Strikes And Riots Continue In Greece:
Michalis Chrysohoidis, Minister for Public Order, has narrowly avoided being killed in a bomb attack at his office ministerial office. A ministerial aide was killed in the blast. The bombing comes in the midst of a spate of attacks on courthouses, banks and jails, as well as persistent riots and strikes. Last Wednesday (June 23) saw the PAME, a union for Piraeus dockworkers, organise a strike that led to widespread tourist disruption. Meanwhile, a complete public transport strike was organised in Athens and a journalists’ strike cancelled numerous TV and Radio shows. During a recent march, Paylos Koklas, an unemployed construction worker, told Reuters, “Construction is dead, there is no work. Poor working folk cannot be paying for the crisis caused by the rich and all those who stole state money.”
 

BP Oil Spill Costs Over $2 Billion:
BP has said the cost of clearing up its oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has now reached $2.65 billion (£1.76 billion). This has been a rise of over $100,000 a day for more than three days. Over 39,000 people are engaged in the clean-up, with over 80,000 claims for compensation being issued to the corporation. Meanwhile, British artists are joining environmental activists to protest BP’s sponsorship of numerous UK galleries and museums. Robin Oakley, Greenpeace’s campaign director, told the Guardian newspaper, “Organizations like the National Portrait Gallery helps shape public attitudes towards the big issues of the day and if the gallery is serious about climate change then the sponsorship deal BP has got to end.”
 

G20 Riots In Toronto:
More than 560 people have been arrested in Toronto after riots broke out across the city before the start of the latest G20 summit. Rioters smashed store fronts and burned police cars, while the city’s police used tear gas for the first time in Toronto’s history. The security for the summit is estimated to have cost £640 million. Bill Blair, Toronto police chief, told a press conference that he supported the right to protest but, “there are limits to free speech, and these limits really end when it infringes on the rights and the safety of others.” A masked protester told the Toronto Star, “This isn’t violence; this is vandalism against violent corporations. We did not hurt anybody.” There have been allegations that the police have both failed to stop anarchistic rioters and have been too tough on innocent protesters. Last week, the Canadian government was criticised for passing legislation that gave police greater powers to arrest people, even for simply refusing to show identification.

Words: Richard Lemmer
Photos: First pic – Flickr user Piazza del Popolo, of Greek riots at a May Day rally in Athens on May 1, 2010. Angry protesters clashed with policemen, set fire to garbage cans and two TV broadcast vans in as thousands of Greeks marched through the capital on to protest against austerity measures they say only hurt the poor. Repurcussions are still being felt.
Second pic – Flickr user nouspique, of the G20 protests in Toronto last week.