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N30 at the Baltimore World Trade Center
Along with protests going on simultaneously around the world, Baltimore had
its own local protest against global capital. While small in comparison
to the masses that demonstrated in Seattle (100,000), France (75,000),
etc... Baltimore had a modest 125+. WBAL (TV channel 11) reported
a dozen, though they left very early and clearly more than that
were visible from their own video coverage.
The demonstration started at around 4:30, but didn't pick up much
of a crowd or noise until after 5, when Critical Mass and a black
block of Anarchists joined. The anarchists had their largest presence,
and unlike the mass media would have you believe about their comrades
in Seattle, did not engage in any violence.
A number of organization endorsed and/or attended the demonstration:
- Alternative Press Center
- All Peoples Congress
- Baltimore Emergency Response Network
- Baltimore Labor Solidarity Network "Solidarity Hon!"
- Baltimore Vieques Support Campaign
- Casa Baltimore/Limay
- Claustrophobia
- Critical Mass
- Food Not Bombs
- Howard County Friends of Latin America
- Industrial Workers of the World
- Maryland United for Peace and Justice
- Maryland Anti-Racist Action
- Nosotros Group
- Pastors for Peace
- The Prejudice Institute
- Social Anarchism
- Women's International League for Peace and Freedom-Baltimore
Branch
- WMOB 97.5FM Free Radio Baltimore
And the Frateneral Order of Police... actually, they were doing their best
to limit the protestors civil rights. The Baltimore police dispatched
an estimated 30 officers to protect the World Trade Center, Harbor
Place and other parts of the Rouse fuedal holdings.
Repeatedly, private security and public police officers were engaged
thourhgout the proceeding week with removing flyers promoting the
demonstration and threatening posters to stop the exercising in
democracy in favor of keeping the city free of the litter of free
speech and other troublesome pests to downtown commerce. Some of
the flyers managed to survive or were used as quick signs; they
read "WTO has got us all AT THE END OF OUR ROPE: Working People
Organize!!!" and showed an ominous noose.
Other banners and signs sported slogans like: "Planet and People
before Profits", "Capitalism is Cannibalism", "End Corporate Power",
"Capitalism Kills, Kill the WTO", "Stop the WTO", "Smash Capitalism",
"Abolish Economic Violence". Other placards sported new explainations
of what "WTO" stands for: "World Take Over", "World Thieves Organization",
"World Tyranny Ogre", "White Terror Order" and "Whose Trade Organization?"
A flyer distributed to commuters and others read:
"WTO... Whose Trade Organization? Established in 1995, the Geneva-based
World Trade organization (WT0) acts as a world court for global
commerce. The WTO grew out of the earlier General Agreement on Trade
and Tariffs (GATT), a series of talks that slashed tariffs, abolished
government subsidies, and opened up investment for multinational
corporations hoping to penetrate into the developing world. From
November 29-December 3, in Seattle, Washington, leaders of transnational
corporations, governments, and an army of bureacrats are going to
the WTO's Summit to further their drive for profits, to tighten
control of political, economic, environmental and cultural decisions
made here in the U.S. and globally.
"Michael Moore, the head of the WTO, says he is a committed champion
of the underdog, "instinctively on the side of the battlers, of
those who have been knocked out." Moore claims that the WTO protects
the rights of small countries, and that poor countries which have
opened up their markets to foreign access, "have better human rights,
better living standards and more commerce." This couldn't be further
from the truth.
"In reality, the WTO policies leave Third World countries no alternative
other than low-technology, labor intensive, highly polluting industries.
The "development" model promoted is almost exclusively that of maquiladoras
and free-trade zones. This model forces a race to the bottom, as
governments sell their workforce to the lowest bidder, allowing
already low salary levels to be determined by "the market."
"The WTO is eroding sovereignty and democracy in the U.S. and internationally.
Its rules are granted international treaty status, meaning they
supersede the domestic law of member countries. If a company believes
that local laws jeopardize profits, the WTO can force these countries
to change their laws of pay high fines.
"In its five-year history, the WTO's dispute panel of trade bureacrats
has overturned every single environmental, health and safety regulation
that has been challenged by corporations. In our country, for example,
the WTO ruled against a regulation of the U.S. Clean Air Act in
1997. These facts are not suprising; the WTO was designed by corporate
lawyers to server as an international trade structure with the power
to dismantle national laws for the sake of greater corporate profits."
The protestors were denied their permit to demonstrate anywhere
along the Inner Harbor, and instead had to content themselves to
drumming, chanting, shouting, dancing, face painting and banner
waving on the north side of Pratt Street. A few times, they were
so bold as to cross the street. Batons were quickly drawn. At times
it looked like a game of chicken. The protestors, a nonviolent bunch,
did not provoke the police and largely kept to what little public
space they were allowed. The police, despite their fierce demeanor,
didn't follow the lead of the SPD... there were no beatings, no
pepper spray, no tear gas, no rubber bullets, no arrests, and 1
ticket.
Why so many police though? It seems that the Governor Glendening
had an early evening meeting at the World Trade Center. The crowd
really picked up when he arrived; drumming and chanting "No WTO!",
"Hey Hey, Ho Ho... The WTO has got to go", "End Corporate Power!".
The World Trade Center was quite busy on the Tuesday; they also
presented awards for International Business Leadership at the Maryland
Sciene Center... its fairly clear that the government is willing
to grant much in the way of access to those business; but little
to those who are critical of it.
Interestingly enough, Vice President Al Gore was also in town speaking
with the National Black Caucus of State Legislators at the Hyatt
Regency. One suit from the WTC came to talk with the protestors...
among his questions, "What do you think of our esteemed Vice President,
Al Gore?" to which on anarchist replied, "He's a Rich Fuck!" So,
it appears that while Clinton was on his way to Seattle, Gore was
aware that the resistance to the WTO was everywhere they went. Our
resistance will be transnational as capital!
The carnival against capitalism wrapped up with a chaotic procession
down Pratt Street, finally ending at the stock brockers Legg Mason.
As a follow up meeting...
---
"People Over Profits: Alternatives to Corporate Rule"
Tuesday, December 14th, 7-9 pm
Cathedral Church of the Incarnation,
Corner of Charles St. & University Pkwy
Straight from Seattle! Reports from anti-WTO mobilizations & plans
for future action in Baltimore against corporate rule. Join Baltimore
residents in a report-back from the anti-WTO moblizations in Seattle
from November 29-December 3.
Local Alternatives! We will also watch a short (10 minutes) video
about "Ithaca Hours", a local currency system in Ithaca, New York
and talk about how to organize such a system in Baltimore.
---
Contact BAJA at (410) 467-9388 x7, baltimoreaction@erols.com
if you would like to purchase a "Resist the WTO" tee-shirt. $20
suggested price, $15 student/low income.
---
http://www.mobtown.org
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last updated: December 29, 2004
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