(AFP) Protesters rethink strategies after deadly US attacks

Thursday, September 13 6:20 AM SGT 

Protesters rethink strategies after deadly US attacks

LOS ANGELES, Sept 12 (AFP) - 

This week's deadly terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington are 
prompting activists to postpone protests and rethink their strategies, groups 
said Wednesday.

The first casualty could be planned anti-globalization demonstrations at the 
September 29-30 meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in 
the US capital.

"Things are definitely on hold," said Patrick Reinsborough of the San 
Francisco-based Rainforest Action Network.

"I think it's premature to talk about cancellation," Reinsborough said. "We're 
in a sort of wait-and-see mode."

A World Bank spokeswoman said Wednesday that no decision has been made on how 
to handle the annual financial meetings of 183 countries, but she added that 
the issue "of the timing of the meetings certainly will be discussed in the 
coming days, giving the tragedy that has happened."

Activists expressed concern that a loud, possibly violent protest in Washington 
later this month -- like recent ones in Genoa, Italy, Quebec City, Canada and 
Prague -- could damage support for their causes generated since the 1999 World 
Trade Organization protests in Seattle.

"We are not in a position to predict what kind of mood the country will be in 
(by late September)," said Soren Ambrose of Washington-based anti-IMF group "50 
Years Is Enough."

"We don't want to violate those sensibilities," Ambrose said Wednesday.

"Previously, we were not in a conversation about whether we should proceed or 
not," added Robert Weissman of Essential Action. "Now we are."

No activist group has pulled out of the IMF-World Bank protests but, "I think 
you're hearing the beginnings of that conversation," said Carol Welch of 
Friends of the Earth, an environmental group.

"I think people will be a little concerned for their safety," Welch said.

Organizations like the AFL-CIO -- the country's largest labor federation -- 
"are grappling with getting financial assistance to the (terrorist) victims' 
families, and so I think that could potentially take some resources away that 
they might have dedicated to the protests."

Reinsborough said his group canceled a public protest this week against paper 
and lumber conglomerate Boise Cascade.

"We don't want it to be confused with any doubts that people may have that we 
stand united against violence in all its forms, whether it's terrorist violence 
(or) institutional violence," he said.

Weissman's Essential Action group was created by Ralph Nader.

Nader's office said Wednesday that the veteran consumer activist and the 2000 
Green Party presidential candidate would be unavailable for comment on the 
attacks for at least two more days.

Activists expressed sympathy Wednesday for those killed in Tuesday's multiple 
strikes, though some groups used the attacks to repeat opposition to US 
policies.

The War Resisters League, a small pacifist group, stated on its web site, "may 
these profound tragedies remind us of the impact US policies have had on other 
civilians in other lands."