Bob CollinsToday’s dispatches from Planet Protest:
In Afghanistan, PressTV reports, hundreds joined in a demonstration protesting civilian deaths in a raid by NATO forces.
Agents in riot gear from Immigration and Customs Enforcement tried to break up a hunger strike by detainees at the Varick Federal Detention Center in Lower Manhattan. The detainees are being held pending deportation.
Thousands of Iraqis held rallies in the mainly Shiite cities of Basra, Karbala and Najaf on Thursday in support of a decision to bar election candidates linked to executed dictator Saddam Hussein.
Autoworkers in Belgium are protesting Opel’s decision to close their plant.
In Berkley, Fourteen public employee union people were arrested when they linked arms around a shuttle bus driven by a non-union worker.
University of Minnesota employees today protested budget cuts. Their rally was called “Chop from the top.”
In Minneapolis, organizers announced a rally to protest the end of Conan O’Brien’s late-night show. “This is intended to be a peaceful, event so should things get out of hand for some reason, please help keep things under control,” organizers said on their Facebook page.
