40,000 protest in Brussels against ‘casino captitalism’ (Jobs not bankster bailouts)

[Robbien]

Source: Reuters/Brussels, Belgium

Some 40,000 people marched in Brussels yesterday to demand more government funds to protect jobs in the European Union, saying that too much money was spent on banks that are responsible for the financial crisis.

The rally, staged by the European Trade Union Confederation, came a day after a similar protest in Madrid and ahead of two more marches in Prague and Berlin today, events that organisers say will attract up to 300,000 people.

Workers from across the 27-nation European Union voiced anger that hundreds of billion of euros were being spent on bailing out banks, which they said were partly responsible for the crisis, rather than to save industrial jobs.

“We believe that this unbridled market mechanism, this casino capitalism has led us into the crisis, and we believe we need stricter rules to ensure that this does not happen again,” said Lothar Sorger, deputy chairman of the works council at the Opel car factory in Kaiserslautern, Germany.

. . .

Anne Demelenne, secretary-general of Belgium’s ABVV trade union, said the EU should create “serious stimulus plans and guarantee that there are good salaries and good public services as well as social protection”.



Read more: http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=290962&version=1&template_id=39&parent_id=21

[xchrom]

1. recommend -- the senate vote re: cc compnaies and their interest rates

should tell the american people what their elcted officials will do for them.

without this kind of anger re: the economy -- we're fucked.

[AlphaCentauri]

2. When was the last time 300K workers march in the US?

[BelgianMadCow]

3. people are getting angry - belgians at ArcelorMittal meeting

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/business/global/13steel.html?ref=global-home
Steelworkers Try to Force Their Way Into Meeting

By DAVID JOLLY
Published: May 12, 2009

PARIS — Steelworkers angry about reduced hours and job insecurity attempted Tuesday to crash the ArcelorMittal shareholders meeting in Luxembourg, trying to break through the front door and throwing firecrackers until they were driven off by riot police officers.

The police said about 2,000 Belgian and French steelworkers gathered at the headquarters of ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel maker, outside the company’s annual general meeting at in the Grand Duchy.

Most of the workers, many of whom came from the Belgian cities of Charleroi and Liege, demonstrated peacefully, said Vic Reuter, a spokesman for the Luxembourg police. But a small group sought to break into the headquarters building, he said, where they were met by 200 police officers, including riot policemen who had been kept in reserve.

“They threw cobblestones and iron bars and fired at us with slingshots,” Mr. Reuter said. “The police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets fired from air rifles.” The bulk of the demonstrators remained calm, he said, and sought to “cool down” the rioters.


And a picture of it from another source (that has a picture but worse text)

[dotymed]

4. AMERICANS ARE TOO IGNORANT

To do something like this takes a mass of thinking people.
Here, the Media has the masses so ignorant (because the Media
here is corporate owned and controlled) that they would rather
march against gay marriage or abortion or maybe for
torture...THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE was an FCC rule that forced
the media to give free, equal air-time on NEWS shows, to
anyone with a different point of view on matters. Ronald
Reagan had the FAIRNESS DOCTRINE repealed (after 30 years of
keeping the American public well informed) and said that
"THE FREE MARKET SHOULD DETERMINE THE CONTENT OF THE
NEWS." So, THE TRUTH WAS SOLD TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER IN
AMERICA. A few years ago, the Florida supreme court,under Jeb
Bush, ruled that News programs had no obligation to be honest.
WAKE UP AMERICA.

[Vidar]

6. Nice rant. I agree. Welcome to DU.

[dotymed]

7. Ranting yes....

Thanks Vidar. I get so aggravated that I often rant. The
shrinking ability of people to think independently, just in my
life (almost 50 years) is so glaringly obvious, that even
though it has been a long, (kind of)slow process. The results
are obvious. Without THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE reinstated, the
next 50 years will find America like that stupid movie
"IDIOCRACY." I have children, I have instilled the
need for independent thought in them. I am afraid I have
sealed their fate.

[Blue_Tires]

5. once the belgians start getting involved, you know its serious!

[Wednesdays]

8. K&R

:kick: