Stop The Attacks On The Seattle WTO Protestors!

On the eve of the 21st century, representatives of the world's governments gathered in Seattle from November 30th to December 3rd for the World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting. While the intended focus was to "review the global trading system and ensure its dynamism and responsiveness in the years ahead", another purpose has become evident -- to suppress any and all dissent by fascistic police state tactics:

• Thousands of policemen in riot gear with heavy body armor and an arsenal of weaponry has commandeered the streets backed up by 200 National Guard troops carrying clubs with hundreds more waiting just outside the city.

• The police arsenal of weaponry has included tear gas, pepper spray, flash bombs, paint pellets and rubber-coated steel pellets.

• An overnight curfew in the downtown Seattle area, with a 24-hour curfew on a smaller area surrounding W.T.O. meeting venues until midnight Friday, sealing off 40 blocks from any demonstrations.

• An armored personnel carrier posted outside the convention center while others moved through the streets and city buses were used to ring around President Clinton's hotel.

• On December 1st, the opening day of the global trade talks, more than 400 people were arrested. Reports indicate that some arrests took place hours after the demonstration and involved undercover police.

• Arrested protestors were allowed to see their lawyers only after several thousand people held a demonstration at the jail.

• Statements from the Seattle's Mayor and Chief of Police have attempted to use divide and conquer tactics against the anti-WTO protestors by pitting "legitimate" protestors against the so-called "criminal" ones.

Out on the street it was clear that to the police, all protestors were "criminals". Someone from upstate Washington was quoted in the NY Times as saying "I really thought I had a right to free speech, instead I feel like I'm being treated like a criminal down here." Glenys Kinnock, a member of the European Parliament, was also quoted in the NY Times about this situation, "They [Seattle police] dress in a very strange sort of Star Wars outfits, had tear gas, and I think it was quite a draconian response to the demonstration." The LA Times reported how "on lookers" supported the demonstrators: "Later officers launched an extraordinary march through rush-hour traffic as onlookers shouted 'Sieg Heil!' and also that "Police chased demonstrators down to the waterfront, firing tear gas and concussion grenades before finally surrounding about 50 of them in the city's trendy Belltown district. Onlookers shouted from balconies and rooftops, a chorus of 'Let them go!' echoing eerily through the streets as police helicopters circled overhead."

Over 30,000 protestors have been demonstrating against the WTO. People have come together from all over the U.S., from many different kinds of organizations including labor, environmental, social justice, political and religious. They have been joined by people from all over the world. There has been a wide range of protest activities from mass street demonstrations, direct action, school and work walkouts, a human chain to encircle the convention hall and call for cancellation of Third World debt, trade union rallies, a "festival of defiance", A People's Assembly conference, etc.

R&R! condemns the attacks on the Seattle protestors
and calls on every one to speak out against this attempted silencing of dissent.

The 21st Century - what kind of world will it be?
"To the racists and women-haters,
To the gay-bashers and welfare slashers,
To the prison-builders and executioners,
We say: the future is not yours!"
We will Refuse & Resist!

Refuse & Resist! was formed in 1987 by artists, lawyers, activists and others who saw an alarming trend in the US toward greater state control and repression. R&R! is the organization for everyone who refuses to go along with today's national agenda of repression and cruelty, poverty and punishment.

Refuse & Resist! 305 Madison Avenue Suite 1166, New York, NY 10165
Tel: 212.713.5657 Web site: http://www.refuseandresist.org

[posted 12/4/99]