Following the money

National Catholic Reporter, April 28, 2000 by Raymond A. Schroth

They know it is democracy because a triumphant parade leaves the Ellipse and marches through the streets with their liberated puppets -- depicting Corporate Clinton and gross World Bankers -- drums, and tambourines, all chanting, "This is what democracy looks like." From 10:01 till 6:30, 58 speakers, organizations, and entertainers have about two to 20 minutes each to inspire the crowd, which moves among the tables set up by the Green Party, various Socialists, Kurds who display posters of Turks brandishing severed Kurdish heads, and those who would free Tibet and free Mumia Abu Jamal.

On one street corner a Czech journalist who looks like Jesse Ventura argues with a long-bearded protester, who tells him that "most of this crowd come from families making $4,000 to $8,000 a year and are here so their grandchildren can have clean water." The Czech misunderstands, replies that $8,000 a month is good living.

At West York and 18th Street, in front of the Octagon House, where James Madison lived after the British burned the White House, a foot from a police barricade and line, protesters lie on the street, linked in an unbreakable chain by each holding the other's ankles under his or her arms. A protester tells me the police have generally been good; but she personally witnessed a cop use his baton to bang two young people on the head -- and she gives me his name. I write it down and ask hers. "I'm Peacemother," she says.

Why, tactically, I ask, do the linked demonstrators on the ground block this street when, in effect, it is already blocked by the police? Surely no one will seek to come through. "Well," she says, "here you are asking me about it." Which seems to be the main point of the whole week. The meetings took place; but for much of the week much of America -- on the networks, the talk shows, PBS, C-Span, the newsweeklies, opinion magazines, daily papers and Internet -- talked about "globalization" and its shortcomings. Not all talk was on the same level. Daniel Schorr grumped about "globalphobia" and Rush Limbaugh compared the peace-loving, law-abiding Miami Cubans with the lawless wackos and weirdoes, "an endless parade of human debris" soiling our capital's streets by their presence. The World Bank and IMF talked to themselves, but heard enough noise from the street to resolve to do something on debt relief and spend more to fight AIDS in Africa. Like the World Trade Organization after Seattle, they are a bit less the faceless forces they were a year ago.

Four Emory students told me they were satisfied, they had learned a lot, which they would share back in Atlanta. Pax Christi leader Dave Robinson learned three things: 1. A great variety of groups, religious and non-religious, can work together. Three years ago you couldn't get 50 people to an event like this. Today, 10,000. 2. New techniques -- like the "lock boxes," barricades strengthened by arms linked inside long plastic tubing, and the "pile up," where 20 people pile on top of each other to prevent one from being arrested. 3. They can do all this nonviolently.