Mark Engler, a writer based in New York City, is a senior analyst with
Foreign Policy In Focus and author of How to Rule the World: The Coming
Battle Over the Global Economy (Nation Books, 2008). He can be reached via the Web site http://www.DemocracyUprising.com

The Impact of the “Battle In Seattle”

The 1999 protests against the WTO were dramatic enough to inspire a new feature film, but did they actually make a difference?

by Mark Engler

Date: Tue, 7 Dec 1999 22:53:26 -0500 (EST)
From: ****
Subject: Re: The end of the story from Seattle..

Warning -- this is possibly the longest email I have ever written.

I've been in Seattle since Friday before the big day, leaving tonight... Here are some more parts of the story. I haven't had much chance to follow the media outside Seattle and I would love to know what came across and what didn't. I'm going to get on the internet and check it all out soon.
lw

--

What I Learned At The WTO Protests In Seattle...
by Pete Tridish,

A Ruckus I Couldn't Miss:

What I Learned At The WTO Protests In Seattle...
by Pete Tridish,

A Ruckus I Couldn't Miss

The Shocking and Awful series is the document of the events that came out of that first Indymedia center. Over 100 Videographers contributed footage, and 30 minutes of programming was produced daily, uplinked to satellite, and rebroadcast by approximately 75 public access stations around the country, as well as on Free Speech TV. You can check out all the programs at deepdishtv.org. Search the catalogue for Showdown in Seattle, and "view program details."

It was one of the most incredible weeks of my life, in all honestly. It changed me forever.

[published/posted on Dec. 4, 1999 in Raptorial 'zine]

LIVE FROM SEATTLE!

THE WEEK IN REVIEW!!!!

-Hey - boy are my feet tired!

-6 days of street protests sure take it out of a guy! What do I think I am anyway? A KID??!!

- And by all appearances the WTO is about as well organized as the protestors but better armed! With much more generous expense accounts!

WTO Days 5&6: "Free the Seattle 600!"

[published/posted Dec 5, 1999 in Raptorial 'zine]

SATURDAY & SUNDAY (Dec 4 & 5):

The King County Jailhouse protest lasted all weekend. I'm not sure when the Hilton lockdown from Friday night ended, but I didn't hear anything more about it again this weekend.

I went to the WTO protests in Seattle in November, 1999 somewhat reluctantly. I had many commitments at home, my stepdaughter was in town that weekend for Thanksgiving, and I had lots of leftover pie to finish. But I knew some of the organizers, old friends from many years of nonviolent direct action campaigns against nuclear weapons, militarism, and other forms of injustice. And I had a posse of friends coming from up and down the West Coast—many of us veterans of those same campaigns going back to the Diablo Canyon blockade in 1981.

Over the course of the year leading up to the Seattle WTO Protests in November/December 1999, I was involved in five different groups, each of which had its own founding principles, strategic guidelines and organizational narratives assisting the writing of their respective members into the common story of the unfolding events: mine were the Industrial Workers of the World, Direct Action Network, Workers and Students For a Walkout Network, Seattle Tenant's Union and Seattle Anarchist Response.

The WTO History Project, created in 2000 by several programs at the University of Washington, created an archive of materials and personal accounts of the WTO protests. It includes interviews with dozens of organizers and participants in the WTO protests; photographs; audio and video files; and images of planning documents, protest signs, fliers, posters and leaflets. Many of these materials are available online at www.wtohistory.org.

Below is a more detailed description of the project, taken from the www.wtohistory.org website: