By
      Aaron
      Koleszar
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      On
      November
      30,
     
     
      1999,
      Seattle
      streets
      were
     
     
      filled
      with
      rioting
      criminals.
     
     
      These
      criminals,
      with
     
     
      masks
      covering
      their
      faces
     
     
      and
      dressed
      all
      in
      black,
     
     
      perpetrated
      extreme
      acts
     
     
      of
      violence
      and
      appeared
     
     
      intent
      on
      disrupting
      the
     
     
      non-violent
      protests
      and
     
     
      diluting
      the
      protesters’
     
     
      messages.
      These
      rioters
     
     
      indiscriminantly
      broke
      and
     
     
      stole
      things
      while
      law-
     
     
      abiding
      citizens
      watched
      in
     
     
      disbelief
      and
     
     
      disgust.
     
    

    
     
      But
      wait
     
     
      a
      second...
      who
     
     
      were
      these
     
     
      masked
      crimi-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      nals?
      Why
     
     
      were
      they
     
    
   
   
    
     
      terrorizing
     
     
      Seattle?
      They
     
     
      were
      the
      footsoldiers
      of
     
     
      unfettered
      capitalism,
      of
     
     
      global
      free
      trade,
      of
      elite
     
     
      corporate
      rule.
      They
     
     
      broke
      bones
      (among
      other
     
     
      things)
      and
      stole
      citizen’s
     
     
      rights
      (among
      other
     
     
      things),
      demonstrating
      the
     
     
      extent
      to
      which
      the
      state
     
     
      will
      go
      in
      order
      to
      protect
     
     
      business
      as
      usual
      and
     
     
      corporate
      rule.
      This
     
     
      demonstrates
      where
     
     
      citizens’
      rights
      stand
      in
     
     
      relation
      to
      corporate
     
    
   
   
    
     
      rights.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      N30
      (ay
     
    

    
     
      Just
      before
      dawn,
     
     
      hundreds
      of
      people
      gath-
     
     
      ered
      in
      different
      parts
      of
     
     
      the
      city,
      then
      advanced
     
     
      toward
      the
      Washington
     
     
      State
      Convention
      Centre
     
     
      and
      surrounded
      the
      build-
     
     
      ing,
      blocking
      all
      streets
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      enterances
      used
      to
     
     
      access
      the
      conference
     
     
      centre.
      Demonstrators
     
     
      informed
      delegates
      seek-
     
     
      ing
      access
      that
      the
      confer-
     
     
      ence
      was
      cancelled,
      that
     
     
      they
      might
      as
      well
      go
     
     
      home.
      Throughout
      the
     
     
      morning
      they
      were
      joined
     
     
      by
      tens
      of
      thousands
      of
     
     
      other
      protesters.
     
    

    
     
      This
      mass
      civil
     
     
      disobedience
      was
      under-
     
     
      taken
      in
      order
      to
      physi-
     
     
      cally
      prevent
      the
      confer-
     
     
      ence
      from
      happenning,
     
     
      and
      was
      quite
      successful,
     
     
      as
      only
      around
      200
      of
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      3000
      delegates
      were
     
     
      able
      to
      gain
      en-
     
    

    
     
      trance,
      and
      the
      opening
     
     
      session
      was
      cancelled,
     
     
      setting
      the
      stage
      for
      the
     
     
      eventual
      collapse
      of
      talks,
     
     
      and
      the
      failure
      to
      initiate
     
     
      the
      intended
      new
      round
      of
     
     
      trade
      talks
      that
      would
     
     
      have
      furthered
      the
      WTO
     
     
      enforced
      corporate
      ex-
     
     
      ploitation
      of
      people
      and
     
     
      the
      environment.
      Police
     
     
      violence
      began
      that
      morn-
     
     
      ing
      with
      attacks
      on
      non-
     
     
      violent
      demonstrators
      who
     
     
      were
      blocking
      entrances.
     
    

    
     
      '
      Blockaders
      were
      the
      first
     
     
      victims,
      but
      the
      violence
     
     
      (including
      pepper
      spray,
     
     
      beatings,
      tear
      gas,
      rubber
     
     
      bullets,
      and
      concussion
     
     
      grenades)
      spread
      rapidly
     
     
      and
      throughout
      the
      day
     
     
      was
      inflicted
      on
      crowds
      of
     
     
      protesters,
      and
      then
      non-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      protestors
      alike.
      It
      had
     
     
      degenereted
      into
      ariot
      -
      a
     
     
      police
      riot
      -
      where
      thou-
     
     
      sands
      and
      thousands
      and
     
     
      thousands
      [thousands
     
     
      upon
      thousands?]
      of
     
     
      citizens
      were
      attacked
      and
     
     
      assaulted.
      It
      seemed
      like
      a
     
     
      war
      zone,
      where
      civilians
     
     
      and
      innocent
      bystanders
     
     
      were
      expendible.
      The
     
     
      primary
      goal
      was
      to
      make
     
     
      the
      conference
      happen,
     
     
      and
      this
      goal
      was
      placed
     
     
      above
      the
      rights
      of
      thou-
     
     
      sands
      of
      people.
      The
     
     
      primary
      action
      police
      used
     
     
      to
      ensure
      that
      the
      confer-
     
     
      ence
      took
      place
      was
      to
     
     
      attack
      the
      enemy
      -
      the
     
     
      protester.
     
    

    
     
      In
      some
      cases
     
     
      police
      attacks
      caused
      fear
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      panic.
      As
      the
      victims
     
     
      tried
      to
      escape
      the
      clouds
     
     
      of
      tear
      gas
      and
      the
      rain
      of
     
     
      projectiles,
      a
      small
      number
     
     
      of
      vandals
      took
      this
     
     
      opportunity
      to
      break
      a
     
     
      small
      number
      of
      windows.
     
     
      Some
      people
      even
      chose
     
     
      to
      ‘loot’
      the
      stores.
      While
     
     
      this
      occurred,
      police
      stood
     
     
      nearby
      but
      did
      nothing
      to
     
     
      stop
      the
      vandalism.
      This
     
     
      vandalism
      (“violence”’)
     
     
      was
      later
      used
      as
      justifica-
     
     
      tion
      for
      declaring
      a
      “state
     
     
      of
      emergency”,
      and
      also
      to
     
     
      justify
      the
      police
      violence
     
     
      against
      protesters
      (despite
     
     
      the
      fact
      that
      police
      vio-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      lence
      began
      much
      earlier
     
     
      ~in
      the
      day).
      The
      police
     
    
   
   
    
     
      attacked
      people
      through-
     
     
      out
      the
      evening
      and
      ran
     
     
      out
      of
      tear
      gas.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      December
      1
      (Bay
      2)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Day
      2
      unfolded
     
     
      quite
      differently.
      With
      new
     
     
      National
      Guard
      reinforce-
     
     
      ments
      and
      a
      “state
      of
     
     
      emergency”
      to
      justify
      their
     
     
      illegal
      actions,
      the
      police
      —
     
     
      arrested
      hundreds
      of
     
     
      people
      for
      exercising
      their
     
     
      constitutional
      rights
      of
      free
     
     
      speech
      and
      peaceable
     
     
      assembly.
      These
      arrests
     
     
      were
      not
      for
      security
     
     
      reasons.
      They
      were
      not
     
     
      even
      about
      ensuring
      that
     
     
      the
      conference
      took
      place,
     
     
      since
      no
      one
      was
      blocking
     
     
      the
      entrances.
      These
     
     
      arrests
      were
      solely
      for
     
     
      political
      reasons,
      to
      punish
     
     
      us
      for,
      and
      prevent
      us
      from
     
    

    
     
      protesting
      against
      the
     
     
      WTO
      and
      corporate
      rule.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      At
      around
      9:00
      AM,
     
     
      about
      200
      of
      the
      people
     
     
      involved
      in
      a
      protest
     
     
      march
      were
      arrested
      in
     
     
      Westlake
      Park
      (a
      small
     
     
      paved
      park).
      I
      was
      turned
     
     
      onto
      my
      stomach
      and
      my
     
     
      arms
      were
      put
      behind
      my
     
    
   
   
    
     
      back,
      then
      lifted
      over
      my
      *’’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      head
      as
      my
      thumbs
      and
     
     
      wrists
      were
      also
      twisted
     
     
      into
      pain
      holds.
      While
     
     
      doing
      this,
      the
      police
      put
     
     
      plastic
      handcuffs
      on
      me.
     
     
      The
      cuffs
      were
      tightened
     
     
      enough
      to
      cut
      off
      circula-
     
     
      tion,
      then
      they
      carried
      me
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      the
      waiting
      bus
      and...
      ..
     
    
   
   
    
     
      banged
      my
      head
      on
      the
     
     
      step
      of
      the
      bus.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Gus”
      the
      Bus
     
    
   
   
    
     
      At
      some
      point
     
     
      during
      the
      day
      our
      bus
     
     
      was
      given
      the
      name
      “Gus,”
     
     
      and
      it
      became
      our
      home
     
     
      for
      the
      remainder
      of
      the
     
     
      day.
      We
      arrived
      at
     
     
      Sandpoint
      Naval
      Base
      for
     
     
      “processing”
      and
      we
     
     
      demanded
      to
      see
      our
     
     
      lawyer
      (our
      constitutional
     
     
      right).
      Our
      demand
      was
     
     
      ignored,
      so
      we
      refused
      to
     
     
      get
      off
      the
      bus.
      Some
     
     
      people
      were
      losing
      sensa-
     
     
      tion
      in
      their
      hands
      and
     
     
      fingers
      so
      the
      handcuffs
     
     
      were
      all
      removed
      (not
      by
     
     
      the
      police).
      Though
      a
     
     
      police
      guard
      stood
      at
      the
     
     
      front
      door
      of
      the
      bus,
      we
     
     
      liberated
      that
      space
     
     
      for
      15
      hours.
      We
     
     
      chanted
      “Stay
      on
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      bus”
      when
      other
     
     
      busloads
      arrived,
     
     
      and
      they
      joined
      our
     
     
      resistance.
      While
      on
     
     
      the
      bus
      we
      sang,
     
     
      danced,
      chanted,
     
     
      drummed,
      wrote
     
     
      songs,
      read
      poetery,
      made
     
     
      signs
      for
      the
      windows,
      did
     
     
      media
      interviews,
      and
      had
     
    
   
   
    
     
      °
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      consensus
      discussions
     
    
   
   
    
     
      about
      our
      position,
      plans,
     
     
      and
      strategy.
      Our
      experi-
     
     
      ence
      on
      the
      bus
      was
      a
     
     
      microcosm
      of
      the
      whole
     
     
      week.
      The
      feelings
      of
      ©
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      solidarity,
      unity,
      celebra-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      tion,
      and
      resistance
      per-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      7
      ne
      t
      i
      the
      air,
      inst
      ired
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      empowerwed
      every-
     
     
      one,
      and
      profoundly
     
     
      changed
      the
      lives
      of
      many.
     
     
      We
      clearly
      demonstrated
     
     
      the
      strength
      we
      have
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~
      numbers
      when
      we
      act
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
      solidarity
      for
      justice.
     
     
      At
      approximately
     
     
      1:00.AM,
      the
      bus
      was