Reply #3: another protest [View All]

[brettdale]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N22581201.htm

WASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Anti-globalization protesters will again descend on the U.S. capital this week to demonstrate against the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, but this time they'll have to share the streets with anti-war activists.

The anti-globalization showing is unlikely to compare to 1999 "Battle for Seattle," where marchers broke up World Trade Organization talks. A shift in focus to the Iraq war and the Bush presidency has slowed the movement's momentum.

"Definitely the level of energy is picking up, but it still hasn't recovered to the levels it was at in April 2000," said Basav Sen of the Washington-based Mobilization for Global Justice, referring to the Washington IMF meetings where some 1,300 activists were arrested.

The demonstrations will start with a mock "wedding" on Thursday between the Pentagon and the World Bank. The stunt, intended to highlight the fact that the architect of the U.S. war against Iraq, Paul Wolfowitz, took the World Bank's helm in June, indicates lines between the two movements are blurring.

"The U.S. military went into Iraq and created conflict and opened up the Iraqi economy, the work force and the natural resources to the World Bank and IMF policies to benefit U.S.-based contractors," said Hope Chu from anti-IMF group Fifty Years is Enough.

The anti-IMF contingent will march on Saturday to a demonstration led by the anti-war movement's best-known figure, Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq and who camped outside President George W. Bush's Texas ranch during his August vacation.

The anti-IMF protesters will also join a peace festival in front of the Washington Monument on Sunday, but they say they won't let their message be overshadowed.

They plan to block intersections on Sunday to hinder IMF delegates from attending meetings.

"We'll have sufficient staffing to deal with just about any contingency," said Capt. Jeffrey Harold of the Washington Police Department's special operations division.

"The anti-war protests, we're expecting to be peaceful," Harold added. "The IMF (protests), except for April 2000, (have) been fairly small."

Anti-war group United for Peace and Justice says the number of anti-war marchers could exceed 100,000.

That the anti-war march comes over the IMF weekend is pure coincidence, said Bill Dobbs, media coordinator for the group, which initially planned a demonstration in New York for early September.

"In the summer, it really started to catch on," he said. "Suddenly, there was a lot more talking about the war and in the end of summer, there were vigils around the country connected with Cindy Sheehan's action in Texas and that brought in familiar faces and new faces."