Victory For Farmers & Tractor Workers

Editor’s Note From Rivera Sun

It’s an interesting week for farmers. After a year of record-breaking protests, the farmers in India won the repeal of the farm laws. More than 250 million people joined the demonstrations, marches, and strikes. Meanwhile, 10,000 John Deere Tractor manufacturers succeeded in gaining wage increases, better pension benefits, and bonuses. Meanwhile, in Sri Lanka, farmers are protesting against the poor planning behind the implementation of a nationwide ban on chemical fertilizers.

In the United States, the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse for murdering two people and maiming a third during a Black Lives Matter protest in Kenosha, OH, triggered protests across the country. The protesters are furious about the lack of justice for Black people, the lack of accountability for white people, and the long-term impact on protesters if citizens are allowed to bring weapons and shoot at people during a demonstration.

Across Canada, solidarity actions are erupting after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested Wet’suwet’en land defenders and dismantled their blockade of the Coastal GasLink Pipeline. The pipeline violates First Nation sovereignty and fuels the climate crisis. In other Nonviolence News, Cuban solidarity actions were held in 80+ countries, Thai citizens continue to object to absolute monarchy, and Welsh-speakers are campaigning against the cultural threat of the flood of second-home owners taking over their region.

In all these stories, you’ll find examples of persistence, courage, and determination. May they inspire you as you work for change, too.

In solidarity,
Rivera Sun

Photo Credit: Farmers protesting in Delhi, 2021.

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