Labor protests draw thousands across U.S.

(Reuters) - Thousands of people rallied in cities across the United States on Saturday against a Wisconsin plan to curb the power of public sector unions that has sparked similar government efforts in other states.

Protesters see the proposals as an effort to weaken the labor movement. Other states considering similar proposals include Ohio, Tennessee, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa and Kansas.

"We all support the people in Wisconsin and all over the country where labor is being threatened, and we know that the real agenda of the (Wisconsin) governor and many others is just to destroy unions," said New Yorker Judith Barbanel.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/26/us-wisconsin-protests-idUSTRE71O4F420110226

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/feb/25/uk-uncut-us-groups-cuts

Hundreds of activists in the US are planning to take part in a day of direct action in a move inspired by Britain's fast growing protest group.

US Uncut groups have sprung up from New York to Hawaii in the last three weeks and activists will demonstrate against government cuts and corporate tax avoidance in more than 50 cities on Saturday.

The US protest movement was inspired by UK Uncut, an anti-cuts campaign group that has temporarily closed scores of high street stores accused of tax avoidance since it was set up five months ago.

Last week it staged demonstrations in more than 30 bank branches. On Saturday hundreds of activists across the country hope to stage demonstrations inside more than 40 branches of the Royal Bank of Scotland.

"We spent billions bailing out RBS, yet now the government are cutting our services," said Rosa Brown, 42, from UK Uncut. "They are letting RBS get away with the mistakes they caused and rewarding themselves with massive bonuses but punishing us."