World Trade Organization Protests in Seattle

or“The Battle in Seattle”

byRebecca Hamilton

Summary of the Event• November 1999 in Seattle, Washington• WTO meeting was postponed by an estimated 50,000 protestors• A summary of some of the protestors' specific complaints

– the WTO has issued rulings forcing member countries to repeal specific laws that protect public health and the environment

– It proposes new rules limiting countries' freedom to regulate foreign corporate investors

– Its decisions are made in secret by an unaccountable tribunal• Police response to blocked entrances

– Tear gas– Batons– Concussion grenades

(http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1822)

• “The goal of the Nov. 30 direct action was to shut down talks at a WTO ministerial meeting in which the world’s wealthiest nations sought to impose a global trade agreement that would have greatly empowered large corporations at the expense of local communities around the world.”

(http://www.realbattleinseattle.org/node/181)

Stop the WTO! Save the

environment!

Stop big business from ruining small

business!

The World Trade Organization• “…the only global international organization

dealing with the rules of trade between nations” (http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/whatis_e.htm)

• Who they are . . .– Organization for trade opening– Forum for governments to negotiate trade

agreements– Place to settle trade disputes– Operates a system of trade rules

(http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/who_we_are_e.htm)

• What they do . . .– Trade negotiations– Implementation and monitoring– Dispute settlement– Building trade capacity– Outreach

(http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/what_we_do_e.htm)

• What they stand for . . .– Non-discrimination– Lowering trade barriers– Discouraging “unfair” practices– Flexibility for developing countries– Protect the environment and public health

(http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/what_stand_for_e.htm)

Problems/Issues with the WTO

• Controlled by the rich and powerful• Threatens health and environment• Uses arm-twisting tactics with third-world

countries• Used by corporate interests to “force-feed” the

world genetically engineered food (profit-driven)• Secretive & undemocratic meetings

(http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/trade-and-the-environment/why-is-the-wto-a-problem/)

10 Reasons to Dismantle the WTOBy Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman

• Prioritizes trade and commercial considerations over all other values• Undermines democracy• Does not just regulate, it actively promotes, global trade• Hurts the Third World• Eviscerates the Precautionary Principle• Squashes diversity• Operates in secrecy• Limits governments' ability to use their purchasing dollar

for human rights, environmental, worker rights and othernon-commercial purposes

• Disallows bans on imports of goods made with child labor• Legitimizes life patents

(http://www.organicconsumers.org/Corp/abolishwto.cfm)

Protest Facts• Of the 40,000 or so, about 100 (calling

themselves the Anarchists) chose to destroy property of large corporations– Banks– Nike– the Gap– McDonald’s– Starbucks

(http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=9213)

• Warnings were given by media months before• Police weren’t ready for what happened Tues.,

November 30– Cost– Overconfidence– Expected only peaceful protestors – Didn’t install fencing – No escort for delegates– No arrests made of those blocking passage

• State of Emergency declared– Clinton was coming to town– Curfew imposed (7:00 PM)• Riot squads came in using concussion grenades, rubber

bullets, and tear gas to clear streets

– Next day added “no protest zone” covering 25 blocks of downtown– National Guard called– Over 500 jailed on Wed.– Tues. & Wed. main days

• Results – Charges against arrested protestors were dropped– Lawsuits were filed by business owners and

injured protestors– Businesses and those illegally arrested were monetarily compensated (nearly $2,000,000.00)– Had already spent $9,300,000.00 on security

Event Impact• Brought WTO faults to the forefront• Led to other protests– World Bank & International Monetary Fund (D.C.)

• Changed law enforcement strategy nationally– Advanced planning– Huge exclusion zones– Pre-emptive arrests of protest leaders– More use of chemical irritants and less lethal

munitions• Stymied the WTO

(http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=9213)