanguard, the forum called on the management 
of Chevron to "immediately complete and recruit successful candidates 
from the 2002 employment process as well as occupation of vacant seats 
in Warri and Escravos by Itsekiri and Ijaws, who are qualified."
The forum also called for immediate absorption of the outstanding 
successful candidates for the "skill training at Ogere and South Africa, 
and restoration of the good intentions promoted by Chevron Nigeria 
Limited earlier but which had taken a clandestine operation by the 
operations department in CNL, which objective was to reduce few Ijaw and 
Itsekiri people in Chevron to redundant positions.
It called on the oil giant to shun its nationally advertised placement 
where hundreds/thousands of people apply for short-listing, which placed 
the Ijaw-Itsekiri graduates disadvantaged in the random selection 
process because of their small population, advising Chevron to adopt 
community-based aptitude test for qualified graduates.
Besides, the forum also wants Chevron to implement the following demands 
or face the consequences:
*Inclusion and strict adherence to labour law provision(s) as they 
affect or touch on catchments area employment quota.
*A committee of inquiry set up to investigate the employment process of 
CNL as it affects the Itsekiri and Ijaw.
*Immediate recruitment of 600 Itsekiri and Ijaw for direct employment 
and 2000 contract staffs.
*An immediate recommendation made by the commission of inquiry and 
referred to our body in order to achieve the sustainability of peace and 
tranquility within the Niger Delta region.
It frowned at a situation whereby "it is seen that Chevron is attracting 
capital flight in its labour entity by absorbing a high percentage of 
other major ethnic nationalities in its labour force, a situation that 
gives an opening for our ethnic nationalities to be subsumed."
But Chevron's General Manager, Government and Public Affairs, Mr. Femi 
Odumagbo, reacting from London said the "issue is being addressed to see 
that the matter is settled amicably."
He said his company, Chevron "is targeting community people in the 
employment policy which has tremendously increased the percentage in 
employment in key areas such as operations, facility engineering and 
award of contracts to community contractors which has reduced tension 
between Chevron and its host communities."
Mr. Odumagbo added that Chevron would continue to do its best to ensure 
that people were given sufficient opportunity as far as employment 
policy was concerned.






http://allafrica.com/stories/200809291220.html

Ghana: Farmers Protest Signing of EPAs
Selorm Amevor
29 September 2008

Asutsuare — Ghanaian farmers have added their voice to the call on 
government to desist from signing on to the Economic Partnership 
Agreements (EPAs) which is expected to top the agenda at the 6th Summit 
of the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries which begins 
tomorrow, Tuesday, September 30 and ends Friday, October 3.
Currently, the government has initialed the EPAs light despite calls 
from the Ghana Trade Union Congress (GTUC), Association of Ghana 
Industries (AGI) and other bodies urging it not to sign the agreements 
due to the dire consequences they will have on the agricultural sector 
and other sectors of the economy.
According to tomatoe and rice farmers in the Eastern and Central 
Regions, if government signs on to the EPAs it would lead to the total 
collapse of the agricultural sector which is the backbone of the economy.
During a two-day tour of Asutsuare in the Eastern Region and Okyereko in 
the Central Region, the farmers who are likely to be the worst hit by 
the EPAs, indicated through their representatives that with the current 
deplorable state of the Ghanaian farmer it was impossible for them to 
compete with their European partners.
The Ghana Trade and Livelihood Coalition (GTLC) organized the tour as 
part of its efforts to have a first hand assessment of governments' 
policy of banning imported tomato paste and the institutional purchase 
of local rice and poultry which was introduced last year and the likely 
negative impact of the EPAs on these policies should it come into force.
Mr. Jacob Kwabla Kpodo, on behalf of tomato farmers at Ada, highlighted 
the numerous challenges affecting the cultivation of tomatoes in the 
country which include the lack of access routes to their farms, their 
inability to purchase modern equipment to meet current trends, 
difficulty in accessing loans from banks as well problems associated 
with the marketing of their products.
He said that with all these challenges bedeviling the Ghanaian farmer, 
and government's lack of commitment to salvage the situation, the 
signing of the EPAs would have a devastating effect on the livelihoods 
of the ordinary farmer and their family.
Mr. Kpodo indicated that the government's decision to ban the 
importation of tomato paste from November 1 of last year led to an 
increase in their yields, accessed new variety of tomato seeds, got a 
ready market for their products and also witnessed an increase in youth 
involvement the production of tomatoes.
According to him, instead of government signing on to the EPAs, it 
should rather renovate the many tomatoes factories across the country 
and make efforts in putting up new ones.
"We do not have the factories that would help us package our tomatoes to 
meet international standards so any effort to open up our markets to the 
international world will mean an unfair competition," he added.
Mr. Elvis Donkor, Administrative Secretary of the Asutsuare Co-operative 
Society, in his presentation commended the government for the 
introduction of the institutional purchase of local rice and poultry.
He indicated that the introduction of the policy made it possible for 
rice farmers in the country to get a ready market for their produce and 
this led to increases in their yields.
Mr. Donkor said that if government signs on to the EPAs it would mean 
that both international and local producers would have a level playing 
field when it comes to the issue of institutional purchase of rice.
In addition, he said that that instead of government reducing taxes on 
rice importation, it should maintain or even increase them and use the 
taxes to support the local industry.
Ms. Mary Lee, a rice farmer, said that any attempt by government to sign 
on to the EPAs would mean creating jobs for those in the outside world 
while Ghanaians would become more unemployed because of the likely 
influx of products from outside.
She urged the government not to consider the immediate benefits of 
financial assistance that would come to it because it signed on to the 
agreement but then the consequences such a policy would have on the 
agricultural sector.
At Okyereko, the Vice President of the Okyereko Co-operative Society, 
Mr. Emmanuel Amoak, called on the government to seek the interest of the 
Ghanaian farmer and not that of donor countries who would always want 
the best for their country.
He indicated that whereas it costs the Ghanaian farmer about $450 to get 
produce a tonne of rice, a farmer in Europe spends about $275 on the 
same tonne because of subsidy from their governments.
The Coordinator of the GTLC, Mr. Ibrahim Akilbila, said that the 
two-policy initiative by government was an indication that it has the 
strength to introduce policies that would be beneficial to the Ghanaian.
He, however, said that since the government introduced the two policies 
efforts to get the modalities spelt out have been very difficult 
although they were hopeful of getting a positive reply soon.
Touching on the EPAs, he said that although the government has initialed 
the EPAs light it was not an indication that it would sign on to the 
real EPAs.
Mr. Akilbila said that the agreement places the country against powerful 
and developed partners whose enterprises and industries would be treated 
like Ghanaian companies.
"The agreement ensures that Ghana cannot use tariffs as a development 
tool with one of its biggest trading partners to advance the development 
of the country thus the use of government procurement to support sectors 
to grow is under treat in the EPAs, he said.
He said that to drum home their message to government the Coalition and 
other partners would organize a demonstration today to the Ministry of 
Trade and Industry where they would present a petition to government on 
the stands of farmers.







http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/street-art-protest-pixacao-gallery-grafitti-attack

Pixacao Protests [Edit]
Graffiti Artists Deface Street Art Exhibit

In protest against the marketing, institutionalization and domestication 
of street art, 30 members of a graffiti art movement known as ‘pixacao’ 
stormed into a Brazilian gallery brandishing spray cans and defaced the 
entire collection of paintings by well-known street artists that were on 
display.
The attack caused almost $10,000 worth of damage.
The Choque Gallery in Sao Paulo, Brazil specializes in promoting new art 
forms, and has displayed work by graffiti artists, tattoo artists, 
graphic designers and illustrators since 2004.
The pixacao protests are adding fuel to the ongoing debate about whether 
or not street art should be shown in galleries.
The choque gallery attack is the latest and perhaps the most high 
profile incident where pixacao have tried to make their voice heard. 
(designboom)





http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/stories/2008/09/22/1243743afe8c

Group set to defy council over food tax protest
Updated at 1:25pm on 22 September 2008
A group campaigning for the removal of a tax on food says it plans to 
defy Whangarei District Council and use a city mall to display its petition.
The Residents' Action Movement has organised what it calls a people's 
procession and is making its way to Parliament in Wellington.
The convoy expects to arrive in Whangarei about about midday on Tuesday.
The council has refused to let the group use the Cameron Street Mall for 
its anti-GST campaign, because it sees it as a political event.
Organiser Vaughan Gunson says the council's decision is ridiculous and 
mall is the major public space in Whangarei.
The council says the group could be liable for a hefty fine if it goes 
ahead.






http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/32540449.html

Kids protest proposed Church’s Chicken, citing health reasons
By Karen Herzog of the Journal Sentinel
Posted: Sep. 12, 2008
A group of neighborhood kids carrying signs and chanting, “No more 
chicken; we want healthy choices,” led a vigil Thursday night at the 
proposed site of a Church’s Chicken restaurant on Milwaukee’s north side.
The peaceful demonstration, billed as “a vigil to stand for the health 
of a community,” drew about 60 people, including neighborhood residents, 
members of area groups that promote eating healthful foods, two 
physicians and 16 kids who marched from their nearby Neu Life Community 
Center after-school program a few blocks away.
The kids, ages 7 through 17, chose to participate, made signs and came 
up with cheers to support the cause, said program director Jody Rhodes. 
Another 40 kids from the program decided they want a fried chicken 
restaurant at the site, 1635 W. North Ave., and stayed behind at the 
community center.
“The other kids noted it would bring jobs and said they love chicken,” 
Rhodes said. “We’ve been talking about this for a few days now, and it’s 
been quite a conversation.”
The vigil was organized by Walnut Way Conservation Corp., a nonprofit 
group that coordinates neighborhood betterment projects, including 
several community vegetable gardens — one of which is on the other side 
of a fence from the site of the proposed Church’s Chicken. The site has 
housed several other fried chicken restaurants in the past. It has been 
vacant about a year.
The proposed Church’s would be the third fried chicken restaurant within 
a 10-block stretch of North Ave., and opponents contend the neighborhood 
already is saturated with fast food. The city’s Board of Zoning Appeals 
is expected to take action on the restaurant proposal at its meeting at 
4 p.m. Thursday at City Hall.
“I think it’s important that communities are healthy and safe,” said 
Stephen Hargarten, chief of emergency medicine at Froedtert Hospital in 
Wauwatosa. He attended the vigil with Linda Meurer, a physician and 
associate professor of family and community medicine at the Medical 
College of Wisconsin.
“We want to be a district of change,” said organizer Sharon Adams, 
co-founder of Walnut Way Conservation Corp.





http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/sep/11/yehey/prov/20080911pro5.html

Thursday, September 11 2008

Fear grips residents protesting
poultry farm in Nueva Ecija village

CABANATUAN CITY: Fear grips residents of a lowly Nueva Ecija village 
after some 200 people holding a vigil in protest of the continuous 
operation of five poultry farms where allegedly fired at over the 
weekend by armed men in fatigue uniforms, village officials said on Monday.
The shots reportedly came from the compound near the poultry houses of 
Hazel Navarro in Barangay Cabu, Cabanatuan City. Navarro is a chicken 
grower whose harvest was being barred by the people camped out along the 
barangay road.
Navarro herself claimed bullets that came from nowhere hit her house.
Alfredo Talania, barangay coun¬cilor, said over 200 villagers were lying 
on the roadside when the shots, said to be from an automatic firearm, 
were heard. While the protesters believed the gunshots were intended to 
scare them off, they chose to stay put.
On the fourth day of protest on Monday, several armed men in fatigue 
uniform emerged from the eastern side of the road and demanded for 
people to let container trucks pass to ferry the chickens from Navarro’s 
farm.
“They were brandishing long firearms, dressed in fatigue uniform but 
without nameplates,” one protester said, adding that the men then 
refused to identify themselves when asked by the residents.
Supt. Eliseo Cruz, city police chief, said the situation somehow 
subsided on Monday afternoon when Navarro signed an agreement with the 
leaders of the protesting residents that until such time that a 
memorandum of agreement for a permanent solution is reached, she will 
not load the birdhouse with anymore chicks. Another meeting has been set 
on October 1.
Earlier, Cruz deployed a team from the Special Weapons and Tactics unit 
and two mobile patrols to the village as barangay officials expressed 
alarm over the alleged firing of guns on the villagers who held a vigil 
in protest of the operation of poultry farms in the area.
The residents held the vigil to protest the perceived continuous 
operation of Navarro’s farm despite pending talks for a proposed 
memorandum of agreement at the Sanggu¬niang Panlungsod. Bara¬ngay 
officials have proposed that the agreement include provisions for 
improved sanitation and for workers who usually come from far place to 
register.
Cruz said the agreement signed between Magtalas’ group and Navarro opens 
for a long-term solution. “Now they can talk about long term solution,” 
he said.
The residents are keeping their fingers crossed until the city 
government and concerned agencies rule on their petition.
-- Armand M. Galang






http://www.14wfie.com/global/story.asp?s=9113003

Local bailout protesters cited for vandalism

Posted: Oct 2, 2008 05:24 PM
Updated: Oct 7, 2008 07:02 PM

Posted by Rachel Folz- email
EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE)- Some local bailout protestors were cited by 
police for drawing on the sidewalk.
It happened in front of Rep Brad Ellsworth's office in downtown Evansville.
According to the police affidavit, the protestors wrote slogans on the 
sidewalk and drew pictures on the walls in chalk.
The fire department was called to clean up the mess.





http://www.14wfie.com/global/story.asp?s=9109933

Tri-Staters protest Ellsworth's bailout vote

Posted: Oct 2, 2008 03:57 AM
Updated: Oct 7, 2008 07:02 PM


By Nathan Ryder - bio | email
Posted by Mike Mardis - email
EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) - The House of Represenatives will likely vote on 
the Senate version of the bailout plan Friday.
Opposition to a federal bailout spilled onto the sidewalk Wednesday 
evening in Evansville. The protest in front of Representative Brad 
Ellsworth's downtown office was in response to his 'yes' vote on the 
government's financial bailout plan.
Within about an hour of starting, the group doubled, attracting the 
attention of drivers passing by.
"They only come past for one or two seconds, but it's long enough for 
them to be able to see the sign and know that's the way they feel," Phil 
Schmitt, protester said.
There were honking horns in support of a protest in downtown Evansville 
from people upset over Ellsworth's vote on Monday's financial bailout 
package.
"We're against this vote," Schmitt said. "He's been good on some things 
I suppose. He's just like any politician. He tries to walk the line."
Schmitt organized the non-partisan protest because he and several other 
people feel a bailout is a bad idea.
"They've been trying to frame this bailout plan with new terminology 
like "a rescue plan" and I don't see it that way," Schmitt said. "Every 
time they come to the rescue, things seem to get worse."
Ellsworth, on the road back to Evansville, said he understands how they 
fell.
"Everybody should be mad we're in this situation," Ellsworth said.
He said when the bailout plan first emerged, it was something he was 
against.
"Originally, I would have voted 'no,'" Ellsworth said. "But after this 
was negotiated with the protections in place for the good decision 
makers, the average Joe on the streets of Evansville in the 8th 
district, then it was something I could support."
Ellsworth said he'd still vote 'yes' on the plan that came before him on 
Monday, but protestors hope the newest plan coming out of the Senate 
will change Ellsworth's tune.
"We hope that he will change his vote to 'no,'" Schmitt said.
Ellsworth was returning to Evansville after attending an event in Terre 
Haute. He said Thursday he will fly back to Capitol Hill and begin 
reviewing the plan put together by the Senate Wednesday night.





http://story.australianherald.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/3a8a80d6f705f8cc/id/412057/cs/1/

US bailout fuels protests in streets, online
Australian Herald
Sunday 28th September, 2008
(IANS)
Even as lawmakers laboured to break the impasse on Bush administration's 
$700 billion plan to rescue giant Wall Street firms to solve the 
financial crisis, the bailout has spontaneously inspired street protests 
in the US and outrage gone viral across the web.

Protesters argue that they would want the Congress to protect millions 
of ordinary American citizens on the verge of losing their homes due to 
poor lending practices of creditors instead of handing out public money 
to big investment companies responsible for ruining the economy in the 
first place.

An Indian American, Arun Gupta, too was enraged on learning the details 
of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's bailout plan with taxpayer funds. 
Publisher of an alternative newspaper, The Indypendent, he sent an 
e-mail to some politically active friends in New York, which resulted in 
protests against the bailout in New York and at scores of other 
locations in the country Sep 25.

'I couldn't sit back while this plan gets rammed through Congress,' 
Gupta was quoted in the media as saying.

He now works with the online group, truemajority.org, and is expecting 
hundreds to join a novel protest planned near Wall Street in Manhattan. 
Protesters intend building a pile of 'citizen junk' that the government 
should also purchase in front of the iconic bull sculpture.

Besides street protests, the Internet is now the site of numerous 
petitions, debates bordering on rants, and satire about the treasury 
secretary's plan and its potential consequences. Vociferous critics 
spanning the political and ideological spectrum in the country demand 
that Congress amend, scale back, or scrap the plan altogether.

Much of online rage takes the form of signatures on petitions and 
electronic letters to members of Congress. One Independent Senator, 
Bernie Sanders, is circulating a popular one on the left-leaning blog 
Huffington Post.

The 1.9-million member Service Employees International Union is also 
circulating a sign-on letter to Congress that says point blank: 'No 
deal. No blank check.' Another website, StopTheHousingBailout.com 
argues: 'A bailout tells responsible Americans that they are suckers.'

A right-wing blogger urges Republicans to vote against the bailout, 
since 'God himself couldn't have given rank-and-file Republicans a 
better opportunity to create political space between themselves and the 
administration'.

Biting satire is the way of buymyshitpile.com, where users are posting 
pictures of their personal junk next to the tagline: 'Hey Washington, 
can you buy my bad investments, too?' The total asking price of the 
'pile' submitted by users-which includes horse shit, baseball card 
collection, and an 'Immagrent', has crossed $7 billion as of Saturday.

Social networking sites are not immune to the new virus. The Facebook 
group 'Just Say No to the Government Bailout' has over 300 members now.

On YouTube, there is a bailout-related group called the Young Turks, 
whose news-style segment, 'This Is How The Bail Out Will Screw You', has 
had more than 25,000 page views.

'The public outrage out there is really enormous,' said Independent 
presidential candidate and populist consumer advocate Ralph Nader on a 
TV programme, calling the Bush proposal 'a double standard between the 
guys at the top and the people who are going to have to pay the bills'.






http://www.workers.org/2008/us/protests_1009/

Bailout plans spark nationwide protests
By Betsey Piette
Published Oct 1, 2008 3:55 PM


Detroit
WW photo: Alan Pollock
In the week since Bush announced plans to use $700 billion in public 
funds to rescue Wall Street banks, nearly 200 demonstrations have been 
organized throughout the U.S. to oppose the bailout and express the 
righteous anger of workers and poor. Many were organized by grassroots 
groups taking advantage of the Internet to get the word out.
In addition, tens of thousands of protest e-mail messages have been sent 
to Congress members, many demanding that any taxpayer funds go instead 
to assist homeowners facing foreclosures or to provide assistance to the 
millions unemployed. Opinion polls reported opposition to the bailout 
running at more than 85 percent.


Detroit
WW photo: Alan Pollock
Some protests involved anti-war activists who characterized the current 
economic crisis as a war against the workers at home and linked it to 
the $2 trillion already spent on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and 
threats of new war against Iran.
The mood was angry and militant in Baltimore, Md., where more than 200 
people came out on a day’s notice for a rally at the Federal Reserve 
Bank organized by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal 
Employees and the AFL-CIO Central Labor Council.


Larry Holmes, NYC.
WW photo: G. Dunkel
As congressional leaders negotiated with the Bush administration in 
Washington, D.C., 150 homeless advocates and community activists 
protested the city’s effort to shut down the Franklin School homeless 
shelter—the kind of program that will get the ax if the bailout goes 
through. Speakers made the connection between the city’s plan to close a 
facility that now houses people who lost homes through mortgage 
foreclosures, and the twisted priorities of a system that volunteers 
taxpayers’ money to Wall Street millionaires.
Chanting “Main Street first” and carrying signs and colorful umbrellas, 
a few hundred protesters also marched in front of the White House in the 
rain to demand the rejection of Treasury Secretary Paulson’s Wall Street 
bailout plan.


Joyce Chediac
WW photo: G. Dunkel
About 20 people gathered on a busy intersection in Tucson, Ariz., 
holding signs demanding “Foreclose the war—not our homes!” and “No to 
endless war and banker bailouts!” The protesters were met with 
enthusiastic responses of raised fists, victory signs and horn honks of 
approval. Drivers rolled down their windows to take leaflets. The 
linking of the war drive with the attacks on workers seemed to resonate 
with everyone.
NAU Peace and Justice in Flagstaff, Ariz., held a march and rally of 
about 110 people to address the imminent war with Iran and to express 
opposition to the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan.


Tucson, Ariz.
Photo : Paul Teitelbaum
Outside the federal building in Philadelphia, several youth from 
Students for a Democratic Society and Fight Imperialism, Stand Together 
joined other anti-war and union activists to voice opposition to the 
bailout and the war spending. FIST members Tyneisha Bowens and Miya X 
led chants and talked about what the bailout will cost in terms of 
program cuts, jobs lost and the heavy impact on women and people of 
color. SDS members Alex Grosskurgh and Jeff Rousset called on the 
government to bail out youth unable to pay off student loans.


Raleigh, N.C.
WW photo: Peter Gilbert
Protest signs included cardboard $700,000,000,000 checks depicting the 
money Bush wants workers to give over to rich bankers. Among those who 
stopped to sign a petition to stop the bankers’ bailout were a woman who 
faced foreclosure on her home of 17 years and a homeless Vietnam 
veteran. Several bus drivers honked their horns in support and opened 
their doors to get fliers. Two busloads of teenagers passing by all gave 
the fist and thumbs-up signs to the demonstration.


Flagstaff, Ariz.
Photo : NAU Peace and Justice
In Detroit, City Council President Monica Conyers and Councilmember 
JoAnn Watson held a joint press conference under the theme, “No bailout 
for banks and CEOs without bailout assistance for homeowners.” Earlier 
in the week, the Detroit City Council passed a resolution demanding 
Congress bail out victims of the housing and mortgage crisis by enacting 
a two-year moratorium on home foreclosures.
In Seattle, several dozen people protested at the federal building while 
others gathered at the headquarters of Washington Mutual, the savings 
and loan seized late last week by the government and sold off to JP 
Morgan Chase.
________________________________________
Articles copyright 1995-2009 Workers World. Verbatim copying and 
distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without 
royalty provided this notice is preserved.







http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/36345

Redistributing the Wealth - National Protests Erupt Over Bailout Plan
Submitted by Chip on Sat, 2008-09-27 11:19.
• Congress
• Criminal Prosecution
• Elections
• Evidence
• General Discussion
• Impeachment
• Nonviolent Resistance
• Organizing Locally
National Protests Erupt Over Bailout Plan
by Haider Rizvi | InterPressService
NEW YORK - The George W. Bush administration's plan to spend hundreds of 
billions of dollars to rescue giant Wall Street firms from their current 
financial meltdown has unleashed a spontaneous wave of protests across 
the United States.
Protesters said they want the Congress to protect millions of U.S. 
citizens who are on the verge of losing their homes due to bad lending 
practices of creditors instead of doling out public money to big 
investment firms responsible for ruining the economy.
"People are up in arms about this," Matt Holland of the 
TrueMajority.org, an advocacy group comprising 700,000 members that 
played a major role in organising the protests, told IPS. "Our members 
are livid. They're hitting the streets."
According to the group, thousands of people in more than 190 cities and 
towns across the country took part in demonstrations against the 
corporate bailout bill proposed by U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson 
last Friday.
The four-page draft bill, which is currently under discussion on Capitol 
Hill, did not initially require any legal and financial measures to 
protect homeowners from possible foreclosures, nor did it put any limits 
on the salaries of the corporate executives -- although legislators say 
that has since been amended.
On Thursday, Democratic and Republican lawmakers declared they were 
close to reaching a deal on a modified version of the bill, but still 
there was no indication if it would pass the Senate and the House.
"While many are focused on providing relief to the Wall Street, millions 
of homeowners are at risk of being left behind," said Janet Murgula, 
president of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the nation's 
largest Hispanic civil rights group.
To Murgula, "it is irresponsible public policy to ask taxpayers to foot 
the bill for a Wall Street rescue package while simultaneously denying 
them a sustainable response to the devastation the rising foreclosures 
rate is having throughout the country."
Independent presidential candidate and populist consumer advocate Ralph 
Nader agrees.
"The public outrage out there is really enormous," he said in an 
interview with the left-wing television programme Democracy Now!, 
calling the Bush proposal "a double standard between the guys at the top 
and the people who are going to have to pay the bills."
But President Bush does not think there is anything thing wrong with his 
proposal.
"I understand there's a lot of nervousness, and -- but the economy is 
growing, productivity is high, trade's up," he said in a televised 
speech Wednesday. "People are working. It's not as good as we would 
like, but -- and to the extent that we find weakness, we'll move."
To Nader, there is no logic in Bush's remarks. "I mean, look at all his 
statements: this could do this, this would do that, farms failing, small 
business, tada, tada," he said. "The first question we have to ask as 
citizens is: why is there a need for a bailout?
"If there is a need for a bailout, why 700 billion dollars?" he asked. 
"If there is a need for a bailout, what kind of bailout? Taxpayer 
equity? So the taxpayer can recover if these companies make a profit, 
they can recover surplus."
On Thursday, at the invitation of President Bush, both presidential 
hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain attended a meeting at the White 
House to discuss the current financial crisis facing the Wall Street. 
However, it remains unclear to what extent they agreed on the Paulson bill.
Latest reports from Hill suggest that members of the both political 
parties on the legislative committee on banking agreed to put limits on 
the pay of corporate executives, but there was no news about protection 
for vulnerable low-income homeowners.
While proposals continue to evolve and be debated, according to NCLR, a 
pro-homeowner package must include a model for the broad, systematic 
modification of failing mortgages, which is the best way to keep working 
families in their homes.
"Unless we respond to the needs of millions of struggling homeowners," 
said NCLR's Murgula, "a rising inventory of foreclosed homes will 
continue to overload the market, pushing housing prices down even further."






http://www.wibc.com/News/Story.aspx?ID=100312

Local Group Protests Economic Bailout
By Reed Parker
9/25/2008

The proposed economic bailout was protested today in Indianapolis.

Members of Central indiana Jobs With Justice gathered outside the 
offices of Senators Lugar and Bayh to let them know they need to be 
responsible with the current economic situation.

Protest organizer Allison Luthe says the non-partisan group opposes a 
bailout altogether. They want Congress to tighten oversight and 
regulations of financial institutions, protect homeowners, limit CEO 
compensation and hold Wall Street accountable.

Luthe says its not a partisan problem, and all people should come 
together for the right solution.






http://rss.xinhuanet.com/newsc/english/2008-09/26/content_10114499.htm

Protesters rally in New York against bailout

Several hundred protesters yelled their enthusiastic support outside the 
New York Stock Exchange on Thursday as union leaders decried a proposed 
$700 billion plan aimed at reinvigorating the credit markets by 
relieving financial institutions of distressed debt.(Xinhua/AFP Photo)







http://www.clickorlando.com/money/17575023/detail.html?rss=orlpn&psp=news

Homeowner Flies Upside-Down American Flag To Protest Economy
POSTED: Sunday, September 28, 2008
UPDATED: 5:09 pm EDT September 29, 2008

• "The government needs to get upright," Welsh. "I'm in distress. 
Everyone is in distress."
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- A large upside-down American flag is being flown 
at a Central Florida home until the economy improves.

Kevin Welsh, who lives near Rosemont in Orange County, said he's flying 
the upside-down flag because too many people are suffering financially.
Welsh lost his job and may soon lose his home to foreclosure, Local 6 
reported.
The flag is a call of distress and a symbol of a broken government, 
Welsh said.
"The government needs to get upright," Welsh. "I'm in distress. Everyone 
is in distress."
A neighbor and war veteran said he is outraged over the upside-down flag.
"It hurts because you've been over there fighting for something and you 
have somebody else who is using it for a different meaning than 
freedom," the neighbor said.
"The government has got to do something," Welsh said. "The government is 
not even taking care of our guys coming back."
Welsh said he has no plans to take down the flag in the future.
He also claimed that the he is not attacking the troops serving 
overseas, it is only his statement on the current affairs of the 
American government.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.







http://www.ktvb.com/news/localnews/stories/ktvbn-sep2508-idaho_bailout_protest.af5806ea.html

Idahoans protest Bush's bailout plan
04:46 PM MDT on Thursday, September 25, 2008
KTVB

KTVB
A group of protesters rallied in Downtown Boise to voice their 
opposition to the president's $700 billion bailout plan.
BOISE -- Many Idahoans don't agree with President Bush's bailout plan 
and some are making their voices heard in Downtown Boise.
Members of United Action for Idaho are protesting to show their staunch 
opposition to the bailout plan.
Members of the group call the plan dangerous and are organizing a 
national day of protest.
Other people participating in today’s protest include unions and some 
online organizations such as Democracy for America and TrueMajority.org.