Wednesday, December 01, 1999
This is a first-hand report of the activities in Seattle that occurred in the last 24 hours at the protests of the World Trade Organization meeting.
This is intended only to give a more clear picture that the corporate media gives and to clear up some misconceptions that have been reported as fact by said media sources. Please circulate widely.
7:00am - 12:30pm
Several thousand activists gather and execute a planned non-violent civil disobedience to shut down the WTO meeting. This is accomplished by creating human chains at key locations to block the WTO delegates from entering the building. Some sources report that by 12:00 only 500 of the 3,000 delegates had shown up at the meeting. The opening ceremonies, scheduled for 10:00 am, were delayed, then canceled due to efforts by the protestors. Police violence occurred when a group of locked down activists blocking a street were intentionally run over by a police motorcycle, slowly and deliberately.
Some peaceful demonstrators sitting in front of an entrance to the Seattle Trade Center had powerful police pepper spray applied directly to the eyes by officers, slowly and deliberately. The protestors still refused to move.
Organized labor and other groups hold a large stadium rally and march into downtown. Some estimates are that 70,000 people attended the demonstration.
Some groups break off from the main march and headed toward the line of heavily armed police wearing gas masks, in full riot gear, and holding guns.
An armored personnel carrier was nearby. Several helicopters were flying overhead. This confrontation happened at the intersection nearest to the Seattle Trade Center. The confrontation built steadily until police began attempting to pull a protestor out of the crowd. Then someone threw a wooden sign that landed several yards from any police and the officers responded by pepper spraying the entire front line. They then shot several tear gas canisters into the crowd. The crowd backed up and the confrontation moved down a block as the police continued to launch tear gas and concussion grenades. Rubber bullets were fired at protestors. This sequence of events was repeated at some other locations nearby in downtown Seattle.
Police continue to use violence against protestors. Many, angry from being tear-gassed and shot, began breaking windows of corporate businesses. McDonald's, The GAP, Radio Shack, and Old Navy Stores were damaged mostly by broken windows. A Starbucks restaurant was smashed and totally gutted. Everything inside was completely destroyed as protestors dispersed and the crowd became filled with random thrill seekers and opportunists.
The governor of Washington declares a state of emergency and the mayor imposes a curfew over downtown Seattle. The police continue using violent tactics to move protestors out of downtown toward the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Residents of the neighborhood came out of their homes and confronted the police, being angry about the haze of tear gas building on their streets and the rampant violence against people being perpetrated by officers.
Some things that should be cleared up:
1. Rubber bullets were used on non-violent demonstrators by the police
2. Public property was , for the most part, not destroyed, mainly private, corporate property.
3. The demonstrators, even the black-clad "anarchists", were not engaging in violence against anyone persons. Mostly it was corporate property that was destroyed. This is being reported as a group of violent protestors. Property destruction and violence are two separate things. Look it up.
4. Police were the main instigators of the chaotic situation. Their violence and continued use of tear gas is what caused the crowd to turn to property destruction.
*** Note to my friends and family:
I am fine. I was in the middle of the initial tear gassing and that is why I felt it was necessary to issue this report. Please circulate it widely. The corporate-owned Seattle media is very biased and has characterized the protesters in a very bad light.
Battle in Seattle: 'Anarchists' ruin the message
Wednesday, December 01, 1999
Let me first start by saying that I think the media here in Seattle havecovered the protests here very fairly. They have voiced the concerns raised by the people in the streets. It doesn't appear to be the case with national media.
That said, something strange is happening here. The VAST majority of protesters and demonstrators in our streets have been extremely well behaved and non-violent. But there is a small faction of criminals that are overshadowing this peaceful demonstration. Calling themselves "Anarchists", the black-clad hooded idiots have been allowed to run amuck in our city, smashing in windows, upturning newspaper boxes, smashing up cars, attacking members of the press and spraying graffiti everywhere. Our local CBS (KIRO) affiliate had an on scene reporter named Meagan Black who followed this criminal band around the streets for more than two hours. Where were the police during all this? They were busy gassing the NON-VIOLENT crowds!!! I can't tell you how many times we heard Ms. Black asking why aren't the police doing anything about this! Why haven't these jerks been arrested? Something fishy going on when the cops gas peaceful people and allow criminals to have free reign.
The city went into a state of civil emergency. A curfew was implemented in downtown Seattle. The National Guard and 300 state troopers have been called in. The Mayor has vowed that what happened today will not be allowed to continue. The crowds have been pushed out of the downtown up into the residential areas. Massive amounts a tear gas are being thrown into the crowds and it's getting into people's homes. All this because of a small group of jerks who stole the spotlight from the real protestors.
Their violence has stolen the spotlight from the real