A Day in the
Life of a Protester
Abridged
Story
From a news story by
CNN San Francisco Reporter Don Knapp
December 3, 1999
Carmen Nogales is an actress who does commercials. She came to Seattle
from Los Angeles to protest the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Nogales said that the WTO policies hurt her South American friends.
Many protesters sat down and refused to leave a "no-protest"
area. The police arrested them for refusing to obey. Seeing her friends
taken to jail had a big impact on Nogales and others. Protest organizers
hoped the arrests changed many lives.
The Citizens Trade Campaign or CTC organizes protests. In five
months, the CTC planned sixty protests. Jerry Madsen teaches protesters
what to do. Then protesters are encouraged to take to the streets.
WTO protesters battled with police for control of the streets of Seattle.
The police chief put more police on the streets after suffering a defeat.
A small group of protesters caused vandalism. The vandalism hurt the
protesters’ cause. Sheet metal workers wearing hard hats supported
the peaceful demonstrators. These workers helped clean up the streets
after the demonstrations.
Dwight Nelson said that protesters were using different approaches for
similar beliefs. Nogales is still thinking about the approach she will
take. She believes that her forefathers fought for her right to protest.
Maybe that right even includes getting arrested.
Additional Notes:
News and a photo display
of the Seattle demonstrations against the WTO (World Trade Organization)
can be found at the following sites.
The Citizens Trade Campaign
(CTC) is composed of religious, labor, consumer, family-owned
farms and environmental organizations. CTC works to promote U.S. trade
policy that encourages environmental and social fairness. This coalition
was formed in 1992 and has activists from all over the United States.
Some of the CTC activities include lobbying on Capitol Hill in Washington,
D.C. and educating the public on the effects of international trade.
Representatives from the Humane Society (ASPCA), Teamsters (IBT), Public
Citizen, United Auto Workers (UAW), and other groups make up the CTC
executive committee.
©
1999-2000 Cable News Network, Inc.
Western/Pacific Literacy Network
Western/Pacific LINCS
All Rights Reserved
|
