BY MARINA CARMAN
& DALE MILLS
SYDNEY — A meeting initiated by the No WTO network was held on September 21 to discuss protest actions against a World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting of trade ministers to be held on November 14-15. Around 100 people from many groups participated.
The select group of trade ministers will discuss how to further enforce the international "free trade" agenda that has devastated the lives of millions around the world.
The activists' "spokescouncil" decided to endorse a number of common actions which all will support. A "unity march" will be held on November 14, starting at noon at Hyde Park. It is being organised by a coalition initiated by the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network.
Other participants reported that a bloc opposing the impending US war against Iraq will be organised as part of the unity rally. They pointed out that the world's political and economic leaders enforce their will with war.
Inspired by a similar march before the 2001 G8 protests in Genoa, a "Free Movement of People" march will be held on November 13, starting at 5pm at Sydney Town Hall. Other actions are being planned around education and other issues. Media, medical and legal collectives are up and running.
The meeting also decided to endorse the goal of shutting down the WTO meeting. Given that the venue of the meeting is not yet known, the meeting decided to publicise a 7am convergence at a "venue to be announced".
Other options were to blockade a different site if the venue remains secret, or start the blockade on the second day. On September 24, Channel 9 news reported that the venue would be the Stamford Plaza Hotel in Double Bay. This has not been confirmed.
The issue will be discussed again at the next spokescouncil, set for October 16.
On September 24, NSW police minister Michael Costa announced that he had written to the federal government to have them shut down a number of protest web sites because they are "designed to incite violence against NSW Police, who will be providing security" at the WTO meeting.
On Channel 9's late news, Costa was shown scrolling through the sites, which he claimed were urging people to take baseball bats and marbles to the November protest. Costa said he was shocked, and has written to federal authorities asking for the un-named sites to be shut down. It is obvious that two of the sites in Costa's sights are Indymedia in Sydney and Melbourne.
Legal support and observers will be present at the WTO protests. They will collect evidence on police misbehaviour that takes place.
[The No WTO group meets every Wednesday, 6pm at the University of Technology Sydney. Visit <http://nowto.cat.org.au>.]
From Green Left Weekly, October 2, 2002.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.