Boston Area Labor Activists Join in Mass. Hall Protest

Boston-area activists took advantage of the warm weather and the ongoing living wage sit-in in Mass. Hall to join an action organized by the Progressive Student Labor Movement(PSLM) in solidarity with the ongoing protests to denounce the Free Trade of the Americas Agreement (FTAA) Summit in Quebec this weekend.

The Saturday afternoon rally drew more than 200 protesters to Harvard Yard and an impromptu appearance from former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, who was next door at Harvard Hall for an event sponsored by the College Democrats.

While the anti-globalization protests in Canada have resulted in some injuries and arrests, the Harvard rally-closely supervised by at least a dozen Harvard University Police Department officers and Associate Dean of the College David P. Illingworth '71-remained peaceful.

PSLM members had originally planned to hold the solidarity rally in Boston, but changed the location after finalizing plans for the Mass. Hall occupation, which has been ongoing since Wednesday.

PSLM members said the FTAA, a treaty that attempts to extend the provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to all the Americas by 2003, would infringe upon the democratic self-government of developing countries.

"We want to rally together because the FTAA would result in pushing down wages across all of the Americas," said Erica L. George, a volunteer with Boston Global Action Network. "This is a local struggle going on in our community that deals with the same issues."

The activists drew parallels between the ongoing fight for a living wage and opposition to the FTAA.

Many protesters took up picket signs and donned "Living Wage Now" pins.

And a few activists held a large blue banner reading "Same World, Same

Struggle" outside Mass. Hall.

The speeches tied the campaign for a living wage to issues of free trade and globalization.

PSLM member Amy C. Offner '01 addressed the assembled crowd of students and anti-free trade activists.

"They are sticking it out with amazing courage in there," Offner said.

"We're all going to stick together and fight for both of these issues

until we get a resolution."

She invited the rather eclectic group-from anti-FTAA protesters to

environmental activists-to spend the night with student supporters in the tents outside Mass. Hall.

As Boston-area activists denounced free trade, Reich walked from Harvard Hall to the Yard rally, escorted by members of the Harvard Democrats.

In a brief speech that elicited cheers from the audience and the students in Mass. Hall, Reich did not address the FTAA issue but instead announced his support of the sit-in.

"What I want to do is express my strong support for what Harvard students are doing here today, yesterday and the day before," Reich said.

The students who have now spent five nights in Mass. Hall said they were heartened by the vocal show of support from the Boston-area activists.

"It means so much to us to know that you're all supporting us," PSLM Jane H. Martin '01 said from inside the building. "These two issues go hand in hand."