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“They organize really well... the organization was just amazing” - on anarchists “AND WHAT ABOUT TOMORROW?” In 1999 the WTO protests in sent a message to ANARCHIST RESISTANCE AND the world, loud and clear: THE “BLOCKBUSTERIZATION” The people of this planet were sick and tired of being OF REALITY... stomped on, sick and tired to the forefront of American of exploitation in the name consciousness as a legitimate of global capitalism and that counter argument, and now, people were ready to fight back. almost a decade later, the The years that followed Seattle impact of the anti-globalization saw a worldwide movement movement can be seen in the of resistance aimed against failures of groups like the capitalism that included some FTAA, WTO, IMF and World very tangible victories. Anti- Bank and in the strengths of capitalism had for the first countries like Argentina and time in decades been brought Brazil who have stood up (cont.) WE’RE WRITING THE SEQUEL(s)! and fought those organizations’ longer relevant. That couldn’t neoliberal policies. be further from the truth. When Martin Henderson’s character says A QUICK NOTE ON THE The real story of Seattle is a “we shut this city down today,” a Like it or not, shattered windows in Seattle’s shopping district sent story about people taking matters member of the black bloc retorts a distinct message to the world: People were physically fighting into their own hands. The reason “and what about tomorrow?!” back against capitalism. The actions came out of a critique of it was such a successful and That’s exactly the question the capitalism’s tendency to value private property over human needs. inspiring event was because anarchist movement has been In the words of one participant “when we smash a window, we aim protesters employed the focusing on for the past 9 years. to destroy the thin veneer of legitimacy that surrounds private anarchist principal of In spite of government property rights.” The media’s description of the black bloc as : creating the repression the PATRIOT “violent” only advanced their argument. In spite of the fact that no change they wanted to act and its repercussions, living creatures were hurt, the media spun property destruction as see themselves. Unlike we are still fighting the justification for extreme police violence against living breathing other mobilizations to show that protesters. The black bloc contended that property destruction where protesters had another world wasn’t violence at all, but a strike against the inanimate property of marched en mass in is possible. Just a those same corporations who were benefiting from the exploitative attempts to influence the few weeks ago we policies of the WTO. Naomi Jaffe once said, “doing nothing in a decision makers of their swarmed St. Paul, MN, period of repressive violence is itself a form of violence.” When time, protesters in Seattle made the city that hosted the you think about how the corporate manipulation of third world the decision for themselves. By Republican National economies results in violence, capitalist wars for oil and civilian blockading the city of Seattle Convention, and blockaded casualties are violence, and the callousness of the U.S. government and physically preventing many of the major towards the destitute in our own country is violence, all the fuss over the WTO summit from intersections, confronting a few broken windows seems pretty petty... The reality is that the happening, they were able to the Republicans head-on black bloc was one of the many tactics that created the successful say directly to those decision with conflict. Though the shut down of Seattle in 1999 and changed history. makers: “Not in our town. Not mainstream media largely in our country. Not on our ignored this event, the planet.” policy makers responsible for signing away our planet, anarchists, and unfortunately this What’s dangerous about and for the brutal oppression movie isn’t an exception. The Battle Action Network, (the group who a sensational movie like of poor people across the in Seattle website repeatedly belittles shaped the protests), was founded Battle in Seattle is that you globe could not ignore our anarchists as a “small fringe group” and operated based on the anarchist might get the impression anger after coming face who “managed to steal the show” principals of horizontal and non- that this was some to face with while focusing only on anarchist hierarchical organizing. The media’s isolated event, that it resistance. participation in the black bloc. attempts to pigeon hole anarchists as was a spontaneous Actually, anarchists were involved “violent” thugs was simply an effort outburst, or a passing The media, in all different aspects of the WTO to discredit the strength of anarchist phenomenon that or course, never protests including lockdowns, organizing and the successes of direct happened in the even attempts to making puppets and cooking for action. past, but is no accurately represent . The Direct Today, reports of “violent