> Prague Braces For Violence > ----------------------------- > By Michael Ludwig > > PRAGUE. Armed with modern tear gas guns from > Germany, 11,000 Czech > policemen backed by 1,600 soldiers were assembled > here on Tuesday to > protect the emissaries of the international > financial world as they began > the 55th annual meetings of the boards of governors > of the International > Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group. > > Over 10,000 representatives of what has been > described as the "globally > operating elite" will meet over the next 10 days to > discuss debt remission > for the poorest countries, the world's future > financial architecture, the > significance of exchange rate fluctuations, and IMF > and World Bank loan > policies. They will also discuss the reform of the > two institutions and, of > course, globalization, and how it can benefit the > poor. > > But this economic elite will not be alone. Some > 20,000 opponents of the > World Bank and IMF, most of them from western Europe > and North America, > have also announced that they will be coming. Just > how many of these > adversaries are planning a non-peaceful mission in > Prague is hard to say, > even for Alice Dvorska, the spokeswoman of the > Initiative Against Economic > Globalization (INPEG). > > Ms. Dvorska, a native of Brno in the Czech Republic > and a student of > chemistry, is an anarchist, but she "staunchly" > opposes violence. In fact, > she says that her organization abhors any form of > violence against both > individuals and property. But one thing is clear: > Merely reforming the > world's financial organizations will not be enough > for her and her > comrades-in-arms, many of whom are radical > environmentalists. > > The radical environmentalists have no alternative > plan. But, they contend, > one part of the globe cannot dictate to the other a > universal concept of > happiness or material prosperity - which they > believe the affluent north is > trying to do with the poor south. > > Economic globalization has up to now only benefited > rich countries, Ms. > Dvorka says. In her view, financial market networks > must be dismantled, and > globalization stopped, so that smaller countries can > "catch their breath" > and choose their own models for development. > > "Decentralization and self-determination in lieu of > globalization" is the > solution INPEG proposes. Realizing this program is > to be discussed at an > "anti-summit" in Prague. INPEG is also calling for a > cancellation of the > debts of the poorest countries. > > Certainly, many of the protest groups planning to > participate are > characteristically anti-capitalist and simply want > to see a change in the > system. The radicals have nothing good to say about > the non-governmental > organizations that have never broken with the > "establishment." They have > also distanced themselves from the neo-Bolshevists > and right-wing radicals, > in particular the Nazi skinheads. > > However, INPEG capitalizes on the knowledge of the > "meek NGOs." Ms. Dvorska > claims to have learned from the organization CEE > Bankwatch Network that > some of the funds for a World Bank project intended > to finance > environmentally sound and low-cost electricity > generation in the Czech > Republic were appropriated for constructing the > extremely controversial > nuclear power station in Temelin, even though World > Bank experts had > already voiced the opinion that Temelin was not > cost-effective and > therefore should not be completed. > > According to Ms. Dvorska, reformers and radicals > among the World Bank and > IMF critics will mutually support each other at > demonstrations and > protests. This leaves no doubt that representatives > of both schools of > activism will be taking to the streets of Prague. > > Czech Minister of the Interior Stanislav Gross has > taken precautions and is > willing to come down hard if necessary. > Demonstrations of any kind have > been prohibited in a zone encircling the Congress > Center. The escalation of > violence, from Seattle via Washington and Melbourne, > has made Mr. Gross > cautious - not least for reasons of self-interest. > > If the situation in Prague gets out of control, Mr. > Gross' chances for > succeeding Prime Minister Milos Zeman as chairman of > the Social Democratic > Party are likely to be damaged, providing an > opportunity for Mr. Zeman's > preferred candidate, Vladimir Spidla, the minister > of social affairs. Mr. > Zeman, 55, is expected to retire soon from the > politics. > > Relations between the various protest groups will > play a key role in how > the demonstrations evolve. The Czech neo-Bolshevists > have announced that > they will "lash out," while right-wing extremists, > sworn enemies of the > anarchists, have also promised violence. They intend > to show their colors > and then retreat from Prague in recognition of the > numerical superiority of > the left-wing demonstrators. > > Prague's citizens are fully aware of the danger > encroaching upon their > city. The police have issued numerous warnings, but > these have only > heightened the feeling of insecurity. Banks have > even gone as far as > advising their staff to put aside their customary > "bankers' uniforms" on > the critical days and come to work in jeans and > sweater instead, so as not > to provoke potentially violent critics of the > banking world. > > Whether mounted police will have to protect their > horses by deploying nose > guards, as was the case last week in Melbourne > during the World Economic > Forum's Asia Pacific Economic Summit 2000, remains > to be seen. > > > September 19 > Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 2000 >
