Subject: [OPE-L:1771] sorry about that
From: michael a. lebowitz (mlebowit@sfu.ca)
Date: Tue Nov 30 1999 - 02:46:26 EST
Sorry. The release that didn't seem to make it to you intact either via
forwarding or redirecting follows:
(Seattle) - Delegates from the International Seattle Peoples Assembly will
hold a rally at Fourth and Jackson in Seattle's International before
marching down Fourth Street despite being denied a permit to march a part
of the International Day of Protest Against the WTO. A People's Permit ,
signed by community members and participants of the People's Assembly
asserting the basic democratic right of the People's Assembly to voice
their opposition to the World Trade Organization, will be carried
throughout the March.
The People's Assembly will march from the International District to Fourth
and Pine where it will join with labor and other critics of the World Trade
Organization.
The World Trade Organization is the current tool used to keep wealth and
power in the hands of a few, "said Fr. Art Balagat, member of the People's
Assembly Organizing Committee. "We see the true meaning of globalization to
the world's people every time we pick up the paper --- wage cuts and jobs
loss, drastically reduced budgets for social needs, and the erosion of
basic human rights. In short, it ravages the environment, devastates
countries and subjugates entire peoples with unequaled ruthlessness.
"The WTO is one of imperialism's latest instruments multinational
corporations and imperialist states use to dictate trade policy and achieve
economic domination. Putting an end to the high human costs of trade
requires the advancement of people's organizations to effectively
challenge, tear down and not simply reform these oppressive institutions"
said Ace Saturay, convenor of the People's Assembly. "The People's Assembly
was launched in 1996 in Manila during the APEC Summit. That proud tradition
of anti-imperialist defiance continues to surge and we have brought the
struggle to the "belly of the beast". The success of our organized
resistance shows there is an alternative to the path of imperialist
globalization."
Dr. Carolina-Araullo representing, BAYAN-Philippines, and an international
delegate to the People's Assembly said, "There is a pattern of muzzling
dissent against the imperialist's tools. We saw it in the Philippines,
Canada, Malaysia and New Zealand.. We weren't stopped there and we won't be
stopped here."
Despite denial of a permit, the organizers of the People's Assembly said
that the march and rally will go on as scheduled. Saturay said, "We will
march peacefully, but militantly. This is not just a procession or a
parade. It is a life and death issue that brought people to the People's
Assembly to say 'No to the oppression of our people' and 'No to WTO'".
From November 28-29, the People's Assembly hosted a two-day gathering of
international, national and local delegates at the Filipino Community
Center in south Seattle. The march and rally will cap the Assembly on
November 30. The delegates have come from around the world to criticize
global trade plans of the WTO and talk about the disastrous impacts of
globalization on their respective countries, on people's lives and to and
to say "No to WTO!"
-30-
Michael A. Lebowitz
Economics Department
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, B.C., Canada V5A 1S6
Office: Phone (604) 291-4669
Fax (604) 291-5944
Home: Phone (604) 872-0494
Fax (604) 872-0485
Lasqueti Island: (250) 333-8810
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