[Onthebarricades] Land grabs and land rights protests, November 2008

[global resistance roundup]

* SUDAN: Clashes at massive shanty-town near Khartoum as police demolish 
shacks
* MEXICO: Other Campaign occupation under attack
* SOUTH AFRICA: Hangberg - police attack sparks clashes
* SOUTH AFRICA: Cape Town - residents defend Rastafarian squat from 
police attack
* SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu - Macambini community warns of massive 
disruption if land grab goes ahead
* GREECE: Successful protest at auction saves pensioner's home
* DENMARK: Attack on Christiania sparks protests
* EGYPT: State kills two as women resist building demolition
* INDONESIA: Residents block roads to prevent demolition
* INDIA: Mumbai - stone-throwing and fires as residents resist eviction 
drive
* INDIA: Karnataka - SEZ resisters forced into hiding, return to find 
village flattened
* INDIA: Tamil Nadu - Protest against squat crackdown
* INDIA: Orissa - Vedanta faces protest over land grab
* INDIA: Karnataka - Shopkeepers demand compensation over demolitions
* INDIA: Kerala - Protest against demolition of bus stand
* INDIA: Jharkhand - Protests against Arcelor-Mittal land grab
* INDIA: Goa - land grab protested
* INDIA: Andhra Pradesh - coastal corridor protest
* MALAYSIA: Rent increase leads to protest
* INDIA: Tamil Nadu - Protest against land grab for bus stand
* INDIA: Tamil Nadu - Temple demolition protest
* INDIA: Orissa/Delhi: POSCO protests reach capital
* INDIA: Andhra Pradesh - Protest against river project
* INDIA: Karnataka - Protest against corrupt building officials
* PHILIPPINES: Farmers picket for land rights, occupy building
* BANGLADESH: Injuries in land dispute
* NEPAL: Landless march, dharna
* US: Protests against foreclosures at Fannie Mae office
* ARGENTINA: Vendors clash with state goons
* THAILAND: Vendors protest for new market contracts
* UK: Birmingham - Council onslaught against occupation for social housing
* CANADA: Homelessness protest
* NEW ZEALAND: Lone truck protest over eviction
* CANADA: Native protest for homes
* UK: Suicide in eviction protest
* MALAYSIA: Plan for naked protest over rent hikes
* UK: Bristol - Rooftop protest against squat eviciton
* US: Rockies - Protest over zoning change






http://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2008/11/sudanese-police-demolish-mandela-slum.html

Thursday, November 27, 2008
Sudanese police demolish Mandela slum, home to around 50,000 people, 
south of Khartoum
Sudanese Police Demolish 10,000 Shanty Homes

November 27, 2008 (AFP) report from Khartoum, Sudan - via Dow Jones:
Sudanese police have demolished about 10,000 homes in a shanty town 
south of Khartoum, using tear gas to disperse protesting residents, a 
security source and witnesses told AFP Thursday.

Police demolished the buildings, home to around 50,000 people, in the 
Mandela slum which is inhabited mostly by migrants from war-ravaged 
Darfur and south Sudan, late Wednesday, the official said.

"The demolitions were done for the purposes of urban planning," he said.

Police have cordoned off the remains of the shanty town, 10 kilometers 
south of Khartoum, and were turning journalists away from the area.

"The police came yesterday with orders for us to evacuate the homes," 
said Dominique Matthew, a resident, adding that police used tear gas to 
enforce the evacuations.

The residents remained in the shanty town amid the rubble of their 
former homes, he said.






http://narcosphere.narconews.com/notebook/kristin-bricker/2008/11/mob-evicts-other-campaign-adherents-san-cristobal-chiapas

Mob Evicts Other Campaign Adherents in San Cristobal, Chiapas
Posted by Kristin Bricker - November 10, 2008 at 8:26 pm
On the morning of November 9, a group led by a man who is alleged to 
have been involved in the 1997 Acteal massacre chased a family of 
adherents to the Zapatista's Other Campaign off of the land where 
they've lived since 1973.
The confrontation started when the group began work to construct a road 
through land occupied by adherents to the Zapatista’s Other Campaign in 
San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas. The adherents consider the 
construction of the road to be a pretext to evict them because the 
construction crew was accompanied by surveyors who came to measure the 
property’s boundaries, ostensibly in order to sell the land. The land 
the adherents occupy is legally federal property and a protected zone 
because the Utrilla mansion, officially a historical monument, is 
located there. However, the property is registered with the Zapatistas’ 
Good Government Council in Oventik.
A bulldozer arrived at the Utrilla mansion at 7am yesterday morning 
accompanied by a group of about forty people, some of whom have violent 
pasts. According to Salvador Santiz Perez, an adherent to the Other 
Campaign who has lived with his 26-member family in the Utrilla mansion 
since 1973, the invading group felled eight trees without permission on 
federally protected land in order to construct a small road that would 
connect two roads that lead from the highway into the Cuxtitali 
neighborhood.

Santiz Perez says that this is the latest in a series of confrontations 
provoked by this group, which doesn’t currently belong to any 
organization. He pointed out one man in particular who was photographing 
Other Campaign adherents who came to support his family. Santiz Perez 
says the man taking pictures kidnapped and beat him up in 2002. The man 
has never been prosecuted for the crime.

Domingo Lopez Angel, a local leader who supports the Santiz Perez 
family, alerted the police that a group of people began construction in 
the federally protected zone. Two municipal police arrived accompanied 
by Jose Alberto Corso, the Ecology Director from the Attorney General’s 
Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa in its Spanish initials). 
Upon inspecting the damage, Corso declared, “They knocked down the 
fence; they knocked down trees. This is a provocation. This is a 
monitored zone, and there haven been any permits issued in this zone for 
this sort of work.”

Marcos Santiz Shilon, Santiz Perez’s father and the leader of the group 
attempting to construct the road, admitted that he did not have 
permission to carry out the work. Santiz Shilon argued that he plans to 
purchase the land.

Santiz Shilon contracted a surveyor that was observed yesterday morning 
measuring the property’s boundaries. Santiz Perez says that this is not 
the first time Santiz Shilon has hired surveyors to measure the 
property. He claims Santiz Shilon wants to sell the land even though it 
isn’t his to sell. He says Santiz Shilon has already sold lots to 
various people for MX$40,000-$60,000 each, cheating them out of their 
money because he doesn’t hold the deed to the land. Some of the buyers 
have been able to construct houses on the property even though they 
don’t hold legal deeds to the land, but others have had to abandon their 
“property” because the purchase was not legal.

Statements from both Santiz Perez and San Cristobal’s northern zone’s 
official representative to the municipal government, Pedro Ramirez 
Lopez, indicate that Santiz Shilon is attempting to legalize his 
business of selling lots on the Utrilla property. Both men claim that 
Santiz Shilon has hired private surveyors to measure the land so that he 
can come to an agreement with the government to “regularize” (a Mexican 
term that refers to the legalization of squatted land) the land 
surrounding the Utrilla mansion, leaving the mansion to the government 
but developing (and selling, as Santiz Perez claims) the land in the 
immediate vicinity of the mansion.

A Tense Confrontation

While the Profepa agent was still assessing the situation, Santiz 
Shilon’s group swarmed the area, led by two local political bosses: 
northern zone representative Ramirez Lopez and Criselio Gomez Lopez, 
secretary of San Cristobal’s northern zone. Gomez Lopez declared that 
Santiz Perez’s family could be jailed without bail for occupying a house 
owned by the federal government. However, the political bosses are not 
officially government agents, and therefore have no direct power over 
arrests and bail. However, as the zone’s representative and secretary, 
they do have weekly meetings with government officials from all of the 
political parties. These meetings are called cabildos, and there the 
representatives negotiate benefits for themselves and the zones they 
represent in exchange for votes. They therefore do carry significant 
weight within the local government.

After the zone representative and secretary spoke, an unidentified 
member of Santiz Perez’s mob addressed the crowd. He stated, “Maybe, if 
the person living in that [Utrilla] house behaves himself, he’ll have an 
opportunity. If he behaves badly, like he did in 2000….” The man didn’t 
finish the sentence. But he continued, this time addressing Santiz 
Perez, “Cooperate and you’ll get a little lot where you can live with 
your children.”
Santiz Shilon and his supporters began to argue with Agent Corso from 
the Profepa. Then the entire crowd of at least forty people chased the 
Other Campaign adherents away from the police. The adherents decided to 
leave the property, but found that their cars (along with the police 
cars) had been blocked in by a truck belonging one of Santiz Shilon’s 
goons. The owner of the truck moved his vehicle, but by the time he did 
so the mob had descended upon the Other Campaign adherents and their 
cars. Most managed to get their vehicles off the property, but the mob 
focused its anger on Domingo Lopez Angel because he was supporting the 
Santiz Perez family instead of Santiz Shilon’s group. Blocked in by the 
entire mob—led by Santiz Shilon—Lopez Angel was forced out of his car to 
negotiate. After an intense argument in the Mayan language Tsotsil, the 
mob let Lopez Angel leave.

Santiz Perez says he will return to the Utrilla mansion and will defend 
it with his life, if that becomes necessary. “They can kill my body, but 
they can’t kill my soul,” he declared. Santiz Perez claims his father 
wants to kill him and his family.

For now, the Santiz Perez family has sought refuge in CIDESI, the local 
indigenous university that is also part of the Other Campaign.

The Other Campaign in San Cristobal remains on alert pending notice from 
the Zapatista’s Good Government Council in Oventik.

A Complicated History

The Utrilla property and the groups who are fighting over it have a long 
and complicated past.

Marcos Santiz Shilon and his family—including his son Salvador Santiz 
Perez—arrived on the Utrilla property in 1973. Local political bosses 
had expelled the family from their Chamula community for being 
evangelical Christians. Ermilio Dominguez, who owned the Utrilla 
property at the time, offered the family refuge in the Utrilla mansion 
in exchange for looking after the property.

At some point prior to 1994, the Dominguez family sold part of their 
land to the federal government, including the part where the Utrilla 
mansion sits. The federal government’s Tourism Development Fund (Fonatur 
in its Spanish initials) is responsible for the land and had long-term 
plans to develop the historical monument into a tourist zone, but in 
1993 it informed the Santiz family that the property was “theirs” and 
that they could continue living and working there. This was a verbal 
agreement.

In 1994 when the Zapatistas staged their infamous uprising, other 
families came to the Utrilla property and staked their claims on the 
federal land, away from the Utrilla mansion. Given that an indigenous 
organization had declared war on the government, Fonatur decided that it 
was best to avoid conflict, and it allowed the family to continue to 
live in the mansion, which does not have any basic utilities such as 
electricity or running water. Santiz Perez is very clear that this 
verbal agreement with Fonatur never meant that the Santiz family owned 
the property. It meant that the family lived and worked there to protect 
and preserve the historical site, and it shared these goals with Fonatur.

Following the 1994 uprising, Santiz Perez’s father, Marcos Santiz 
Shilon, was decidedly anti-Zapatista. However, Santiz Perez says that 
Santiz Shilon took advantage of the uprising and named himself 
representative of the people living on the Utrilla property so that he 
could negotiate with the government. Santiz Shilon even made an official 
stamp for himself that contains the image of an armed Emiliano Zapata.

While acting as self-appointed representative of the recuperated lands, 
Santiz Shilon joined the Frente Cardenista political party. The other 
families who had taken advantage of the uprising to stake their claims 
on the federal land also jointed the Frente, and they flew the political 
party’s flag on the land. They used the Zapatista uprising as leverage 
to negotiate perks from the government, which was more than happy to 
dole out gifts in order to quell revolutionary sentiment amongst the 
poor and indigenous populations. Santiz Perez says they received a 
MX$70,000 fish farm project. He says that in addition to courses in 
managing a fish farm, the project also gave cash to the Frente members 
in order to start up their fish business. Santiz Perez claims that his 
father used part of this money to purchase a car.

Santiz Perez claims that he and others observed his father organizing 
meetings in preparation for the infamous Acteal massacre that left 45 
unarmed people dead. Santiz Perez also says that on December 21, 1997, 
the night before the massacre, men in trucks arrived in the neighborhood 
looking for Santiz Shilon. According to Other Campaign adherents close 
to Santiz Perez, the men in trucks left for Chenalo (the county where 
Acteal is located) with Santiz Shilon and others from the Frente 
Cardenista. They were gone all day on December 22, 1997. When Santiz 
Shilon and the other local Frente Cardenista members returned, Santiz 
Perez and others confronted his father and asked him where he was during 
the massacre. Santiz Perez reports that his father replied, “We went 
over there because there was a problem.” Santiz Perez made an official 
statement against his father through the Fray Bartolome de las Casas 
Human Rights Center and Enlace Civil, arguing that if Santiz Shilon 
didn’t directly murder anybody during the massacre, he certainly helped 
those who committed the crime. As often happens in war—and especially in 
the low intensity war in Chiapas—this drew the battle lines between 
father and son.

Santiz Perez says that his father’s constant threats against his family 
worsened in 2000 when Santiz Perez kicked Santiz Shilon out of the 
mansion for swindling people out of their money by selling them the 
Utrilla land without a deed. The situation became violent in 2002, when 
Santiz Shilon and his followers began to attack the family living in the 
mansion. In that year Santiz Shilon sent word through his brother that 
he had a militia of eighty armed men. That was also the year that one of 
Santiz Shilon’s goons kidnapped and beat up Santiz Perez.

Santiz Perez argues that his father’s attacks are based in his hatred 
for the Zapatista National Liberation Army, and not in a family 
conflict. Indeed, when attempting to convince the municipal police, 
Profepa, and the northern zone’s representative and secretary that he 
deserved the land, not his son’s family, Santiz Shilon argued that he 
was a law-abiding citizen, while his son is “a Zapatista.” Santiz Perez 
says that the Utrilla mansion is registered with the Zapatista Good 
Government Council in Oventic, and is under their control as part of the 
land recuperated by the movement. He’s also publicly declared his 
intentions to turn the Utrilla property into a cultural, artistic, and 
political space for Zapatistas and the Other Campaign in San Cristobal 
de las Casas, known as La Otra Jovel. One of the family’s first actions 
in this regard was to use the space construct a massive paper mache 
Emiliano Zapata for a Zapatista event in the Oventik aguascalientes.

Possible Federal Intervention

The situation remains tense. Santiz Perez and his family have been 
displaced since yesterday afternoon when the mob ran them off their 
land. Neither Santiz Perez nor members of La Otra Jovel have been able 
to return to the Utrilla property to assess the situation there because 
of fears of violence. Members of the mob were observed photographing 
adherents’ license plates on the Utrilla property yesterday.

This morning an Other Campaign adherent observed Santiz Shilon entering 
the San Cristobal de las Casas municipal palace with Representative 
Ramirez Lopez and Secretary Gomez Lopez. The same adherent noted that 
the weekly cabildo meetings happen every Monday morning in the municipal 
palace. Subsequently, adherents to the Other Campaign in San Cristobal, 
including Santiz Perez, have stated their “certainty that there [in the 
cabildo meeting] they will request the municipal government’s support 
and intervention in negotiating and speeding up the eviction process” at 
the state and federal level, “given that they [Santiz Shilon and his 
group] argue that the building is federal property.” The adherents are 
concerned that Santiz Shilon will request federal intervention in the 
conflict.







http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_Environment&set_id=1&click_id=14&art_id=vn20081125114549320C557822

Tensions simmer in Hangberg after riot

November 25 2008 at 02:55PM

By Natasha Prince

Officials are set to meet with residents of Hangberg near Hout Bay to 
clarify the housing dilemma that plunged the community into violent 
clashes with police.

The violence on Monday was sparked after Metro Police, SAPS and Law 
Enforcement dismantled two makeshift structures.

Several people were injured as police fired rubber bullets and residents 
allegedly fired back using live ammunition and stones.

Police arrested two men, one for public violence and another for 
attempted murder, after a Metro Police officer was shot in the hand.

A community meeting with housing officials has been scheduled for 
tomorrow night to clear up any confusion about the housing issue.

Densil Faure of the informal settlements department, said the two newly 
erected illegal structures would have disrupted plans for a housing 
upgrade project underway in the area.

On Monday after the running pitched battle between police and residents, 
some argued about the housing situation and several unsubstantiated 
allegations were made against some community members, councillors and 
leaders.

Questions had arisen about a housing list for the new development while 
a list of people whose homes were allegedly targeted to be removed had 
surfaced.

Residents shouted and argued among themselves while black smoke clouded 
Karbonkel street.

Faure said Hangberg had been identified for a housing upgrade project 
instituted two years ago.

He said the area was chosen for its relatively low density, open spaces 
and footpaths that would allow the city to construct the necessary 
infrastructure to accommodate formalised water and sanitation structures.

Faure said a community list had been drawn up to control the number of 
residents setting up structures.

Tourism facilities and backpackers were among some of the other planned 
initiatives in the area.

"Tuesday morning's incident was part of our zero tolerance policy on the 
newly erected makeshift structures," he said.

Tensions ran high on Monday as residents blockaded the street near the 
entrance to the settlement, refusing vehicle access to Hangberg.

Residents burnt tyres and dirt in the streets.

However they later grabbed spades and cleaned up the debris.






http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_General&set_id=1&click_id=139&art_id=nw20081103110211687C868199

Cape police disperse Rastafarian protesters

November 03 2008 at 11:09AM

Cape Town police dispersed a group of about 150 Rastafarian protesters 
with rubber bullets on Monday morning, a spokesperson said.

"There's a community of Rastafarians here who built a structure for a 
church on the city's land without council permission. The council 
instructed the city's police to demolish the structure," said Inspector 
Nkosikho Mzuku.

He said the structure was demolished near Kommetjie on the Cape 
Peninsula on Monday morning, sparking a protest by members of the 
Rastafarian community on Slangkop Road.

"They were burning tyres, throwing big stones and blocking the traffic. 
City police intervened and dispersed the crowd with rubber bullets," 
said Mzuku.
Five people were arrested and would appear in court soon.

The situation was calm by 10am but a strong police presence would be 
maintained throughout the day, said Mzuku. - Sapa






http://www.arabianbusiness.com/539787-new-protest-over-ruwaads-4bn-south-african-plan

New protest over Ruwaad's $4bn South African plan
by Andy Sambidge on Friday, 28 November 2008

MEGA PROJECT: Dubai-based Ruwaad is planning the largest development of 
its kind in the African continent. (ITP Images)
Dubai-based developer Ruwaad has been warned to prepare for major 
disruption to construction work if it goes ahead with its propsed $4 
billion Amazulu World project in South Africa.

The Macambini community in KwaZulu-Natal, says it will disrupt all 
economic activities on the North Coast near Durban if loal people are 
forced from their homes to make way for the ambitious leisure, retail 
and residential development.

Hundreds of Macambini residents on Thursday marched to voice their anger 
at the proposed project, which community leaders claim would result in 
about 8,500 families being uprooted from their ancestral land, reported 
South Africa's Independent Online newspaper.
Leaders, who are backing a rival development scheme from another 
Dubai-based company, said they had given Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, 
Sibusiso Ndebele, a seven-day ultimatum to respond to their demands for 
the Ruwaad plan to be withdrawn.

The provincial government signed an agreement with Ruwaad Holdings 
earlier this year to give impetus to the project, which would include 
Africa's first internationally branded entertainment theme park, a 
shopping centre, a sports village and a dedicated education and health 
village.

This would be alongside hotels, resorts, spas, a marina, residential 
offerings, community facilities and nature reserves.

Arabian Business contacted a spokesperson for Ruwaad but they were 
unable to provide a comment on the latest developments.

Last month, Ruwaad CEO Hayan Merchant told Arabian Business he was 
confident that the development - planned to be built in phases over 25 
years - would "progress as planned".

He added: "We remain committed to developing this project which we 
believe will have huge benefits for the local community, the 
Kwazulu-Natal province and South Africa."

Initial studies indicate that Amazulu World will create more than 
200,000 new jobs, and will increase tourism to the region by almost 40 
percent through attracting millions of tourists.






http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_0_30/10/2008_101701

Auction protest helps pensioner keep home
A pensioner who could not keep up his mortgage payments was poised to 
have his 52-square meter apartment repossessed at the start of the day, 
but ended yesterday in much better shape after his bank decided to waive 
all outstanding payments.
Nikos Theocharidis was due to see his apartment in Patissia auctioned 
off yesterday after his overdue debt to Marfin Bank had risen to 1,850 
euros. But the auction did not take place due to a protest by several 
groups, including leftist organizations and the Union for Borrowers 
Protection.
This prompted Marfin to give Theocharidis a reprieve. Coalition of the 
Radical Left (SYRIZA) MP Panayiotis Lafazanis hailed the cancellation of 
the auction as a “huge success.” A law due to be passed today seeks to 
prevent banks from auctioning off properties if the owner owes less than 
20,000 euros.







http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7699042.stm

Thursday, 30 October 2008
Anti-eviction protests flare in Denmark
At least 15 people have been arrested and two police officers injured in 
clashes in Copenhagen in Denmark.
Riot police moved in during demonstrations against the eviction of 
squatters in the city. Vanessa Heaney reports.






http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_Africa&set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=nw20081110165504845C895880

Woman protester in Egypt killed by bulldozer

November 10 2008 at 08:04PM

Cairo - A woman was killed and another injured in the southern city of 
Qena after they stood in the way of a bulldozer that was demolishing a 
home built without a permit, a security official said on Monday.

The two women, whose family had moved onto the land and built a home 
there, were protesting against the demolition, which followed a court order.

Housing regulations are regularly flouted in Egypt, where portions of 
neighbourhoods were constructed without permits and people often 
illegally add storeys to their homes, sometimes causing building 
collapses. - Sapa-AFP








Residents blockade roads to prevent planned
demolition

Jakarta -- Scores of resident from Directorate
General for Taxation housing complex in West Jakarta
blockaded access roads to the complex on November 11
after hearing that a planned demolition of 150 homes
that they have occupied for 30 would soon go ahead.

In addition to the blockades made from bamboo and
chairs, residents also erected banners at the
entrance to the road reading “Don’t be arrogant,
respect the law” and “Don’t use taxes collected from
the people to demolish state-owned housing”.

“[This] case must be resolved legally first, only
then executed. Don’t just evict [us]”, said one of
the residents. “If we are forced to leave the
complex we must be provided with adequate
compensation to buy new houses or financial
compensation”, said another resident.








http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=NLetter&id=e26f58b4-4991-4aef-8df6-0504a21e8b2d&Headline=Protestors+resort+to+arson+in+suburban+Bandra

Protestors resort to arson in suburban Bandra
Press Trust Of India
Mumbai, November 26, 2008
First Published: 15:12 IST(26/11/2008)
Last Updated: 15:13 IST(26/11/2008)
Protestors resorted to stone throwing and arson at a north west suburb 
when civic authorities attempted to carry out a demolition drive there, 
police said on Wednesday.
Authorities had gone to clear encroachments on a plot which reportedly 
belongs to the Mumbai University in suburban Bandra when protestors 
opposing the drive began throwing stones at civic authorities and police 
officials accompanying them, they said.
Some protestors also allegedly set some huts on fire following which 
police resorted to cane charging protestors and bursting tear gas shells 
to disperse the crowds, police said.
The situation has been brought under control and the demolition of the 
encroachments is expected to continue, they said.







http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/07/stories/2008110759750300.htm

Karnataka - Mangalore

Activists return to Kudubi-Padavu, stage protest against MSEZ
Staff Correspondent
The disputed 15.34-acre plot has been flattened by the company
________________________________________
Some Kudubi tribal people say they have not received compensation
Decision taken to intensify the agitation in the coming days
________________________________________

VOICING THEIR OPPOSITION: Activists taking an oath that they will not 
allow their land to be acquired by Mangalore Special Economic Zone at 
Kudubi0-Padavu on Thursday.
MANGALORE: The activists of the anti-Mangalore Special Economic Zone, 
who had gone into hiding following alleged threats to their lives, 
returned to Kudubi-Padavu village for an agitation on Thursday only to 
find that the place had completely changed.
The Kudubi-Padavu village, which was popularly known as emerald green 
farmland until a few days ago, now resembles a barren playground. The 
Mangalore Special Economic Zone Ltd (MSEZ), which is seeking 15.34 acres 
of land here for the construction of some temples, has flattened the 
land, allegedly without the permission of its owners.
The activists, who, led by the Krishi Bhoomi Samrakshana Samiti, held a 
meeting here on Thursday, vowed to retrieve the land that had been 
allegedly taken over by force. The members of the Jamat-e-Islami Hind, 
seers of the Kollya and Khemaru maths and the Nagarika Seva 
Trust-Guruvankere, a non-governmental organisation, also participated in 
the meeting.
But, some of the Kudubi tribal people told The Hindu on Thursday that 
the resurgence of theses activists might have come a tad too late. “When 
the company’s contractors were running bulldozers on our lands there was 
nobody to support us. Our fertile farmland land is now under tons of 
infertile soil; everything is ruined,” said a Kudubi tribal woman.
Vidya Dinaker of the Krishi Bhoomi Samrakshana Samiti (KBSS) told The 
Hindu that she had received threats from contractors and proponents of 
the MSEZ. While she abstained from attending the Thursday’s meeting out 
of fear, Natesh Ullal, a KBSS activist who attended the meeting, said 
that several Christian members of the samiti were living in fear of the 
police. One of the Christian members of the samiti said: “The police 
lathi-charged some Christians in this region, when they were on a 
peaceful protest against the attacks on churches. Now, there was a 
feeling of mistrust towards the police. That is why we were reluctant to 
openly support the Kudubis’ cause.”
Honnappa Gowda of the Kudubi community said: “I have never taken any 
money from anybody in exchange for my land. Still the company 
contractors are forcibly entering my land.” He claimed that the company 
officials refused to furnish any proof for the company having taken over 
his land. “They are maintaining that they have bought my land. But, they 
are not revealing who did they pay the compensation to,” he said.
Theresa Bai, a land-loser, said: “All the documents pertaining to to my 
land are with me. Yet, the company officials entered my land in my 
absence and filled it with soil.”
Those who spoke at the meeting told the residents here that they would 
support them in their struggle, henceforth. The over-500 activists 
decided to intensify their agitation in the coming days.




http://www.moneycontrol.com/india/news/current-affairs/farmers-protest-against-mangalore-sez-allege-harrassment/17/38/358616

Farmers protest against Mangalore SEZ, allege harrassment
Published on Sat, Sep 27, 2008 at 14:47 , Updated at Sat, Sep 27, 2008 
at 17:47
Source : CNBC-TV18
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The special economic zone (SEZ) battle has now reached South India. The 
Mangalore SEZ is threatening the livelihood of around 20,000 people. 
It's also threatening their way of life and that can hardly be 
compensated. The farmers are now fighting back.

Here is a transcript of Abhirr VP’s comments on CNBC-TV18. Also see the 
accompanying video.

Every morning, for the past 50 years, Mallapa Gowda, a proud owner of 37 
cents of land, worked at this field. It is this land that has helped him 
support his family of nine. Mallapa dreams that his grandchildren would 
be doctors, and believes that it is this land that will help him achieve 
his dreams. However, now Mallapa's rice fields must make way for the 
Mangalore SEZ, that is, if the government of Karnataka has its way.

Mallapa Gowda said, “They have been harassing us, forcing our women to 
sign the land deal. This is my land and I will not leave it. I have left 
it to god now." He added, “What can we do? We know no other profession 
other than agriculture. I can't understand the language that these 
officials speak then how can I believe them?”

Around 20,000 people have to move out before the Mangalore special zone 
comes up. The petrochemical zone that is to be built over a staggering 
3756 acres of land promises to create 5000 jobs. Although, half the land 
has already been acquired, farmers are now refusing to buy the relief 
package.

The Mangalore SEZ may promise prosperity to this coastal town, but for 
farmers here this is their livelihood and the only way of life they know.

The tug-of-war between the agitating farmers and the Mangalore SEZ has 
stalled the acquisition process. Since June 2007, this coastal town has 
seen countless demonstration by protesting farmers. For a state 
government that flaunts its pro-farmer image this is bad news. However, 
with 24 notified SEZ and Rs 6000 crore in the pipeline, the government 
is desperate for a middle path.

Murugesh Rudrappa Nirani, Small and Heavy Industry Minister, said, 
“Without industry our country will never develop, and we are expecting 
to set up more industries for that. Some will lose and some will gain. 
We will give better compensation.”





http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/05/stories/2008110550820300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Udhagamandalam

Councillors stage demonstration
Special Correspondent
Udhagamandalam:Members of the Udhagamandalam Municipal Council took to 
the streets on Tuesday in protest against the ongoing operation to 
demolish unauthorised constructions here. Cutting across party 
affiliations many of the blindfolded councillors sat on the road leading 
to the municipal office and staged a demonstration. It continued even 
after dusk with the councillors putting up a shamina and starting a bon 
fire to keep the winter chillness at bay.
In a memorandum submitted to the Nilgiris Collector Anandrao V. Patil, 
they said that the operation demolition had severely affected many poor 
and middle class families.
They wanted the government to evolve a scheme by which the violations 
can be regularised by the district and civic administrations.
A. Imtiaz (AIADMK) pointed out that if the officials concerned had done 
their jobs properly over the years, the building rules violations would 
not have taken place and the poor and middle class people would not be 
suffering now.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/06/stories/2008110650820500.htm

Tamil Nadu - Udhagamandalam

Councillors intensify protest against demolition of unauthorised structures
Special Correspondent
They want demolitions halted and scheme formulated to regularise violations
Photo: D. Radhakrishnan

For a solution: B.Gopalan, MLA, emphasising a point while interacting 
with councillors in front of the municipal office in Udhagamandalam on 
Wednesday. —
Udhagamandalam: With councillors intensifying their protest against the 
ongoing demolition of unauthorised structures in this hill station, the 
municipal office here witnessed a great deal of action on Wednesday.
The protest started on Tuesday afternoon with many of the councillors 
staging a dharna near the main gate of the municipal office.
Their main demand was that a scheme should be evolved to regularise the 
violations and until then the operation to demolish the unauthorised 
structures should be put on hold.
With the siege of the municipality continuing on Wednesday vehicles 
could neither go in nor come out.
As a result civic works like removal of garbage and supply of water 
through tankers were hit.
When the local MLA B.Gopalan arrived at the municipality, the agitating 
councillors pointed out that the operation demolition had affected a 
large number of poor and middle class persons.
Blaming the officials for deviations, they sought the intervention of 
the district administration.
Some of those present pointed out that officials were only complying 
with the orders of the High Court.
Mr. Gopalan said that concerted efforts should be made to find a lasting 
solution to the problem.
Meanwhile members of the Joint Action Committee of political parties 
arrived and informed the councillors that the Khadi Board Minister 
K.Ramachandran had sought an appointment with Chief Minister 
M.Karunanidhi to apprise him of the situation prevailing here.
They added that the officials here had also been asked to temporarily 
stop the operation. A short while later the seige was lifted.
However AIADMK members continued their agitation for some time.
The Convenor of the Joint Action Committee J.B.Subramaniam told The 
Hindu that its stand was that help should be extended to the poor people 
who have been affected by the building rules.
At the same time large scale violations should be dealt with as per the 
law and on no account should the environment of this place be affected.
The State Deputy General Secretary, PMK Padmanabhan in a memorandum sent 
to the Chief Minister on Wednesday said that the district administration 
should convene an all party meeting without delay to discuss various 
problems confronting the people of the Nilgiris.
The Makkal Sattaiyam regretted that the officials were taking action 
only against small houses instead of targeting unauthorised 
multi-storied buildings.
The officials who were responsible for the sorry state of affairs should 
be exposed.





http://www.indiaenews.com/business/20081114/158083.htm

Friday, November 14, 2008
British company faces protest in Orissa's Kalahandi

 From correspondents in Orissa, India, 05:01 PM IST
Hundreds of people, mostly tribals, Friday staged a protest and blocked 
roads in Orissa's Kalahandi district against British company Vedanta 
Resources for allegedly not taking care of local interest after setting 
up a refinery in the area, the police said.
The people of about five villages marched carrying traditional arms and 
weapons and blocked the roads at Lanjigarh, some 600 km from here, where 
the company has already built a $800-million alumina refinery.
Hundreds of vehicles were stranded when the protestors raised slogans 
and blocked roads, a district police official told IANS.
The protesters alleged that the company had cheated them by not spending 
adequate money on development even after they had given up their land.
"The company had promised to provide jobs to all people who had studied 
up to class five, but it did not keep its promise," an anti Vedanta 
leader Sidhartha Nayak told IANS.
"The company should go back from the area. It has no right to stay if it 
cannot take care of local interest,' Nayak said.
A company official, however, said that their projects would 
significantly enhance employment and economic growth in the state. He 
described the protest as unjustified.
The company is also facing protests in the region for its mining project 
which got the Supreme Court nod in August this year.
The court allowed the company to mine bauxite in the Niyamgiri Hills to 
feed its alumina refinery in Lanjigarh and an aluminium smelter project 
the company is building, costing Rs.70 billion in Jharsuguda district.
The tribals of Kalahandi, as well as from Gajapati and Rayagada 
districts, have been protesting after Vedanta signed the mining 
agreement with the state government four years ago.
The tribals claim that mining would pollute their rivers, destroy the 
jungles and displace them.
"We never went to the Supreme Court. We don't care about what the court 
says," a tribal leader said. "We will not allow any body to mine in our 
sacred hills."





http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/07/stories/2008110757580300.htm

Karnataka - Shimoga

Shopkeepers stage protest in Shimoga
Special Correspondent
________________________________________
Each of the shopkeepers wants at least Rs. 2 lakh compensation
________________________________________
SHIMOGA: Building owners and shopkeepers on Bangalore-Honnavar Road here 
staged a demonstration on Thursday in protest against the alleged 
“dictatorial” action by the Government and the district administration 
in demolishing shops and other buildings to widen the road.
They took out a procession from the Science Field and later staged a 
dharna on the premises of the Deputy Commissioner’s office and submitted 
a memorandum to the district administration demanding adequate 
compensation for the loss they had incurred following the demolition of 
their buildings.
Their demands include the payment of at least Rs. 2 lakh each for their 
sustenance and compensation for the land acquired for the widening of 
the road.
They demanded that the Government should bear the expenditure of 
reconstruction of the shops.
They should be allowed to construct the buildings after leaving a width 
of 13 metres on either sides of the road, they said.
The demonstrators suggested that the Government should hold a public 
meeting to consider alternative arrangements for the demolition of their 
buildings before taking up widening of roads hereafter.
They also demanded that the demolition of shops should be taken up only 
after paying compensation to shop owners.
The demonstrators condemned the Government and the district 
administration for not paying compensation to building owners even one 
month after demolition of buildings and other commercial structures.
Members of the District Congress Committee, Janata Dal(S), NSUI, CPI, 
Shimoga District Chamber of Commerce and Industry participated in the 
demonstration to express solidarity with the building owners and 
shopkeepers.





http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/29/stories/2008112953010300.htm

Kerala - Kollam

UDF protests against demolition of bus stand
Staff Reporter
Demands construction of temporary sheds

SEEKING CORRECTIVE STEPS: DCC president Kadavoor Sivadasan inaugurating 
a dharna by Opposition councillors against the demolition of the 
Chinnakada bus stand by the Kollam Corporation, on Friday.
KOLLAM: Protesting against the alleged haste in which the Kollam 
Corporation authorities demolished the Chinnakada bus stand, Opposition 
United Democratic Front (UDF) councillors organized a dharna at the bus 
stand on Friday. The bus stand was demolished for facilitating the 
construction of an underpass through the Chinnakada over bridge.
The UDF councillors alleged that the bus stand was demolished even 
before the formalities to construct the underpass were completed. They 
pointed out that the demolition and shifting of the bus stand had caused 
much hardship to the travelling public.
They demanded construction of temporary sheds at the site and permit 
entry of buses into the stand till the time the formalities are 
completed. Leader of Opposition in the council George D. Kattil said 
that uncertainty looms large over when the formalities to construct the 
underpass would be completed.
Inaugurating the dharna, District Congress Committee (DCC) president 
Kadavoor Sivadasan blamed Mayor N. Padmalochanan for the hasty 
demolition of the bus stand.
He alleged that the mayor was ruling like an autocrat. Mr. Sivadasan 
wanted the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) to corrective steps 
against the mayor’s autocratic rule.
He said that most of the decisions taken by the mayor are putting the 
people of the city into a lot of difficulties. The mayor was in fact 
challenging the people.
The stand was demolished not only before finalizing the contract for it 
but even before the railways could give the green signal for 
constructing the underpass.
Mr. Sivadasan said that when it comes to demolitions, the mayor was 
trying to make up at Kollam for the failure of Chief Minister V.S. 
Achuthanandan at Munnar. The dharna was presided over by Mr. Kattil.






http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-39269.html

JDP to intesify protest against Arcelor-Mittal
Jamshedpur, Nov 1 : The Jharkhand Dishom Party today said it would 
intensify its protests on the issue of displacement of local people 
against various industrial groups, including the world's largest steel 
producer Arcelor-Mittal, who had inked MoUs with the Jharkhand 
government and other eastern states for setting up their projects.
In a statement issued here, party president Salkhan Murmu informed of 
opposing the displacement of locals, especially tribals, due to 
establishment of various industries, adding that his party would 
intensify its agitation.

''We have orgainsed two meetings against the Arcelor Mittal's proposed 
plant in Khunti near Ranchi and will intesify our agitation against the 
company in near future. On this issue we are completely against Congress 
MP Sushila Kerketa,'' the statement said.

''We are also organising meetings on Novemeber 7 in Potka area of East 
Singhbhum district of Jharkhand against Bhusan power and steel, on 
November 9 against Jupiter Cement in Hadisai village of 
Saraikela-Kharsawa district. On the same issue a meeting of the 
Visthapan Virodhi Morcha (Anti-displacement front) of the party will be 
organised in Putra village of Sundergarh district in neighbouring 
Orissa,'' he added.

Arcelor-Mittal Group had signed a MoU with Jharkhand government for 
setting up of its greenfield steel plant of 12 million tonnes per annum 
capacity with an estimated cost of Rs 40,000 crore in the state. It has 
reportedly shown interest in Khunti and Gumla areas of the state for the 
project.
--- UNI





http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080072781

Goans take to local protests to fight ills
Ketki Angre
Sunday, November 16, 2008, (Panjim)
Goa means different things to different people. It is the perfect 
holiday spot for the reclusive or adventurous, a bohemian rhapsody for 
the hippie and is viewed as prime land for the mining lobby.

But over the years, local protests have gathered momentum there as 
residents try to save their state. Those are angry voices that one 
wouldn't associate with Goa's 'sussegad' or laid-back image.

A case in point is Cheryl Marina De Souza. Cheryl and her family were 
barred entry to the mine near her property and she paid for it by being 
thrown in jail for 24 hours. After further threats from the mining 
lobby, Cheryl hired a private bodyguard for her daughter Aki's 
protection. (Watch)

"Aki's father is cremated there, there's no compromise on a home," said 
Cheryl Marina De Souza, resident, Quepem.

 From retired medical officers to the average farmer or housewife, 
ordinary Goans are coming together to fight the rape of Goa. They are 
fighting against illegal mining, land grab, political sleaze, even if it 
means taking risks.

It was in fact a people's protest that actually forced the Goa 
government to scrap the controversial regional development plan, that 
would have plundered the natural beauty and wealth of Goa.

The people's movement has also spilled into other campaigns. Recently, 
Goans got the government to scrap the SEZ policies, including three of 
the seven which were already notified by the Centre.

"Fundamentally what they are doing is trying to expose the corruption 
and the very fact that they are sought to be silenced or sought to be 
assaulted. What it effectively means is that the pressure is working on 
these guys," said Dr Oscar Rebello, Goa Bachao Abhiyan.

Last but not the least, Goa is the only state in India that has a 
special law for children called the Goa Children's Act. It's a 
remarkable step that was made possible only after a decade-long 
determined fight by activists against child abuse.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/14/stories/2008111454980500.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Protest against Coastal Corridor as scheduled, says CPI leader
Staff Reporter
VISAKHAPATNAM: The protest planned by the Opposition here on November 15 
against the coastal corridor and the Vodarevu and Nizampatnam Ports and 
Industries Corridor (VANPIC) will take place as scheduled, according to 
CPI national council member and district secretary J.V. Satyanaranayana 
Murthy. His assertion came in the wake of reports that the TDP would 
stay away from the protest.
Mr. Murthy said till now no official communication was received from the 
TDP on not participating in the public meeting planned for the day.
The TDP had participated in the all-party protests against the Polepalli 
special economic zone (SEZ) and at Chirala against the VANPIC.




http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/09/stories/2008110951820300.htm


Andhra Pradesh - Ongole

Opposition to go ahead with protest against VANPIC
Special Correspondent
Top leaders to participate in the dharna at Chirala today
________________________________________
White paper sought on plans to develop coastal corridor
No clarity on acquisition of land in Guntur, Prakasam districts
________________________________________

ONGOLE: Even though the government has withdrawn the controversial GO 
34, the Opposition parties decided to go ahead with their agitation at 
Chirala on Sunday to protest against indiscriminate land acquisition in 
Guntur and Prakasam districts for Vodarevu and Nizampatnam Ports and 
Industrial Corridor (VANPIC).
CPI State secretary K. Narayana, Punyavathi (CPI-M), Erraballi Dayakara 
Rao (TDP), Parakala Prabhakar (Praja Rajyam) are expected to participate 
in the dharna at VANPIC office in Chirala at 4 pm on Sunday.
Speaking to newspersons here on Saturday, CPI district secretary 
Venkaiah expressed happiness over the withdrawal of GO 34. He said the 
government had proposed to acquire 4-5 lakh acres in coastal areas from 
Srikakulam to Nellore for development of coastal corridor affecting the 
lives of fishermen. He said the government had proposed several chemical 
industries in the corridor, which would pollute sea waters and affect 
aquatic life endangering environment. He felt happy that the government 
was compelled to withdraw the order under pressure from Left parties 
which had rallied the people against the project.
In the same vein, Mr Venkaiah expressed concern over the statement of 
Minister for Ports and Infrastructure M.V. Ramana Rao that the 
government withdrew the order only to give up its plan to lay four-lane 
road along the coastal areas parallel to the existing National Highway 
No 5. The Minister was silent over the proposal to acquire lakhs of 
acres of land for infrastructure development and establishment of 
chemical industries. He demanded the government to release a white paper 
at least now to explain to the people and Opposition parties about its 
plans to develop coastal corridor. He wanted to know what kind of 
industries would come up in the corridor and the extent of land needed 
by them. As there is no clarity whether the government gave up its plans 
for acquiring 28,000 acres of land in Guntur and Prakasam districts for 
VANPIC, the Opposition parties are going ahead with their plans to 
agitate against it at Chriala on Sunday.






http://www.nst.com.my/Saturday/National/2396619/Article/index_html

2008/11/08
Protest over 100pc rent hike

SHAH ALAM: Some 60 residents of Lembah Subang and Kota Damansara council 
homes demonstrated peacefully at the state secretariat building here 
yesterday to protest against the more than 100 per cent hike in their 
rents. They rose from RM124 to RM250 a month.

Chairman of the action committee Johari Nander said most of the 
residents were former squatters, single mothers, senior citizens and the 
disabled and many could not even afford the old rate.

The Kota Damansara residents started paying RM250 a month from May while 
those in Lembah Subang from July.

"There was no supervision and we feel neglected. We did not hear 
anything from the government and the next thing we knew, we were asked 
to pay RM250," said Johari.

He said they were also asked to pay an extra RM800 as a deposit on Oct 
20, even though they had paid more than RM500 when they moved in years ago.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/16/stories/2008111652880300.htm

Tamil Nadu

AIADMK protests against move to set up new bus stand
Staff Reporter

Flaying proposal: AIADMK cadres observing a fast at Vaniyambadi on 
Saturday.
VANIYAMBADI: Political parties, headed by the All India Anna Dravida 
Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), observed a fast here on Saturday condemning 
the Vaniyambadi Municipality’s decision to set up an additional bus 
stand adjoining the Bypass Road.
Former Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan led the protest. Traffic was disrupted 
at 1.30 p.m. as large number of AIADMK cadres squatted on C.N.A. Road. 
Shops and hotels on the road remained closed.
The Municipality, headed by chairman V. Sivaji Ganesan, recently adopted 
a resolution in favour of an additional bus stand for Vaniyambadi. Land 
was procured for Rs.18 lakh for the additional bus stand adjoining the 
Bypass Road.
However, various political parties including the AIADMK, the Congress 
and the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) opposed the proposal saying that the 
site was 4 km away from Vaniyambadi. It was under this context that the 
AIADMK cadres observed a fast on Saturday opposing the municipality’s move.
Mr. Sengottaiyan said that vehicles which need not pass through C.N.A. 
Road could be diverted through Bypass Road. The existing bus stand on 
C.N.A. Road could be expanded to accommodate more buses.
Former MP Jayamohan (Congress) said that people had to spend at least 
Rs.50 for autorickshaw to reach the bus stand proposed adjoining the 
Bypass Road.
District organising secretary of the PMK A.C. Venkatesan said that his 
party was not opposed to expanding the existing bus stand or shifting it 
to a bigger place. But the issue was why should the land be acquired 4 
km away from the town.







http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/04/stories/2008110451520300.htm

Tamil Nadu

Protest against temples’ demolition
Staff Reporter
— Photo: M. Balaji

‘Hidden agenda’: Members of Hindu Munnani staging demonstration in front 
of the Tirupur Corporation office on Monday to protest against the 
demolition of temples.
Tirupur: Members of Hindu Munnani staged a demonstration in front of the 
Corporation office here on Monday, to protest against the demolition of 
two temples situated at Kulathupalayam and Kumar Nagar.
The temples were recently demolished by the Public Works Department and 
Highways Department to initiate development works.
Target
They alleged that the authorities concerned were targeting Hindus and 
their places of worship with a “hidden agenda”. The Hindu Munnani men 
demanded the arrest of two persons who had attempted to convert 
residents of Thilagar Nagar into Christianity on Sunday. C. Subramanian, 
State general secretary, Hindu Munnani, led the agitation.








http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/hundreds-protest-in-new-delhi-against-posco-plant-in-orissa_100119519.html

Hundreds protest in New Delhi against POSCO plant in Orissa
November 15th, 2008 - 7:52 pm ICT by ANI -
New Delhi, Nov 15 (ANI): Hundreds of people marched in New Delhi on 
Saturday to protest against a plant being built by South Korean steel 
maker POSCO in Orissa.
Activists belonging to anti-POSCO groups - POSCO Pratirodh Sangram 
Samiti - PPSS, POSCO Pratirodh Solidarity and All India students 
Federation held placards and banners to pursue central government about 
the drawbacks of the project.
Anti-POSCO project activists have come to New Delhi to raise their voice 
against the project and also to demand release of at least three 
anti-POSCO leaders arrested in Orissa last month.
Today we have staged this mass protest because POSCO, which is known as 
the steel giant of Korea, is bringing a project in Orissa. Orissa 
government has allowed it as well. But with the project flourishing 
economy of that council will be destroyed. People will be displaced and 
their identity will be lost. So that’’s why we want to raise our voices 
on the issue, said Mamta, member of Posco Pratirodh Solidarity.
Police in Orissa had arrested Abhay Sahu, chairman of the anti-POSCO 
group PPSS, on October 12 in connection with attacks on the house of a 
POSCO supporter two years ago.
Activists of All India Students Federation (AISF) supported anti-POSCO 
groups and demanded release of Sahu.
There about 127 cases have been registered by the police and the Orissa 
government in support of the company against the common people who are 
fighting against the project. We demand that those cases should be 
cancelled as they are all false cases. Government should provide all 
required facilities to the people so that they excel by staying on their 
land. And we also demand that Abhay Sahu should be released, Jyoti 
Ranjan Mohapatra, state president AISF.
The Supreme Court ruled in August that POSCO could use large tracts of 
forestland to build the 12 billion dollar plant — the country’’s largest 
foreign investment.
Villagers say the construction will force them off farmland and displace 
about 20,000 people.
The protests reflect a larger standoff between industry and farmers 
unwilling to give up land in India, where two-thirds of the population 
depends on agriculture for a living.
POSCO and the state have said the plant, in the Jagatsinghpur district 
of the mineral-rich state, will create jobs in an impoverished part of 
the country.
But villagers have refused to hand over land and political parties have 
joined them in regular protests against POSCO.
The region has witnessed numerous clashes since POSCO inked a deal in 
June 2005.
Recently, Tata Motors Limited quit West Bengal after violent protests by 
farmers who lost land forced it to stop production. (ANI)






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/30/stories/2008113056820300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

TDP stages dharna protesting Babli project
Staff Reporter
ADILABAD: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) will stage a dharna on December 1 
in Nirmal protesting the Babli project on Godavari river in Maharashtra.
Inaction
Party leaders will expose the State government’s inaction on the issue 
during the dharna, said Kadiam Srihari, TDP general secretary and Polit 
Buro member.
Evident
Addressing a meeting of party workers at district level, Mr. Srihari 
said it was found that contrary to its stated version, the Maharashtra 
government was constructing the 11 barrages across Godavari for the 
purpose of irrigation and not augmenting drinking water.
This became evident during the recent visit of Telugu Desam Party and 
other party leaders to the barrages, Mr. Srihari added.
Operational
He said once the barrages go operational the 18 lakh acre ayacut in the 
districts of Nizamabad, Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Khammam and 
Nalgonda under the SRSP project. Party spokesman S. Venugopalachary and 
others were present.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/21/stories/2008112152770300.htm

Karnataka - Hubli-Dharwad

Congress workers protest against ‘illegal construction’
Staff Correspondent
DHARWAD: Members of Hubli-Dharwad Mahanagar Zilla Congress Committee 
staged a demonstration against what they termed illegal construction in 
front of the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) in Dharwad 
on Thursday.
The members led by Vasant Arkachar and Anand Jadhav alleged that the 
APMC office-bearers were acting at the behest of merchants without 
considering the problems of farmers.
They said the office-bearers had permitted construction of stalls in 
front of what hitherto used to be an entrance. “Now the office-bearers 
are claiming that there existed a compound wall according to old 
documents and some people had demolished it for sake of getting an 
entrance,” they said.
The Congress members urged the district administration to conduct an 
inquiry into the incident and punish the guilty. They submitted a 
memorandum addressed to the Deputy Commissioner.





http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20081127-174715/Negros-farmers-arrested-in-QC-protest

Negros farmers arrested in QC protest
By Nancy C. Carvajal, Abigail Kwok
INQUIRER.net, Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 14:54:00 11/27/2008

Filed Under: Protest, Agrarian Reform
MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE 2) Farmers from Negros Occidental who 
picketed the Land Registration Authority (LRA) office in Quezon City 
were bodily carried out by police and taken to a police station Thursday 
morning, officials said.
Superintendent Ferdinand Ampil said the farmers would be charged with 
“illegal assembly for occupying a public property establishment.”
The Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net) quoted 
Ampil as saying that 28 farmers -- 8 women and 20 men -- were detained 
at Police Station 10 in Kamuning and would be subjected to inquest 
proceedings.
But in a separate interview with INQUIRER.net, Police officer 3 Merlito 
Tubog of Quezon City police district station 10 said only nine were 
arrested and detained there.
Jose Rodito Angeles, president of Task Force Mapalad, identified the 
nine as Alexander Celis, Bonifacio Alegona, Josem Pasesola, Rogelio 
Salba, Irene Celis, Romeo Pidoy, Salestiano Pasesola, Eduardo Oracion, 
and Liezel Amonhay.
They and 19 others were protesting outside the LRA office to demand the 
transfer of the land title to the 157-hectare Hacienda Bacan from the 
family of First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo to farmer-beneficiaries.
The protesting farmers were reportedly seeking a dialogue with LRA 
officials but were, instead, greeted by arresting police officers.
“We had no choice but to hold a rally because no one wanted to talk to 
us and we were given the runaround,” Angeles told the Inquirer in Filipino.
“TF Mapalad condemns the arrest of the farmers...This is another 
injustice done to them. We are calling on First Gentleman Mike Arroyo to 
stop pressuring the register of deeds [ROD] and let the LRA do their 
jobs,” he said.
Angeles also accused the First Gentleman of “trying every step to stop 
the CARP [Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program] process” in Hacienda Bacan.
The Arroyo-owned Rivulet Corporation allegedly tried to stop the Land 
Bank from issuing the memorandum of valuation of the property and from 
issuing the certificate of cash deposit, Angeles said. He added that 
Rivulet Corporation was allegedly preventing the registration of the 
certificate of land ownership to the farmer beneficiaries.
Angeles also claimed that the ROD in Bacolod City insisted on reissuing 
the certificate of cash deposit (COD) of Land Bank in the name of the 
First Gentleman when “Mike Arroyo himself declared that Rivulet 
Corporation was the hacienda owner and that he does not oppose the sale 
of the property to CARP. Yet the ROD still refused to register the CLOA 
of the farmers even when it was presented with Arroyo’s declaration,” 
said Angeles.
“The Hacienda Bacan farmers, after hurdling so many obstacles for the 
past 10 years, are just one step away from obtaining their land, but 
First Gentleman Mike Arroyo continues to stand in the way and does not 
show any indication of giving up,” Angeles said.






http://www.gmanews.tv/story/136034/Protesters-rounded-up-for-illegal-assembly-at-LRA-office

Protesters rounded up for ‘illegal assembly’ at LRA office
11/27/2008 | 09:29 AM
Email this | Email the Editor | Print | ShareThis
MANILA, Philippines - After failing to convince protesters to leave, 
police brought in an air-conditioned bus Thursday morning to "fetch" 
some 30 farmers who picketed the Land Registration Authority (LRA) 
office in Quezon City since Wednesday night.

In a radio interview, Quezon City police Station 10 commander 
Superintendent Ferdinand Ampil said they took special care in bodily 
carrying the farmers out of the area so as not to be accused of 
violating human rights.

Ampil said the protesters face charges of illegal assembly.

"Iiwasan naming masabi nila nilalabag namin ang kanilang karapatang 
pantao (We don't want them to think we are violating their human 
rights)," Ampil said in an interview on dzBB radio.

Tension gripped the office of the Land Registration Authority Wednesday 
night as 30 farmers from Negros Occidental picketed it to demand action 
on their case. This prompted the police to ask the protesters to leave 
or be carried out of the area.

The farmers continued with their picket rally and refused to leave until 
their demand for action is met.

Police and security guards secured the LRA compound even as LRA lawyer 
Shirley Morales tried in vain to get the farmers to leave.

The farmers said they had been waiting for action on their dispute with 
the relatives of First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, who own Hacienda 
Bacan in Isabela, Negros Occidental.

When Morales said the paperwork was still in Bacolod City, the farmers 
claimed Malacañang was deliberately holding the papers.

Ampil said that when police failed to convince the farmers to leave at 
midnight, they were already bodily moved out of the premises.

"May violation sila na illegal assembly. Ito ay isang government 
installation (They can be held liable for illegal assembly. They entered 
a government installation)," he said. - GMANews.TV






http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=62387

Published On: 2008-11-08
Metropolitan
20 injured in Sirajganj clash
Our Correspondent, Sirajganj

At least 20 people were injured in a clash over a land dispute at 
Alokdiar Guchchhogram at Ullapara in the district yesterday.

The injured were admitted to different local hospitals.

Of them, condition of one Suruzzaman, 40, was stated to be critical.

Shah Alam, officer-in-charge of Solonga Police Station, said that there 
was a long-lasting dispute over a piece of land between the landless 
inmates of the Guchchhogram and influential local BNP activist Mozammel 
Master.

A case was also under trial in Sirajganj Court over the land.

At one stage, a group of local BNP cadres numbering 30 to 35 led by 
Mozammel Master launched attack on the villagers (inmates of 
Guchchhogram) at around 7:30am in a bid to evict them from the land. 
When the villagers (landless) protested, it turned into a fierce clash 
that continued for about two hours.

Both the groups chased and counter chased each other and hurled 
brickbats, leaving 20 people of both the groups injured.

On information, Solonga police rushed to the spot and brought the 
situation under control.







http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/videos/2008/nov/nov27/video02.php

Landless people protest at Khulla Munch
Landless people have been staging dharna (sit-in) at Khulla Munch in 
Kathmandu with 13-point demands which include distribution of least 10 
katthas of land to freed Kamaiyas, landless farmers, Haliyas, and other 
landless people – protesters voice their opinion.






http://www.wusa9.com/rss/local_article.aspx?storyid=77681

Protesters Demonstrate At Fannie Mae Offices
Posted By: Bill Starks

WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) -- The home Edna Barber once owned is gone. The 
69-year-old retiree now stays with relatives or sleeps wherever she can. 
Barber and many of the people demonstrating outside Fannie Mae are angry 
about their plight.
"Mortgage fraud. That's what I'm a victim of. Mortgage fraud," said Barber.
The mortgages of many of the nearly 100 protestors marching along 
Wisconsin Avenue, NW, are in danger of foreclosure. Wendy Torres and the 
four other people in her family are all working to try to save the 
family's home. She says her Dad got behind on mortgage payments when his 
overtime hours were cut out.
"If we don't get any help at all, we're going to lose our house, which I 
don't want because we are a family and we've been there four years 
already," said Torres.
The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America unloaded furniture in 
front of Fannie Mae. Organizers say they wanted to point out the pain of 
foreclosures. They are demanding that Fannie Mae, which received 
billions in federal bailout funds, do more to restructure loans and 
establish new industry standards for at-risk homeowner assistance.
"I bought at peak and the value started falling immediately after I 
bought," said Constance Combs, a condo owner. "There was never an 
opportunity to refinance. I was upside down from Day 2."
Combs and other protestors struggling to pay mortgages saw their 
payments skyrocket before they could re-finance. The CEO of NACA says 
Fannie Mae owns or guarantees 30% of all home loans. He is pushing the 
agency to do something about lenders that are refusing to restructure 
loans or lower interest rates.
"If Fannie Mae changes its standards to implement affordable restructure 
solutions that sets a standard for the country," said Bruce Marks, CEO 
of NACA.
The protestors sat on the steps of Fannie Mae until they got a meeting 
with its CEO, Herbert Allison. Both sides described the discussion as 
positive. A NACA spokesman says changes are in the works and more 
meetings are planned. One Fannie Mae executive told 9 NEWS NOW that 
stopping foreclosures is in the best interest of everyone.
"We are actively working and doing everything we can. We're constantly 
addressing all of the solutions we have in place to see what new and 
better ideas are out there. There's a lot we have done and there's a lot 
more that we are going to do," said Stacey Stewart, senior vice 
president at Fannie Mae.
NACA's CEO says the organization has assisted more than 100,000 at-risk 
homeowners. Some of the protestors have been waiting months for lenders 
to work out affordable mortgage payments.
"What are they going to do to help us out? I think it's time that 
Congress do it. We can help everybody else, but they cannot seem to help 
us," said Robert Robinson, a retired federal worker.
Federal officials are expected to unveil a new plan Thursday to assist 
struggling homeowners. It would guarantee about $500 billion in loans 
and lower interest rates for borrowers.






http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/30/protesters-demand-fannie-mae-meeting/

Protesters demand Fannie Mae meeting
Associated Press
Thursday, October 30, 2008

Rev. Graylan Hagler rallys protesters on the steps of Fannie Mae's 
headquarters in Northwest on Wednesday. The group protested against 
Fannie Mae's foreclosure practices.
Nearly 100 activists from a Boston-based housing advocacy group 
protested Wednesday in front of Fannie Mae's headquarters in the 3900 
block of Wisconsin Avenue Northwest.
The protesters from the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America 
sat on the steps of the expansive brick headquarters. They demanded that 
the government-controlled company modify loans to lower interest rates.

The group held signs reading, "Restructure our loans now," "Fannie Mae 
destroys lives" and "Foreclose on Fannie Mae," and demanded a meeting 
with the company's chief executive officer, Herbert M .Allison Jr.

Protesters from the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America dump 
old furniture outside the headquarters of Fannie Mae in Northwest.

Photographs by Joseph Silverman/The Washington Times Protesters held 
signs reading, "Restructure our loans now," "Fannie Mae destroys lives" 
and "Foreclose on Fannie Mae."
Mr. Allison was hired seven weeks ago after the government bailed out 
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The companies collectively own or guarantee 
about $5 trillion of the country's outstanding mortgages — nearly half 
of the home loans the United States.
Photo Gallery: Fannie Mae Protest

click image to view gallery
Nearly 100 activists from a Boston-based housing advocacy group, the 
Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, protested Wednesday in 
front of Fannie Mae's headquarters in the 3900 block of Wisconsin Avenue 
Northwest.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) 
created to ensure liquidity in the mortgage markets, though they do not 
make loans themselves. The two companies made money by purchasing 
mortgage loans in the secondary market from the banks that initiated the 
loans for a guarantee fee.
As banks lowered credit limits to provide loans to lower-income, or 
subprime borrowers, the GSE's guaranteed more and more subprime loans 
and took a major hit as default and foreclosures increased in recent 
years, requiring the government to step in and help.





http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/98588

Journalist stabbed during street protest

Español: Periodista herido con arma blanca en un enfrentamiento callejero
Country/Topic: Argentina
Date: 17 November 2008
Source: Foro de Periodismo Argentino (FOPEA)
Person(s): Fabricio Glibota, Santiago Petinich
Target(s): journalist(s)
Type(s) of violation(s): attacked
Urgency: Flash
(FOPEA/IFEX) - The Argentine Journalism Forum (Foro de Periodismo 
Argentino, FOPEA) condemns the assault on journalist Fabricio Glibota on 
14 November 2008. The incident took place while Glibota was carrying out 
his work in the city of Resistencia, the capital of the northern 
province of Chaco, and is one of the worst attacks against the press to 
occur in Argentina this year.
Glibota, a journalist for Radio Universidad radio station, was stabbed 
in the back during a confrontation between municipal employees and 
street vendors in the centre of the city.
According to witnesses, at the time of the attack there were no police 
present. The police arrived an hour later. The protest had been 
announced in the local media, and resulted from an ongoing conflict 
between the street vendors and the municipal employees' union. Medical 
assistance also failed to arrive promptly.
Glibota, who also works at "Diaro Norte", was stabbed in the back near 
his kidneys and had to undergo surgery. He is currently in the intensive 
care unit. Relatives of the journalist have told FOPEA that his life is 
not in danger.
The journalist was standing away from the centre of the confrontation 
and had with him equipment that identified him as a journalist, which 
leads to the assumption that he was not confused as a protester but 
rather was attacked because he is a journalist. The characteristics of 
the action against him and the context in which it occurred prevent it 
from being considered a random act of violence. The police have detained 
a person presumed to be responsible for the attack on Glibota.
Santiago Petinich, a cameraman for the local Channel 6 television 
station, was also injured when he was hit in the leg with a rock. 
Petinich's injury was not serious and he received treatment for it at a 
private hospital.
FOPEA publicly demands that the governor of Chaco, Jorge Capitanich, of 
the Peronist Party (Partido Justicialista), and the mayor of 
Resistencia, Aída Ayala, of the Radical Civic Union Party, take steps to 
ensure that these types of confrontations and attacks do not occur 
again. FOPEA also energetically insists that they investigate the attack 
and find those responsible for it. FOPEA believes that the only way to 
prevent such attacks is to end impunity.







http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKTRE4AC0NH20081113?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

Bomb thrown at Bangkok market protest wounds 13
Thu Nov 13, 2008 3:26am GMT

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A bomb thrown at a rally of Thai market vendors 
protesting over new rental contracts in Bangkok wounded 13 people, 
police and witnesses said on Thursday. The incident had nothing to do 
with an anti-government movement whose supporters have been occupying 
the official compound of the prime minister since August, police said.
Witnesses said the bomb was thrown at around 1 a.m. from a flyover above 
the rally site near the main Bangkok port, blowing up speakers, chairs 
and tents and seriously wounding two protesters.
"The bomb injured a woman in the cheek and her husband has shrapnel in 
his arms, legs and back," Anjira na Nakorn, a leader of the protest, 
told a radio station.
(Reporting by Nopporn Wong-Anan; Editing by Alan Raybould)





http://www.bangkokpost.com/141108_News/14Nov2008_news11.php

Friday November 14, 2008

Bomb injures protesters at Klong Toey market rally site
AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK

An explosive device was hurled into a group of protesting vendors in 
front of Klong Toey market early yesterday, wounding 15 vendors, two 
seriously.
The attack took place about 1.30am at a tent set up at the Ratchada-Rama 
IV intersection near the market.
Vendors have manned a roadblock there since Wednesday in protest against 
a market development plan by a new developer.
Police are still checking to discover what type of device it was.
Witnesses said a motorcycle rider threw a plastic bag containing the 
explosive from a flyover bridge into the protesters as they were 
listening to a speech.
Fifteen vendors were wounded, two seriously.
Penthiwawan Kaewsuk, 37, sustained wounds to her head, while Yakob 
Lormoh, 51, received wounds to several parts of his body. The blast 
caused chaos at the protest venue.
Sujittra Damrongsiriwut, 52, one of the protesters, said about 1,000 
vendors had received constant threats by a group of men. She asked why 
police had not strengthened security for vendors.
Protesters are unhappy with a company which has won a contract to manage 
a market area leased from the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT).
Tha Rua police said an investigation was underway to establish the type 
of explosive thrown at the vendors. Police would check footage from a 
closed-circuit television camera at the intersection.
Tha Rua police were sent to several locations on Wednesday night where 
Loy Krathong festivities were being held.
The company which won the contract to redevelop the market denied any 
involvement in the attack.
Thammanat Chompao, the owner of Legal Professional Co, the company which 
won the bid, said his firm had nothing to do with the incident.
His contract with the PAT was signed on Oct 29. The company was now 
working on a market management plan, which it has to submit to the PAT 
within 180 days. He claimed his firm had no reason to intimidate the 
vendors.
Pichet Mankhong, the PAT's assistant director, said the PAT had scrapped 
market management contracts with three companies and awarded the new 
contract to Legal Professional Co, which will take over the market area.
The new developer has offered lease fees of 61 million baht a year to 
the PAT and agreed to spend 120 million baht redeveloping the market.
The three former developers, which had rented the plot from the PAT 
since 1964 and paid rental fees of 12 million baht a year, refused to 
take part in the bidding, said Mr Pichet.





http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_2425608,00.html

Protesters wounded in blast
13/11/2008 12:00 - (SA)

Bangkok - A blast wounded 13 people in Thailand's capital early on 
Thursday when assailants hurled an explosive device at market vendors 
who had gathered to protest a rent hike by new managers of the 
government-owned facility, police said.
The blast occurred in the Thai capital at around 01:00 when some 
protesters were sleeping in makeshift tents and others had gathered 
outside, police Col Sutip Palitkusontap said.
Two of the protesters remained hospitalised with serious injuries, but 
the rest have been released, said Surachet Sathitniramai at the 
Narenthorn Medical Centre.
Sutip said hundreds of vendors who operate stalls at the outdoor market 
in Bangkok have been staging a protest since Wednesday against Legal 
Professional Co Ltd, the facility's new privately contracted management 
company.
The company denied involvement in the attack.
Two men were seen dropping a plastic bag from an overpass bridge onto 
the protest side at a major intersection in Klong Toey district before 
the blast occurred, Sutip said, citing witnesses.
"It remains unclear what kind of explosive device it was and who was 
behind the attack," he said. "We will step up security for protesters to 
prevent further attacks."
There was no claim of responsibility for the attack and no indication 
that the blast was related to Thailand's ongoing political strife. 
Protesters have been camping out for months at the Thai prime minister's 
office in hopes of forcing the government to resign.
The market's land is owned by the Port Authority of Thailand, which 
recently hired new management for the market. The protesters allege the 
bidding process for the hiring was not transparent, and that they have 
been treated unfairly by the new management, which has sharply raised 
rents without improving conditions.
One protester at the market who identified herself only as Wanida said 
mobs have been harassing them since July to agree to the higher rents or 
leave.
"We will not move out or sign the new contract with the new developer," 
she said.
The director of Legal Professional, Thamanat Pompao, said his company 
was not involved in the blast, and declined to comment on the alleged 
months of harassment.
"We do not resort to violence," Thamanat said. "We want to improve the 
condition of the market. That was why we asked the vendors to register 
with us so we can work together."
Hundreds of protesters remained at the market on Thursday afternoon, 
vowing to stay until the situation has been resolved.
- AP






http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/7717423.stm

Saturday, 8 November 2008

Council seeks to evict protesters

The protesters want more land to be used for social housing
Birmingham City Council has obtained an eviction order to take action 
against protesters camped out on its land.
The council was granted the order at Birmingham County Court on Friday 
to evict the campaigners who are on land off Pershore Road in Birmingham.
The Justice not Crisis campaigners want the council to provide more 
social housing and claim thousands of people in the city are on waiting 
lists.
The council said the protest was stopping homes being built at the site.
Birmingham City Council also said that it built about 900 affordable 
homes a year.
"This organisation is trespassing on council land which had been 
earmarked for new family homes," the council said.
The campaigners, who have set up tents and banners, said they were 
committed to continuing their campaign.





http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/7703370.stm

Friday, 31 October 2008
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Printable version

Protesters camp out in homes plea
Protesters have said they are prepared to camp out for months in an 
effort to force Birmingham City Council to build more affordable homes.
A group of protesters have begun squatting on council-owned land off 
Pershore Road in Birmingham.
They said they were among thousands in the city on waiting lists for 
social housing.
The city council said it built about 900 affordable homes a year and the 
protest was stopping new development.
The protesters have set up tents at the site and put up banners.

Protesters say they are prepared to stay at the site for months
Some of the people at the site said they had been on housing waiting 
lists for years.
Colette Tedstone said she had been on the council's waiting list for 
about three years.
She said: "I was sleeping in people's houses wherever I could, I was on 
the street for a bit as well."
Birmingham City Council said the protesters were preventing the building 
of new homes by trespassing on the site.
"This organisation is trespassing on council land which had been 
earmarked for new family homes," it said in a statement.
It said it was taking legal advice to "ensure this valuable site remains 
available".





http://www.nowpublic.com/world/getting-ready-be-homeless-protest-nov-12-13

"getting ready to be homeless" - protest on nov 12 & 13
Share:
by isabella mori | November 10, 2008 at 02:43 pm
82 views | 10 Recommendations | add comment
Photos


from david chudnovsky:

Dear friends,

While the City of Vancouver is putting $100 million dollars into the 
hands of private developers for the Olympic village, the City has at the 
same time given permission to shutdown some of the precious social 
housing and affordable rental housing units in the City.

Many of the units in the Little Mountain Housing Complex (LMHC) have 
been boarded up, to intimidate the remaining tenants into moving out. 
While thousands in Vancouver are homeless, more than 200 homes now sit 
empty at Little Mountain. 224 homes will be destroyed years before the 
reconstruction begins.

A new development is about to begin on the site of 4545 Prince Albert 
and 4550 Fraser Street; tenants of 126 low-end market rental units are 
about to lose their homes. The city of Vancouver's Rate-of-Change bylaw, 
which requires one-to-one replacement of any rental housing converted or 
demolished, does not require owners to rent to their former tenants, and 
cannot prevent the new rent from being beyond the means of the former 
tenants. Furthermore, the by-law excludes rental apartments in 
commercially-zoned areas such as the 4500 block of Fraser Street, where 
78 of the 126 units to be redeveloped are slated for demolition.

What does this all mean? It means our friends and neighbours living in 
these 350 units of housing are either being forced out of their familiar 
homes, or in danger of becoming homeless.






http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/1386226

Wellington city council evicts truck protester
By DAVE BURGESS - The Dominion Post
Last updated 00:40 30/01/2009

JOHN CROWLEY/Dominion Post
MOVING OUT: A policewoman lends a hand as Jennifer Graham removes 
belongings from her housetruck before the vehicle was towed away by 
wellington City Council. Last night Graham camped out on the street.
Relevant offers

A Woman is living on the street after her illegally parked housetruck 
was seized by Wellington City Council.
Jennifer Graham has lived in her truck in the same central Wellington 
parking space in Stout St since September even getting mail delivered 
there. About $5000 of parking fines had been issued before the council 
instead tried moving her along.
The council has issued written warnings saying it is illegal to camp on 
a city street, but Ms Graham has refused to acknowledge the council as a 
legitimate authority.
Yesterday the council had a towing company remove the housetruck and a 
1957 Morris Minor called Annabel, which sat on an attached trailer. 
Three police officers, requested by the council, were on hand.
Ms Graham was given two hours to remove her possessions including 
suitcases and cardboard boxes on to the Stout St pavement, where she 
remained last night, sitting on a cushion and covered by a tarpaulin.
A postie briefly interrupted her move to deliver a handful of mail. 
Letters found their way to Ms Graham, despite being addressed to 
"Jennifer at concrete pole No 462" or "Jennifer in Stout St".
Ms Graham refused to comment.
Council spokesman Jon Visser said negotiations to help her had broken 
down. "She has voluntarily decided to live on the streets. Obviously, we 
couldn't leave her vehicles sitting there, so we organised for them to 
be taken away."
She would be charged several hundred dollars in towing fees.
Council citizen engagement director Wendy Walker said the situation was 
far from ideal.
"We don't want Jennifer to live on the street. We are very concerned for 
her wellbeing. However, the central city is not the place for people to 
commandeer a number of parking spaces and set up semi-permanent camp."
Council offers to make the housetruck roadworthy and have it warranted 
and registered, as long as she stopped camping in a public place, had 
been rejected. Accommodation with the council-funded Downtown Community 
Ministry was also refused.





http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/734293

House truck protester defies Wellington council
The Dominion Post
Last updated 01:17 26/11/2008

ROSS GIBLIN/Dominion Post
THERE TO STAY: Jennifer Graham refuses to move her house truck, despite 
racking up thousands of dollars in parking fines in Wellington.
Relevant offers

A woman who refuses to pay parking fines risks losing the roof above her 
head as Wellington City Council considers impounding her house truck.
Jennifer Graham has lived in the truck in the same central Wellington 
parking space for 11 weeks, racking up thousands of dollars in fines she 
refuses to pay.
She could be there indefinitely; she says she will not leave till 
"democracy has been restored" - a dig at what she sees as politicians 
looking after themselves before the people they serve.
The city's parking wardens are regular visitors. However, most of the 
fines were because her 1982 Isuzu house truck and trailer's warrant of 
fitness had expired. On the unwarranted trailer sits a 1957 Morris Minor 
called Annabel, with the number plate 57BABY - her other mode of transport.
"I usually get two [tickets] first thing in the morning," she says. "I 
send them all back saying I'm not going to pay for them."
While The Dominion Post was interviewing her, truckies, a tour bus 
driver and a tow-truck driver honked greetings as they whizzed by. "I've 
always been nice to the towies. Just in case."
She has driven around the country in her mobile home, stopping in Bluff, 
Napier and Awanui before coming to rest in Stout St, not far from 
Parliament, to object to politicians' perks, increased wages and 
election spending.
Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean said Ms Graham had 
amassed several thousand dollars in fines - so many that the council had 
told wardens to stop doling them out.
The council had received complaints that the central city had "turned 
into a camping ground" and was considering taking her to court or 
seizing the truck and trailer to recover the fines. "You can tow her if 
she's not in it. We've no compunction in doing that."
Someone had e-mailed the council saying that, if Ms Graham was allowed 
to stay, they would tell everyone they knew to park their house trucks 
in the city, he said. "She's certainly no threat to security, but the 
point is she's starting to annoy quite a lot of people. We are going to 
have to do something about it."
Ms Graham said that, if her truck was seized, she would live on the 
street. "If it's going to happen, it's going to happen. What will be 
will be."





http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2008/11/25/pe-homeless-shelter.html?ref=rss

Natives protest lack of homeless shelters
Last Updated: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 | 5:11 PM AT
Several members of the Native Council of P.E.I. are camping out on a 
street corner in downtown Charlottetown Tuesday to raise public 
awareness about the problem of homelessness.
The "Freezing for Warmth" demonstration is also a fundraiser for 
Grandmother's House, a homeless shelter in Charlottetown for women. 
Grandmother's House program manager Sandra Knockwood said Islanders need 
to wake up to the reality of homelessness.
"Still today there are people who don't believe there is homelessness," 
said Knockwood.
"It is becoming more prevalent because we now only have one female 
shelter in Charlottetown that's a homeless shelter, and quite a lot of 
females who are in need at any point in time."
The camp-out demonstration is scheduled to continue through the night.
Knockwood said money raised during the fundraiser will go towards the 
operating costs of Grandmother's House. Those costs are about $50,000 a 
year.
A similar protest last year raised $4,600. Knockwood is hoping to double 
that amount this year.





http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/262522

To Protest Eviction, Man Commits Gruesome Suicide and Cuts Head Off With 
Chainsaw
By Debra Myers.
Published Nov 20, 2008 by ■ Debra Myers
Share:

A desperate David Phyall, 50 of Bishopstoke in the UK, used an electric 
chainsaw to cut his own head off to protest his eviction from a block of 
flats set to be demolished. Phyall had refused to leave his one-bedroom 
flat and had been taken to court.
Bishopstoke, UK - David Phyall, 50, was the last remaining tenant in a 
building that was set to be demolished to make way for a massive 
redevelopment in the area. Even though he had been ordered to vacate, 
Phyall refused to leave his one-bedroom flat.

Two days before his body was found, it's reported that he "carefully 
planned" his suicide, as a way to make a statement. What follows is 
gruesome.

Phyall plugged-in an electric chainsaw and set it on a timer. Using 
sellotape, he taped the trigger to the 'on' position, then secured the 
chainsaw to a table leg to hold it steady. Phyall rested the saw against 
his neck and waited for the timer to go off.

The Black and Decker chainsaw sliced through his neck in an instant but 
kept going for a further 15 minutes.

Mr. Phyall's parents had gone to the flat and after discovering that the 
door was locked from the inside, called Sergeant Mark Carter. Using a 
crowbar, he forced the door open only to find the grisly scene.

Phyall was dressed only in underpants and a T-shirt, and covered in 
blood. Sgt. Carter said,
'The carpet was covered by a layer of blood and the ceiling above my 
head was also splattered with blood."

Carter goes on to tell that the chainsaw was embedded in Phyall's neck, 
and it had quit running three quarters of the way through the man's 
neck. He saw that the trigger to the chainsaw was taped to the "on" 
position, as well as the saw being tied to the table leg. The saw and 
the timer were still plugged-in, although not running.
"I have never come across an incident quite this graphic."

At the inquest, Detective Sergeant Mark Huxford continued telling the 
details. He said that the head was still attached by the right shoulder 
and his head was lying to the left. Because of the way the chainsaw had 
spun while running, a large area of the carpet was covered with blood.

John Phyall, David's father, told the hearing that he had no idea that 
his son meant to kill himself.
'We had seen him a week prior to his death and he had appeared cheerful 
and had been making jokes. His death was totally unexpected.'

Deputy Central Hampshire Simon Burge who recorded David's death as a 
suicide, felt that this manner of how Phyall had chosen to kill himself 
was to 'make a statement'. He described the scene as "appalling" and 
"bizarre".
'Mr Phyall had thought through how he was going to commit suicide very 
carefully - he went to a great deal of trouble to rig up the chainsaw 
knowing full well the result would be fatal.

If his death was to make a statement about the injustice of being 
evicted from his home of 8 years, he certainly accomplished that. What's 
even sadder is that he turned down 11 offers of a new home.






http://news.morningstar.com/newsnet/ViewNews.aspx?article=/DJ/200811180330DOWJONESDJONLINE000101_univ.xml

Malaysian Activists Threaten Naked Protest Over Rent Hikes11-18-08 3:30 
AM EST | E-mail Article | Print Article
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP)--Malaysian activists have threatened to stage a naked 
protest over a sudden hike in rental rates for government housing, 
drawing criticism from Muslim leaders and police Tuesday.

Ramlan Abu Bakar of the Malaysian People's Reform Movement said its 
members were prepared to strip off outside the offices of the chief 
minister of Selangor state, after it more than doubled the cost of 
low-income housing.
"Protesting naked is our final act of desperation as the state 
government is literally stealing the clothes off our backs with this 
price increase," Ramlan said.
"They are not helping the poor people here who barely make enough to 
afford the present rental of MYR124 ($34) so how can we afford to pay 
MYR250?" he said.
The hardline Islamic party PAS, which is part of the opposition 
alliance, criticized the plans, with its spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz 
Nik Mat saying only "uncivilized" people would resort to such an act.
"Even an animal like a cow which is stark naked, God created a tail to 
hide its genitals and here we are talking about human beings who have 
been given a mind," he told state news agency Bernama.
Ramlan said his group would submit a memorandum to opposition leader 
Anwar Ibrahim, whose alliance runs Selangor state, and that if it failed 
to bring about any change they will push ahead with the nude protest.
State police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said action will be taken against 
anyone staging an illegal assembly.
"We will take firm action against any NGO that holds a gathering without 
a permit, and even more so if they are nude," he told Bernama.






http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/11/29/nation/2674100&sec=nation

Saturday November 29, 2008
Police won’t give permit for group’s naked protest

SHAH ALAM: Selangor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar has 
make it clear that any application to publicly gather in the buff will 
be rejected.
However, he did not think anyone would make the application.
“No one is stupid to request to be naked in public.
“No (permit) consideration will be given, but they are welcome to be 
naked in their room if they want,” he said after receiving 1,200 
ketamine drug test kits, courtesy of the Selangor Justice Peace 
Asso¬ciation, at the state police headquarters yesterday.
Khalid was asked about the proposed intention of Malaysian People’s 
Reform Movement (Reformis) members to strip naked, as a last resort, to 
protest against a hike in rental rates for government low-cost houses 
under the People’s Housing Scheme.
It had been reported earlier that the group was prepared to strip off 
outside the office of the Mentri Besar after a state executive council 
decision in July to raise rent for around 6,200 homes under the scheme 
from RM124 to RM250 a month.





http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/7751903.stm

Thursday, 27 November 2008

Squatters stage rooftop protest
A rooftop protest is being staged in Bristol by squatters who have been 
evicted from the building.
A group occupying the four-storey house in Ashley Road, St Pauls, moved 
onto the roof after eviction orders were made on 12 November.
The squatters are calling for talks with the housing association which 
owns the building - Places For People.
A spokeswoman for the association said the protest was holding up plans 
for an affordable homes development.
Protesters said they were concerned about the organisation's treatment 
of empty properties and its selling of rental stock on the open market.
"All that we have been asking is that Places for People come and talk to 
the community about what it is they plan for the building, so at the end 
of the day, people are staying up there until this enormous organisation 
decides it is able to talk," one of the protesters told the BBC.
Donna Johnson, regional manager of Places for People, said: "What 
they're essentially doing is preventing us from being able to continue 
to develop and deliver an affordable housing project.
"I rather would enter into dialogue and I think the best way to do that 
is around the table in a spirit of partnership and not through 
communication with people sitting on a roof and refusing to come down."
A public meeting is being held on Thursday in St Pauls Learning Centre 
at 1830 GMT to discuss this situation.






http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/nov/03/neighbors-clash-with-developer-on-215-acre/?partner=RSS

Neighbors clash with developer on 21.5-acre proposal
By Daniel J. Chacon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published November 3, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

Photo by Javier Manzano / The Rocky
Real estate developer Chad Richardson stands inside one of his 
properties in Park Hill on Thursday. He's been affected by another 
contentious downzoning proposal, which is going before the Denver City 
Council. The proposal, which would rezone 21.5 acres in south Park Hill, 
is pitting Richardson against neighbors.
Zoning is a touchy subject.
Just ask Denver City Councilwoman Carla Madison, whose proposal to 
downzone 21.5 acres in south Park Hill has neighbors butting heads with 
a developer who says he'll lose hundreds of thousands of dollars if the 
rezoning is approved today.
Madison is sympathetic.
Up to a point.
Madison said Chad Richardson initially wanted to build nine townhomes, 
but then he partnered up with a "front man" who saw an opportunity to 
build 22.
Residents of the mostly single-family neighborhood balked at the bigger 
development.
When the downzoning was initiated - a proposal that would limit 
Richardson's project to four townhomes - Richardson and his partner 
submitted an application to build 40, Madison said.
"Unfortunately, I think he's learned a very expensive lesson," she said. 
"Or he may. We'll see how this whole thing goes."
Contentious rezonings are not new to the Denver City Council.
In April, for example, property owners in northwest Denver duked it out 
over proposals to rezone large swaths of land in two neighborhoods, 
limiting development to single-family homes.
The council approved the downzonings after a marathon session that ended 
in the wee hours.
But by then, neighbors on opposite sides of the issue had become bitter 
enemies.
Denver is dealing with such divisive rezonings because the city hasn't 
implemented Blueprint Denver, its land-use and transportation plan, 
Madison said.
"All these people expect - and rightfully so - for their neighborhood to 
be what Blueprint set out for it to be, and we haven't put those things 
in place to make it happen yet," she said.
Adopted in March 2002, Blueprint Denver divides the city into two 
planning categories: areas of stability and areas of change.
An area of stability is usually an established neighborhood where the 
city wants to maintain the existing character.
An area of change is where the city wants to steer development and 
higher-density projects, such as around light-rail stations.
But the zoning code update, which will provide the tools to implement 
Blueprint Denver, has been six years in the making.
The last time the code was updated was about 50 years ago.
The revision is expected to be finished in a year or two, and Madison 
said it will probably lead to more dissent. The zoning code affects all 
property owners.
"We're going to be in this position all over the city," Madison said. 
"The whole place is going to be rezoned."
In the meantime, the council will have to deal with controversial rezonings.
Richardson, who wants to build nine townhomes in south Park Hill, said 
he doesn't oppose Madison's downzoning proposal.
But he said he wants it to exclude projects like his, which, although 
not approved, is already in the city's planning pipeline.
Richardson has hired The Kenney Group, a powerful government affairs and 
public relations firm in Denver, to help lobby council members to 
sponsor an amendment to Madison's proposal.
Madison said she would oppose such an amendment.