WTO anniversary: a thousand people in the street

November 30, 2000
Web posted at: 11:38 a.m. EST (1638 GMT)

By Environmental News Network staff

A year ago today, some 50,000 protesters, representing all manner of environmental and social causes, converged on the streets of Seattle to oppose the full-steam-ahead free trade agenda of the World Trade Organization.

Today, activists are gathered again in Seattle to commemorate the anniversary of the WTO conference with a full day of protests.

The focal point of last year's demonstrations, rallies and teach-ins was Nov. 30, 1999 - "N30," in activist lingo - the day that marked the beginning of the WTO conference and contained the greatest number of large-scale actions and planned civil disobedience in downtown Seattle.

As a prelude to today's demonstration, activists held a press conference Tuesday to highlight environmental and animal welfare protections that they say have been jeopardized by WTO rulings. They also emphasized the importance of eschewing "corporate agribusiness" in favor of small-scale, independent farming.

While the WTO has worked hard over the past year to improve "external transparency" and highlight the WTO agreements objective of sustainable development and environmental protection, environmentalists and animal welfare organizers say the effort is a "facade."

Dan White of the Animal Welfare Institute cited several WTO rulings that don't sit well with green groups. They include decisions relating to the European Union's ban on hormone-treated beef (found to violate WTO agreements); watered-down amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act's dolphin-safe tuna provisions; and a WTO ruling which found violations in a provision of the U.S. Endangered Species Act prohibiting imports of shrimp from countries that do not require turtle excluder devices in shrimp fishing.

White, who organized last year's colorful contingent of marching sea turtles in Seattle, decried the ongoing loss of hard-won animal protection gains. "We have no right to stand up and protect animal life even if that is our [desire], because our efforts will be stymied by the WTO," he said.

Phil Bereano, a University of Washington professor and representative of the Washington Biotechnology Action Council, highlighted continuing concerns over genetically modified organisms, including the current controversy over StarLink bio-corn. He also cited previous attempts by the United States and its "biotech allies" to push for a working group within the WTO to dictate trade laws related to biotechnology and scuttle efforts to write binding biosafety protocols.

Ultimately, Bereano explained, the United States and its pro-GMO allies failed in their efforts, as strongly-worded biosafety protocols were agreed upon in Montreal in January. Bereano speculated that the accord probably would not have passed had it not been for the demonstrations in Seattle. "We hope that this sets a pattern for the future," he said.

Zachary Lyons, director of the Washington State Farmers Market Association, stressed his optimism that growing awareness about GMOs and the unsustainability of "agribusiness" would generate more interest in local food production, organic produce and environmentally-sound farming practices.

The effect, he said, is already being felt. In Washington state alone, organic food sales have grown an average of 20 percent annually, and the state has seen the addition of 72 new farmers' markets in the past five years.

"It's a mistake to focus our energy and resources exclusively on developing a global food system that has proven to be economically ineffective for farmers and consumers," he stated.

Although rallies, mini-conferences and benefits are planned all week in Seattle, activists will concentrating their energies on N30 today, with several marches and a midday, vegan "Global Potluck" downtown, despite warnings from city officials that the core of the city's retail area is off-limits to marches or rallies.

Dick Lilly, spokesman for Seattle Mayor Paul Schell, said the primary concern for the city is "law-breaking."

"Peaceful free-speech is something we encourage in Seattle, but freedom of speech is not a grant to break the law. So we will enforce the law in case of any vandalism, violence, or protests which create public safety problems," said Lilly.

Protesters also plan to march to Schell's office to present the mayor with a cake to thank him for his part in "helping Seattle expose the WTO to the world."