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May 2, 2019

Puerto Rico May Day Protesters Demand End to Austerity Measures
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In Puerto Rico, hundreds of activists marched to San Juan's financial
district on May Day to protest the federally appointed fiscal control
board and the reappointment of its members by President Trump. The board
has been implementing a series of austerity measures, including pension
cuts, university tuition hikes and the closing of public schools. This
is Vanessa Contreras of the group Feminist Collective Under
Construction.

Vanessa Contreras: "You need to bet on public services, which are needed
for the quality of life for all people. We need an increase in salaries,
an increase in pensions. We need to give money to public schools, so
that they can rise. We need to support the University of Puerto Rico. We
demand workers' rights, unionization, and the protection of lands. We
want all people to have a safe roof. In moments of financial crisis, the
last thing we should be doing is putting people out in the streets."



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