The US Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau ofAlcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the State Department, The Federal EmergencyManagement Agency, The King County Sheriff, and the Seattle police have allbeen roped in. A judge has been assigned the task of processing detaineesfull time, and outlying jails have been arranged to take care of theoverflow.

These war-like preparations are to combat one of the largest protestgatherings, dubbed the Protest of the Century, by grassroot organisations,labour unions, environmental activists, farmers and other community groupsagainst the World Trade Organisation. Over 1,100 odd non-governmental actiongroups have made Seattle a rallying point in their fight against what theyterm as "mobilisation against globalisation." Their stated aim-shutting downthe WTO.

On November 30th, when the Millennium Round is flagged off, concernedcitizens and organisations across the world will observe a Day of Actionagainst the WTO. In cities and communities around the US events are beingorganised to coincide with the massive "March on the WTO" that is beingorganised at Seattle.

Activists are planning the operation meticulously. Warehouses are beingscouted as potential squatter areas. Preparations have been made to feed theanti-WTO troops. A media collective has been formed to ensure that the goodwork of the protestors is given adequate publicity. Low-power radiotransmitters are coordinating communications, and a network of bikemessengers will feed information from the street to the clandestinetransmitters. A continuously updated website (www.seattle.org) will serve asan alternative news service for the global public.

American activist organisations and street theatre groups have joined handsto plan and co-ordinate the war effort, under the umbrella of the DirectAction Network. Nor has the intellectual input been neglected. Teach-inshave been sponsored by NGOs such as the International Forum onGlobalisation. Lectures, press briefings and rallies will occur throughoutthe week.

This carnival of protest and civil disobedience has been planned againstwhat the organisers term the anti-democratic, secretive activities of theWTO and the domination of the forum by corporate interests. Direct ActionNetwork aims to shut down the meeting, and inspire the masses to educatethemselves and demand a seat at the table the next time the WTO tries tomeet.

Detailed guidelines have been issued to the anti-WTO groups by theirco-ordinators. Groups of from 5 to 20 people are asked to abide by theaction guidelines, agreed upon by DAN and other sponsoring groups. Some ofthe guidelines are: no violence, either physical or verbal, no weapons, nodrugs or alcohol, no property damage. Each group should have a memberresponsible for support should other members risk arrest. The details of theactivities are left to the groups themselves. Street theatre, bannerhanging, silent prayer, or more aggressive actions will depend on the moodand the composition of the participants. A legal collective has been formedto assist the demonstrators in case they are arrested, and to bargain withthe authorities.

Some of the more radical groups, such as IWW (International Workers of theWorld) also plan to use the occasion as a platform against globalcapitalism. They have asked their supporters to "occupy offices, organiseblockades and shutdowns, appropriate and dispose of luxury consumer goods,have mass bike rides, carnivals appropriating capitalist wealth andreturning it to the working people, handing out free food, mock trade fairs,music , dancing, declaring oneself independent from global capitalism,setting up grassroots' community councils and holding meetings outside cityhalls, reclaiming space in streets, government land, office buildings forliving and playing".

Among the other forms of protest is a Call-In Day. Protesters are beingrequested to send the message "Your NAFTA-WTO trade program has failedterribly. We will never allow it to be expanded. You need a new plan toprotect the public and our planet, not more of the same failed trade policy"to Clinton's Chief of Staff at the White House and to Vice-President Gore("Afraid and staying away from Seattle").

The IWW had organised a dress rehearsal of sorts on June 18th this year, andthe November 30 to December 3 gathering is intended to expand on it.

According to the IWW, June 30 saw "marches by workers in Bangladesh andPakistan; a fake trade fair by Uruguayan activists; a carnival in London'sfinancial district; occupations and street parties in Spain, Italy, USA, andCanada; ten thousand people in Nigeria protesting the oil industry andimperialism; and, in Melbourne, a prominent politician hit with a cream pieand a logging multinational blockaded with dead wombats".