The local rag, the Spectator, ran this report. Still strange to see the mainstream media actually call capitalism by its proper name. Hats off to the SkyDragon for grabbing the media's attention with that wonderful puppet.

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Union workers united
Downtown May Day marchers attack capitalism

May 03, 2010

Jenni Dunning
The Hamilton Spectator

Even Mr. Moneybags made it to the May Day parade.

About 1,500 union workers from around Ontario marched downtown Saturday, starting from the Hamilton Convention Centre.

Parts of Main Street East were blocked off by police cruisers to let protesters pass.

Mr. Moneybags, a giant papier mache puppet, was carried by three people throughout the march -- two holding up his arms with bamboo and one inside him.

The puppet was complete with a suit, cigar and bag with a dollar sign on it.

"I'm a capitalist. I hate workers. I want to own everything," said the man inside Mr. Moneybags.

"It's that element of mockery.

"It's what we see as the problem (capitalism) and make it farcical," said Peter Rogers of Sky Dragon Centre, where the puppet was made.

Marchers dominated the roads until they stopped on King William Street at an outdoor fair.

They used noisemakers, waved Canada and union flags, and chanted, "United. Workers. Union. Power."

The annual protest is meant to unite union workers who are upset about manufacturing job losses, such as the recent Siemens and Lakeport closures.

"It was a real shock when they closed Stelco. It kind of sobered everybody up," said Rolf Gerstenberger, president of the United Steelworkers union in Hamilton, organizers of the event.

"Everybody realizes there's a problem. They want to see somebody do something about it."

Representatives of migrant workers and a Sudbury union that works with Local 1005 were also at the event. "If Canadians can't get access to their pensions, how are migrant workers supposed to?" said Josephine Eric of the Migrant Workers Family Resource Centre.

jdunning@thespec.com

905-526-3368