Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 01:36:11 -0500
From: Geoffrey Frost <deathboy@bobcat.bradley.edu>
To: Bradley Peace Network
Subject: An Account of the IMF/World Bank Protest

Hello, this is Geoff.  At the urging of our beloved Nick, I am writing a
(hopefully) brief account of my experience in Washington,D.C. at the
'Mobilization for Global Justice,' which was basically a protest against
the neocolonial policies embodied by the IMF (International Monetary
Fund) and World Bank - also referred to as the Bretton Woods Twins.
This demonstration was organized by many of the same groups that
organized the Anti-WTO demonstrations in Seattle.  If you want much,
much more info on these organizations, check out znet - www.zmag.org.

Ok, so Lora and I arrived in D.C. at about noon.  There were quite a few
other activists on our flight and we met up with two of them who
happened to be from Santa Cruz, CA.  Once in the airport, we met my
friend Ven who lives in DC and then left the airport in an attempt to
find out what was going on with the demonstration.  We took the subway
into downtown and walked to a local church where our two friends from
Santa Cruz were meeting the rest of their cluster (a group of about 50
people).

Upon arriving at the church, we found out that the Convergence Center
(the staging area/infoshop for the demonstrations) had been raided by
the cops earlier that day and all of the food, medicine, clothing, and
puppets were confiscated (although the puppets were returned) . . . this
was a totally bogus act, basically a police raid but under the pretense
of the building being a fire hazard.  Because of this shutdown, many
people were unsure where the organizers for the demonstrations were, so
we decided to get lunch and then find out where the plans for the demos
were being made.

Around 6-7 we found the new convergence center and heard that a group of
demonstrators had already been surrounded by cops after marching to
protest the Prison-Industrial Complex (we would later find out that
about 600 people were arrested that day).  Groups were in the process of
organizing, so we hopped on with 'B' and were told to meet in Logan
Square the next morning at 5:00, yikes!!  Later that night we met up
with another woman from DC named Miriam, and stayed at her house in
Maryland which was sort of a hippie commune-type thing with eight people
living there.  We slept for about 2 hours and then Ven drove us to Logan
Square.  There were about 150 people assembled, split into affinity
groups of 10-15 people. We joined with some Canadians and set off
towards our block, which was almost directly South of the World Band/IMF
locations.

Our group of about 20 people reached our destination at around 6:10, one
of the first groups there.  After a few minutes many more people had
showed up, so we headed east a few blocks to see where we were needed.
We ended up at a major intersection only a few blocks away from the
Ellipse where the legal rally was being held.  About 150-200 people
remained constantly at our blockade, with lots of traffic coming through
the area.

At around 8am, the cops began assembling in an attempt to have a bus go
through our group and into the police perimeter.  About 15-20 riot cops
marched in front of the bus, and another 10-15 cops came from behind the
barricade.  We linked arms and formed 4 or 5 rows of linked protesters
sitting down and blocking the road; cops tried to pull us apart and
pulled hair, choked with billyclubs, and the bus started to get
through.  Then, one woman rolled in front of the bus and the cops
couldn't move her even while pulling her hair and jacket.  Meanwhile,
other protesters crawled to re-form the chain, and the bus had to pull
back.  The police backed off for awhile until about 10am.

At 10, the cops tried to drive a police van out of the perimeter.
Again, we formed a human chain and cops on foot tried to pull us apart
while the van inched forward.  Suddenly, the van's windows rolled down
and the cops inside shot pepper spray at the protesters, succeeding in
breaking our chain as people crawled away choking and with red eyes
gushing tears.  Protesters kept running in front of the van and blocking
the way, but eventually we had to let it through as people were being
led too far away from the intersection.

Around 11, Lora and I decided to get lunch so we headed down to the
ellipse.  When we returned, we heard there had been another clash with
the riot cops but again we had held our ground.  At this point, it
seemed like the intersection was ours.  A little after noon, the legal
rally began and swarmed past our blockade.  The march was massive,
filled with puppets and banners representing so many different
organizations.  There were union members, socialists, animal rights
activists, black power groups, hippies, anarchists, and tons of others.
There were some really cool puppets, including a huge sun with
outstretched hands that said 'Liberation' and spread across the entire
width of the road.  There were also dancers, drummers, and people with
giant inflatable sharks.  I think we might have some pictures of this.

Around 3pm, I moved west and witnessed another police confrontation.
About 20 riot cops marched down the street, but again protesters formed
a human chain blocking the street and chanted 'We're non-violent, how
about you?' while other demonstrators and media people circled around to
surround the cops.  They were forced to give in , and were led back
behind the police perimeter.

Later that night, Lora and I made our way to the church where the next
day's plans were being made.  We got free food being served out of the
back of an old school bus and joined a group of demonstrators from
Detroit and Ohio to become part of their affinity group on Monday.  We
learned that some groups were starting out at 4:30, the 'Black Bloc'
(the revolutionary anti-capitalists) at 6:30, and then the main groups
at 8:30 - which is what we were included in.

That day we actually didn't get to the meeting point until closer to
9:00, but it seemed like everyone was running late because the rest of
our group had only gotten there minutes before.  We assembled in the
Ellipse and found out that some of the earlier groups were being chased
by the police and many people had already been attacked and arrested.
Collectively, we decided to have a march to rescue the other
demonstrators, led by those who were ready to be arrested while the rest
of us would follow as support.

The march began and about 2000 (I think?) demonstrators set out towards
the World Bank.  We marched for blocks, stopping traffic and the police
were powerless to do anything other than hold their perimeter.
Eventually the march came to a halt at the intersection leading directly
to the World Bank, with the cops and National Guard ready to meet us.
First, some of the demonstrators attempted to cross the barricade
nonviolently, one at a time, but the cops beat them down with billyclubs
and unleashed a jet of pepper spray across the marchers.  We all felt
the burn in our throats and people scrambled to put on their gas masks
or bandannas or whatever they had to protect themselves.  Medical
supplies were passed forward to help those who had been injured while
the 'police liaisons' negotiated with the cops.

As the rain poured down, it was decided that demonstrators would cross
the line in groups of 10 and be arrested by the cops as a symbol of
protest against the World Bank.  At this point, I was entirely soaked
from the downpour and chilled to the bone.  As a group, we decided to
walk back to the subway and recover - the time was about 1:30pm.  As we
walked back, a group of cops mistook us for members of the Black Bloc
and ran over to arrest us, thinking that we would spraypaint the walls
or something.  Luckily for us, they realized their mistake and we were
able to walk away.  Ironically, right down the street we saw part of the
Black Bloc marching and warned them about the cops.

We took the subway to Union Station and ate lunch, then Lora and I said
farewell to the rest of the affinity group and took the train down to
'Ronald Reagan National Airport' (yuck) and waited for our flight . . .

!g!

P.S.  Lora should have her version of events up soon i hope . . . feel
free to ask me questions or anything, just e-mail <deathboy@bobcat.bradley.edu>