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 SEATTLE, WA -- The trade ministers are gone, the dust (pepper spray and tear
gas) has cleared, and the new coalition that worked together to thwart the WTO came out a
clear winner. The Sierra Club achieved many of our goals, despite the chaos and the
unfortunate violence that occurred in some of the actions. News coverage aside the
overwhelming majority of protest was peaceful and legal. Some small factions engaged in
vandalism and provocation, and the police sometimes overreacted in kind. But at the end of
the week, the WTO had failed to do their job, the incredible coalition of groups demanding
reform still stood peacefully in the streets, and the WTO will never be the same again.
Most significantly, we cemented a coalition with labor, religious groups and students that
will form a powerful voice in our future efforts. And, the WTO will never be the same
again. The power of the 50,000 people on the streets, the incredible media coverage, the
pressure from labor, environmental, and human rights groups have forced a dialogue and
attention that they can not walk away from. The WTO will have to democratize, reform, or
become extinct. President Clinton had to respond to the message and political power of the
coalition effort when he spoke in Seattle on Wednesday. He told the WTO that they must
become open to the public, and incorporate labor and environmental issues. He was
compelled to legitimize the peaceful "voices in the streets".
The successes we achieved will prevent "business as usual" with the WTO, now a
household word, with a negative connotation. The Club's leadership role as a strategic
player both in the peaceful demonstrations and the policy arena is clear. From the media
department, Dave Willet reports that more than 106 newspaper articles quote the Sierra
Club and it's substantive contributions to the issue. Tallies on TV and radio are
forthcoming.
All the Sierra Club events were peaceful and legal. Here's a rundown of the week:
Monday, Nov. 29
"Human Face of Trade Tribunal"
More than 1300 participants packed the First United Methodist Church to listen to
testimony of people from all over the world about the negative affects of the WTO.
(tribunalists included Rep's George Miller, Maxine Waters and Peter DeFazio)
"No Globalization Without Representation Boston WTeaO Party"
From the Church, 2,000 people marched to the Washington Trade and Convention Center for a
Boston WTeaO Party. Emcee'd by Rep. George Miller, speakers included Carl Pope; Sen. Paul
Wellstone; Patti Forkan, Human Society; Vandana Shiva; Tom Goldtooth, Indigenous
Environmental Network; Brent Blackwelder, president, Friends of the Earth. Stuff we
"dumped overboard" included representations of: dirty gasoline, turtle-deadly
shrimp, asian long-horned beetle, bio-piracy rice, hormone-treated beef, SUV's, toxic
computer, fur in a steel-jawed leg trap, and 'frankenfoods.'
Tuesday, Nov. 30
"Environment Rally"
About 2,000 people gathered in the drizzle. Participants represented the Sierra Club,
Audubon Society, Friends of the Earth, and a host of other organizations. Speakers
included: Sierra Club Board of Directors David Brower and Michael Dorsey, Rep. Tom Hayden,
Tom Goldtooth, and Seattle City Councilman Richard Conlin. Elders from the Indigenous
Environmental Network led our march to Memorial Stadium to join the big People's March for
Fair Trade.
"People's March and Rally"
An amazing array of demonstrators filled Memorial Stadium and overflowed into Seattle
Center. Estimates range from 40,000 - 60,000 people overall. The environmental community,
anchored by a 30-foot inflatable turtle, marched under the banners "Make Trade Clean,
Green and Fair," "No Globalization Without Representation," and the
everpopular, "Defend our Forests, Clearcut the WTO."
The two-hour program featured speakers Carl Pope, Vandana Shiva, AFL-CIO Pres. John
Sweeney, Teamsters Pres. James Hoffa, Jr, and the Steelworkers Pres. George Becker.
Individual workers told their stories of poor working conditions, child labor and polluted
environments. Sweet Honey in the Rock entertained.
The March proceeded downtown, where non-violent demonstrators caused the postponement of
the WTO opening session.
Wednesday, Dec. 1
Political: Carl Pope and several other representatives from the environmental community
had a private meeting with Pres. Clinton and the Chief of Staff.
Media: Carl and Margrete Strand handled media requests ranging from CNBC and The New York
Times to Heraldo.
Rallies: Carl spoke at the Steelworkers "WTeaO Party" on the docks. On this day,
ports up and down the west coast were shut down.
Thursday, Dec. 2
Enviro and labor news conference to report on the President's meeting and the progress of
the WTO ministerial. In Dan's words, the fate of the WTO hangs in the balance. In the
President's words, the people on the street are making a difference.
Friday, Dec. 3
To end the week on a positive note, we organized one more rally to refocus on the WTO and
to demonstrate our right to peaceful assembly. Several thousand people showed up, marched
through the no-protest zone (a route negotiated with the Mayor and Chief of Police) and
back to the Labor Temple. There, hundreds of people spelled out "democracy" in
the street.
The Sierra Club held a press briefing at the Convention Center around 7:30 to react to the
draft document produced by the WTO. By 10 p.m., we got the news that the talks had broken
down. "Ding Dong the Round is Dead." The WTO's Michael Moore said this was not
unusual, that talks would continue while they found strategies to overcome their
differences. This was just a creative time out, they said. Their version of "spin
control". The truth was in the street, and in the papers. Don Bonker, former member
of Congress from Washington and now part of a trade consulting group summed up the week
well when he told the media, "What was happening on the street had a powerful
influence on what was going on inside. The WTO has been politicized as never before."
The WTO didn't get the job done, the people did!
---
Margrete Strand click to e-mail
Bill Arthur
Kathleen Casey click to e-mail
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