FWD: ANTI-WTO: Don't throw the radicals overboard

[Rich Littleton]

It would have been nice if there had been no property damage.

But there was.

Point 1:
To me it is less significant that 2% of the demonstrators went out of
control than that 2% of the cops went out of control.  I hold cops to a
higher standard of lawful behavior.

Do we want to say "it's bad that the anarchists broke the law and so that
justifies the police also breaking the law?"

Point 2:  The polite labor march (in which I participated) was good, but
of little consequence.  Even Randy conceded that "shutting down" the WTO
was significant.  It was not the destruction that shut it down;  it was
(a) blocking intersections, (b) linking arms and physically preventing
delegates from getting through, (c) holding unauthorized marches
randomly in downtown and (c) "shutting down" downtown Seattle. 

All of those things are illegal. 

But those are what impacted the WTO.

I do agree that the destruction was both wrong and counterproductive, but
mostly because it was counterproductive -- it gave an excuse for a lot of
people to waste time on the property damage and ignore (a) the essence of
the WTO's damage to people and ignore (b) the collapse of discipline
among the police.

Rich





______________________________________________________________________


On Thu, 16 Dec 1999, Randy Groves wrote:

> 
> Here's the problem that I see with 'direct action', especially and
> specifically when property is destroyed.  During the WTO, there was a
> golden opportunity to make a significant impression on the minds of many
> people who, like myself, do not think about the global issues every minute
> of the day.  The actions of 'shutting down' the WTO were significant.  I
> commend the labor, environmental, and other activists who brought this
> about.
> 
> But arguing that destruction of property is justified, even if held by
> corporations that some say are faceless, is crap.
> 
> The issue to me here is people.  Corporations own the establishments, but
> people run them.  And it is people who are put out of work, and who are
> affected by the actions of a small band of individuals who think that the
> corporations are going to give a small rip about property that is covered
> by insurance anyway.  The 'anarchists' claimed they only went after the
> big guys and left the little guys alone.  What were they thinking?
> 
> Even if you can argue that the police might have over-reacted, the ensuing
> riots, closure of the downtown, and property damage but people who were
> just out for a good time, surely damaged the little guys.  At a time when
> most of the businesses count on a large influx of shoppers, they were shut
> down.
> 
> All this because a few idiots decided that they are a law unto themselves.
> 
> It really is disappointing.  Instead of what could have been a lasting
> image of a joyous celebration of the power of many people speaking out
> with one voice, we are left with the images of broken glass, tear gas and
> rubber bullets.  What a shame.  I agree with the columnist in the Seattle
> Weekly, writing after the event - the anarchists activities sucked.
> 
> -randy
> 
> 
> On Sat, 4 Dec 1999, Kurt Cockrum wrote:
> 
> > The "scapegoats" defend themselves...
> > This viewpoint gets squeezed out of the media so people never get to
> > discuss it.  Its appearance here is an small attempt to counter that.
> > Frankly I thought they did a magnificent job, far better than I thought
> > them capable of.  We may yet change the course of the juggernaut.
> > --kurt
> > 
> 
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