seattle wto protests

WSN List-

Relevant to the discussion of a World Party, and resistance to the
capitalist world-system in general, some of you may not be aware of the
impending Seattle meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which
replaced the GATT several years ago.  The dates are from the end of
November through early December.

This meeting is being met with one of the larger and more significant
mobilizations of the left in the U.S. for quite some time -- probably
since the protests against the U.S. war on Iraq in 1990-91.  I believe it
has the potential to be an important node in the developing "counter-
movement from below." 

Public Citizen, the organization founded by Ralph Nader, is playing a
central role in the mobilization, working with labor to its right and
militants to its left.  The AFL-CIO is involved, although they are using
it as leverage with the Gore candidacy and may compromise their position
(or I should say may have already compromised).  Anarchists and militants
are organizing nonviolent civil disobedience on as large a scale as
possible.  There will be an influx of INGOs for various meetings.  The
International Forum on Globalization, an important confluence of
intellectuals, will be sponsoring a forum.  There are more actions and
events being planned daily.

For more information on what is in the works, here are some websites:

http://www.seattlewto.org
http://www.infoshop.org/no2wto.html
http://www.protest.net

Richard Hutchinson
Weber State University