Trade Policy and the Spirit of Seattle Today

Ten years ago, tens of thousands of people poured into the streets of Seattle to protest the WTO ministerial and the global trade agreement that sought to expand global corporatization at the expense of communities around the world. The protesters came from all walks of life--they were teachers, students, faith-based people, farmers, unionists, environmentalists, human rights activists, people of color... ordinary citizens. They came to express their outrage, to show solidarity and to demand change. While the trade ministers and corporate lobbyists found themselves trapped in their luxury hotels as activists blockaded intersections, hotels, and the Washington State Convention and Trade Center, the Steelworkers marched side by side with the Turtles and Butterflies. The re