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20.000
Expected For The Labour Day
Protest
Monday is May 1 and in Costa
Rica like in most of Latin
America, it is "Día
Internacional del Trabajo" or
labour day, a national holiday.
This year, organizers expect
some 20.000 people that will
include union leaders, students,
homemakers and workers in
general, who will take the
opportunity to protest the "Tratado
Libre de Comercio (TLC)" - the
free trade agreement with the
United States, of which only
Costa Rica has yet to ratify.
The peaceful protest will be
titled "TLC = Probeza" (TLC
euqals poverty).
According to Alejandro López, a
co-ordinator of the activity,
the protest will begin at
10:15am at the Parque la Merced
(the west end of Avenida Segunda)
in San José and will make its
way along Avenida Segunda to the
Museo Nacional, which is in
front of the Legislative
Assembly.
The movement will include
delivering a document to the
legislative deputies that will
explain their discontent with
the trade deal and the financial
policies of the Banco Central.
In keeping with tradition, the
protest will be complete with
marching bands, dancers, floats
and drums, carrying banners and
their message.
Organizers hope that the protest
will carry through to small
communities in the provinces and
not be concentrated solely in
San José.
Printed are some 30.000 flyers
that will be handed out at the
Parque Central and along the
protest route.
Another TLC protest is being
planned for May 8 at the
celebration of the "traspaso de
poderes" - transfer of powers -
when Oscar Arias takes over the
presidency from Abel Pacheco.
The following is the program for
May 1:
- 9am - mass at the La Merced
church
- 10:15am - the protest leaves
the park in front the church
- 11:30am - the protest will
reach the Museo Nacional where
the national hymn will be played
in front of the Monumento al
Trabajador (Monument to Workers)
in the Plaza de la Democracia.
- 12:30pm - the document will be
delivered to Legislative
Assembly by leaders of the
protest
- 12:45pm - the protest ends
- 2:00pm- - dance and activities
free for all participants, which
will be held at the Fondo de
Ahorro de los Trabajadores de
Recope.
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