AUT: Fwd: TABD protest in words & pix

[Sean Fenley <satellitecrash@xxxxxxxxx>]

a lot of this is pretty reformist oriented by still an
ok account of some things that happened at the TABD
protest...
> >
> >A tip of the Fair Trade Field Fedora to the NGO and
> >peaceful direct action demonstrators who mobilized
> in
> >Cincinatti this past week to protest the corporate
> >confab of the TransAtlantic Business Dialogue
> (TABD).
> >The local activist networks should be very proud of
> the
> >events and actions organized to shed overdue public
> >attention and press scrutiny on the TABD.
> >
> >[To learn more about this obscure but influential
> >cabal of transnational CEO's and their pernicious
> >anti-consumer agenda, go to
> >http://www.citizen.org/pctrade/TABD/tabdhome.htm -
> ed]
> >
> >We hate comparisons to the Battle in Seattle --
> though
> >the lazy mainstream press demands them -- but the
> >freewheeling admixture of labor rank and file,
> >consumer and environmental activists, students and
> >family farmers reminded us of the militant
> menagerie
> >that, er, greeted the WTO nearly a year ago.  Of
> >course, this was somewhat smaller, but the
> coalition
> >seems intact.
> >
> >Unfortunately (and this is reminiscent of Seattle
> as
> >well), there seems to be a little brain-damage and
> >some recriminations between the peaceful protesters
> >with the parade permits, on the one hand, and some
> of
> >the anarchist blocs that threw stuff around (a
> >dumpster here, some barricades there, the odd
> broken
> >window), on the other.  Seems to us that this
> >perennial dispute about tactics could be resolved
> if
> >those who choose to break stuff would simply
> organize
> >their own autonomous actions, rather than glom onto
> >others' protests (whether permitted or not).  As it
> >is, we are concerned that some folks, who would
> >otherwise join the marches, are discouraged by the
> >possibility of property destruction and
> overreaction
> >by law enforcement (the anecdotage trickling in
> from
> >Cin'ti indicates that the police were extremely
> >violent as they interfered with the demonstrators'
> >constitutionally protected freedoms of speech and
> >assembly).
> >
> >First the pix.  These are shots of the street
> >demonstrations across four days, beginning at a
> >permitted rally in downtown Cin'ti and ending, as
> >expected, at the city slammer:
> >http://blackleatherrain.tripod.com/DayOne.html
> >
> >Now the clips -- a random assortment that came over
> >the digital transom this past week:
> >______________________________
> >Friday, November 17, 2000
> >CEOs focus on trade; protesters on people
> >
> >By John J. Byczkowski, Janice Morse and Cliff Peale
> >The Cincinnati Enquirer
> >
> >        While protesters are expected to wave signs
> >and chant outside, the TransAtlantic Business
> >Dialogue's annual CEO conference gets under
> >way this morning at the Omni Netherland Plaza
> Hotel.
> >
> >        Several hundred protesters of the business
> >confab gathered Thursday on Fountain Square before
> >marching on Kroger's headquarters on Vine Street.
> >Although tensions between crowd-control police and
> >demonstrators spiked a few times, the protests
> ended
> >around 2:30 p.m. with no arrests and no major
> >problems.
> >
> >        The meeting has drawn to Cincinnati more
> than
> >100 chief executives of global companies such as
> >Procter & Gamble, FedEx, America Online, Deutsche
> >Telecom, Nokia and Unilever. In addition, 60
> officials
> >from the U.S. government are here, including
> Treasury
> >Secretary Lawrence Summers; and they're joined by
> more
> >than 30 representatives of the European Commission.
>
> >
> >        Today's meeting also will be accompanied by
> >more protests ¯ a march from Sawyer Point to
> Fountain
> >Square that's expected to tie up midday traffic on
> >Fourth Street downtown and another tonight outside
> the
> >
> >Museum Center in Queensgate, where Ohio Gov. Bob
> Taft
> >is hosting a dinner for the visiting dignitaries.
> >
> >        The conference works "to boost
> trans-Atlantic
> >trade and investment opportunities through the
> removal
> >of costly inefficiencies" in regulation in Europe
> and
> >the United States. The group attempts to find
> common
> >ground to lobby governments on both sides of the
> >Atlantic for change.
> >
> >        Gunter Burghardt, head of the European
> Union
> >delegation to the United States, said the meetings
> are
> >part of a healthy trade relationship that is
> becoming
> >increasingly important as the new EU becomes more
> >equal trading partners with the U.S.
> >
> >        "We see this (healthy trade) as the most
> >important political achievement after the Second
> World
> >War," Mr. Burghardt said.
> >
> >[snip: a list of some of the CEO's in attendance]
> >
> >        The first event of the meeting took place
> >Thursday night at Music Hall, where the CEOs
> attended
> >a Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra concert. Two
> >protesters were arrested just after intermission
> when
> >they walked to the front of the balcony and
> unfurled a
> >banner that said, "End corporate rule."
> >
> >        Also Thursday night, several hundred people
> >opposed to the business group packed a basement
> >meeting hall at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral on
> >Eighth Street.
> >
> >        Several speakers criticized corporate
> >influence and global trade agreements such as the
> >North American Free Trade Agreement and the
> >World Trade Organization.
> >
> >        "I don't like it," said Gwen Marshall, a
> >substitute teacher, while passing out information
> in
> >the back of the room. "Once I read (the WTO
> agenda), I
> >knew this was something we had to deal with.
> >
> >        "I think they put the floors where the
> >ceilings belong and the ceilings where the floors
> >belong," she added.
> >
> >        Lori Wallach of the national activist group
> >Public Citizen called the protesters "a global
> >movement for democracy, where the people who live
> with
> >the results get to make the decisions that affect
> >their lives."
> >
> >        The business group's meeting gets under way
> >with at 9 a.m. today. The opening plenary ¯ open to
> >the press but not the public ¯ features comments by
> >Mr. Summers and Pascal Lamy, the European
> commissioner
> >
> >for trade.
> >
> >        Afterward, five working groups begin two
> days
> >of private meetings. Those groups are:
> >
> > * Standards and regulatory policy.
> >
> >  * Business facilitation, such as customs and
> export
> >controls.
> >
> >  * Global issues, such as the World Trade
> >Organization and
> >intellectual property.
> >
> >  * The digital economy.
> >
> >  * Small and medium-sized enterprises.
> >
> >        Other sessions open to the media today
> include
> >those on the impact of the information revolution
> and
> >globalization.
> >
> >        Thursday's protesters championed a
> >constellation of causes, but a single protester's
> sign
> >summed them up: "People Before Profit."
> >
> >        The events began at noon, with 300 to 400
> >attendees at a rally and news conference at
> Fountain
> >Square. About half that crowd then progressed to
> >Kroger's headquarters. The group dwindled to about
> 40
> >protesters in front of City Hall.
> >
> >        Although many of the protesters were
> >college-age, some with multiple facial piercings
> and
> >multicolored hair, the events drew older
> participants,
> >too.
> >
> >        "I'm here because I believe that workers'
> >rights and environmental issues are important ¯ and
> >that the corporations who are here at the TABD
> >typically don't care about (those issues)," said
> Dan
> >LaBotz, a 55-year-old writer from Clifton who
> >distributed leaflets at the Kroger building.
> >
> >        Earlier, the Fountain Square crowd cheered
> as
> >labor, environmental, religious and human rights
> >leaders spoke out against large corporations'
> >influence over government policies.
> >
> >        Baldemar Velasquez, director of the Farm
> Labor
> >Organizing Committee of the AFL-CIO, led protesters
> to
> >Kroger. "I'm speaking for the guys that harvest the
> >crops that the guys down at the Omni are eating,"
> >he said.
> >
> >        After demonstrators started banging on the
> >Kroger building's glass in time to their chants,
> more
> >than two dozen police in white riot helmets marched
> in
> >and formed a line separating the building from the
> >protesters. Capt. Vince Demasi said officers took
> the
> >action to prevent the glass from being broken.
> >
> >        Gary Rhodes, Kroger spokesman, pointed out
> >that his company is one of the largest employers of
> >union workers in the supermarket industry, then
> added
> >that the protesters' disagreement really rested
> with
> >Mt. Olive and its suppliers, not Kroger.
> >
> >        Tension also rose Thursday after police
> >insisted that two or three young male protesters
> >remove ski masks because of a city ordinance
> >that generally forbids masks from being worn.
> Officers
> >did not arrest the protesters, but instead took
> >Polaroids of their unmasked faces.
> >
> >        The crowd responded by taunting officers
> and
> >chanting, "No more police on overtime. Pro-test-ing
> is
> >not a crime!"
> >
> >________________________________________________
> >Tha AP story (11/18):
> >
> >HEADLINE: Police break up protest of trade
> officials'
> >meeting
> >
> >BYLINE: By JOHN NOLAN, Associated Press Writer
> >
> >DATELINE: CINCINNATI
> >
> >BODY:
> >Dozens of police officers dispersed a crowd of
> >activists protesting an international trade meeting
> >when they marched on the headquarters of the
> nation's
> >largest grocery chain Thursday.
> >
> >Mounted officers and at least two dozen helmeted
> >police protected the Kroger Co. office building. No
> >arrests were reported. The officers reacted with
> >restraint as a cluster of protesters called them
> >killers and shouted, "Cops and the Klan go hand in
> >hand."
> >
> >Two black men were killed last week in separate
> >confrontations as Cincinnati police tried to take
> them
> >into custody. The protest Thursday had a more
> global
> >pretext - the issue of business leaders' influence
> on
> >how government regulates commerce and industry.
> >
> >A peaceful crowd estimated by police at 300 to 400
> >people gathered at noon in downtown's Fountain
> Square
> >for a rally denouncing the Transatlantic Business
> >Dialogue. That group's annual meeting of corporate
> >executives and international trade officials begins
> >Friday.
> >
> >The executives were coming to Cincinnati to put
> >together recommendations aimed at easing barriers
> to
> >international trade. The activists insist the
> business
> >leaders want to water down rules that protect
> workers
> >and the environment.
> >
> >Robin Knapmeyer, 34, a protester and registered
> nurse
> >from Covington, Ky., said she favors international
> >trade, provided it has restrictions.
> >
> >"It's easy to say, 'Why could somebody be against
> >trade? Why should somebody be against
> globalization?"'
> >she said.
> >
> >After the rally, some of the protesters followed
> >Baldemar Velasquez, director of the Farm Labor
> >Organizing Committee, a few blocks to Kroger
> >headquarters.
> >
> >The farm workers union is leading a boycott of
> Mount
> >Olive Pickle Co., the South's largest pickle
> producer,
> >and hopes to persuade the grocery chain to pull
> Mount
> >Olive products from its shelves. Kroger officials
> have
> >declined to do so.
> >
> >The union wants North Carolina-based Mount Olive to
> >give migrant cucumber pickers from Mexico and
> Central
> >America better pay, benefits and working
> conditions.
> >
> >The crowd shouted, "Hey, Kroger, take a stand" for
> >several minutes before being dispersed by police
> >intent on keeping traffic flowing. Mounted police
> >herded protesters out of the street and warned
> three
> >teen-agers that they were violating a city
> ordinance
> >by wearing masks to the demonstration.
> >
> >Across the street, Phil Cianciolo sold bananas and
> >pineapple at an outdoor produce stand.
> >
> >"I'm proud of our policemen," he said. "They know
> how
> >to handle things like this. We don't have no
> trouble
> >like other cities do."
> >
> >Chanting protesters later marched to City Hall and
> >milled around outside as at least 60 police
> officers
> >watched. Some were riding horses and others were
> >stationed on sidewalks or across the street.
> >
> >Brian Dominick, 27, a computer programmer from
> >Syracuse, N.Y., said he was one of more than a
> dozen
> >"street medics" who had come to the city, some from
> as
> >far away as Denver, to provide medical help if
> needed.
> >Dominick said he had taken advanced first aid
> >training.
> >
> >"I have a cool head in chaotic situations," he
> said.
> >
> >Lt. Ray Ruberg, a police spokesman, said officers
> had
> >been advised to be patient with demonstrators and
> >would try to be understanding about the wearing of
> >masks because temperatures were dropping into the
> 30s.
> >He said police expected more actions from
> >demonstrators Friday when the trade conference
> starts.
> >
> >
> >Activists geared up Thursday night with a
> '60s-style
> >teach-in designed to rally the troops and to
> educate
> >the college crowd about what the organizers put
> forth
> >as the global repercussions of World Trade
> >Organization policies.
> >
> >About 400 people heard the overview presented by
> Lori
> >Wallach, director of Public Citizens Global Trade
> >Watch. About half that many were still around when
> the
> >final speakers concluded about 3 1/2 hours later.
> >
> >
> >___________________________
> >Copyright 2000 U.P.I.
> >United Press International
> >
> >November 16, 2000, Thursday
> >
> >SECTION: GENERAL NEWS
> >
> >LENGTH: 428 words
> >
> >HEADLINE: Activists rally against globalization
> >conference
> >
> >DATELINE: CINCINNATI, Nov. 16
> >
> >BODY:
> >About 300 activists marched through the downtown
> area
> >Thursday to show their opposition to the
> TransAtlantic
> >Business Dialogue, a business lobbying group on
> world
> >trade that is holding a three-day conference in the
> >Queen City.
> >
> >The gathering of more than 100 CEOs of U.S.- and
> >European-based companies is seen by the activists
> as
> >seeking special interest policy changes that
> threaten
> >local laws protecting consumer interests.
> >
> >Activists rallied at Fountain Square where speakers
> >connected to the Public Citizen, Coalition for a
> >Humane Economy and the Farm Labor Organizing
> Committee
> >all talked of the problems caused by corporate
> >interests superceding consumer interests.
> >
> >"The era of backroom deal-making on corporate
> managed
> >trade and the resulting corporate-led globalization
> is
> >over," said Lori Wallach, a Public Citizen
> director.
> >
> >"As we near the anniversary of the Seattle victory
> >halting (World Trade Organization) expansion, the
> >message is clear. From Seattle to (Washington)
> D.C.,
> >from Perth (Australia) to Prague (The Czech
> Republic)
> >and now in Cincinnati, regular folks say 'enough'
> to
> >anti-democratic corporate globalization and are
> >demanding better."
> >
> >Protesters then marched through downtown Cincinnati
> to
> >the corporate headquarters of Kroger Inc. where the
> >Farm Labor Organizing Committee conducted an
> unrelated
> >protest against the supermarket chain.
> >
> >Police maintained strict security in the downtown
> >area, closing off some streets to traffic as
> officers
> >watched over the protesters, who contained their
> >marching to sidewalks.
> >
> >No protesters were arrested Thursday afternoon and
> >activist Alicia Daughtry said police actually were
> of
> >help to the protestors in conducting their march.
> >
> >"They were there largely to take care of
> peacekeeping
> >and with crowd direction," she said.
> >
> >The Thursday afternoon rally is the first of
> several
> >planned by the activists during the three-day
> >conference.
> >
> >Those include a Thursday night "teach-in" rally at
> the
> >Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains and a parade
> Friday
> >afternoon through downtown Cincinnati that police
> said
> >could involve as many as 3,000 protestors.
> >
> >Police officials admitted they are trying to
> prevent a
> >repeat of the Seattle WTO protests in which more
> than
> >500 protesters were arrested following rallies that
> >turned into riots and caused nearly $20 million in
> >damage.
> >
> >Police Capt. Vince Demasi told the Cincinnati
> Enquirer
> >his department would try to set up a no-protest
> zone
> >around the dialogue's meeting site.
> >
> >"The police division's posture is one of restraint
> and
> >patience," Demasi said.
> >
> >
> >___________________________
> >
> >Cincinatti Post (c 11/12)
> >
> >Protest could block streets
> >Post staff report
> >
> >
> >Between 1,000 and 3,000 people are expected to
> protest
> >a meeting of European and U.S. business leaders in
> >Cincinnati this week, and some demonstrators may be
> >arrested, say protest organizers.
> >
> >''There are people planning to risk arrest,'' said
> >Susan Knight of the Coalition for a Humane Economy.
> >''For example, intersections might be
> >blocked.
> >
> >''There is a culture that pervades demonstrations
> and
> >you know there is going to be civil disobedience.''
> >
> >Added coalition member Pankhuri Parvatiyar, ''I
> think
> >you could safely say there will be some civil
> >disobedience. To what extent, I don't know.''
> >
> >However, coalition officials said they don't expect
> >the local protest at the TransAtlantic Business
> >Dialogue to escalate into a riot like the
> >one that tore Seattle apart when it hosted a World
> >Trade Organization meeting last December.
> >
> >The TransAtlantic Business Dialogue is an
> independent
> >group, but it often makes recommendations to the
> World
> >Trade Organization, and protesters see the meeting
> as
> >a good opportunity to publicize their complaints
> >about global trade.
> >
> >''Our main problem is that the amount of influence
> >business leaders have is out of proportion with
> labor,
> >consumer and environmental concerns,'' said Sister
> >Alice Gerdeman of the Intercommunity Justice and
> Peace
> >
> >Center. ''They keep watering down labor, safety and
> >environmental laws.''
> >
> >The TransAtlantic Business Dialogue will bring
> >together 200 American and European business
> executives
> >and government officials at the Omni Netherland
> Plaza
> >hotel on Friday and Saturday to formulate trade
> >recommendations.
> >
> >Organization officials said the group's goal is to
> >''boost trans Atlantic trade and investment
> >opportunities through the removal of costly
> >inefficiencies caused by excessive regulation,
> >duplication and differences in the European Union
> and
> >United States regulatory systems and procedures.''
> >
> >The meeting will be protested by 1,000 to 3,000
> people
> >from across the country, say officials of the
> >Coalition for a Humane Economy, an organization
> that
> >is coordinating participation from groups like
> Citizen
> >
> >Action, Public Citizen, the AFL-CIO and the Sierra
> >Club.
> >
> >''We're doing everything we can to ensure a
> peaceful,
> >legal and educational protest,'' said Ms.
> Parvatiyar.
> >''We will not initiate any violence. But obviously,
> we
> >can't control the conduct of everyone.''
> >
> >Ms. Knight said so-called ''affinity groups,''
> >comprised of people who share the coalition's views
> >but not necessarily its peaceful protest tactics,
> are
> >expected to participate.
> >
> >''They're going to do what their conscience tells
> them
> >to do,'' she said. Cincinnati police officials have
> >been planning for weeks how to deal with the
> protests.
> >
> >Protesters also are preparing with ''training''
> >sessions. Workshops are scheduled this week on such
> >topics as ''Legal/Jail Solidarity,'' ''Refuse and
> >Resist'' and ''Direct Action Basics.''
> >
> >There's also medical, legal and peace-keeping
> >training.
> >
> >Ms. Knight said people are trained to give medical
> >assistance ''if mace, pepper spray or gas is used
> by
> >police. ''We'll also have legal observers - lawyers
> or
> >law students - on hand to make sure people's rights
>
> >are not violated. Peace-keepers will be on hand to
> >de-escalate any confrontations.
> >
> >__________________________
> >Sunday, November 12, 2000
> >Protesters list objections: 'Money isn't
> everything'
> >
> >By Cliff Peale
> >The Cincinnati Enquirer
> >
> >The protesters who will gather outside the
> >Omni Netherland Plaza Hotel next weekend as the
> >world's most powerful corporate chieftains meet
> inside
> >have one message: Money isn't everything.
> >
> >While that message won't have much of an
> >effect on the high-profile conference, it hasn't
> >stopped the loose coalition of environmental, labor
> >and religious groups from planning a full slate of
> >events here.
> >
> >The occasion is the TransAtlantic Business
> >Dialogue Conference starting Thursday night.
> Calling
> >themselves the Coalition for a Humane Economy, the
> >protesters are determined to make their point that
> >global corporations have co-opted what should be
> >government's role of protecting workers, natural
> >resources and food products.
> >
> >"What we're saying to the TABD is, you have
> >to take a look at your policies. Money isn't
> >everything," said Sister Alice Gerdeman of the
> >Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center in
> >Over-the-Rhine, one of the groups in the coalition.
> >"And to the government, we're saying, "You've let
> us
> >down.'"
> >
> >Officials don't expect any of the large-scale
> violence
> >that marked the protest at the World Trade
> >Organization summit in Seattle earlier this year.
> >
> >But with several hundred people from across the
> >country expected, the protests at the TABD
> conference
> >are the latest step in a movement that seems to be
> >solidifying from a swirling pot of populist
> movements
> >to a revolt against corporate influence on
> government.
> >
> >
> >Fueled by the insurgent presidential campaign of
> Ralph
> >Nader - who spoke at the University of Cincinnati
> >several weeks ago - the protesters plan to make
> >themselves heard.
> >
> >"Will they know we're there?" asked Sister
> Gerdeman.
> >"Yes, they will, because over the years, we know
> they
> >are dependent on consumers. Will they deny they
> know
> >we're there? Of course they will."
> >
> >The protest activities will start with a
> ""teach-in''
> >Thursday night and a march from Sawyer Point to the
> >Omni on Friday. It also will include a noon rally
> on
> >Fountain Square on Saturday.
> >
> >Mary Bottari, director of the Harmonization
> >Project at the activist group Public Citizen in
> >Washington, D.C., said the TABD's "overarching
> goal"
> >is establishing a single set of rules for companies
> >operating in both the U.S. and Europe.
> >
> >"Which is basically company self-regulation," Ms.
> >Bottari said. "That means the end of democratically
>
> >achieved regulatory standards, with either global
> >regulation or no regulation."
> >
> >Many of the groups argue that the TABD's influence
> is
> >too great. They want equal access to government
> >authorities and an open window on the regulatory
> >process.
> >
> >The protesters have gotten the attention of
> >government officials, who point out that there are
> >TransAtlantic Dialogues devoted to consumers and
> the
> >environment - TACD and TAED, respectively - that
> are
> >concerned about the same issues.
> >
> >"We take those people very seriously," said Willy
> >Helin, a spokesman at the European Union's
> Washington
> >delegation office. "They have created a higher
> >awareness in this country about some risky issues,
> >like food labeling and others."
> >
> >This year, those protesting the TABD are trying to
> >draw attention to several issues:
> >
> >* Environmental concerns: Earlier this year, the
> >TransAtlantic Environmental Dialogue "flunked" both
>
> >the U.S. and EU governments on integrating
> >environmental principles into economic and trade
> >policy.
> >
> >"We hope the governments will begin to take
> >our issues as seriously as they do the
> recommendations
> >of the business dialogue, so that we can work
> together
> >to build a more sustainable future," said Lone
> >Johnsen, president of the European Environmental
> >Bureau.
> >
> >Environmental groups want the governments to set
> >concrete emissions limts on industry, limit large
> >forestry products in developing countries, and stop
> >mounting trade-based challenges to national
> >environmental, health and animal protection laws.
> >
> >* Data privacy: The TransAtlantic Consumer
> >Dialogue has argued that the U.S. and EU
> governments
> >have proposed rules allowing business to
> >"self-certify" their own privacy practices and
> >limiting chances for consumers to control their own
> >information.
> >
> >"An overreliance on notice and consent would also
> >force the consumer to accept a company's terms or
> lose
> >the opportunity to do business with that company
> >altogether," it said.
> >
> >* Mutual recognition agreements: Starting in the
> >regulation of medical devices, the TABD has
> >proposed a structure that protesters charge would
> >privatize regulatory authority.
> >
> >"This is their model," Public Citizen's Ms.
> >Bottari said. "They want it spread all over the
> >place."
> >_________________________
> >
> >/s/ Mike Dolan
> >Global Trade Watch
> >Public Citizen
> >
> >__________________________________________________
> >Do You Yahoo!?
> >Yahoo! Calendar - Get organized for the holidays!
> >http://calendar.yahoo.com/
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>


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