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Photo Montage by Jesaka Irwin

Corporate Freedom of Oppression!

PNN Staff writer reclaims MAY-DAY

By Jesaka Irwin

A strange feeling blew through me as I entered Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco as if the city had finally excepted me. I watch the mid-day sun beat the tourists sweaty as they escaped the winters of suburbia.

I am here today to be with other workers, artists, creators, teachers, performers, and writers uniting to reclaim our country from the destruction of mass production, and bad politics. It's May first, National Workers day, and the original labor day long since forgotten by America where this day was born in protest to achieve an eight-hour work day rather than the ten to fifteen hours people worked in the late eighteen hundreds.

It's quite odd to me that the state, business, mainstream unions, and the media have covered up a legacy which included 250,000 workers united in strike to achieve a goal which has affected every person that works in this country. Today we are gathering again to celebrate the strength of workers who made a point, and conquered the corporate world. To reclaim MAY DAY.

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I begin to feel the essence of the event when I stumble upon a group of performance artists expressing beauty with a subtle curve of motion, and silent emotion. Quickly I notice Mr. Corporate Mogul, and Officer Abuse of Power, (Police and security) walk up, disturbing this delicate performance piece. The names have not been changed to protect the innocent, they were spoken to me clearly as public property quickly became city property for the sake of authority.

The irony builds, as does the force field connecting the event to a brutal history. When one of the performers lays on the unforgiving concrete to express his pain the officer says "You cannot lay down here, this is city property." and I eye at the same moment a tourist lounging on his elbows. I am starting to believe there is a loophole for everything in San Francisco.

This event lingers with me all day as I listen to people on the stage speaking of, singing of, enacting these kind of atrocities that take place constantly in our world.I look at the street beyond this peaceful collection of spirits and see police vans anxiously awaiting an excuse to oppress us. I had visions of the whole mass of us walking into the square and lying down, camera, and video aglow to protect us, or expose them. I wish the workers in 1886 had these options when the police fired into a crowd of strikers killing four, and wounding many more. I have to say it relieved me to see so many people unite to educate on the realities of a country, a city, that is trying to push our history, and our rights, out the back door.

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Dee Gray, M.S.W., M.F.C.   Licensed Therapist specializing in advocacy and crisis counseling. Mother, daughter and family counseling. Adoption and juvenile dependency. Literary and creative art counseling. Individual and group therapy. Sliding scale fee. (415) 541-5629.