<br><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"> </font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">BOSTON ACTIVISTS PROTEST THE UNFAIR VERDICT IN BHOPAL DISASTER CASE</font></span><p style="margin: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">The </font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">Boston Coalition for Justice in Bhopal</font><u><font size="3"> </font></u></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">is
a community group that works for justice and a life of dignity for the
survivors of the Bhopal Chemical Disaster in Bhopal, India. The
campaign is calling for 'No More Bhopals', more effective regulation of
the chemical industry, and greater rights for marginalized communities
to protect them from chemical harm and corporate crimes.</font></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"> </font></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b><font size="3">Who:</font></b></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"> Boston </font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">C</font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">oalition for Justice in Bhopal, Association for India’s Development (AID)-Boston, MIT Students for Bhopal, </font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">MIT </font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">Amnesty International, </font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">Alliance for a Secular and Democratic South Asia</font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b><font size="3">What:</font></b></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"> A protest against the verdict on </font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">the </font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">Bhopal Industrial Disaster of 1984 </font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">made on June 7, 2010</font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">. </font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">The </font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">Boston </font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">C</font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">oalition
for Justice in Bhopal and it allies are going to peacefully yet firmly
protest against this court decision and rally public support for the
survivors of Bhopal tragedy.</font></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><br><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b><font size="3">When:</font></b></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"> June 24th, 7pm</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0pt;"><br><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b><font size="3">Where:</font></b></span> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">The Pit in </font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA </font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">(behind the Harvard Square T station)</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b><font size="3">Why: </font></b></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">A
guilty verdict was handed down on June 7, 2010 against Union Carbide
India Limited (current owner: Dow Chemicals) and 7 individuals accused
in the Bhopal Disaster criminal case. The verdict has been met with
outrage by Bhopal Survivors and their supporters worldwide. The accused
were given a very light sentence of 2 years of jail and $2000 in fines
for which they have already posted bail. At the heart of the denial of
justice is the fact that Union Carbide Corporation and its former CEO
Warren Anderson, the principal accused in the case, have thus far
escaped trial. UCC and Anderson have been charged with culpable
homicide, but have ignored summons to appear in court. In 1992 the the
Indian judiciary had declared them as absconders </font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">from justice.</font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"> Due to the failure of the Indian Government to press charges, activists a</font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">round</font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"> world are protesting to demand justice for the survivors of the Bhopal Disaster. </font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">Similar actions are taking place in Washington, New York, Chicago and Seattle.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"> </font></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b><font size="3">What happened in Bhopal:</font></b></span> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">In
December 1984, the city of Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, India suffered the
world’s worst industrial disaster. A chemical plant belonging to Union
Carbide (now a subsidiary of Dow Chemical) released 40 tons of methyl
isocyanate, a highly toxic chemical, immediately killing 4,000 people
and affecting over 500,000 residents of the area. Till now, over 23,000
people have died as a result of the disaster, and thousands of Bhopalis
are suffering from illnesses caused by exposure and water contamination
due to the toxic waste left behind. On average, one person dies every </font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">other </font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">day from its effects. Meanwhile, Indian authorities have failed to bring Union Carbide to account.</font></span></p>
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