Protests in the belly of the beast

Despite the tight security around the meeting is being held, the last 24 hours has seen a number of protests in the shadow of the convention centre.

Three Argentinian protestors send their message directly to all the WTO delegates: Que Se Vayan Todos! (Kick them all out!)

About a dozen students from Mexico City held a dancing and singing protest that brought this phalanx of riot police out in from of the convention centre.

Members of the Our World is Not For Sale network outside the convention centre today.

When we got to the office yesterday morning, there were three activists perched on a crane near the convention centre. They unfurled a banner that read "Que Se Vayan Todos" (Get rid of them all) a popular phrase against global elites in South America. The banner had a fist, and ear of maize and a crossed-out WTO sign on it as well. They stayed up there all day, sending a strong message to all the delegates who entered the meeting: no more 'business as usual', global elites deciding the fate of the rest of us.

The three activists from Argentina made quite an impact on the meeting.

Later that same day, a number of students held up traffic on the street outside the meeting, singing and dancing in the face of a huge mob of police in riot gear. They were bringing attention to political prisoners held in Mexican jails, in particular their colleagues who had been arrested in order to break up a long student strike in Mexico City last year. They had a particularly playful chant that mocked the police for not being able to stop them from getting hear the meeting.

Finally, a few minutes ago, some of our allies from the Our World is Not For Sale network held a banner from the bridge that lets delegates into the meeting. They shredded copies of the draft ministerial text that was distributed this afternoon. They were not arrested by police.

Civil society groups of all types are actively protesting the power of the WTO, and slipping through the oppressive security to do it. (I still think our stopping a shipment of GE maize is still the coolest, though)

Posted by EricS at September 13, 2003 06:14 PM