Home | Friday 4th December 2009 | Issue 702
IF YOU'RE NOT SWISS-ED OFF...
AS THOUSANDS CONGREGATE IN
Ten years on from the ‘Seattle Battle’, about 5,000 people marched through Geneva for the Anti-WTO protest on the 28th November - and were met with tear gas, grenades and water cannon as they tried to disrupt the latest WTO Ministerial meeting, aimed at ‘reviving’ world trade. This was part of a week of events, workshops, and demos involving a convergence of farmers, fishermen, unionists, and anarchists group from across Europe.
Since Seattle shook the pants of the corporate world (See SchNEWS 239, 240), the WTO hasn’t expanded - a victory of sorts - but it hasn’t shown any sign of disbanding yet. The number of people suffering extreme poverty has surged ahead since the organisation was set up and two-thirds of developing countries now import more food than they export.
But what has changed since Seattle is the fact that populations and governments in the ‘developing world’ have woken up to the sham of neo-liberalism, and are no longer the push-over the West would like. The Doha Round talks (See SchNEWS 332) are still in deadlock eight years on with countries more prepared to hold-out against US-led proposals.
And why should they agree to plans designed to open up ‘immature’ developing economies to explotation by global corporations, cutting tariffs and subsidies to ensure that the resultant ‘level playing field’ tilts heavily in western economies’ favour?
Doha was not even on the official agenda for the Geneva meeting, but was being pushed as an economy boosting measure off the record.
Protesters descended for their own Geneva Convention, dressed-up to mock the shirts attending the conference. A black bloc threw fire bombs at police and damaged a dozen shopfront businesses, including a bank at Place Bel-Air, a jewelry shop and a hotel on the Quai des Bergues. A number of cars were burned, and three buses and numerous other cars were damaged. Thirty-three were arrested. There were no injuries to police or protesters, although a little 80-year-old lady was pushed over in a melee.
* See http://www.anti-omc2009.org/?lang=en
* The climate caravan is leaving Geneva after the WTO protests to arrive in Copenhagen On December 9th for the COP15 Climate Conference - see www.climatecaravan.org
* This was all just a warm up for next week’s Copenhagen biggie - for a rundown of events see SchNEWS 700, www.klimaforum09.org , www.globalclimatecampaign.org , www.climate-justice-action.org , www.climatecamp.org.uk
