An effort coordinated by the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES) and allies is underway in cities across the United States. This national day of action targets Pacific Rim, a Canadian gold mining corporation which is suing the nation of El Salvador for refusing to grant mining permits for ecologically destructive cyanide-leach mines. Click here to participate by calling Pacific Rim!
Actions have already taken place in New York City, where around 30 protesters converged on the Canadian Consulate accompanied by the Grim Reaper who was trying to give people bottles of water contaminated by the impending mine, and in Washington, D.C., where around 50 activists took over the plaza in front of Pacific Rim’s attorneys, Crowell & Moring. An action in Boston is scheduled for 4:00pm EST, where a delegation will convene with members from the Salvadorian community, union representative, a baptist minister and a pair of students who will be traveling to El Salvador soon. The delegation will be lead to the Canadian Consulate for a rally protesting Canada’s upcoming Free Trade Agreement with Central America.
More actions are planned on the West Coast. In Portland, a protest took place at Senator Wyman’s office, involving 20-30 protesters, plus music, speeches and street theater. Wyman voted for the Central America Free Trade Agreement, which allows Pacific Rim’s lawsuit to proceed, and is now Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on International Trade. In Seattle, a march will move from Westlake Plaza to Representative McDermott’s office, where a mock press conference will be staged thanking Rep. McDermott on behalf of Pacific Rim.
For more info, click here.