1999, Seattle

[RevolutionaryMarxist]

Originally I was suprised when I heard of such a large scale and openly Anti-Capitalist/Pro-Revolution demonstration in the US, could some provide more information on it?

Some Footage I watched was:

Part 1:http://youtube.com/watch?v=SX35re580ew
Part 2:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ5wMic1QZE
Part 3:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MT5Df9COshI

While they seemed more so Social democratic and pacifistic/reformist, I was still suprised at this.

Could someone provide more information on this, like perhaps the numbers, or other analysis/accounts of this?

Thanks

[ComradeOm]

I assume you're talking about the WTO riots? That was big news at the time, the first time that the whole anti-globalisation movement "went mainstream". It really put them on the map.

As with everything else in life, there's a wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WTO_Ministerial_Conference_of_1999_protest_activit y) on it.

[RevolutionaryMarxist]

Yes, I looked at that a bit but it seemed sortof unexplained to me, I was just making sure too that the facts were correct.

[YSR]

If you can get ahold of it, there's a decent documentary put out by CrimethInc. called "Breaking the Spell" with a lot of footage. Similar to that stuff you posted.

There's probably a lot of written material on it from participants, too. I have a little in this fantastic book called "We Are Everywhere; the irresistible rise of global anticapitalism." Anyone know of any resources online?

[RevolutionaryMarxist]

ill look into it - from what I have seen most leftist books are free somewhere on the internet, mostly provided by the author himself

[which doctor]

http://www.infoshop.org/octo/wto_blackbloc.html

[Organic Revolution]

Originally posted by [email protected] 4 2006, 05:45 PM
Originally I was suprised when I heard of such a large scale and openly Anti-Capitalist/Pro-Revolution demonstration in the US, could some provide more information on it?

Some Footage I watched was:

Part 1:http://youtube.com/watch?v=SX35re580ew
Part 2:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ5wMic1QZE
Part 3:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MT5Df9COshI

While they seemed more so Social democratic and pacifistic/reformist, I was still suprised at this.

Could someone provide more information on this, like perhaps the numbers, or other analysis/accounts of this?

Thanks
The riots that occured in seattle were the perfectly executed planning of anarchists from all over the U.S. they came with a specific plan of what to attack and with a plan on how they wanted to do it.

seattle, another victory for the anarchists.

[RevolutionaryMarxist]

* + Marxists.

I saw signs of "Workers of the World - Unite!" (Not a Anarchist Phrase, Communist) flying around too.

From what I have seen though this crowd wasn't fully coordinated - it was just a loose coalition, even partially led by AFL-CIO. Wiki said it varied from Anarchist/Communist Elements to Enviormentalists to AFL-CIO people.

[YSR]

"Workers of the World - Unite!"

Actually, we anarchists use it, too.

I'm not sure of the turnout during the WTO of communist parties, actually. I've heard strong negative responses to the anti-globilization movement from Marxists on this website, for one.

[SPK]

Originally posted by Young Stupid [email protected] 5 2006, 09:15 AM
I'm not sure of the turnout during the WTO of communist parties, actually. I've heard strong negative responses to the anti-globilization movement from Marxists on this website, for one.
Traditional marxist-leninist parties played a minimal role in organizing the u.s. movement against capitalist globalization, particularly during its high point from late 1999 to 2001. Their absence at the time was widely noted. That movement was very much an anarchist initiative and is one key reason why there is a popular consciousness of anarchism / antiauthoritarianism in the u.s. progressive movements today.

[ComradeOm]

Interestingly enough David Harvey talks about the duel approaches taken by the communist and anti-globalisation movement today. The former remains very much, almost entirely in fact, labour orientated while the latter opposes neo-liberal banditry through a network of dispersed and very different local organisations. This mirrors the duel character of capital accumulation itself - accumulation by reproduction and primitive accumulation (aka accumulation by dispossession). Both organisations focus exclusively on one face of capitalism while pouring scorn on the others' activities.

[Tommie]

It seems that, despite the progressive nature of most of those who protested, we were all wrong about the WTO. The WTO is simply the modern incarnation of the General Agreement of Trade (or GAT). The riots in Seattle should have directed their rage against NAFTA, CAFTA and FTAA - all agreements that favour unrestricted free trade that benefits the US Empire and huge multinationals. NAFTA et all. should be abrogated and all of it's signatories should "return" to WTO trading rules which restrict the flow of capital between countries so as to benefit home-grown industry.

[ComradeOm]

The WTO is the tool of Washington. Its sole purpose is to protect American/Western economies by visiting economic ruin to the rest of the world. As such the WTO regulates global economic matters to the preference of the major Western financial sectors. The growth of indigenous regional initiatives reduces the WTO's influence and power. This can only be a good thing.

[BuyOurEverything]

It seems that, despite the progressive nature of most of those who protested, we were all wrong about the WTO. The WTO is simply the modern incarnation of the General Agreement of Trade (or GAT).

It's the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, GATT, isn't it? And I don't know what's "simple" about that, GATT has always been hugely detrminental to anything other than corporate interests.


he riots in Seattle should have directed their rage against NAFTA, CAFTA and FTAA

Um, it was a WTO convention though...


NAFTA et all. should be abrogated and all of it's signatories should "return" to WTO trading rules which restrict the flow of capital between countries so as to benefit home-grown industry.


NAFTA and the FTAA are protested against. Obviously they are bad. However, they don't have the massively international scope that the WTO does. I mean, I can see your case for saying that a country like Canada would be better off under just the WTO than it is under NAFTA, but that's hardly an improvement. If NAFTA was abolished, the WTO would simply step up. Not to mention the attrocity committed on workers in other poorer countries by the WTO.

[Tommie]

I mean, I can see your case for saying that a country like Canada would be better off under just the WTO than it is under NAFTA, but that's hardly an improvement.

I think Canada would be much better off under WTO trading rules. The vast majority of economies on the planet require trade and there have to be rules governing that trade.

And yes, you are correct. It was the GATT.

[WUOrevolt]

I would recommend getting a copy of This is What Democracy Looks Like. Great documentary film, very inspiring.

[rebelworker]

Its funny to see something I was so heavily involved in for many years now talked about like ancient history, Im feeling old..

As for protesting the FTAA, Seattle was the first, but in terms of numbers and streetfighting it was a walk in the park compared to the Summit of thr Americas protest in Quebec city, april 2001.

In montreal the CLAC, anti authoritarian, anti capitalist convergance had regular meetings of several hundred people. The Anti Capitalist march we organised the first day drew as many as 10,000 people. The Union march on the last Day drew 100,000.

In Seatle people blocked streets. In Quebec we smashed through the 4 kilomiter long wall built around the entire inner city to protect the conference center.

This was Bushes first and only visit to canada. We fought 5000 riot police for three days straight. In seattle there were a few fires at night. We used molotovs all day every day.

The police fired 1000 rubber bullets and over 10,000 rounds of gas. They had several armoured vehicles with water cannons.

The Film " a view to a summit" from the Canadian Film Board, gives you a hint at the kind of event this was.

The movement had been growing rapidly for years, it started on a small scale a few years before Seattle.

The CLAC held a seat on the main convergance table of popular organisations in Quebec, autoworkers were flying anarchist flags in the streets of Quebec. Local residents came out of their houses to give us water to wash gas from our eyes. Imprisoned anarchist organisers were getting mainstream support for their release (the free Jaggi Sinhg campaign got support from social democrats across the country).

Just when we started to see a real shift towards radical politics, september 11th changed everything. People were scared, we lost most of our momentum, all the unions and social democrats backed away from the support they had been giving to more radical groups and movements, we have not really recovered from that....

[ahab]

Originally posted by [email protected] 4 2006, 11:45 PM
Originally I was suprised when I heard of such a large scale and openly Anti-Capitalist/Pro-Revolution demonstration in the US, could some provide more information on it?

Some Footage I watched was:

Part 1:http://youtube.com/watch?v=SX35re580ew
Part 2:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ5wMic1QZE
Part 3:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MT5Df9COshI

While they seemed more so Social democratic and pacifistic/reformist, I was still suprised at this.

Could someone provide more information on this, like perhaps the numbers, or other analysis/accounts of this?

Thanks
watch the movie Breaking the spell, it douments the whole thing and is filmed by the eugune anarchists through the whole thing, the only thing i saw that i was sad about, and I see this at a lot of demonstrations and protests is when the cops are beatin on people and spraying mace in their face everyone either runs or just stands there and watches, do they not realize they outnumber the fucking cops 100-1!?! the only time i've seen it up close in personal i tried to get people to join me in tryin to get the pigs off and the cops just yelled 'SHUT UP!' and noone listened and most just walked away. it brings sadness.

[YSR]

I had read about the Quebec demonstration, rebelworker, but it's really cool to hear a first-hand account.

[rebelworker]

The April 2000 protest against the IMF/World Bank was also a huge event,.

The film "Breaking the Bank" idocuments it well. It is particularly good because it documents alot of the "behind the scenes" organising and meetings that gets a bit glossed over in "this is what democracy looks like" and "a view to a summit".

You can also see my affinity group for a breif second in it :D

[JC1]

(the free Jaggi Sinhg campaign got support from social democrats across the country).

Do you freebase ?

[rebelworker]

And what if I do? :lol:

Let me guess you going to go on some tiraide about how anarchists where totally isolated and only the communist party has any real support....

:blink: