September 30, 2002
Thousands in UK Demonstrate Against Iraq War (3:52)
As many as 400,000 people marched through central London this weekend to protest against plans for a war on Iraq, and to demand justice in Palestine. This, as Baghdad rejected the draft US sponsored UN resolution requiring Iraq to comply within 30 days or face military action. But while President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair seek international backing for their Iraq resolution, the British public took to the streets to protest against the war campaign. Miranda Kennedy reports from London.
DC IMF/WB Protests
Officials of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, along with Finance Ministers, finished their talks in Washington, DC this weekend. For the last two and a half years the IMF and World Bank have faced protests at all of their major meetings. Over 3,000 police protected the meetings. On Friday, more than 650 people were arrested in massive sweeps. The last years have been difficult for the two financial institutions who are widely blamed for recent economic crises in Latin America, particularly in Argentina. Anger against the IMF and successful protests have popularized left wing political candidates in South America. Thatcher Collins files this report from Washington.
100 Days of Curfew Nablus – Violence Continues (3:58)
Palestinians commemorated the second anniversary of the Intifada this past Saturday, with thousands marching in demonstrations across the West Bank and Gaza, and in surrounding Arab countries. A new poll indicates that 80% of Palestinians support continued popular resistance. Meanwhile, today marks the 100th day of 24-hour a day curfew in the West Bank city of Nablus. In two separate incidents in Nablus today, two Palestinian youths were shot and killed by Israeli defense forces enforcing curfew. As many as 25, mainly children, were also injured in the shootings. And in Ramallah, Israel ended its siege of Yasser Arafat’s compound, the Muqata, on Sunday. But while the siege may have ended, the military continues to occupy the city. Awad Duaibes reports from Ramallah.
Longshoremen Locked out (3:37)
All 29 ports along the West Coast of the United States are idle today, after labor negotiations between dockworkers and shipping companies broke down completely over the weekend. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union has been bargaining since May for a new contract with the Pacific Maritime Association – the industry group representing ports and shipping lines. The union, which was once a hundred thousand strong, now has a membership of only ten thousand; it says it’s not willing to give in to PMA demands that would shrink the union further. John Hamilton reports.
LA Conference – US Drug Policy (3:47)
The Drug Policy Alliance held a conference over the weekend called Breaking the Chains: People of Color and the War on Drugs. About 600 law enforcement officers, politicians, civil rights lawyers, addiction councilors, and Drug War victims met in downtown Los Angeles to show how and why US drug policy disproportionately affects people of color. Patrick Burke has this report.
