[asia-apec 1359] Live from Seattle!

[Bayan International - USA]

LIVE FROM SEATTLE!

Dear friends,

Shut down the WTO! Greetings from Seattle, especially to those who were not
able to make it to Seattle. Those of us who are here feel privileged to be
on the scene of this historic moment. . . .

Some of us agree that today, November 30, 1999, was the best or one of the
best
days of our lives. The power of the people is truly awesome when set in
motion! The day began with thousands of demonstrators blocking the streets
around the convention center, and delaying the opening of the WTO
ministerial meeting for hours. 

There was tremendous creativity, with protestors taking the portable wire
fence that the police had put up as barricades against us, and
moving/transforming  it into barricades against the WTO! Some protestors
locked themselves down in the intersection, others sat down, linked arms.
Still others would dance out of the intersection when forced to by the
police, and then dance back in. So far the news coverage I've seen has
failed to convey the extraordinary festival atmosphere that prevailed
during most of the day. 

When we chanted "Whose Streets? Our Streets!" it was not just a slogan.
There was an anti-fascist marching band, there were hundreds dancing to
amplified techno music, there were the two hundred people dressed as sea
turtles, there were people on stilts, in all kinds of costumes, there were
tons of contingent marches--the environmentalists, the IWW, the people's
assembly's march against 
imperialist globalization and more, each with their distinct character.
There were steelworkers engaging in direct action alongside anarchists. 

This all lasted from about 7:30 a.m. until nightfall, when the state of
emergency and curfew was declared, and the police stepped up their level of
aggression. Nevertheless, at about 9 p.m. we saw a crowd of college
students still demonstrating at Seattle University and raising clenched
fists of defiance to the helicopter overhead.

Quite a few people, including many from L.A., who were in the thick of the
action, got tear gassed. Apparently, the independent media center, for which
I was in the field most of the day, was attacked by the police in the evening.
To my knowledge, none of the 22 arrests were from our group--if anyone hears
otherwise, please let me know. By the way, there seems to be many people here
from Southern California. I hope we'll be able to figure out approximately 
how many.

And then, the AFL-CIO march! I walked from the front to the back--it took an
incredibly long time-- I think the news estimates of 50,000 are low. One
reason I think that, is that Monday night the Jubilee 2000 debt relief human
chain (in raging wind and rain!) was estimated by police at 14,000, and this
was clearly many times more. 

Speaking of Monday, the demonstrations also lasted all day, beginning with
thousands joining in an environmental march which included many labor
unions, especially the Steelworkers, UFW. After the official rally ended,
the demonstration continued for many hours taking on a life of its own,
snaking its way around the city. There was an especially great rally
outside McDonalds, where Jose Bove, the French farmer, alongside Canadian
and Indian farmers, spoke from the roof of a van.

Some of you know and make fun of my preference for action, but I must also
mention that there have been dozens and dozens of panel discussions by a
tremendous variety of speakers on every possible topic connected to the WTO,
and that this event is producing an army of thousands of incredibly well
informed activists. These presentations have been distinguished by their
internationalism. . . .

Tomorrow afternoon the steelworkers union is sponsoring a march to the 
harbor for a kind of Boston Tea Party -- hopefully this won't be prevented
by the presence of the National Guard! . . .

Solidarity, Leone