[Onthebarricades] Protests - Health, Welfare, Services - Aug-Sept 2008

[global resistance roundup]

* CAMEROON: HIV/AIDS patients protest lack of drugs
* INDIA: Driver death triggers protest
* INDIA: Protest over handling of dengue crisis
* US: New York - AIDS protesters disrupt mayor's speech
* UK: Cancer treatment protest
* INDIA: Death triggers protest
* INDIA: Protests over bus fare hike
* INDIA: Medical staff beg in protest
* INDIA: Vets protest
* INDIA: AIDS counsellors protest
* BULGARIA: Protest by people with rare diseases protest lack of treatment
* MOZAMBIQUE: Demobbed soldiers protest for benefits
* UK: Tractor protest over port closure
* UK: Protest to save post office
* CANADA: Protest against health cuts
* US: Providence - health execs face protest
* US: Minnesota - police attack health, housing protest
* UK: Cancer mum leads life protest
* CANADA: Artists slam leader at cuts demo
* US: Molokai - protest against water rates
* UK: Protest against hospital plan
* AUSTRALIA: Local leader protested over health
* SOUTH AFRICA: Protesters storm lottery meeting, demand NGO money
* GERMANY: Health workers protest lack of funds
* INDIA: AP health workers protest
* INDIA: Kerala protest for cleanup
* INDIA: AP protest for phone service
* NEPAL: Cinema tax protest
* NIGERIA: Subscribers protest mobile phone service
* US: Skiers protest to keep resort open
* US: Rhode Island - meeting cancelled after cuts protest
* EAST TIMOR: Veterans want finances





http://allafrica.com/stories/200809080134.html

Cameroon: HIV/Aids Patients Protest Lack of Drugs
Leocadia Bongben
5 September 2008
A group of people under the umbrella of Cameroon Advocacy Movement for 
Access to Treatment, MOCPAT, has been on a sit-down protest at the 
National Aids Control Committee, NACC, office in Yaounde.
They are protesting the scarcity of anti-retroviral drugs.Though this is 
not the first time they have been out on the streets of Yaounde, they 
camped at the entrance of NACC premises on Monday, September 1, with 
messages that explained their problems.
Some of the messages on their placards read; "NACC drinks while the sick 
get drunk," "We demand 2nd line treatment" "We demand free laboratory 
tests," "We want to live!"
One of them who opted for anonymity disclosed that instead of the normal 
three two-month allocation of drugs, patients are now being rationed for 
10 days and at most 20 days.
One woman lamented that if she is not taking the drugs she may develop 
resistance. She said if she dies now there would not be anyone to care 
of her kids who are equally taking the drugs.
The protesters refused being photographed and were persuaded by the 
Permanent Secretary of NACC to enter the premises for dialogue.The 
question that has not been answered is what has happened to the 
subvention from the global fund? Equally, when the patients develop 
resistance in the absence of second line treatment what would be the 
consequences?
According to a researcher, 150 ARVs are available in developed countries 
while developing countries have just about nine. She recommended that 
for Africa to get more of the ARVs, civil societies should lobby 
pharmaceutical companies.
Meanwhile, community relay agents in charge of follow-up of patients at 
home have not been paid for six months and they are equally agitating to 
go on strike.







http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/29/stories/2008092960120500.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

RTC driver’s death triggers protest by relatives
Staff Reporter
________________________________________
Doctors of RTC Hospital accused of not providing proper treatment
Lack of proper facilities at the hospital also come in for criticism
________________________________________
HYDERABAD: The death of a bus driver at the RTC Hospital in Tarnaka 
sparked protests on Sunday with the relatives staging a demonstration on 
the hospital premises alleging that doctors’ negligence had led to the 
incident.
Fifty-two-year-old V. Jaipal Reddy, a native of Nalgonda district, was 
admitted to the hospital on Friday as he was suffering from fever and 
asthma. On Sunday morning, Reddy’s condition became critical and he died.
Irate relatives accused doctors of not providing proper treatment. “How 
can a person admitted to the hospital for fever die?” they asked. They 
alleged that four persons died while undergoing treatment in the 
hospital in the last one month. Lack of proper facilities at the 
hospital also came in for criticism. The family members relented only 
after authorities assured that necessary action would be taken against 
the duty doctors.
Couple commits suicide
A couple committed suicide by consuming poison at their house at 
Vanasthalipuram on Saturday night. Police said B. Madhav, 24, and his 
wife Srilaxmi, 20, started vomiting minutes after having dinner. Sensing 
something suspicious, their family members rushed them to a nearby 
hospital where they died early on Sunday while undergoing treatment.
A suicide note purportedly written by Madhav was recovered from his room 
in which he stated they were ending their lives due to health problems.
The couple hailing from Rajasthan got married two-and-half years ago. 
Madhav and his brothers were running a sweet shop.









http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/index.php?sid=409767

Congress protests BJP-led MCD's 'inefficiency' to check dengue
________________________________________

IANS Monday 22nd September, 2008
With dengue cases in the national capital reaching an alarming figure of 
409, opposition Congress municipal councillors Monday protested against 
the alleged inefficiency of Bharatiya Janata Party-run Municipal 
Corporation of Delhi in checking the epidemic.

A delegation of ex-MCD officials lead by former mayor Jai Kishan Sharma 
complained to Lt. Governor Tejinder Khanna saying medicines being used 
had run expiry dates and that 'while 409 cases of dengue have been 
reported (in Delhi) and many patients died, the Municipal's data shows 
only two deaths'.

'The data is alarming and is of grave concern but the current 
administration is paying no heed to it,' said Sharma at the meeting with 
Khanna.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is the largest of three civic 
bodies in the Indian capital. It manages over 85 percent of the city's 
land area.

According to the delegation, the Delhi government had provided Rs.220 
million for initiating measures to combat dengue but a major portion of 
the amount was wasted on purchase of medicines in larger quantity than 
required.

Farhad Suri, another ex MCD mayor, said: 'The medicines named temiphos 
(used in water bodies and coolers to prevent breeding of mosquitoes) has 
been purchased in excess.'

'It is a known fact that such medicines can be only used up to October 
during the monsoon season when breeding of mosquitoes is congenial, then 
what was the justification to purchase medicines in large quantity?' 
Suri questioned.

At present 80,000 kg of medicines is lying unused. This quantity, he 
said, will be wasted, as it cannot be used anymore.

Sharma also informed the Lt. governor that chlorine tablets being given 
to citizens for use in drinking water had expired.

'The distribution of such tablets is just like playing with the life of 
the citizens. The distribution must be stopped immediately,' Sharma said.

The delegation urged Khanna to call for a CBI inquiry into purchase of 
medicines reaching expiry date.








http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=9118641

Protesters briefly interrupt governor

Associated Press - October 3, 2008 10:25 AM ET
NEW YORK (AP) - Protesters seeking more aid for people suffering from 
HIV/AIDS have briefly interrupted Gov. David Paterson's meeting with 
legislative leaders unveiling dire economic news.
The protesters disrupted the meeting early with chants of "We want a 
meeting!"
Paterson smiled from the panel, unable to see what the protest was for, 
and waited for the protesters to be escorted from the Manhattan 
conference room in the state's office building.
The meeting continued and protesters appeared to cooperate as they left.








http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7631419.stm

Tuesday, 23 September 2008 13:15 UK

Senedd cancer protest by ex-mayor

Christopher Lewis says a 12-month treatment for him would cost £22,000.
A former town mayor who has terminal cancer has protested at the Senedd 
in Cardiff Bay to call for the drug Sutent to be available to all who 
need it.
Christopher Lewis, 54, of Chepstow, was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 
May and has been told he has two years to live.
His local health board refused funding after his consultant at Cardiff's 
Velindre Hospital applied for the drug.
Monmouthshire Local Health Board said it considered each case on its 
merits but followed national NHS guidelines.
Mr Lewis, a former mayor of Brecon, took a letter for First Minister 
Rhodri Morgan.
The letter said people "should not be denied a right to life, simply due 
to minor amounts of funding."
'Not recommended'
It said : "Every human being in this country should receive clinically 
approved medication, even if life is only prolonged for a short time."
Mr Lewis claims 12 months of treatment with Sutent would cost around 
£22,000.
Monmouthshire Local Health Board's Director of Joint Commissioning, 
Angela Jones, said she was unable to comment on individual cases.
She said the board followed guidance by the National Institute of 
Clinical Excellence (Nice) which did not recommend Sutent as an option 
for advanced cases.
Last August the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group had also come out 
against recommending the drug, she said.
Ms Jones said: "We do consider exceptional cases but that has to be 
through a formal process and panel."
'Concerns'
A Welsh Assembly Government spokesman said decisions on treatment had to 
be made locally until NICE published its final guidance in January 2009.
He said in the meantime Health Minister Edwina Hart had asked Deputy 
Chief Medical Officer Professor Mike Harmer to canvass the views of 
Wales-based oncologists working specifically in the field of renal 
cancer on the merits of the draft NICE guidance.
He said: "They had a number of concerns, not least whether it is 
ethically sound to refuse a drug when this might otherwise mean a 
survival benefit of up to six months.
"They also expressed concerns that in reaching their overall judgement 
on the clinical and cost effectiveness, it was not clear whether NICE 
had used the most up-to-date data from recent trials.
"These points, along with a number of others, have recently been made 
formally to NICE as part of the Welsh Assembly Government's response to 
the NICE consultation."







http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/26/stories/2008082659550500.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Boy’s death triggers protest at Niloufer
Staff Reporter
Six-year-old Siva was admitted to the hospital with leukaemia 20 days ago
HYDERABAD: The death of a six-year-old boy, T. Shiva, at the Niloufer 
hospital on Monday morning triggered protest with the boy’s relatives, 
along with CPI(M) activists staging a demonstration alleging that the 
child died due to doctors’ negligence.
Shiva’s parents -- Shanta Bai and Bhajan Singh -- along with CPI(M) 
activists squatted on the main road and raised slogans against the 
government. They alleged that the doctors were responsible for Shiva’s 
death.
“Despite knowing that my son’s condition is serious, doctors failed to 
inform us. We would have taken our son to a private hospital for better 
treatment had they informed us in advance,” the boy’s mother, Shanta 
Bai, said weeping inconsolably.
Police later intervened and pacified them assuring that justice would be 
rendered to the family. Shiva, a native of Karimnagar district, was 
admitted to the hospital 20 days ago with leukaemia. “Even after giving 
treatment to him in consultation with doctors from MNJ Cancer Hospital, 
the boy died,” said Resident Medical Officer G. Hanumanlu.
He said initially, there was no complaint from the boy’s parents.
They later started making allegations after the CPI(M) workers arrived 
at the hospital. “Outsiders created problem with an ulterior motive,” he 
alleged.
The hospital had also 10 other deaths and explaining about them, the RMO 
said weight of a newborn baby should be 3.5kgs, but the weight of the 
children who died on Sunday was 860 grams to 2.25kgs.
Few children also died due to premature birth, he said.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/30/stories/2008083052080300.htm

Karnataka - Hubli-Dharwad

Hubli witnesses three protests
Staff Correspondent
BJP takes out march against decision of Christian institutions

Raising slogans: Youth Congress workers protesting the hike in bus 
fares, in Hubli on Friday.
HUBLI: The city witnessed three protests on two issues on Friday.
While Bharatiya Janata Party workers took out a procession against the 
decision of Christian educational institutions to remain closed for the 
day in protest against the Orissa violence, the Congress and Yuva Samata 
Sena members staged demonstrations against the increase in bus fares.
BJP MLA Virabhadrappa Halaharavi, BJP Yuva Morcha national executive 
committee member Mahesh Tenginakai, and Hubli-Dharwad unit president 
Datta Dorle participated in the procession and demonstration in front of 
the tahsildar’s office.
They said that the decision to close educational institutions run by the 
Christians for the day would confuse students and create communal hatred 
among them. They sought action against such Christian educational 
institutions. The protestors submitted a memorandum to the Hubli tahsildar.
Condemning the hike in bus fares, members of the Yuva Samata Sena staged 
a demonstration in front of the tahsildar’s office. They demanded that 
the hike be withdrawn immediately.
Addressing the protestors, State unit president of the sena Gurunath 
Ullikashi and Karnatak Youth Federation’s vice-president Rajashekhar 
Menasinakai condemned the hike.
They said the BJP Government led by B.S. Yeddyurappa, which had promised 
that it would not hike the bus fares, had deceived the people. They 
submitted a memorandum to the tahsildar.
At Durgad Bail Circle, Youth Congress members staged a demonstration 
against the bus fare hike and demanded that it should be withdrawn 
immediately.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/30/stories/2008083052140300.htm

Karnataka - Bijapur

Protests
Staff Correspondent
BIJAPUR: Members of the district organising committee of the Socialist 
Unity Centre of India (SUCI) took out a rally here on Friday to protest 
against the increase in bus fares.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/30/stories/2008083055630600.htm

Karnataka

Left parties protest
Staff Correspondent
TUMKUR: Members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the 
Communist Party of India blocked road traffic for an hour at the Town 
Hall Circle here on Friday and protested against the Government’s 
decision to increase bus fare.
Syed Mujib, district convener of the CPI(M), and N. Shivanna, secretary 
of CPI, addressed the agitators.
They said that the BJP Government had become arrogant after the entry of 
defectors.





http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/05/stories/2008090551280300.htm

Karnataka - Gulbarga

Congress protests against bus fare hike
Special Correspondent
‘No valid reason for increase as most transport corporations are making 
profits’


Agitation: Congress workers disrupting the movement of buses in Gulbarga 
on Thursday.
GULBARGA: Workers of the Congress staged a protest in front of the 
Gulbarga City Central Bus-stand here on Thursday against what they 
termed the unjustified increase in bus fares. They disrupted the 
movement of buses from the bus stand for more than one hour in the morning.
The workers led by District Congress Committee president Allamprabhu 
Patil, women’s wing president and former Mayor Chandrika Parameshwar and 
district Youth Congress president Naseer Hussain staged a dharna in 
front of the entrance of the bus-stand.
Tension prevailed for some time when a few buses tried to break through 
the human cordon. The workers however, forced the buses back. The police 
had a tough time in controlling the situation but they managed to 
persuade the Congress workers to call off their agitation after some time.
Mr. Patil, who addressed the gathering, said that the decision of the 
Government to increase the bus fares had come as a bolt from the blue 
for the common man. He also criticised the Transport Minister for 
“deceiving” the public by making a statement that only a 7 per cent 
increase was being effected while the actual increase in the bus fares 
was 19 to 12 per cent.
He said that there was no valid reason for the increase since all the 
transport corporations, except North-East Karnataka Road Transport 
Corporation (NEKRTC) and North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation 
(NWKRTC), were making profits. While the NWKRTC had suffered a loss of 
Rs. 67 crore, the NEKRTC had suffered a loss of Rs. 16 crore.
Mr. Patil urged Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to reconsider the 
increase in the bus fares and revert to the original fares in all the 
transport corporations.
He warned that if the Government failed to retract , the Congress would 
be forced to intensify its stir and take the agitation to the taluk and 
hobli levels
(Sept 5)






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/02/stories/2008090252500300.htm

Karnataka - Raichur

Protest against bus fare hike
RAICHUR: Members of the district unit of the Socialist Unity Centre of 
India (SUCI) staged a dharna here on Monday protesting against the hike 
in bus fares.
The activists led by Aparna B.R., member of the district organizing 
committee of the SUCI, staged a dharna at the bus stand. Later, they 
went in a procession and submitted a memorandum to the district 
administration urging the Government to withdraw its order in the 
interest of the common man. — Staff Correspondent






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/02/stories/2008090250340300.htm

Karnataka - Hubli-Dharwad

Protest against rise in bus fare
Staff Correspondent


IN PROTEST: Students and members of SUCI staging a rasta roko at the Old 
Bus Stand in Dharwad on Monday.
DHARWAD: Members of Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) and a large 
number of students staged a “rasta roko” for a while in Dharwad on 
Monday to protest against the rise in bus fare.
The protestors stopped buses at the Old Bus Stand to register their 
protest against the rise in bus fare “at a time when the prices of 
essential commodities were soaring”.
Addressing the protestors, SUCI district secretary Ramanjanappa Aldalli, 
said the rise in bus fare had only burdened the general public who were 
already hit by the rising prices of essential commodities.
Mr. Aldalli said that the decision to increase bus fare on the pretext 
of developing infrastructure was not justifiable.
“The State road transport corporations had earned profits of crores of 
rupees. The infrastructure requirement could have been met by the excess 
funds,” he said.
He urged the State Government to withdraw the decision to increase bus 
fare. He said that the objective of the BJP Government was to loot the 
public throwing the electoral mandate to the winds. He called upon the 
public to unite in raising their voice against the wrong policies of the 
State.
Members of the SUCI district organising committee H.G. Desai, P.C. 
Hiremath, Laxman Jadagannavar, Gangadhar Badiger and Pramila, led the 
protest. Apart from students, senior citizens and women took part in the 
protest.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/29/stories/2008082952350300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Eluru

Paramedical staff stage novel protest
ELURU: The paramedical employees on Thursday resorted to begging on the 
city thoroughfares as a mark of protest against the alleged indifference 
by the government in regularising their services. They came in a 
procession and staged a demonstration at the Collectorate under the 
banner of the United Medical and Health Employees Union before they 
resorted to begging.
They submitted a memorandum to the district Collector.







http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/06/stories/2008090659180500.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Veterinary doctors’ protest
HYDERABAD: Thirteen persons were taken into custody for causing damage 
at the office of Director of Animal Husbandry in Shanthinagar on Friday. 
Around 200 veterinary doctors were staging demonstration demanding 
increase in salaries and provision of medical equipment.
(Sept 6)






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/16/stories/2008091659620400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Protest by HIV, AIDS counsellors
Staff Reporter
— Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

Demand: Members of the Karnataka State HIV/AIDS Counsellors’ Association 
staging a protest in Bangalore on Monday.
Bangalore: Demanding regularisation of services and increase in wages, 
members of Karnataka State HIV/AIDS Counsellors’ Association took out a 
protest rally from Banappa Park to Mahatma Gandhi Statue on Mahatma 
Gandhi Road in the city on Monday.
Shouting slogans and holding placards the protestors staged a 
demonstration in front of the statue for five hours. Later they 
submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, who 
reportedly promised them that he would look into their demands.
Association president Venkatachalapathy and secretary Fayaz Ahmed said 
though these counsellors were appointed on the basis of postgraduate 
employees’ wage scale, they were being paid a mere Rs. 6,500.






http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=97015

People with Rare Diseases Protest in Sofia
16 September 2008, Tuesday

The Bulgarian National Alliance of People with Rare Diseases are staging 
Tuesday a protest in front of the parliament entitled "Promises do not 
cure."

Protesters are to release hundreds of balloons in order to demonstrate 
their desire for relief for the problems people with rare disease 
encounter in Bulgaria.

The organization said they protest against the bureaucracy and the 
policy of the government that leads to lack of medicines and treatment 
for people with rare diseases, dooming them to death.







http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=359661
September 17, 2008 15:12 PM
Police Abort Demonstration By Demobilised Soldiers
MAPUTO, Sept 17 (Bernama) -- The Mozambican Association of Demobilised 
Soldiers (AMODEG) called off a demonstration through the streets of 
Maputo scheduled for Tuesday, after large scale police presence at the 
site where the demonstrators were to gather made a march impossible.

According to a report by Mozambican news agency, AIM, several AMODEG 
members, including the organisations chairperson, Herminio dos Santos, 
were arrested. When AIM rang him on his mobile phone, dos Santos said he 
was in a cell in the Maputo Seventh Police Precinct.

"Were detained here for no good reason", he said. "Neither I nor the 
rest of my time can leave. Whats happening to us is lamentable".

AMODEG claims that some 400,000 people were demobilised from the armed 
forces prior to the creation of the new, unified army, the FADM, in 
1994. The figure is a gross exaggeration. According to the data released 
by the United Nations Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ) in late 1994, a 
total of 57,507 government troops and 20,537 fighters from the former 
rebel movement Renamo were demobilised - a total of 78,044.

The government never released figures for troops demobilised during the 
course of the war (between 1978, when conscription began, and 1992, when 
the war ended), but these cannot have been more than a few tens of 
thousands at the outside. This would give a maximum figure for total 
demobilized of 130-140,000.

AMODEG is now demanding from the government the same pensions and 
privileges given to the veterans of the liberation war that overthrew 
Portuguese colonial rule. They also want free medical care for the 
widows and orphans of those who died in the war, the right to education 
and housing, and a transport allowance.

Although the police say that the planned demonstration was illegal, 
AMODEG said it had made the necessary notifications to the Maputo 
Municipal council, the police command, and even to the Defence Ministry.

But the spokesman for the national police command, Pedro Cossa, warned 
on Monday that the police would not tolerate any possible disturbance 
arising from such a demonstration.

So at the square where the demonstrators were hoping to gather on 
Tuesday morning, AMODEG found a strong police contingent, including 
members of the riot police, in place.

About 200 demonstrators turned up, and the police made around 10 
arrests. The demonstrators were carrying placards with slogans such "Pay 
the illiterates who defended you during 16 years of war!", and 
protesting against what they claimed were military pensions of only 800 
meticais (about US$33) a month.

Threats were made. One former soldier, Fernando Corneta, told reporters 
"We want an answer before the next elections (the local elections 
scheduled for 19 November). If theres no reply, we shall take severe 
measures".

He did not specify what these measures might be, merely adding that "our 
leadership will decide on the measures we shall take in our defence".

But the demonstrators dispersed peacefully after receiving phone calls 
from their jailed leaders, urging them to obey the police instructions 
to go home.

-- BERNAMA








http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/south_yorkshire/7613926.stm

Saturday, 13 September 2008 16:36 UK
E-mail this to a friend
Printable version

Tractor protest over post closure

Dozens of branches in South Yorkshire are earmarked for closure
A convoy of tractors brought traffic to a standstill as part of a 
campaign by villagers in South Yorkshire to stop the closure of their 
local post office.
The protest was timed to coincide and cause disruption to the St Leger 
race meeting in Doncaster on Saturday.
Residents marched through the town centre and handed in a petition 
against the closure of the Clayton branch.
Dozens of post offices have been listed for closure in the county as 
Royal Mail seeks to cut branch numbers.
Campaigners said the Clayton branch was the community's only shopping 
amenity and closure would mean elderly people having to travel to the 
next village.
One protester said: "We want everybody to see how strongly we feel.
"We want everybody to know that this is our post office, our service and 
we want this service."
A public consultation period has now begun and the Post Office said all 
representations should be received by 22 September.
Councillor Jonathan Wood said: "If it really is a process of public 
consultation and they are asking for our views, it's a shame they are 
not here to listen today."







http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Focus-on-facts-in-bid.4475794.jp

Focus on facts in bid to save post office, protesters told

September 2008
By SUE GYFORD
MORE than 150 protesters crammed into Marchmont St Giles church in 
Kilgraston Road last night to grill post office representatives about 
the proposed closure of Warrender Park Road Post Office.
Post Office staff running a consultation on the proposed closure of 13 
offices across Edinburgh were met with a barrage of angry questions as 
protesters were told to leave their emotions behind and concentrate on 
the facts if they wanted to save the
post office.

The meeting was chaired by Mike Pringle, MSP, who had arranged it, and 
was attended by politicians of all political shades, united to condemn 
the closure.

Julia Young, external relations officer for the Post Office, told the 
meeting not to bother submitting petitions showing how many people 
wanted to keep the post office open, but to concentrate on providing 
concrete facts about the area which were not already known to the 
organisation.

She added that there were another 10 post offices within a mile of 
Warrender Park Road which customers could use.

However, chairwoman of the Marchmont and Sciennes community council 
Susie Agnew told the meeting that the post office's decision to propose 
the Warrender Park Road office for closure had been based partly on the 
fact that the number 24 bus could take customers to nearby offices, but 
said this service was scheduled to be reduced in future.

Post Office Network Development Manager Gary Herbert said: "The 
proposals are not going to be changed because you're going to argue 
about whether there's a 30 minute bus service or not, they're going to 
be changed because you tell us something that we have not yet taken into 
account."

Many of the users paid tribute to the service provided by sub postmaster 
Graham Smalley and his wife Jean, who have run the post office for 11 years.

However, Ms Young urged protestors to avoid such emotional appeals as 
she said they would not affect the outcome of the consultation: "We're 
looking at this from a purely scientific point of view, even though we 
understand that many of you are pleased with the service you get."

Mr Smalley himself gave an emotional address, calling for closure 
proposal to be overturned. He told the audience: "I'm quite overwhelmed 
by the tremendous response and turn out tonight from all the people that 
have come to this meeting. I can say categorically that I think I 
recognise every face in this room."

Pensioner Billie Reese, of Lauderdale Street, who walks with a frame, 
said she could take parcels to Warrender Park Road Post Office but would 
not be able to travel any further.

She also asked how she would be able to pay her council tax and pick up 
her pension if the office closed, adding: "Please don't suggest I give 
to a government department the details of my bank because we all know 
that government departments are a dab hand at having so little respect 
for our records that they lose them by the hundreds of thousands."

The consultation on the proposed post office closures runs until 
September 29, with the final decision due on October 21.







http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2008/27/c8957.html

Media Advisory - Ontario Health Coalition: Large Protests in Five Cities 
Today
TORONTO, Sept. 27 /CNW/ - Today, protests will be held in five Ontario
cities to draw attention to the McGuinty government's health-care cuts and
privatization. Details on the events that will take place at those protests
are now being made available.







http://www.projo.com/news/content/INSURANCE_ROUNDTABLE_09-27-08_D7BO4LR_v10.160a023.html

Protesters greet health-insurance executives at roundtable in Providence
01:00 AM EDT on Saturday, September 27, 2008
By Felice J. Freyer

Journal Medical Writer

Ivette Luna, left, leads demonstrators to denounce the profit-making and 
high executive salaries of private insurance companies outside a 
roundtable discussion yesterday sponsored by the industry trade group 
America’s Health Insurance Plans.

The Providence Journal / Bob Thayer
When the Clinton administration attempted to overhaul the health-care 
system in the 1990s, among the loudest voices raised in opposition was 
that of the health-insurance industry. The insurers financed the 
notorious “Harry and Louise” commercials that contributed to the Clinton 
plan’s failure.
“We’ve learned a lot since then,” said Karen Ignagni, the Rhode Island 
native and Providence College graduate who heads the industry trade 
group, now called America’s Health Insurance Plans or AHIP.
Now, as both presidential candidates have put forth proposals for 
health-care reform and public sentiment leans toward change, the health 
insurers say they want a different role in the debate –– that of helpful 
participant rather than opponent. Yesterday, AHIP held a “roundtable 
discussion” in Providence as the seventh stop in its Campaign for an 
American Solution, meetings to discuss what citizens want from their 
health-care system.
And the first thing the “listening tour” encountered was a protest. A 
group called Health Care for America Now!, comprising unions and other 
activists, gathered a dozen or so people under umbrellas outside the 
Foundry building. Their signs and fliers getting soggy in the rain, they 
denounced the profit-making and high executive salaries of private 
insurance companies.
“They’re insuring less people and making more money,” said Patrick 
Quinn, state director of the Service Employees International Union. 
“They’re part of the problem. They’re not the solution.”
Inside, at a discussion moderated by former Lt. Gov. Charles J. Fogarty, 
Ignagni spoke with eight people, most either public-employee union 
representatives or small-business owners.
Theresa Tanzi, a member of the executive committee of the National 
Organization for Women, said her husband, a podiatrist, offered health 
insurance to his employees –– but none could afford the premiums. Phil 
Papoojian said his small manufacturing company suddenly experienced a 
26-percent increase in premiums.
The group discussed the merits of incentives for people to take care of 
their health or to see their doctors instead of going to the emergency room.
One of the participants, Karen Malcolm, executive director of Ocean 
State Action –– continuing the argument from the street –– said the 
“elephant in the room” was the administrative costs and high salaries at 
health-insurance companies. She noted that government programs such as 
Medicare and Medicaid operate with very low overhead.
Ignagni said that government programs, unlike private insurers, don’t 
offer such services as care coordination and disease management –– 
programs that most experts believe the health-care system needs. “It’s 
quite reasonable,” Ignagni said, “for the public to ask us to 
demonstrate our value.”






http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=523336

Police and protestors clash at state capitol

Dierk Bolten of Edina wanted to show off the Minnesota State Capitol 
building.
"My sister-in-law is here and we just wanted to show her around," Bolten 
said.
Instead, Bolten and his family walked right into a clash between 
protestors and capitol police.
"They made it real obvious that they didn't want us here at all," said 
Bruce Dawson of the People's Economic Human Rights Campaign.
The Campaign hoped to stage a sit-in in the rotunda of the capitol to 
advocate for better housing and health care.
But, the protestors say, after about 20 of them entered the building 
with their signs, police locked the doors. From 4:00 to 5:00 Friday 
afternoon, protestors were allowed out, but no one was allowed in.
"The building is closed for security reasons right now," said an officer 
with Capitol Security.
Protestors said they are non-violent.
"They're not armed commandos. They're just people with sleeping bags," 
said Ted Dooley, a St. Paul attorney who represents one of the protestors.
Police said they locked the doors because the group was planning to 
disrupt business and they did not want to allow any more members inside.
Police also said protestors were planning to spend the night inside the 
capitol, which is not allowed, and they did not have a permit to protest.
At 5pm, protestors said police told them to leave the building or they 
would be arrested. Once outside, one protestor said an officer hurt her 
when she tried to let a photographer inside.
"The officer grabbed me right here, where this beginning bruise is 
here," said Cheri Honkala while pointing to her upper arm, "and then 
violently pulled me back and locked us in."
Honkala said she and other protestors, some of whom are homeless, tried 
to spend Thursday night on Harriet Island in a camp they called 
"Bushville."
She said police forced them to move, but they are planning to set up 
another Bushville on Saturday.







http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1064438_cancer_mum_leads_protest?rss=yes

Cancer mum leads protest
Amanda Crook
28/ 8/2008

CANCER drugs campaigner Jean Murphy led a protest with a simple but 
hard-hitting message - `we deserve the right to life'.

The 63-year old from Salford took centre stage at the rally outside the 
London offices of the agency which says new treatments are too expensive 
for the NHS.

Jean and daughter Cathy also handed in personal letters to officials at 
the National Institute and Clinical Excellence asking them to change 
their minds.

The agency ruled that Sutent - a drug which prolongs the life of kidney 
cancer sufferers - IS effective, but that at £3,500 for six weeks 
treatment it is too expensive.

Jean, who was refused the drug by Salford primary care trust, is now 
paying for it privately thanks to a mystery £10,000 donor.

Doctors and patients are hoping Nice will change its mind before a final 
decision due at the end of the year.

Dozens of campaigners gathered outside Nice's offices, buoyed after the 
watchdog's U-turn this week on the drug Lucentis which can prevent 
blindness.

Mrs Murphy, who started taking Sutent three weeks ago, said: "I cannot 
understand why health authorities seem to think kidney cancer patients 
have less right to live than other people.

"I am lucky that someone has answered my prayers and is paying for my 
drug but I am fighting for all the others out there who will come after 
me, in the hope they will not have to battle while they are dying.

"Sutent has made me feel more like my old self and I've only been on it 
for three weeks."

Broadcaster James Whale, who lost a kidney to cancer in 2000, was among 
protesters and said Nice were `faceless bureaucrats'.

He said: "I want the chairman of Nice to come down and speak to these 
people.

"I want him to look into the eyes of the people whose lives he would cut 
short."






http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article4641308.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=797084

August 31, 2008
Protests force review of ban on cancer drugs
Sarah-Kate Templeton, Health Editor
The National Health Service drugs rationing body has been forced to 
review its policy of banning life-prolonging cancer medicines that are 
available elsewhere in Europe.
At present it rejects drugs that cost more than about £30,000 for a year 
of good-quality life – a limit that has not changed in four years.
The review by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence 
(Nice) emerged after 26 top cancer consultants wrote to The Sunday Times 
last week saying that the current system for assessing new drugs was not 
working.
This weekend Professor Karol Sikora, former head of the World Health 
Organisation cancer programme and one of the main signatories of the 
letter, welcomed the review, which is expected to report back later this 
autumn.
However, he said it was unlikely to solve the problem of withholding 
expensive drugs from NHS patients and predicted that political realities 
will force Alan Johnson, the health secretary, to intervene.
Nice provoked anger three weeks ago by ruling that the kidney cancer 
drugs Sutent, Nexavar, Torisel and Avastin should not be prescribed on 
the NHS. It brushed off the criticisms in Sikora’s letter, saying any 
concession would be at the expense of other patients.
It did not mention that it had already embarked on a review, which it 
now says it commissioned between three and four years ago.
Johnson has already hinted that he is concerned about Nice’s policy on 
kidney cancer. In a phone-in programme on BBC Radio 5 Live in June, he 
said that drugs were “too slow going through the system”.
Writing in The Sunday Times today, Sikora says: “I suspect by Christmas 
the drugs will be approved. Otherwise this episode could lose too many 
votes.”
Meanwhile, a one-year-old baby girl, Emma Rosser, is to take legal 
action against the NHS for denying her father, Jack, a cancer drug which 
could prolong his life. Lawyers are preparing to take a High Court 
action on behalf of the infant because they believe that an NHS trust is 
depriving her of a family life.





http://www.thewesternstar.com/index.cfm?sid=166247&sc=505

Last updated at 9:20 AM on 28/08/08

- The Canadian Press

Angry artist compares Harper to Hitler at demo against cutbacks

MONTREAL
SYLVAIN LAROCQUE
The Canadian Press

Opposition politicians attending a rally blasting cuts to federal arts 
spending quickly distanced themselves Wednesday from remarks by one 
speaker linking Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Nazi dictator Adolf 
Hitler.

Hundreds of Quebec singers, actors, dancers and writers gathered in a 
Montreal square to condemn nearly $45 million in funding cuts announced 
recently by the Conservative government.

The artists accused the government of trying to "censor" artists and 
running counter to trends in the rest of the world.

But then composer Walter Boudreau delivered a blisteringly sarcastic 
speech from the stage about the intentions of the federal government and 
concluded it by shouting, "Heil Hitler."

A couple of people in the crowd also hoisted signs marked with the 
Second World War-era swastika which branded the Nazis.

Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe, as well as NDP MP Thomas Mulcair 
and Liberal Denis Coderre were all at the rally and later denounced the 
gestures.

"These comparisons are totally unacceptable and take credibility away 
from the very real objections made about these cuts," Mulcair said in a 
telephone interview.

B'nai Brith Canada also criticized the incident, calling for "civilized 
political discourse as Canadians gear up for what is expected to be a 
fall election."

"The comparison of Canada's prime minister to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler 
is obscene and offensive," said Frank Dimant, the group's executive 
vice-president, in a statement.

"Such statements trivialize the Holocaust and inject ugly rhetoric in 
what ought to be reasoned debate on real and pressing political issues."

The incident cast a shadow on what had otherwise been a successful rally 
that drew a number of heavyweights from the Quebec arts scene, including 
Montreal International Jazz Festival co-founder Andre Menard and noted 
writer Michel Tremblay.

"We must wonder about the sincerity of a government that recognizes the 
people of Quebec as a nation when it does not hesitate to cut into the 
very heart of its existence - culture," said film producer Denise Robert.








http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2008/09/05/arts-cuts-protest.html?ref=rss

Protesters, filmmakers decry arts cuts amid TIFF events
Last Updated: Friday, September 5, 2008 | 11:56 AM ET Comments31Recommend19
CBC News
Protesters wave signs denouncing cuts to arts funding as Paul Gross 
arrives for the gala screening of his film Passchendaele at the Toronto 
International Film Festival on Thursday night. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)
Amid the glamour and frenzy of Toronto's just-started film festival, 
arts supporters and members of the filmmaking community took brief turns 
in the spotlight to protest recent cuts to arts and cultural programs.
Across from the red carpet at the festival's opening night gala 
screening of Passchendaele on Thursday night, a small group hoisted 
signs protesting the Harper government's decision to cancel programs 
amounting to more than $40 million.
However, their target — Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, who had been 
expected to attend the gala — did not make an appearance.
Though it has become somewhat of a custom for a federal minister to 
attend the Toronto festival's opening gala and deliver a brief speech, 
there was no such representative at Thursday's screening.
Still, Passchendaele producer Niv Fichman felt the protesters — some 
with signs that read, "FUND THE ARTS NOT WAR" chose the wrong venue to 
air their grievances.
"Sometimes it's appropriate and sometimes it's not. We just felt 
yesterday it was not. [With Passchendaele] we were honouring our troops 
in World War One and through the ages into Afghanistan. It just wasn't 
appropriate," Fichman told CBC News on Friday morning.
In the proper setting, he continued, both he and filmmaker Paul Gross 
"would have been out there happily protesting with them. We believe in 
what they're doing, but we just wouldn't do that [on the night of the 
gala]."
The cuts were also on the minds of other filmmakers attending the festival.
"We have, at this festival, a crisis before us, which is a serious 
erasure of our funding in this country," director Patricia Rozema said 
at the Canadian Film and Television Production Association's Producers 
Awards presentation on Thursday afternoon.
She urged her colleagues, if presented with an opportunity to "get in 
front of a microphone" in the coming days, to speak out against the arts 
cuts and emphasize the importance of film to Canada's culture.
"We have to say that it is important. Films are the public art form of 
our era, the popular art form. They are our campfire. They are how we 
understand each other," she said to applause from the largely industry 
crowd gathered.
Sandra Cunningham, chair of the CFTPA, also referred to the cuts.
Revealing that the association's board has approved the $10,000 annual 
producer's prize for another five years, Cunningham pointed out that 
making the announcement was a pleasure "in a climate of uncertainty for 
the future, where I suppose the only real certainty is budget cuts to 
the arts."








http://www.khon2.com/news/local/27890654.html

Molokai Residents Protest at the Capitol
By Manolo Morales
Story Updated: Sep 4, 2008 at 5:48 PM HST
Water bills for Molokai residents have nearly tripled since the 
beginning of the month and they're asking the state to do something 
about it.
A few dozen Molokai residents flew in to Honolulu to make a point, that 
the recent water rate hikes are unaffordable and unjustified.
"For my family alone, 10-thousand dollars in the economically hard time 
Molokai."
And among the many officials they wanted to talk to is someone in the 
governor's office.
"We're already being victimized is our message," said Walter Ritte.
"Okay I appreciate you taking the time to do this," said Barry Fukunaga.
The state Public Utilities Commission approved an increase of up to 178 
percent for water being provided by Molokai Properties, which also owns 
Molokai Ranch. This was after the ranch had threatened to shut off water 
service because the company said it couldn't afford to do it anymore.
"These state agencies need to declare the process null and void and we 
need to have a fair hearing for the island of Molokai," said Ritte.
Molokai Ranch stopped commercial operations in April which also laid off 
120 workers. The company says it couldn't sustain the business without 
the approval of a proposed luxury housing development at Laau Point. So 
without the housing development, many are unemployed and are forced to 
pay skyrocketing water bills. Some state legislators are crying foul.
"It really is about a profiteer on an island that wishes to do what the 
island is not suited to do," said Kaneohe Senator Clayton Hee.
"The people of Molokai cannot afford to pay such inflated rate increases 
as a means to subsidize mismanaged utilities. This is injustice," said 
Moloka Representative Mele Carrol.
The governor's chief of staff says the state is looking at different 
ways to continue water service and still make it affordable.
"There's been mention of the state or the county and even the ranch 
continuing or another provider," said Barry Fukunaga.
The rate hikes are in effect for the next six months.







http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cambridgeshire/7652292.stm

Saturday, 4 October 2008 10:14 UK
Protest against plan for hospital

Private firms could take over the management of failing NHS hospitals
Campaigners have marched the streets in protest against plans which 
could see Cambridgeshire's Hinchingbrooke Hospital become an NHS franchise.
The hospital was criticised by the Audit Commission for failing to 
manage its debt for the third year running.
The proposals could see it run by a better-performing NHS Trust or by a 
private company.
Hospital officials said there were a range of options which it was 
exploring and no decision had yet been made.
The Save Hinchingbrooke Hospital group has condemned the move for 
focusing on profits and not patients.
'No decision'
Dr Stephen Dunn, the hospital's director of strategy, said: "It is vital 
that we find a solution which will deliver clinically and financially 
sustainable services to the people of Huntingdonshire.
"What is important is that we get the best deal for Hinchingbrooke and 
its patients.
There are a range of options which we are exploring. No decision has 
been made.
"We are not being ideological about this. Other NHS providers, as well 
as the independent sector, all have lots to offer which we must 
consider. We want the best deal."
But Mike Gough, from Save Hinchingbrooke Hospital, said earlier: "It 
should be patients, not profits.
"The hospital's in the top 40 in the UK - top five for patient 
satisfaction.
"It's doing well yet the only thing that's a noose around its neck is 
this historical debt that was caused by the government in the first place.
"The government started this debt off by the changing the way the health 
service worked, and Hinchingbrooke unfortunately was a victim of it."







http://news.www30.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=625708&rss=yes

Protesters confront Bligh over health
12:46 AEST Thu Sep 4 2008
120 days 2 hours 31 minutes ago

Anna Bligh has been confronted by protesters at a rural women's 
conference in the state's south.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has been confronted by protesters at a 
rural women's conference in the state's south.
Ms Bligh is attending the inaugural Rural Women's Symposium in Roma, the 
first of three annual events the government has planned.
But she was met by the women angered by reports the government is 
considering scaling back the Flying Specialist Service, which provides 
obstetrician and gynaecology services to remote communities.
They called for guarantees health services would be maintained.
Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg last week revealed a leaked report 
proposing changes to the service.
State Health Minister Stephen Robertson said he was not satisfied with 
the report's findings, saying the government was committed to expanding 
maternity services.
Mr Robertson was also under fire over the downgrading of Aramac 
Hospital, which has since been stalled by the Queensland Industrial 
Relations Commission.
The seven mayors on the Central Western Queensland Remote Area Planning 
and Development Board on Thursday expressed disapproval at the 
government's planning of regional health.
Winton mayor Ed Warren said the group had reservations about the 
decision to move away from collaborative planning.
"Mayors are really starting to doubt Queensland Health's knowledge of 
the region and willingness to engage in an open manner," Mr Warren said.
"We need pro-active health planning in this region that takes into 
account the potential growth that is on our doorstep as well as health 
services that cater for and facilitate strong sustainable, rural 
communities."






http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_Finance%20And%20Labour&set_id=1&click_id=594&art_id=vn20080902055356216C410902

Protesters storm lotteries meeting
Xolani Mbanjwa
September 02 2008 at 03:18PM

Protesters disrupted a meeting of the National Lotteries Board, 
demanding that the Lotto body pay outstanding funds promised to their 
cash-strapped not-for-profit organisations.

After a two-hour sit-in protest on Friday at the Lotto board offices in 
Hatfield, Pretoria, the board management had to call the police to 
remove the angry protesters.

Chairperson of the board Joe Voster eventually decided to accept their 
petition.

The protesters represented 10 organisations from the arts, culture and 
heritage sectors whose funds were approved but never paid.


'Arts schools and projects are shutting down because the board promised 
to pay, but has reneged'
They demanded that all projects with outstanding funding be paid 
immediately.

One of the protesters, Jerry Raletebele, director of Soyikwa Institute 
of African Theatre, said R1-million was approved to fund his 
organisation four years ago, but it had yet to see a cent.

"This (delay) is a burden to all organisations. Arts schools and 
projects are shutting down because the board promised to pay, but has 
reneged. It doesn't answer our telephone calls," said Raletebele.

"We are being sent from pillar to post by those who are running the 
lotteries fund."

Mike Manana, the director of the Vukani Community Theatre, claimed that 
his organisation owed R1,7-million in unpaid bills because of the 
lotteries board.

'Of the R1,5-million it promised, it didn't pay R800 000'
"The board approved funding in 2004. Of the R1,5-million it promised, it 
didn't pay R800 000, which was meant to pay artists. Now artists want to 
shoot me because I have not paid them since 2005," said Manana.

A director of the Craft Association, Thandi Radebe, said the association 
had been waiting for a payment of R208 000 from the board since 2005.

She said when funding had stopped, projects in Limpopo and Mpumalanga 
had also stalled.

The protesters stormed into the Lotto board meeting while the management 
was in a session with 10 employees who had been fired for questioning 
the leadership style of the lotteries board chief executive officer, 
Vevek Ram.

Ironically, the protesters demanded that Ram be fired for incompetence.

The sit-in protest comes a week after trade and industry minister 
Mandisi Mpahlwa admitted to the serious problems in dispensing Lotto funds.

Distribution agencies - responsible for approving and allocating the 
funds - blame the board management for the hold-up.

Chairperson of the group of distribution agencies, Prof Nompumelelo 
Jafta, admitted to "delays" by the board.

"As agencies, we assess applications and approve funding. What happens 
after the approval is up to the board," said Jafta.

Spokesperson for the board Sershan Naidoo said: "We have told the 
representatives of the organisations that we will have a response for 
them tomorrow."







http://www.euronews.net/en/article/25/09/2008/german-health-workers-protest-at-lack-of-funds/

Germany German health workers protest at lack of funds 25/09/08 15:38 CET

The following article has been retrieved from the archive and no longer 
contains the original video.
More than 80,000 German healthcare workers have held a protest in Berlin 
to denounce a lack of funding in an ever-more expensive sector. Doctors, 
nurses, carers and hospital managers from all over Germany were bussed 
to the rally.
The government yesterday pledged just over three billion euros to 
hospitals from 2010, but workers say that is not enough and that they 
are being forced into cutting costs. “We’re demonstrating today for 
better conditions in the German health service so that we can get back 
the money we’ve been saving in recent years and so that we can have more 
time for patients and more jobs for carers and doctors,” said one protestor.
Germany’s main hospital workers group says the industry is 6.7 billion 
euros short of cash for 2008 and 2009 and warns that spending caps are 
putting patients’ lives at risk. Another demonstrator said: “We want to 
go home happy every night and say ‘yes, we’ve done our best.’ We can’t 
do that now, we go home with heavy consciences.”
Health Minister Ulla Schmidt said yesterday that the law is good for 
patients and hospital employees. Many health workers disagree.
More than 100,000 jobs have gone in the last decade, in which time the 
number of people needing treatment has risen 15 percent. Costs including 
medicine and electricity bills have also added to the cash shortfall.







http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/09/25/europe/EU-Germany-Hospital-Protest.php

Demonstrators in Berlin demand money for hospitals

The Associated Press
Published: September 25, 2008



BERLIN: Some 135,000 health care workers from around Germany converged 
Thursday on Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, waving protest signs and banners 
demanding more government funds for hospitals and clinics.
Rudolf Koesters, president of the German Hospital Association, told the 
crowd that a third of German hospitals were in danger of going bankrupt 
amid rapid recent increases in energy costs, food prices and medical 
supplies.
"The German hospitals don't have the finances to cope with the surging 
costs in 2008 and 2009 without drastic help," Koesters told the crowd. 
Organizers had expected 70,000 people for the demonstration, but police 
said 135,000 showed up on a sunny fall day in the capital.
Beginning at three separate rally points, the protesters marched through 
the city, converging at the Brandenburg Gate for the demonstration under 
the motto "save the hospitals."
The crowd waved union flags and signs with slogans like "enough saved," 
while blowing horns and whistles. One group held a banner saying: "Banks 
go broke, the government pays. Hospitals go broke and the government?"
The federal government on Wednesday passed an emergency package 
providing an additional €3.2 billion (US$4.7 billion) for the sector for 
2009.
But the protesters say the country's 2,100 clinics and hospitals are so 
financially strapped that they need at least €6.7 billion (US$9.84 
billion) in emergency funds. Without the additional money, demonstration 
organizers say some 20,000 jobs could be lost and the quality of care in 
the government-sponsored health care system will suffer.








http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/02/stories/2008090254480300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Karimnagar

Health workers stage protest
KARIMNAGAR: Voluntary women health workers (Asha scheme) affiliated to 
the CITU trade union staged a massive dharna in front of the 
Collectorate here on Monday demanding the State government to provide a 
monthly income of Rs. 2,000 per month, besides other benefits.
CITU district secretary G. Mukund, AP Voluntary Health Workers 
Association general secretary G. Jyothi, other association leaders S. 
Vijaya, Rajamani, Bhagya, Shantha participated in the programme.
They said that the voluntary health workers are providing health 
assistance to pregnant women and encouraging deliveries besides 
immunising children. They alleged that the government is not providing 
their salaries regularly and demanded the government to provide TA/DA 
and also PF benefits to them health workers.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/14/stories/2008091457900300.htm

Kerala - Kochi

Protest
KOCHI: Yuvamorcha members completed ‘floral designs’ with waste 
materials on TD Road on Onam day in protest against the failure of the 
Corporation of Cochin authorities to clean up the city during the Onam 
season despite a promise to do so. The City has seen waste heaps growing 
in its different parts and the Yuva Morcha was planning to organise even 
more protest action, said a statement here.—Staff Reporter






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/21/stories/2008092152850300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Khammam

New Democracy protest
KHAMMAM: The CPI (ML New Democracy) district unit on Saturday staged a 
demonstration in front of the office of the BSNL general manager 
protesting against the poor mobile and landline services in the rural 
areas especially in the remote villages of Gundala mandal.
The protesters, who presented a memorandum to the general manager, 
complained that the network of BSNL mobile services continued to be poor 
in the district.






http://www.mediaforfreedom.com/ReadArticle.asp?ArticleID=11421

Posted on: 9/29/2008
Nepali Artistes protest tax on cinema industry
Cinema hall owners across the country have closed their business Monday 
to protest the decision of the new government imposing compulsory tax on 
cinema industry.
The government had unveiled plans to impose compulsory tax on motion 
pictures for film development fund. Such taxes have been imposed only 
for foreign films brought to Nepal for screening.
Film producers and artistes organised one-hour sit-in protests in front 
of the Nepal Film Development Board this morning. They have warned of 
further protests if the decision is not scrapped immediately.
Nepal Film Artists Association, Film Producers Association and other 
organisations have opposed the decision of the government to impose tax 
on cinema industry, which has suffered a lot due to decade long 
insurgency. Source:nepalnews.com






http://allafrica.com/stories/200809290921.html

Nigeria: Subscribers Protest MTN Poor Services in Ilorin
Mustafa Abubakar
28 September 2008

Ilorin — Hundreds of MTN subscribers yesterday protested on the streets 
of Ilorin, Kwara State capital over persistent inability to easily load 
credits in recent time.
The angry protesters, who called for the federal government's 
intervention, went round major streets, in the state capital protesting.
Places visited include: Unity, Ibrahim Taiwo, Challenge, Post Office, 
Offa Garage area, Asa Dam and Murtala Muhammad road.
Spokesperson of the angry protesters, Raliat Abdulgafar told Sunday 
Trust that the untoward attitude of the GSM operators, particularly the 
MTN, became worrisome because it had badly affected their businesses in 
no small measure.
Abdulgafar who said they used to make an average of N2,500 daily after 
all deductions, lamented that since the present development started, 
they hardly make N500 because of very low patronage as a result of poor 
network.
We log in credit, we don't receive the credit until after three days, 
and even when we make calls, the voice is poor. You hardly hear the 
voice from the other end, yet deductions are made. This cannot continue, 
so we decided to gather ourselves together and make this complaint so 
that the federal government can call them to order," she stressed.
She described as irresponsible the nonchalant attitude of government to 
the problem.







http://www.kmov.com/topstories/stories/kmov_localnews_080922_hiddenvalley.a1ebd2e6.html

Skiers protest to keep Hidden Valley open
10:25 PM CDT on Monday, September 22, 2008
(KMOV)- The controversy continues over the possible shut down of the St. 
Louis area's only ski resort. The owner of Hidden Valley Ski Resort in 
Wildwood said he's planning to close. He blames the Wildwood city council.






http://newsblog.projo.com/2008/09/protest-ends-ri.html

Protest ends RIPTA board meeting / Video
1:25 PM Mon, Sep 22, 2008 | Permalink
Jack Perry Email


Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Both RIPTA board members and members of the Providence Students for a 
Democratic Society hang around the RIPTA conference room a the transit 
authority's headquarters this afternoon after a protest spurred the 
cancellation of the board's meeting. Watch the video: RIPTA general 
manager Alfred Moscola explains why the meeting had to be canceled, and 
protester Chelsea Miller questions they way RIPTA is funded

PROVIDENCE -- A meeting of the board of directors for the Rhode Island 
Public Transit Authority was canceled today after it was interrupted by 
a group protesting possible cuts in services.
About 30 people interrupted the meeting at RIPTA's headquarters. The 
group included a lot of students, including those belonging to 
Providence Students for a Democratic Society. But there were also some 
members of the Gray Panthers.
"We can't continue a meeting when people are yelling and screaming and 
trying to take over the meeting," said Alfred J. Moscola, RIPTA general 
manager.
The board had planned to review the agency's budget and conduct other 
business during the meeting.
The police were called.
Facing a budget shortfall, RIPTA is considering widespread cuts in services.
-- With reports from Journal staff writer Mary Murphy








---------------------------------------------------

East Timor veteran lobby wants financial
recognition

ABC Online - September 11, 2008

In East Timor a group claiming to represent 200
former resistance fighters is demanding financial
recognition for its contribution to the country's
independence struggle. They say they shouldn't have
to wait until next year for government action. The
group call themselves "The Petitioners" -- a
similar name to the group of 600 soldiers who
mutinied in 2006, sparking months of bloody
violence. But this new group claims to have a more
honorable cause.

Presenter: Stephanie March

Speakers: Anacleto Belo, former resistance fighter
and spokesperson for the petitioning veterans;
Mario Reis, State Secretary for Veterans and
National Liberation; Jose Sousa Santos, Youth
Worker at Uma Juventude

March: In 2006 the government of East Timor was
faced with a problem, 600 armed soldiers demanding
action against discrimination in the military. At
the time 37 people died and 100,000 people fled
their homes. The trouble was blamed for the
assasination attempt on president Jose Ramos Horta
in February.

Many of the displaced people have only recently
returned to their homes to rebuild their lives. The
petitioners too are moving on. With the death of
their self-appointed leader Alfredo Reinado during
the attack on the president, each of the
petitioners has accepted an eight thousand dollar
government package, provided they give up their bid
to be reinstated to the military. But now it seems
the government has a new problem. Anacleto Belo is
the spokesperson for the new petitioners.

Belo: I want to ask to government to take
responsibility for us. We were the rebels against
the Indonesian government during Soeharto's time,
we are not rebels against current East Timor
government. So why do those who rebels who act
against government now have a good life? They are
rebels but they get money to have a good life
because they made trouble.

March: The group of new petitioners claims to
represent 200 ex-commanders from the 24-year-long
resistance struggle against Indonesian occupation
who don't qualify for the pension. Current
government policy says only veterans over 55 or
those who fought for more than 15 years are
entitled to the pension. That can be worth up to
550 dollars a month. It's more than pay of most
police officers, and public servants, who earn
around three hundred dollars a month. Anacleto Belo
joined the resistance in 1989 at the age of 16.
Using the clandestine name 'La Sudar', which means
'not afraid', he fought as a section commander in
the bloody jungle war for a decade. After
independence, he and fellow resistance fighters
peacefully handed over their weapons to
authorities, believing the government would look
after them.

Belo: We tried to follow the procedure to become
recruits in the new army but did not have not
enough education.

March: State Secretary for Veterans and National
Liberation Mario Reis says the government is
working to recognise all of the nation's resistance
heroes.

Reis: The government has a plan based on our
constitution in article 11 which said that says we
must recognize people who participated in a
struggle. But many of those who can make claims are
yet to because they still don't have the right
documents.

March: He says he is aware of the complaints of the
new petitioners, but they must be patient and
accept the law as it stands.

Reis: Their demands are beyond the work of
government. If you choose your government it is
because [you believe] they are competent. You have
an obligation respect their right to get the
capacity to develop to make the nation.

March: The government says it's developing a plan
for 2009 to recognize and give financial support to
veterans who were involved in the resistance
struggle for more than three years. But the
government is missing an opportunity according to
youth worker from NGO Uma Juventude Jose Sousa-
Santos. He says the petitioners could be used to
help deal with the tens of thousands of unemployed
and disenfranchised youth who are often blamed for
much of East Timor's violence and instability.

Santos: What I realize is missing in the kids in
regards to identity and cultural knowledge is these
role models -- the examples these guys gave. Now
how can I expect East Timorese youth to behave any
different than the militia they have seen in '99 or
the burning they have seen in 2006 if that's the
only examples to them of strength of power they
have seen? They don't get to see this kind of
strength, this kind of discipline.

March: He says the veterans could provide much
better role models than the nation's politicians.

Santos: They fought. They walked the walk, they
talked the talk while politicians were enjoying
their time. There is not many politicians other
than Xanana that have been in the jungle. The rest
of these guys were in other countries, jet setting,
yeah they were doing their bit for Timor but they
were not in the jungle. They didn't have to carry
their mates after getting shot. They didn't have to
evade Kopassus dog tracking teams where you could
not urinate for up to three weeks. They didn't do
it hard like these guys did.

March; The petitioning veterans say they are more
concerned about receiving recognition than money.
And unlike the 2006 petitioners they won't resort
to violence to get what they want.

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