A group of 17 demonstrators staged a rally Tuesday in front of Reynolds American Inc.’s downtown headquarters to call attention to tobacco-farm workers, who the protesters said are often underpaid and forced to live in poor conditions. Gail Phares of Raleigh, an organizer and advocate for immigrants’ rights, said that the U.S. must reform its immigration policies. “It’s time for us to recognize the labor of farm workers a ... Jump to full article >>

Faced with turbulence in its own ranks, Ahmed Dogan’s Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) appears to be drawing on the troubles of Bulgaria’s tobacco industry to rally its traditional electorate. Drama, of which there is no shortage in the tobacco industry, turned to tragedy when on January 19 an organiser of a protest by growers died suddenly after falling ill during the event. Mehmed Metushev was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital. ... Jump to full article >>

Protesters have picketed an art world party as they called on Tate bosses to cut their ties with sponsor BP over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. A group of artists under the name The Good Crude Britannia was voicing its concerns as Tate Britain held its summer party. The event was organised jointly to launch a major new display by artist Fiona Banner and 20 years of support by BP. Figures such as playwright Caryl Churchill, cartoonist Martin Rowso ... Jump to full article >>

An Internet campaign is urging bar and restaurant owners who are unhappy with the new no-smoking law to protest by boycotting their sales of Keno, pull tabs and other lottery games they sell on Saturday, the day before Father’s Day. A Facebook page called Michigan Lottery Boycott claims it has enough supporters to cost the state lottery between $12 million and $18 million in sales. An e-mail cites the Protect Private Property Rights In Michiga ... Jump to full article >>

The next time you are enjoying a smoke near your office building, don’t be surprised if someone around you starts coughing noisily and, perhaps, deliberately too. A group of NGOs have started a new campaign — ‘Khaasi Sunao, Sutta Bhujhao’ (Cough aloud, stub out cigarette) — to encourage non-smokers to get proactive about their right to breathe clean air. “We want non-smokers to register their protest by coughing aloud and also educat ... Jump to full article >>