Submitted on Sat, 08/25/2007 - 12:45pm
Disclaimer - The opinions of the author do not necessarily match those of the IWW. This article is reposted in accordance to Fair Use guidelines.
NORTH PROVIDENCE, RI (AP) - A labor group is planning a rally Sunday to protest a scuffle earlier this month with North Providence police.
Local members of the [Industrial] Workers of the World accuse police of attacking 22-year-old Alexandra Svoboda during a protest outside a restaurant.
Police say Svoboda attacked police officers with drum sticks.
Her knee was badly injured during the scuffle.
Pictures taken by those at the rally show it bent at a grotesque angle.
IWW spokesman Mark Bray says the group wants Attorney General Patrick Lynch to drop all criminal charges against Svoboda and other group members.
They also want him to punish the police.
North Providence police have started an internal probe into the incident.
Lynch says prosecutors from his office and State Police will review the findings.
Submitted on Mon, 08/20/2007 - 3:43am
RECENT UPDATES
I.W.W. Victory: Jacky's Galaxy Discontinues Business With Dragonland Trading Inc.
On Thursday August 16, 2007, "Jacky Ko", members of the Industrial Workers of the World and their respective lawyers appeared in Superior Court in Providence. Under oath, Ko stated that he no longer does, nor will he ever again, knowingly do business with Dragonland. Considering Ko stated this under oath, the IWW considers this sufficient evidence of Ko's divestment.
Furthermore, New Buffet restaurant in Providence confirmed that they have also divested in Dragonland. This is a clear and absolute victory for the IWW, union rank and file at Dragonland and Alexandra Svoboda, who was brutalized on the picket line. Alex will undergo her third surgery tomorrow at RI Hopital and will be operated on at least one more time.
Submitted on Thu, 08/16/2007 - 2:58am
Disclaimer - The opinions of the author do not necessarily match those of the IWW. The image pictured to the right did not appear in the original article, we have added it here to provide a visual perspective. This article is reposted in accordance to Fair Use guidelines.
By Richard C. Dujardin - Providence Journal Staff Writer, Thursday, August 16, 2007
NORTH PROVIDENCE — The group that staged Saturday’s protest march in which a 22-year-old woman suffered a broken leg while being arrested by the police has invited members from across the Northeast to join another march down the center of Mineral Spring Avenue to call attention to what it says is the “prevalence of police brutality” in Rhode Island.
Submitted on Wed, 08/15/2007 - 2:04pm
On Saturday, August 11, 2007, the Providence wobblies organized a march on Jackie's Galaxy, which is a restaurant chain that is being supplied by HWH in New York City, a supplier who is notorious for its slave labor conditions of up to 110 hours per week without basic labor rights (minimum wage and overtime).
Roughly 30-40 wobblies and supporters (including Providence and Boston SDSers) were marching towards Jackie's Galaxy in North Providence when the police began following them en mass. They told the marches to move to the sidewalk, while this was initially ignored, the marchers listened to the police and began slowly moving to the sidewalk.
The police then surrounded the marchers in their squad cars and began getting out. With the police in full force, they began attacking the marchers, one fellow worker, Alex Svoboda, was pinned down by the police during her arrest and suffered a broken and dislocated leg and ruptured blood vessel in the knee. These injuries will require at least two surgeries and extensive rehab and even then may not completely repair the damage. Jason, another wob, was arrested during the police' attack. Ashley, a supporter from Boston, was also severely maced during the attack, suffered chemical burns and required medical treatment.
Submitted on Tue, 08/14/2007 - 1:49pm
Disclaimer - The image pictured to the right did not appear in the original article, we have added it here to provide a visual perspective.
By Brandie Jefferson - Providence Journal, August 14, 2007
The father of a 22-year-old who was injured Saturday during a labor union protest in North Providence has flown in from Nebraska and says his daughter is doing “as well as can be expected.”
Alexandra Svoboda suffered serious injuries after an encounter with the North Providence police during the protest outside a restaurant.
Scott Svoboda said he will not be outside during a planned vigil this afternoon at Rhode Island Hospital, where his daughter is listed as in “good” condition in the Intensive Care Unit.