Charleston, SC- The Maersk Carolina a ship loaded with clothing made by the 128 people burned alive the Bangladesh garment factory fire is expected to dock at the Wando Containership terminal in Mount Pleasant, SC sometime Thursday, December 20th. This clothing is bound for US retailers such as Walmart. A protest is being organized.
You may track the ship at http://www.marinetraffic.com/... online.
Actions in Charleston will be listed on the Corporate Action Network
http://www.corporateactionnetwork.org/...
Petigru Free Speech Defense in Charleston, SC will be assisting the activists with their legal issues here, but isnât directing the protest effort. Updates on their involvement and related information can be found on their facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/...
Bringing such goods into our harbor during a season dedicated to the ideal of âPeace on Earth, Goodwill Towards Menâ for the purpose of selling them to unsuspecting customers offends every standard of human decency. Human rights activists from around the Southeastern US will be converging on Charleston to raise awareness with demonstrations and protest, part of an international effort in ten counties. Walmart should at least be required to tag this clothing so customers can make a deliberate decision to wear the clothing which caused 128 people to be burned alive.
The decision to land these goods here in Charleston is cruel and ironic because it takes place in a harbor which was once the nationâs largest landing port for slaves. Ironically, the ship will arrive in Charleston on the anniversary of the State's secession from the Union in 1860, which started the American Civil War. Charleston is now a progressive city charged by art and culture moving forward towards a more equal and inclusive society, a blue exception in a the rigidly red state of South Carolina.
Finally, these goods made by laborers being paid twenty-eight cents an hour arrive at a state pocked with darkened, empty textile mills resulting from the offshoring of over 92,753 textile jobs in the Palmetto State. SC textile employment declined 68.2% from 1990 to 2005.
In the dead and dying towns surrounding those now empty and silent mills, the Merry main streets of Christmas are only history now. Desperate consumers troubled by those memories are driven to the edge of town to the low prices of Walmart, stuffed with cheap goods made overseas, knowing their purchases there complete the global circle of destruction which crushed their town. For some of those once proud textile workers, the final, insult is a poorly paid, part time Walmart job with irregular hours and no benefits because all the other jobs are gone.
Exact plans for the demonstrations and protests in Charleston, which will follow an earlier effort when the ship arrives in the Port of New York, are evolving now. Efforts in all the ports will be coordinated using the hashtag #blocktheboat. Charleston tweets may also be taged with the date #d20
1:48 PM PT: The first announcement about the New York action regarding this ship has just been placed online. Â Plans for the action in Charleston may differ. http://www.facebook.com/...
Sat Dec 15, 2012 at 5:21 PM PT: The Mount Pleasant Police Department and the Port Police were informed of the possible action in Charleston today. Planning for Charleston is still evolving at this time. A poster image for the Charleston action has been released by the organizers. https://docs.google.com/...
Sun Dec 16, 2012 at 1:26 PM PT: The Coast Guard, Town Of Mount Pleasant Police, Port Police and City of Charleston Police have all been informed of the possibility of a demonstration Thursday. Charleston's harbor has a large port and a naval weapons station where nuclear weapons are loaded on submarines, so you don't want to surprise our large homeland security force here. We're striving to enable a safe, meaningful demonstration in a time of exceptional national anxiety. Personally, I wish Walmart had waited until January for this.
Sun Dec 16, 2012 at 1:31 PM PT: New artwork for the Charleston demonstraiton popped up on twitter. I have no idea who did it. http://twitter.com/...
Mon Dec 17, 2012 at 3:11 AM PT: Major advances in planning Sunday night. New groups signed on for leadership, logistics support and volunteers. Budget and schedule expected to be finalized Monday. Public announcement Tuesday. All plans in Charleston subject to change based on arrival time of ship, which may be at night or early morning.
Wed Dec 26, 2012 at 9:49 AM PT: This blogpost describes what happened at the Picket on Long Point Road and contains links to video, press coverage and commentary. The port was shut down for over an hour and a half. http://www.dailykos.com/...