>Subject: WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM MELBOURNE > >THE PEOPLE UNITED DISRUPT THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM > >The people won a significant victory over corporate power in >Melbourne today, disrupting a meeting of the World Economic Forum and >preventing over one third of the delegates from getting into the >venue. > >A powerful coalition of political and community organisations, >trade unions and student, peace, womenís and environmental groups >surrounded the Crown Casino where the WEF meeting was held. > >It was a massive display of people power, with between 20,000 and >30,000 demonstrators united in their determination to fight for the >rights of all to food, justice, sustainable development and democracy >and against human and environmental exploitation and destruction. > >The Casino was fenced off with large concrete blocks and a nine >foot high metal fence. Behind this were lines of police. These >measures were in themselves a victory for those opposing corporate >greed, exposing how alienated the transnational corporations are from >civil society. > >Police used batons and horses against peaceful protesters in >their efforts to get WEF participants into the meeting. In some cases >they were successful; in others the demonstrators managed to hold the >line and keep the representatives of the worldís 100 most >powerful corporations out. > >Some small differences in approach did not impede the success of >this example of how different groups can work together as a >constructive alliance when they have a clear and common objective. > >Despite heavy rain, strong winds and low temperatures, there was >a festival atmosphere with music, singing, chants, puppets and more >to keep people entertained throughout the day as they blockaded each >of the many entrances left in the massive police defences around the >Casino. > >This event represents a flowering of the feeling in Australia that >an alternative is possible. It expresses a growing recognition in >the community that the power to create a better world lies in our >hands. > > ********** > >sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Delivered-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >From: "Mark Jones" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "crl" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2000 Subject: [CrashList] FW: Protestors May Use >Nerve Gas!: a jaundiced view of s11. >Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sent: 14 September 2000 13:56 >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Protestors May Use Nerve Gas!: a jaundiced view of s11. > >Hi, >This is a personal and opinionated collection of observations >on the s11/WEF events. If you don't like a section read >another - they are all self contained and in random order. >In each snippet I do try to make points worth further >consideration and debate. >Jon > >(Thursday 14-09-00 Latest News: Apparently the Trades Hall >Council has said that their information is that the increase >in police aggression was the result of a threat from the WEF >that they would cancel the last two days of the Forum unless >security and access was beefed up - we came so close! ) >______________________________________________ >Protestors May Use Nerve Gas!: a jaundiced view of s11. >Jon Sumby > >The Unions: >************* >They came, they posed, they clocked off in time to get home >and watch Neighbours. The right-wing newspaper, the Herald-Sun >was delighted. In the two page spread called 'A Salute to Our >Brave [police] Force', the union demo was praised: 'They >marched peacefully under their union banners, made speeches >from the platform, marched past the casino - and then >disappeared having made their point.' Their leader, Leigh >Hubbard from Trades Hall, then appeared on the news making >self-serving comments showing the global industrialists and >the Government that, really, the unions are on their side and >will roll over. > >About the only direct thing the union demonstrators did was to >help the police break the protest picket line to let casino >employees in to serve the WEF delegates. 'We seized the >entrance and we sent the s11 people away and got the workers >in', said union organiser Brian Boyd. About the only result of >their effort was a few more cigarette butts on the street - I >doubt the WEF delegates were even aware they were there. > >Security >********* >I went every day and checked out the Crown compound perimeter. >Psychologically the compound was designed to look imposing >being built from waist high, car length long, concrete blocks >linked and topped by a seven foot high outward bending steel >mesh fence. Closer examination revealed multiple weak points >not requiring mechanical assistance to breach. To the >protestors credit, or ignorance, these were not targeted. >The police aren't very good planners. > >Bob Brown >************* >Bob Brown was great! I saw him speak and he was a voice of >clarity, ideals, and humanity. He refused to accept any of the >globalists agenda and pointed out the reality behind the >rhetoric. The whispers are that his very idealism and vision >is becoming an irritant to some of the more 'pragmatic' >members of the Australian Greens, but if he is ever eased out >of the Greens then they will lose their integrity and become >nothing more than another power hungry political machine. > >Vandana Shiva >****************** >Vandana Shiva addressed the forum directly and was the only >person of integrity there. She read out a statement from the >protest. The WEF has always had token environmentalists and >human rights workers attending but she was a true voice of >dissent. The public speech she gave to a capacity audience on >the Sunday prior was regularly interrupted by applause. > >During a WEF discussion group Sharon Burrow, the president of >the peak Australian union group, the ACTU, apparently >advocated increased debt relief, increased aid, taxation on >the movement of capital and a code of conduct for >multinationals, but none of her proposals were formally >discussed by the WEF. > >The Media >************* >The media played their role superbly. They supported the WEF >agenda very ably. There was a sustained build up of >scaremongering about s11 - culminating in warnings for people >to avoid coming into town if at all possible. There was very >shallow analysis of the issues surrounding the WEF/ WTO / IMF >axis and implications. The right wing rag the Herald-Sun >excelled itself, running a quarter page story that beat up the >story that the protestors may be planning to use sarin nerve >gas. > >The scare campaign was totally beating up the danger the >protestors faced to the good citizens of Victoria and I think >the s11 Alliance found it hard to break away from this focus. > >During the campaign the slant continued with words like >'delegates escape route', 'violent protestors', 'valiant >police'. Headlines like 'City Under Siege', 'Police Tough on >Protest Thugs', were the regular. The newspaper pictures were >chosen to play up the mob and show calm police at the ready, >the few shots I saw of the police in action showed no baton >beatings, only hand to hand grappling and shoving. > > >Riot Police >************* >Several times during the s11 blockade up to 300 vicious thugs >using clubs rampaged into the peaceful demonstration. No one >can be sure who they are but the Victoria Police Deputy >Commissioner, Neil O'Loughlin, asserts they were police. >When asked why these supposedly highly trained, disciplined, >and professional officers were not wearing badges he replied, >'I've spoken to people about putting their nametags on and I'm >aware that they were... were... stolen.' > >What a lie! Not wearing nametags is a deliberate psychological >tactic to increase fear and unease in the targets. In the UK, >anti-road campaigners were confronted by ranks of uniformed >police without identification badges and who were also wearing >black full face balaclavas. O'Loughlin knew exactly what was >going on or he is incompetent. His brief was to apply pain, >fear, and physical violence to any degree required to clear a >path for the delegates. > >He has also said he has seen the footage of the police >beatings and says that it was all appropriate behaviour. >The Police Commissioner backs him up by saying he has no >regrets about the decisions made. The Victorian Premier says >the police, 'acted appropriately right through' the forum. > >Appropriate action obviously means not observing and >respecting the law but doing anything to clear a path through >the peasant rabble to allow the rich and influential to go to >dinner. > >Any inquiry of any merit, if one occurs, will undoubtedly by >stymied by being unable to bring specific police before them - >though a sacrificial offer to appease the inquiry may be made. > >Its a familiar pattern, as typified by the Richmond High >School protests. The police claim they will act appropriately, >use any and all means necessary, their objective set is met. >Outrage and inquiries and lawsuits follow, the police thugs >melt back into the ranks, the issue sinks into public >obscurity. > >The Outcome >*************** >Despite the passion and effort of all who organised and >attended, the protest did not achieve its aim. Klaus Schwab, >founder and president of the WEF, said he favours a return to >Melbourne. The organiser, Mr Smadja, said the forum had raised >the 'esprit de corp' of delegates and WEF members. The WEF is >more tightly bonded and ready to continue its agenda with >vigour. The protest was appropriately managed and Seattle >probably now seems like a half remembered bad dream. > >The right wing national lobby group, the National Farmer's >Federation, has already called on the Government to invite the >WTO to hold its next meeting in Melbourne. The Government has >hosed this down, saying it is hosting other international >conventions at that time. > >A lot of the people I met after the protest were ebullient, >saying, 'We won!, We won!', but I thought I saw a hint in >their eyes that said, 'We didn't but its uncool to admit it.' >I didn't go to any of the post-s11 celebrations. > > >The Prime Minister, John Howard >*************************************** >The Australian Prime Minister is an economic rationalist cut >from the cloth of Thatcher. He eagerly pursues privatisation, >outsourcing, deregulation, and cuts to welfare programs >(except for private, full fee paying schools, that have had >Government funding greatly increased.) > >He is aware that Australia is a small country, with a small >economy, in an economically unstable area. Australia has a >real chance of being put into the 'have-not' basket and cut >out of the new global economy. So he was desperate to pump up >Australia's willingness to play along with the WEF and so >pilloried the protestors as 'un-Australian'. > >Given that Australia's economy has been very healthy just >recently while, mysteriously, the dollar has devalued to >record lows means he may have something to fear. >The Age newspaper told it all in the headline, 'Battered >dollar defies good economic trends.' > > >The Left Wing >**************** >The s11 protest was hampered by the presence of the left wing. >The protest failed to bring in the presence of mainstream >groups like the ACF or Amnesty. At Seattle and Davos, there >was a large community presence from a broad spectrum of >groups, human rights groups, environmental groups had stalls >and a visible presence. > >At s11 the overwhelming postering was from groups like the >International Socialist Organisation and Resistance. They set >the agenda and the tone. I think they put off involvement by >more mainstream groups, who should have been directly involved >to show middle Australia that this is an issue critical to >everyone, not just the radical left. > >I am increasingly coming across greenies who dislike the >presence of these groups. It seems that whenever a positive >energy develops around an issue the various >socialist-communist groups race in to seize this and turn it >towards the creating the 'revolution'. The Jabiluka campaign >is a case in point. The gossip is that at the s11 alliance >meets, Resistance stacked the meetings and voted up >resolutions as a block. > >At the protest I looked around for basic WEF/WTO information >sheets to hand to the delegates sneaking out into Spencer >Street. All I could find were reams of material like 'Yankee >Go Home!' produced by the Communist party of Australia >(Marxist - Leninist) and 'Target Global Capital' produced by >Worker's Liberty (Marxist). > >This may be fine but its not me. As Vandana Shiva pointed out, >Capitalism and democracy are empty fictions. So too is the >doctrinaire left. Both are empty, anthropocentric, economic >ideologies that hold no promise for the future. > >This grab for political power by Marxist - Leninist - >Stalinist - Trotskyist - Communist - Socialist groups using >the passion and energy generated by environmental campaigns is >something that must be addressed by the environmental >movement. If it continues support for environmental issues >will rapidly drop off, be marginalised and greenies will >become even more legitimate targets. > >If environmental issues become linked with communism etc. then >failure is the future. The environment transcends politics. >Capitalism is fucked but so is Marxism. > >The Victorian Premier, Steve Bracks >****************************************** >What a complete sell-out! He sided with the Liberals and other >social regressives in calling the protestors un-Australian and >applauding the police for their work. He has rewarded the >police who worked the s11 protest with a day off and a >reception for police and their families. > >He was positively salivating at the prospect of stitching up >business deals at the conference - possibly forgetting that he >was dealing with business leaders who specialise in parasitic, >abusive, business arrangements and that they will operate to >damage Victoria, socially and economically. He used the word >'un-Australian', to dehumanise the protestors and to reassure >the WEF industrialists that, really, he is co-operative to >their agenda and will roll over. > >Unfortunately, it is a buyers market in Australia and States >will bid for transnational industries - the state that offers >the best package of tax breaks, exemption from planning and >environmental laws, and the most broken and compliant >workforce is graced with the presence of these industries... >as long as it suits them. With lap dogs like Steve Bracks they >will fare well in Victoria. > >The Police >************* >The police performed as I expected. >They did their job and are being rewarded >by the appropriate people. > >The Public >************ >On the whole middle Australia did not identify with the >protest, the expressed concerns centred about the possible >threat to shopping, transport disruption, and the inability to >gamble at the casino complex. > >A very common comment was that they respected the right of the >protestors to demonstrate but they opposed any action that >obstructed business or their lifestyle. This attitude has >become increasingly prevalent and is repeated by politicians. >It presents a difficulty for protest actions that should be >examined and addressed as, to me it indicates 'cause fatigue', >similar to compassion fatigue. The purpose of protest is to >break people out of complacency, to disrupt and force the >attention of the powers to the needs of the protestors. That >acceptance has been replaced with a rejection of any personal >inconvenience. This diminishes the power and relevance of >demonstration, which is why it encouraged by the people in >power. Overcoming this attitude is problematical. > >At s11 I saw physical struggles between protestors picketing >and punters demanding their 'right' to enter the casinos and >gamble. They expected the police to help them but the cops >wouldn't let them in either > > >Naomi Robson >****************** >Just after the protest ended the current affairs show 'Today >Tonight', which actually steers clear of any real news was >advertising with the hook along the lines of, 'You thought our >police were being to tough?, we'll show you the terror tools >of the protestors!!" The anchor, Naomi Robson, a puff TV >expert looked serious and displayed a self tapping wood screw >of about an inch and what looked like five wheelnuts. These, >she alleged, had been thrown at the police. > >Dropping her voice even lower and looking shocked and >conspiratorial she held out her hand to display a palm full of >marbles, which she said had been 'confiscated' from a >protestor that Wednesday afternoon. > >This was the best hack job she could do - three days of >protests involving thousands of people and there are some >marbles taken from a protestor on the last afternoon! Other >acts of violence that justified the police putting 13 people >in hospital included an alleged cup of urine being poured on >two officers and people spitting at the police. The Chief of >Police called these acts 'disgusting'. Hmmm, maybe I should >mention the cops who hoiked spit at me from the Kings Way >overpass as I walked under them? What does that make the >police? Filth? > > >The Protestors >***************** >What can I say - a great bunch of people. It was hard and >difficult work, but the protestors triumphed over great odds >and kept their spirit and commitment. The WEF may have had a >successful meeting but a spirit was kindled at the protest. As >the Resistance slogan goes; When injustice is law, resistance >is duty.' > >The Aftermath >**************** >The WEF and the WTO are likely to try and slither back into >the shadows. They may replace the grandiose international >gatherings with low key tiers of regional summits that may >send delegates to a small round table forum. The more light is >cast on their agenda the less it is accepted so the more >backroom they get the better - I just guess after 31 or so >years of organising the new world order in unknown backroom >dealings they thought they could come out and roar in >triumph. > >The WEF and corporate morality. >************************************** >It was business as usual for the global free trade idealogues. >Gates said that the only way to raise the entire population of >the world to Western standards was to liberalise trade. > >Nestle VP Michael Garret said the only way to feed the world >was by rushing GMO crops into use. > >Andy Stoler, deputy director general of the WTO said the WTO >was not about free trade but about fair trade. > >In 31 years the WEF has thinktanked the global marketplace and >has never managed to include the poor, the environment, and >sustainable strategies in its recommendations. Oh, you'll find >the rhetoric there but no substance. The WEF has worked to >ensure that the people benefiting and enjoying power remain >and in power and reap the benefits. There is no interest in >anything else. The scale is being ramped up to the level of >nations. Australia is jostling to be included as part of the >'rich'. > >But the final word went to an anonymous WEF delegate, who >brought out the time honoured Nuremburg Defence. Reported in >the Age newspaper, the delegate 'played down the capacity of >corporations to make bold moves, saying they were ultimately >beholden to their shareholders.' > >Same old tired excuse for why forests are butchered, mines >ripped into pristine lands, people killed off and displaced, >pollution unchecked. 'The shareholders expect us to maximise >profit.' > >______________________________________________ >Crashlist resources: http://website.lineone.net/~resource_base >To change your options or unsubscribe go to: >http://lists.wwpublish.com/mailman/listinfo/crashlist" JC > > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
