Castro, Arafat to attend Earth Summit protest march

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, August 25, 2002

Castro, Arafat to attend Earth Summit protest march

Cuban President Fidel Castro and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat are expected to attend the protest march during the Earth Summit, the African National Congress (ANC) said on Saturday.

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Cuban President Fidel Castro and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat are expected to attend the protest march during the Earth Summit, the African National Congress (ANC) said on Saturday.

ANC Spokesman Smuts Ngonyama said the organizers of the Aug. 31march were trying to cement the participation of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, the South African Press Association reported.

"We are trying to get Kofi Annan into the march," said Ngonyama.

The march would start from Alexandra, one of the poorest district in South Africa and end in Sandton, the richest business center in the country.

The protest is aimed at urging developed countries to adopt a sustainable development program over the next 10 years, according to the spokesman.

The march is jointly organized by ANC, the South African Communist Party, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the South African National Civics Organization and civil society groups.

Civil Society Secretariat head Desmond Lesejane said in a press conference on Saturday "the negotiation is undergoing now, and we are trying to find a balance between the security concern and the expression of our ideas."

The South African government said that South Africa is a democratic country and that everyone has the rights to express hisor her ideas, but other people's legal right should not be spoiled by the demonstrations that lead to violence.

The Earth Summit, known as the World Summit on Sustainable Development, is expected to be held here from Aug. 26 to Sept. 4.

Protesters become active with coming Earth Summit

South Africa saw several protests Saturday as several organizations opposed to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) started to play on the stage, the South African Press Association reported.

Greenpeace led the way on Saturday with a bold pre-dawn protest on the roof of the pumphouse of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station near Melkbosstrand in the Western Cape, a mere 100 meters away from the core nuclear reactor.

Eskom has denied that security was breached or compromised, butspokesman Tony Stott confirmed that activists made it onto the roof of the pumphouse where they unfurled a banner.

Local police said 12 Greenpeace activists were arrested.

Greenpeace said activists from five countries were involved in the protests at Koeberg in order to push nuclear power technology out of Africa.

The African National Congress (ANC) announced that Cuban President Fidel Castro and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat would address about 10,000 people expected to take part in a protest march next weekend.

ANC spokesman Smuts Ngonyama said organizers of the protest were trying to secure the participation of United Nations General Secretary Kofi Annan.

The march, to start from Alexandra and end in Sandton on Aug. 31, would demand developed countries adopt a sustainable development program over the next 10 years.

The march was jointly organized by the ANC, the South African Communist Party, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the South African National Civics Organization and civil society groups would form part of the protest.

In Johannesburg, about 700 members of the Social Movements Indaba (SMI) on Saturday marched from the Wits University Great Hall to the Johannesburg Central Police Station to hold a candle light vigil and an all night protest.

Dubbed the "Freedom of Expression" march, SMI spokesman Trevor Ngwane said delegates attending the International Forum on Globalization conference at Wits would join the march under the SMI banner.

Police said the permission for the march had not been granted, and one person was arrested and three people were allegedly injured when police stopped the march.

The Landless People's Movement (LPM) claimed that a female protester miscarried after Johannesburg Central police refused to respond to her calls for medical help.

The woman was among a group of 77 members of the LPM who were arrested on Wednesday after 1,000 protesters marched to the offices of Gauteng Premier Mbazima Shilowa's offices, said Andile Mngxitama, spokesman for the LPM.

Mngxitama said the LPM will not be deterred by this brutal showof force by the state and that over the weekend members would organize communities around Gauteng and the rest of South Africa in preparation for a massive march against the WSSD in Sandton on Saturday.

On Aug. 22, South African Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula said he expected few disruptions at the coming WSSD.

Briefing the media at the parliament, Nqakula said police had made a concerted effort to create a safe and secure environment for all delegates.

Nqukula was quoted by the South African Press Association saying "I am not saying there will be no problems with demonstrations or marches, but it will not be of the kind we have seen elsewhere."

"We do not expect them to degenerate into violence, but if it does we are prepared to handle the situation," he added.

One of the reasons why no major problems were expected was thatpolice had held talks with those intending to protest or march.

The police respected the right of people to "express themselves," but this had to abide by the regulations prescribed in the Regulation of Gatherings Act.

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