Puerto Rico en la Marcha : Over 100,000 March Against Layoffs, Form New Coalition
6:00 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Activism|Justice|Labor|Politics|Puerto Rico
8 Jun 2009On Friday, June 5th, more than 100,000 persons marched in San Juan to protest the recent firing of some 10,000 workers by pro statehood Governor Luis Fortuño and his Law 7 which would privatize every remaining bit of the public sector economy.The law also allows the government to disregard contracts already signed with labor unions. The march and protest was called The People’s Assembly. The People’s Assembly declared that it was in permanent session and would start organizing activities in the 78 municipalities.
Wapa TV has a video report here.
At the head of this movement are Labor organizations. The pro independence and Left organizations created an alliance called All Puerto Rico With Puerto Rico. It includes the Independence Party, Movimiento Independentis Nacional Hostosiano, Socialist Front, Movimiento socialista de Trabajadores, Communist Refoundation, Movimiento Al Socialismo, and the Popular Democratic Party.
Pero artist and actors also represented, including Calle 13 and Cultura Profetica.
For me it’s really interesting to see all of these somewhat unlikely forces working together against Fortuño and under the banner that Puerto Rico as a nation, with it’s own distinct culture, deserves better than what the pro-statehood governor is bringing.
El Nuevo Dia has a photo gallery of the rally here.
- Tags: Labor, Puerto Rico
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5 Responses to Puerto Rico en la Marcha : Over 100,000 March Against Layoffs, Form New Coalition
Puerto Rico en la Marcha : Over 100,000 March Against Layoffs, Form New Coalition | Latino News
June 8th, 2009 at 11:34 am
[...] From: Vivir Latino [...]
Rob
June 8th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
First, you cannot fit 100,000 people in that zone. In fact, there have been other marches and rallies in that part of town in which there have been less empty spots (and the pics from Friday’s march show many empty areas) and even the organizers have not claimed that 100,000 attended.
Second, the union leaders specifically rejected the notion that this was march called to reaffirm nationalist ideas. Your comment that “pro independence and Left organizations created an alliance called All Puerto Rico With Puerto Rico [that] includes… the Popular Democratic Party [(PDP) the main opposition party in Puerto Rico]” is misleading since the PDP is neither pro-independence or leftist. In fact, the PDP has long defended “the permanency of U.S. citizenship for Puerto Ricans” and “Puerto Rico’s permanent union with the United States”, along the lines of common market, common defense, and common currency as the ideological pillars of the party. Moreover, since in the 2008 election the PDP suffered the worst defeat in its history (and the pro-statehood party won its largest one), the PDP leadership has even declined to use the words “autonomy” or “sovereignty” to describe their ideological stance on Puerto Rico’s political status.
kamir garces Mejias
June 8th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
rob: Evertayhing you are saying is true except that in fact there was 100,000 people there. The only thing I hope is that Fortuno is either destituted or thrown out by the people.He want to sell the island but I assure you that he wont be able to do it.
Maegan La Mala
June 8th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
Well I know the PDP isn’t left pero the majority of the conveners are.
Maegan La Mala
June 8th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Oh and the organizers claim 100,000 people. Take it up with them. Looked prety close to that numero to me.