battle in seattle: we win round one!

The anti-WTO protest in Seattle has been more successful than dreamed.

Of course, there are always those who get bent out of shape about property
violence, but as usual, the intensity that the violence signifies sends a
loud and clear message that there are lots of people who are SERIOUSLY
opposed to the WTO and what it represents.  This message has been
transmitted around the world, and the fact that it comes from the U.S. is
incredibly important -- even here in the "belly of the beast" as we
old-time anti-imperialists used to call it, there is militant resistance.

You might want to look at   http://www.seattle-pi.com
for extensive local coverage from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

The site mentioned earlier   http://www.indymedia.org

has an interesting account claiming that it was the success of the massive
nonviolent civil disobedience which successfully shut down the opening of
the meeting yesterday morning that originally provoked the police to use
force and tear gas against the protesters, some of whom then reacted with
violence.  I can't verify that, and it may be one-sided, but based on my
own protest experience, it sounds perfectly plausible as at least one
important dynamic.  The police often provoke a cycle of escalation when
they, representing the force of "law and order," seem to be acting in an
unlawful manner, using unnecessary amounts of force inappropriately.

For once, I envy those with televisions.

As I predicted, a significant node in the development of the
counterhegemonic movement from below!  On to the "world party/network"!

RH