In 1999 the world
was introduced to a protest movement waged against the ever-growing
trend of "Globalization." With over a hundred countries
sending delegates to the World Trade Organization (WTO) conference
in Seattle, Washington, 50 thousand international protesters,
representing a smorgasbord of issues ranging from "save
the whales" to the unethical work conditions in third world
countries, convened in an attempt to disrupt the meetings and
influence policy decisions. This anti-globalization movement
resurfaced months later in Washington, D.C., during the International
Monetary Fund meetings. In both instances a small number of
the protesters destroyed public and private property and police
responded indiscriminately with aggressive and often violent
attacks. Teargas, mace, and rubber bullets were among the many
devices used to quell the flare-ups that ensued.
