HLS CUSTOMER PROTESTS IN DC

Around noon on Friday, February 22nd, activists gathered in the blustery cold and rain-riddled downtown of Washington, D.C., to serve yet another reminder to certain corporations in the vicinity that they'd do well to sever their ties with H.L.S. The first stop was the Novartis office, where the incessant, loud chanting echoed through the 7th street corridor. These animal abusers proved yet again that their malice extends to other humans as well, when a security guard and a well-attired goon who has been seen at every Novartis protest for the past few months (and who once photographed the demonstration from afar) blatantly and repeatedly assaulted a protestor who was using a megaphone. When they saw the activist couldn't be intimidated, they continued in their egregious behavior, and then proceeded to get into the face of and push another activist who stepped up to intervene. A crowd formed on both the side of the street where the Novartis was located, and the far end of the street, and onlookers professed to the security guard and the well-dressed goon disdain for their inexcusable behavior, and sympathized with the demonstrators, who were merely peaceably exercising their first amendment right to call these barbaric greedy scumbags out on their vile business practices.

Merck was the next office to receive a visit. Before long police showed up, forcing protesters away from the office's entrance and claiming that further use of the megaphone would result in arrest. This is an entirely bogus claim, as there is no law in D.C. (yet, at least) that forbids use of a megaphone during a protest, but not having legal council on hand, the activists didn't wish to push their luck with the boys in blue, and so dismissed with the megaphone. This interference from the police only served to make the yelling and chanting that much louder, as the demonstrators were rightfully incensed by this obvious abrogation of their rights.

These same police were waiting at the next stop on the tour of downtown D.C., namely Sanofi-Aventis's office, and therefore the demonstration wasn't quite as rowdy as has been seen in the past. The message was still crystal-clear and perfectly audible: if you deal with H.L.S., you're going to be dealing with angry protests week after week after week.