While I was there, a few affinity groups squatted (occupied) some nearby vacant housing with the plan to turn it over to homeless people after the protests against the WTO. The energy, initiative, was incredible. Monday, November 29th, I spent the afternoon at a Filipino Community Center in the Rainier Valley section of Seattle. The People's Assembly, a primarily Filipino and Filipino-American group that is affiliated with the Filipino left, were organizing a march today that included anti-WTO people from South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines as well as the various groups from the United States such as the Mumia Abu-Jamal Defense Committee. Their programs yesterday and their march today of the People's Assembly, which I attended were one of the few parts of the protest thus far that was led by people of color, primarily Filipino, and where the meetings and marches were multi-racial.

There was also an inspiring panel of women from Malaysia, Korea, Thailand, and the Phillipines who called for an end to the colonialism of global capitalism, and combined in ways that are not often done issues of gender, class and global capitalism.

Last night, Monday, after a huge program at a local Methodist church where Vandana Shiva, Congresswomen Maxine Waters, AIL-CIO president John Sweeney an many religious leaders called for a cancellation of the debt of the poorer countries of the world, a good sized march of maybe 8000 marched to a place where the World Trade organization was having opening ceremonies. The slogan was `Break The Chains of Debt'. Some people chained themselves near where the delegates were meeting.

Jubilee 2000 Northwest did not want a confrontation with the police and ended the demonstration soon after when we arrived there. The march was strong but not very militant. Today was a totally different story. By 7 A.M., thousands of people met at two main points and a few smaller points to shut down the WTO and that is what we did. By 8:30 AM every intersection leading to where the WTO delegates were meeting was impassable. People chained themselves together, built barricades of whatever was available to throw into the streets. No vehicles could pass although some delegates tried to arrive by foot. The WTO cancelled their meetings in the morning.

Every cop in Seattle was on duty backed by secret Service and many other law enforcement officials. They used large amounts of tear gas as well as pepper gas and shooting rubber pellets at high speeds to try to take control of the streets. We just moved to other streets. Thousands of anti-WTO protesters controlled for many hours large parts of downtown Seattle.

It is difficult to estimate the numbers but it was definitely in the many thousands who stayed in the streets. The People for Fair Trade/Network Opposed to the WTO also had a huge rally and demonstration, 30,000 plus I heard, that crossed the direct action and linked together in a few places although the solidarity seemed limited. The delegates to the WTO had a second session planned for 2 P.M. As far as I know, that was also cancelled and it seems like little of the business of the WTO to extend the agreements is happening.

Demonstrators continued to control the streets although the police often forced people out through the use of tear gas and charging, arrests seemed minimal inthe afternoon. In mid afternoon, the Governor Gary Locke, a corporate Democrat announced a curfew, state of emergency, and the call up of the National Guard, although unarmed for 7 P.M.

At this time, 8:45 there are a few demonstrators in downtown Seattle and a significant amount of trashing going on, breaking windows of some stores. According to the media it is people of high school age, mainly white, who are not carrying anti WTO signs. During the day, a few stores such as Nike, the Gap and other users of sweatshop labor had their windows broken but it was quite isolated.

Tomorrow, militant protest will continue. Being right in the middle of it, the direct action seems very positive-thousands of people closing down Seattle for one day to challenge corporate power and their exploitation globally. One reporter I spoke to from Geneva, said Clinton in announcing the meeting in Seattle at their last big meeting in Seattle promised tranquillity and a welcome of the WTO in Seattle. It has been anything but that today. Tens of thousands are confronting power in Seattle on November 30th. The struggle continues.

(Courtesy: Z-Net)