>From: "Jay Moore" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Just returned early this morning from the major protests in D.C. (which are >still ongoing this morning where the government has apparently cancelled >work for government employees). There is a lot of press. Below is one of >the better reports I've found (from the overseas media) on the events and >their possible significance. As usual CNN and the other U.S.-based "free" >press is busy doing damage control and minimizing the numbers, etc. > >Early personal impressions -- > >Lots of youth but also people of all age (don't worry so much any more about >the "revolutionary successors"); Lots of Third World people and people of >color; Much other diversity (like Seattle); >As has become almost de rieguir lately at protests, very sophisticated >banners and puppets -- works of arts; >Well-planned, executed CDs combined with lots of swirling street action >making life hard for the cops. > >Somebody on my bus had a digital camera, and he will be posting his photos >from yesterday's events soon on the Web. I'll let you all know the URL when >he does. I'm updating my Web site as fast as possible, too. > >best, >jay >http://www.neravt.com/left/ > >********** > >Massive protests disrupt the IMF summit >By Andrew Marshall and Philip Thornton in Washington >17 April 2000 > >Thousands of protesters flooded the centre of Washington yesterday, seeking >to close down meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World >Bank. Tear-gas was fired in clashes between police and demonstrators as >chanting crowds blocked the streets. > >The world's economic policymakers met under siege ahead of what may be a >global financial rout today. US stock markets plunged on Friday as investors >lost confidence in the New Economy boom. > >Central bankers and finance ministers tried to carry on as normal and >project a message of confidence. But they met behind a vast, multi-layered >security screen, with roadblocks, wire fences, armoured cars, phalanxes of >police motorcyclists and row after row of helmeted officers. > >Scuffles broke out in mid-morning, and tear-gas and batons were used to >disperse demonstrators near the US Treasury building. "The use of tear-gas >is something we don't resort to unless we absolutely have to," said Charles >Ramsey, the chief of police in Washington. He said that worse was expected >and warned people to stay away from the centre of the city. "We expect to >have serious disruptions," he said. The protests will continue today. > >Several finance ministers were unable to getto the meeting, and they >expressed frustration and anger with the US authorities for failing to clear >a path through the protesters. "It's surprising that in such a modern >country it's difficult to organise a meeting," said Laurent Fabius, the >French Finance Minister, after trying and failing for four hours to get from >the Watergate Hotel to the IMF. "What's bothering me is we can't do our >job.'' > >The city, usually quiet on Sundays, echoed to the sound of chants, drumming >and the clatter of helicopters as the protests built through the day. Red >and black anarchy flags flew on streets usually clogged with smartly dressed >politicians. Demonstrators formed human chains and chanted anti-IMF slogans >on Pennsylvania Avenue, outside Kinkead's restaurant where the IMF's top >staff lunch. > >The protesters aimed to duplicate their success at Seattle last year, >whenprotests, clashes between police and demonstrators and vandalism shocked >the country and badly disrupted a meeting of the World Trade Organisation. > >They come from a wide spread of organisations, united by little but their >opposition to global capitalism. They say the two organisations spread >poverty and oppression through their policies, but they were also >demonstrating on behalf of Tibet, animal rights, the environment, prison >reform and against the death penalty and the embargo on Cuba. One protester, >John Kelly, aged 29, said he became involved through campaigning on human >rights issues. "We started to see the connections between the US and >corporate interests in Latin America and the Caribbean," he said. > >Aged anywhere between 20 and 60, the protesters were clad in everything from >suits and ties to hooded sweatshirts with anarchy symbols. Some wore >ski-masks or bandannas; others had gas-masks in case the protests turned >ugly. > >"I feel very inspired by what these young people are doing," said Bob >McCormick, a legal observer at the protests and a veteran of the civil >rights struggle and anti-Vietnam war protests. > >In pre-emptive strikes, the police closed the demonstrators' headquarters as >a "fire risk" on Saturday, and arrested 600 people, more than were arrested >in five days in Seattle. "I think it was certainly legal, it was certainly >proper, it certainly was preventative and proactive," said the Mayor of >Washington, Anthony Williams. >Ilyse Hogue, of the Mobilisation for Global Justice, one of the groups >organising the protest, said: "No matter how many of us are arrested, we are >resolved to carry our message to the streets." > >The ministers and central bankers at the IMF meeting pledged to press ahead >with their work. "We will meet, we will get through this," said theacting >managing director of the IMF, Stanley Fischer. > >But even as they met, theworld's financial markets, which have celebrated >vast gains for the past few years, were nervously awaiting the opening of >trading today. Huge declines on Wall Street on Friday wiped a trillion >dollars off the value of stocks. > >The Chancellor and the Governor of the Bank of England moved to calm fears >of an imminent crash. Gordon Brown and Eddie George said there was no need >for panic and gave a strong hint that central banks would not cut interest >rates to support the market. > >"The general view was that we concentrate on the fundamentals of the economy >and continued stability in monetary and fiscal policy," Mr Brown said. > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
