Submitted on Tue, 08/14/2007 - 1:36pm
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 Richard Salit - Providence Journal Staff Writer, August 14, 2007
NORTH PROVIDENCE — A labor union yesterday stepped up its charges of police brutality following a demonstration at a local restaurant Saturday during which a protestor's leg was badly broken in a scuffle with officers.
The Industrial Workers of the World yesterday planned to hold a vigil today at 4 p.m. at Rhode Island Hospital for Alexandra Svoboda, 22, who was undergoing surgery for the injury to her leg. The union released pictures of Svoboda, with her leg severely bent while being subdued and arrested by officers.
Submitted on Sat, 08/11/2007 - 8:39pm
Today at 12pm EST the Providence wobblies organized a march on Jackies 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 were marching towards a restaurant 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 dislocated leg. Jason, another wob, was also arrested in during the police' attack.