WTO Talks Close with Partial Trade Agreement, Over 900 Protesters Arrested in Hong Kong
The World Trade Organization wrapped up its six-day ministerial meeting on Sunday with a partial trade agreement. On Saturday police arrested 900 protesters during widespread protests on the streets of Hong Kong led by farmers, peasants and union members. We go to Hong Kong for a report.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Maude Barlow, the Director of the Council of Canadians, describing Saturday's protest.
MAUDE BARLOW: I have never seen anything as brave and courageous or organized in my life as the peasants, the farmers’ unions and the Korean activists. They came in, they were absolutely clear what they were going to do. They wanted to break into that convention center, and they were going to do whatever they had to in terms of tactics. They were so disciplined, and they split their people off in a number of ways so that when they get the police busy in one area, they break through in others. It got really brutal at the end. The tear gas was just everywhere, and the riot police came in. It was really, really ugly.
But I think they’re inside, the last thing we saw before we got tear-gassed was that they were inside. They had breached the convention center, which is incredible, because there are thousands and thousands of riot police here, and I just hope -- you know, may I be right, but I fear that I'm wrong, that the delegates in there, especially the heads of the northern countries, are hearing why these people would put themselves through this. They're the gentlest, sweetest, most dedicated people who are just as afraid of violence and, you know, the police and the tear gas as anybody, but they have such courage, because they have run out of options, just absolutely run out of options.
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/12/19/1515220
http://www.canadians.org/
http://www.democracyctr.org/blog/index.htm
Well who knows what will happen next?
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
