By Ariful Haque Arif

Sacramento, CA

A protest demonstration was held Saturday morning at a busy Elk Grove intersection of Sacramento to denounce ongoing killings and what demonstrators described as genocide in Gaza.

The rally brought together participants from diverse backgrounds, including people of Pakistani, Palestinian, Egyptian, Indian, Sri Lankan, and Bangladeshi origin, alongside White American women. Many carried Palestinian flags, banners, and posters demanding an end to the violence.

Protesters’ slogans called for:

• An immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
• An end to Israel’s “unilateral aggression.”
• A halt to U.S. financial and military aid to Israel.
• Protection of American taxpayers’ money for welfare, not war.
• Freedom for Palestine and the right of Gazans to live.
• Opening of routes for food and medicine.
• Indictment of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for war crimes.
• United Nations intervention to stop the war.

Organizers said the demonstration was part of a broader nationwide campaign, with weekly protests at busy intersections in major U.S. cities. Similar rallies were held last week in Roseville at Blue Oaks and Foothill, and near Folsom Community Hall.

The Elk Grove protest lasted two hours, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., during which thousands of cars passed the intersection. Many drivers honked and flashed victory signs in solidarity with the demonstrators.

A Catholic woman who traveled 40 miles to attend said: “The American public now understands Israel’s oppression and brutality. People are no longer silent.”

The event concluded peacefully as protesters circled the intersection chanting in unison. Organizers stressed that such actions will continue weekly until the violence in Gaza ends.

Read: Gaza Faces Starvation Amid Global Inaction

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Staff Report

Karachi, Sindh

Various socio-political, human rights and labor organizations staged demonstration outside Karachi Press Club on Tuesday March 5 to register protest against the incidents of humiliation and harassment of women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and Lahore.

“These incidents prove that the society is completely in the grip of anti-women attitudes and the state is held hostage by these fanatical elements,” the human rights activists and trade union leaders said speaking at the demonstration.

“Peace and progress of society lies in the freedom of women and recognition of her as an equal human being,” they added.

Read: Working Women’s Rally on March 8 in Karachi

The participants of the demonstration demanded that not only the members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly guilty of insulting and inhumane words against PML- N MPA Sobia Shahid should be removed from their assembly membership, but their party membership should also be removed. Otherwise, it will be understood that PTI as an organization is equally responsible in this heinous act.

The speakers also said that harassment and misogynistic behavior of religious fanatics against a woman at the marketplace of Lahore shows that the state policies and the support of religious fanaticism had created a stifling environment for women. It also proved that women were not safe anywhere including workplaces and public places.

They said that the indifference and helplessness of the law enforcement agencies can be estimated from the fact that despite the identification of the persons involved in the heinous crime, they had not been arrested yet.

Read: Pakistani politicians too have mental disorders – Shazia Marri

Nasir Mansoor, Mehnaz Rahman, Anita Binjwani, Zehra Khan, Seema Mahashwari, Aqib Hussain, Sara Khan, Faiza Siddiqui, Ahsan Mehmood Advocate, Nooruddin Advocate, Iqbal Abro and Saira Feroze Khoro were among those who addressed the demonstration.

The protest demonstration was held jointly by the Home Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF), National Trade Union Federation Pakistan (NTUF) and other rights organizations against the shameful treatment of a woman member in the KPK Assembly and the incident of harassment of a woman because of her dress in Lahore. Comrade Zehra Khan of HBWWF led the protest.

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Karachi, Sindh

Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) and Asian People’s Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD) jointly staged a demonstration outside Karachi Press Club on Thursday to protest against the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and demanded to stop funding to the projects of plants generating electricity through the gas.

Speaking at the demonstration, PFF Senior Vice Chairperson Fatima Majeed, General Secretary Saeed Baloch, Asad Iqbal Butt of Human Rights Commission, Imdad Khosa, Manzoor Razi of Railway Trade Union, and other leaders of civil society including Majeed Motani, Talib Kuchhi and others said that ADB has provided 12 billion dollars to the power plants that would generate electricity by using the gas.

They said that the gas has no capacity to generate power more than 20 to 35 percent. Moreover, gas consumption for power generation also adversely impacts the environment and causes the climate change effects. The civil society leaders said that the domestic consumers are being deprived of gas due to gas-fired power plants.

They urged the ADB to stop funding to gas-fired power plants and instead encourage solar and wind power plants in Pakistan, which has huge potential but only 369 MW are being produced from solar power and 1838MW from wind power plants.

The protest demonstrations are held in Lahore, Bangkok, Manila, Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Dhaka, Jakarta and other cities, they said. (PR)

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Karachi

The affectees of Baldia factory fire staged a protest demonstration against undemocratic attitude of International Labor Organization (ILO) in front of the Karachi Press Club on Sunday.

The demonstration, organized by National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), Association of the Affectees of Baldia Factory Fire and PILER, was led by the association leaders Muhammad Siddique and Husna Khatoon.

A large number the heirs of the martyred labors, injured workers, representatives of political, social and human rights organizations and trade union members including Nasir Mansoor of National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), Karamat Ali of National Labor Council (NLC), Gul Rehman of Workers Rights Movement, Qazi  Khizer of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Muhammad Siddique, Hasna Khatoon and Muhammad Jameel of Ali Enterprise Factory Fire Affecttees Association,) attended the demo.

Speakers said that in 2016 a pact was inked between the German brand KIK, IndustriaAll Global Union and Clean Cloth Campaign (CCC) under which the German brand handed 5.1 million dollars to the ILO for long-term compensation for the heirs and injured.

Under this agreement, an oversight committee was formed for investment in Pakistan, payment to affectees in installments and other related matters with representation of related labor organizations, heirs, employers, labor department and the ILO.

In this agreement it was decided that this money would be invested in Pakistan so that lifetime payment to the affectees could be made possible and till the funds are invested with mutual agreement, an agreed amount would be paid to the affectees on monthly basis.

In this regard a memorandum of understanding was signed between the ILO and government of Sindh through which monthly payment to the affectees was carried out through Sindh Employees Social Security Institute (SESSI).

ILO, however, violating the agreement and without consulting the stakeholders inked an agreement to an insurance company and handed over all the funds to it. The affectees were not taken into confidence before or after this development. Despite the demands of affectees and labor organizations the agreement with the insurance firm is not being shared with them. This attitude of the ILO in against the principle of transparency and tantamount to disrespect to the affectees.

On the other hand, the Sindh labor department in connivance with the ILO announced to disband the Oversight Committee (OSC) without any consideration or prior information. This undemocratic attitude of the ILO and unilateral decision of the labor department has created uncertainty for the affectees of Baldia factory fire.

Refusal to share the agreement of ILO with the insurance company and announcement of the labor department to end the OSC has not only made this affair dubious but also created a lot of bitterness for 260 affected families. The ILO and the labor department are not willing to answer to the reservations of the affectees. This attitude of the ILO and government bureaucracy is against the principles of transparency and accountability, which in condemnable.

The affectees of the Baldia factory fire have demanded to make public the secret agreement between the ILO and the insurance company and immediately restore the oversight committee.

The affectees have been continuing their struggle and they have consulted noted legal experts in this regard and they would initiate litigation next month. In continuation of their protest, they would hold demonstrations in front of Sindh Assembly and ILO office in Karachi. (PR)

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