Newspoetry From Seattle
(WTO Protest News)
Danielle Chynoweth:
Short News from Seattle
Paul Kotheimer:
Facts / News FLASH / SELECTED
SEATTLE HEADLINES
Molly Stentz:
News from Seattle
1.
Two of our friends are in prison.
They cannot reveal their names.
They were repeatedly tear-gassed.
They acted non-violently.
These are facts. It's Thursday (for example)--
As much a fact as that.
The author, myself, begs you to believe it,
To believe it is happening in the United States,
Today--Thursday--and urges something of you:
To sympathize.
To act.
2.
Someone's daughter--maybe not your own,
but maybe your neighbor's (for example)
stitched together the shoes
which the looters busted out the plate glass
at Sixth and Pike on Tuesday to steal.
The girl that stitched the shoes is thirteen years old.
She works 12-hour days, or 13-, or 14-.
She cannot petition for redress of grievances.
She cannot peaceably assemble.
She cannot feel secure in her home, her effects, her papers, her person.
She may any day be sexually assaulted by her employers
or their agents.
She may be fired without recourse at any time--
for becoming (for example) pregnant.
She earns a few dollars a week.
Is the destruction of corporate property a valid form of non-violent
protest?
3.
On Fourth Avenue at 8 PM last night,
The hotel forcourt's plate glass doors were intact.
Police motorcycles outnumbered our automobile ten to one,
or more.
Storm troopers in riot gear outnumbered pedestrians thirty to one, or
more.
The mars lights on the motorcycles.
The christmas lights on the trees along the avenue.
A prison-issue bus, matte grey, unmarked, windows tinted
opaque,
Rolls past us, under escort, in the left-hand lane.
The show of force and fear of pain required to maintain this curfew
zone
is that same power which imprisons my friends,
And is deployed on behalf of that same power
which keeps somebody's daughter stitching shoes (for example).
These are facts. We are in Seattle (for example).
It is Friday, December 3rd, 1999.
-Paul Kotheimer
I have five minutes to write this.
Everyone is okay. Kathy and Laura are in jail and have
been since they were tear gasses and swept up by the police wednesday
around 5:30. They had joined a pre-planned steelworkers rally outside
of the "no- protest" zone in Seattle. The rally turned into
a March. The marchers were repeatedly and chased , tear gassed, pepper-sprayed,
and shot at with rubber pellets. Kathy and Laura were arrested as they
were trying to avoid arrest - getting out of the way.
They seem to be okay. We don't know when they will be
released. News is that Laura could leave but has decided to stay with
them in solidarity. Kathy and Laura are in different jails. Laura is
in an old army base. Kathy in the county jail. They took Kathy's glasses
away so she is having a hard time seeing. Kathy hasn't been eating much
because the food has meat in it.
So far it looks as though molly will be staying behind
until they get out.
Please call the mayor of seattle to advocate for the release
of all 500 (600?) who have been detained.
Sky, Becca, and Mark were gassed badly on wednesday. Becca
has a burn on her cheek. Most of us were gassed mildly on tuesday --
the tear gas carried down the narrow streets in the wind so it blew
into our faces and eyes.
Many of us have been unable to participate in any of the
remaining workshops of the week which is a damn shame. There is a city
curfew at 7 PM each night but the busses seem to have stopped running
from the downtown earlier than that (Paul and I were caught downtown
wednesday night at 6:30 pm with buses refusing to open their doors to
let us on). As of Wed night there were storm trooper police driving
up and down the streets although I'm told it has calmed down a lot.
Everyone but molly, Kathy, and Laura (and possibly sky
and Becca who are debating staying behind) will be returning this weekend.
We hope to report back to urbana at a social forum organized
event this coming week. Hopefully we can talk about the WTO then and
not just all the teargassspectacclestormtroopermilitarization
love,
--danielle
AM Radio 770, Seattle's business news station reports
that the Puget Sound
Index, which measures Wall Street stock prices on
Seattle-area based
corporations, is up today--'way up--no doubt thanks to
ample wining and
dining of the capitalists of the world by Microsoft
schmoozelers at fine
restaurants inside downtown Seattle's
1st-amendment-free zone.
Also, things are "getting back to normal" in the
downtown area, according
to the same source, because "Santa Claus is
back!...and he knows which
protesters have been naughty and which have been
nice." I'm not
making this shit up.
Starbucks is offering a free large Americano to anyone
shopping in the
restored downtown outlets.
Be sure to write to the North Pole, kids, and ask
Santa to bring you back
the right to peaceably assemble. Or better yet, fax
Mayor Schell a copy of
the First Amendment.
*************************peace out from Paul
Kotheimer.
Our Jane Doe #1 has had her bail set at $950. Maximum
bail for a
misdemeanor charge is $1000.
All else here are well, though tired. Home soon.
-Paul Kotheimer
Hey there,
People have asked how they can help us Seattle folks
and the movement from
back in Urbana.
If folks want to help, they can publicize the upcoming
event at Allen Hall
on the 8th. I'm not on the Socialist Forum' s list,
but I believe they're
(hopefully!) organizing it.
I'll be bringing lots of media back from Seattle, and
I'd love for other
folks
to share what they've collected with me.
They can also shower those returning in love,
chocolate, and green leafy
vegetables! Most of our group will be returning very
late Saturday and
Sunday nights. Kathie and Laura are still waiting to
be released from
jail, which Seattle Mayor Schell has made a slow and
arduous process.
Increasing the pressure on him (by faxing/phoning)
would be helpful.
If I have to postpone the tickets for the 2 of them,
plus myself, and
possibly post bail, we're going to need to do some
extra fundraising when
we get back! Help is needed with this. Also, a ride
from the Indy airport
will be needed if 3 of us have to come back early next
week.
I'll be able to give descriptions of Seattle and
world trade when I get
back.
Thanks everybody and see you soon!
Molly*
SELECTED SEATTLE HEADLINES
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER Monday, November 29,1999
[front page]
WTO activists
take control of
vacant building
No arrests as demonstration unfolds
Head of WTO extends
hand to labor leaders
Unions want action
instead of promises
Trade's effect on environment to hold attention at summit
BUSINESS
& PERSONAL FINANCE
The Northwest reaches
for the world's agenda
Four of the region's top economic interests pursue a variety of goals
on the eve of Seattle's millennium ministerial meeting.
SEATTLE TIMES SECTION B MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1999
Batons burnished for WTO protesters
Ken Koenig, a retired Redmond police officer, has been working around
the clock to make hundreds of batons for police departments to use during
the World Trade Organization conference this week... He said the 3-foot
batons don't have to be used as clubs to be effective. Police officers
can use them to lever people to the ground, bar their paths through a
police line or wedge through a crowd.
[same page]
ECOACTIVISTS GO AFTER WRONG TARGET
WEDNESDAY
THE SEATTLE TIMES
CITY
EDITION
GUARD POSTED IN SHAKEN CITY
Clinton
arrives in
midst of
emergency
Police say they were caught
off guard by size of protest
But protesters say
they gave warning
of violent elements
Delegates try to forge ahead
WTO projects business as usual.
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
The Voice of the Northwest since 1863
Wednesday morning December 1, 1999
CHAOS CLOSES DOWNTOWN
+Police use rubber pellets,
tear gas against thousands
+Demonstrators delay start
of trade meeting for hours
+Schell orders curfew;
National Guard called in
Police admit reputation is now 'tarnished'
'Threat analysis' failed to
predict violence, official says.
Clinton says
he will support
trade sanctions
for worker abuse
CHAOS: Stamper hails officers' performance
Police officers charge WTO protesters last evening, chasing them out
of
the Paramount Theater area downtown, and east toward Capitol Hill.
A march and a message from union members
Students make a strong showing in yesterday's protest
Groups want
summit focus
on human
rights abuses
POLICE: Officials promise more officers on streets today
Fringe anarchists in middle
of violent demonstrations
WEDNESDAY
THE SEATTLE TIMES
NIGHT FINAL
EDITION
POLICE HAUL HUNDREDS TO JAIL
National Guard on patrol; 1,000 protesters enter restricted zone
Police
switch
to new
strategy
They say rough protest
caught them off guard
Delegates get on
with business
International trade talks are under way
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