Seattle, Washington. November 30, 1999 - The mainstream news media, as usual, got it wrong. Coverage of the most significant U.S. political protest in decades was dominated by headlines, images, and copy emphasizing violence. Over 50,000 people, by my estimation, took to the streets of Seattle to express their displeasure with the World Trade Organization, as the WTO attempted to begin its Seattle ministerial meetings at the Convention Center.
Trade policy is abstract and complex. It is not sexy in the least. The size of the protests Tuesday testifies to the concern of people willing to grapple with the difficult issues of trade and to travel long distances, in many cases, to march in the cold, damp, Seattle weather, with the scent of tear gas wafting through the streets.
But reference to the thousands of peaceful protestors was routinely buried in news coverage. Discussion of the many significant issues that brought them to Seattle was almost uniformly absent from mainstream media coverage. Vandalism, looting and battles with police dominated the news reaching Americans, a common phenomenon in mainstream media coverage of political protest.
But while sensationalizing the violence, the corporate press still managed to miss the dynamics that produced it. What happened was quite predictable and enabled by the strategy adopted by Seattle's public safety authorities.
It was widely known [and printed in schedules distributed by protest organizers] that an unpermitted march would leave the waterfront area at 7 am and proceed to the Convention Center where protestors would attempt to keep WTO delegates from getting to their meetings. Police set up blockades of riot-geared officers to keep protesters from approaching the Convention Center too closely. Police officers told protest leaders, as well as me personally, that the city supported the right of protest and that police would allow the protesters to maintain their blockade. Police also refused to take into custody people who wanted to be arrested as nonviolent civil disobedience. Protest leaders continued to emphasize the importance of maintaining nonviolence, which was vocally supported by the crowd.
It appeared to me that the number of riot gear wearing officers present at each perimeter intersection far exceeded the number needed to control the protestors. But within the downtown core, uniformed police and sheriffs deputies were completely absent. This allowed a small number of young people, which I estimated to be a few dozen, clad in black and wearing masks, to do a great deal of damage. They ran along sidewalks breaking shop windows with steel bars, hammers, ball bearings shot from slings, and kicks from their boots, spray painting camera lenses and occasionally faces, and applying graffiti. Some protestors tried to prevent the destruction by confronting the youths, who were referred to as Eugene anarchists, although I have no confirmation of their residence or political philosophy. There was absolutely no attempt by law enforcement to stop them or to protect property downtown. The police focused all their attention on containing the peaceful protestors attempting to prevent WTO delegates from reaching the Convention Center.
In the late morning, police strategy changed. Tear gas was fired, without warning, at protestors blocking certain intersections, and the police lines advanced. Protestors slow to move were driven back by riot sticks. In many cases protestors were hit by rubber bullets fired by police. Protestors for the most part retreated without physical resistance. They were, however, disturbed by the unpredictable police behavior, which seemed to violate earlier police pronouncements of non-interference with the blockade. The anarchists continued their rampage without police resistance. It seemed to me police were acting irrationally and irresponsibly, at least in light of their stated policies.
In the early afternoon, the huge, permitted union organized march made its way through downtown with few unpleasant incidents. Marshals appointed from the ranks of protestors kept the march orderly and I saw no signs of violence along the parade route. This self-policing was consistent throughout the day, compensating for the most part for the absence of law enforcement downtown away from the Convention Center area. Apart from the violence of the black clad individuals mentioned earlier, the only destructiveness I saw from protestors was the overturning of dumpsters, trash cans and paper boxes in reaction to aggressive actions by police.
I was able to understand this reaction when police, without warning, fired tear gas in front of, next to, and behind where I was interviewing protestors. I was afraid, confused, and angry at what seemed capricious, arbitrary violence. Protestors wearing gas masks were singled out for aggressive police action, often having the masks ripped off and their faces pepper sprayed. I was told that these gas mask wearers were targeted with rubber bullet fire. Protestors, in general, were quite restrained in their behavior toward the police.
Throughout the rallies, marches, and blockades, protesters were enthusiastic in their desire to maintain the peace. They understood that any incidents would cause reporters to ignore the issues of worker rights, human rights, environmental protection and consumer interest, and instead stress and violence and destructiveness. The protestors were correct. That is just what happened, without any fault, it seemed to me, of 99.9% of those gathered in Seattle to demand change from the World Trade Organization.
Tom Civiletti
Co-producer, Fools Rush In Productions
Copyright 1999. This material may be reproduced, distributed, or broadcast for any nonprofit purpose.