BY NORM DIXON

More than 2000 people staged a peaceful protest through the streets of Honolulu on May 9 to coincide with annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank at the Hawaii Convention Centre.

Marchers' chants of “The ADB is B-A-D!” and “Hey, hey, ho, ho, the ADB has got to go!” were at times drowned out by the sound of a police helicopter overhead.

Mixed with signs declaring “Shut Down the ADB” were others advocating Hawaiian rights, calling for the release of political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal and a free Tibet, as well as an end to police brutality and corporate power.

Trade unions joined the protest against ADB's actions in other countries. Erik Haunold of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union said his union's participation was in line with its motto, “An injury to one is an injury to all”.

He said the ADB “disempowers people and forces down labour standards throughout the world. It creates a race to the bottom.”

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