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Nigerian Gasoline Protests Begin Peacefully
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(http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=EFA73E:3919ACA

Union leaders tried to rally around marchers in Lagos as thousands
joined in



Demonstrations in Nigeria to protest higher gasoline prices and bad
governance have gotten off to a peaceful start in the main city,
Lagos.

Union leaders tried to rally around marchers in Lagos as thousands
joined in.

There was some confusion as many thought the starting point would be
the national stadium, but it was instead the National Labor Congress
headquarters, a five-minute drive away.

One of the early participants was this insurance employee.

"Many people are here, many people are coming," he said. "The
government will know what we are coming for."

Journalist Paul Okolo read out some of the banners that a
pro-democracy group was unfurling.  "United Action for Democracy, UAD,
asks for how long shall we tolerate suffering. Nigerians must struggle
to end the system of suffering," he said. "'No' to civilian
dictatorship, 'Yes' to Freedom and Democracy. That's what the UAD's
banners which they are trying to unfurl says."

He says many anti-government activists are happy the unions decided to
organize rallies, rather than a strike.

"People are responding, but because it's not a work stoppage, work is
going on. Public transport is at full blast," he noted. "They're not
disturbing anybody. Security forces are also out. Policemen are all
over the place, just standing by, watching. Nobody expects there to be
any trouble, at least for now."

Union leaders say they will organize other marches in other cities, in
coming days, as part of a campaign to reverse higher gasoline prices
and pressure the government to try harder to alleviate poverty. Many
poor Nigerians can't understand why Africa's biggest exporter of oil
cannot have cheap gasoline, as well as higher standards of living.

The government says ending gasoline subsidies is part of efforts to
make the overall economy more efficient.


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