[mgj-discuss] AP: D.C. Police Prepare for IMF, World Bank Protesters

[David Levy]

>Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2002 17:22:51 -0700 (PDT)
>From: "Peter S. Lopez de Sacra" <humaneliberation at yahoo.com>
>Subject: D.C. Police Prepare for IMF, World Bank Protesters
>To: HumaneRightsAgenda at yahoogroups.com, Nimchira at cox.net
>X-Loop-Detect: 1
>
>D.C. Police Prepare for IMF, World Bank Protesters
>By DAVID HO, Associated Press
>Published 3:08 p.m. PDT Wednesday, September 25, 2002
>
>WASHINGTON (AP) - Protesters are pledging to shut down
>the nation's capital Friday with demonstrations that
>will "disrupt traffic and convey a symbolic message"
>against capitalism and war.
>
>The protests are a prelude to even larger
>demonstrations planned for the weekend during meetings
>of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
>
>The FBI issued a warning this week that computer
>hackers may conduct "cyber protests" during the
>financial meetings.
>
>"A small group that intends to disrupt the meetings
>with a physical attack may use cyber means to enhance
>the effects of the physical attack or to complicate
>the response by emergency services," the agency said
>in a statement.
>
>The Anti-Capitalist Convergence, a group that wants to
>abolish the global financial institutions, said
>Wednesday that they would hold several nonviolent
>demonstrations during Friday morning's rush hour. The
>events include a mass bike ride to protest the Bush
>administration's environmental policies and a march
>opposing "corporate greed" that will target the
>headquarters of various companies.
>
>The demonstrators said they do not have permits for
>these events, which would wind through Washington's
>downtown business district.
>
>Police plan to block off streets in the area around
>the financial institutions, located just a few blocks
>from the White House, and are bringing in 1,700
>officers from neighboring communities to help local
>law enforcement.
>
>On Wednesday, U.S. Park Police officers practiced
>crowd control maneuvers, including drills on removing
>people who obstruct roads and buildings - things
>protesters are threatening to do Friday.
>
>Deputy Chief Dwight Pettiford said his officers will
>be "kind and gentle" with protesters, but they'll also
>be very firm with those who practice disobedience.
>
>Further disruption could be caused by demonstrator
>"affinity groups," small clusters of protesters
>working independently.
>
>"They will be staking out strategic and political
>targets to disrupt traffic and convey a symbolic
>message to the city to draw attention to the issues
>they think are important," ACC organizer Andrew Willis
>said. He said affinity groups will converge from all
>over the United States and Canada, bringing thousands
>of demonstrators to Washington.
>
>"The people who are coming here on Sept. 27 do not
>consider themselves violent nor do they consider their
>tactics to be violent," Willis said. He said the
>demonstrators want an end to all debts, including
>personal debt, and universal access to food, water and
>housing.
>
>Many members of the ACC call themselves "anarchists."
>Police have blamed anarchists for much of the violence
>during past protests against the global financial

>institutions.
>
>In April 2000, Washington police arrested about 1,300
>people during demonstrations against the IMF and World
>Bank.
>
>Confrontations last year outside the Group of Eight
>summit in Genoa, Italy, caused extensive property
>damage, hundreds of arrests and injuries and the death
>of one Italian protester who was shot by police.
>
>Last year's IMF and World Bank meeting was canceled
>after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, so protesters
>called off their plans, with many holding anti-war
>demonstrations instead.
>
>Protests in Washington during the April meetings of
>the IMF and World Bank were peaceful and focused on
>issues ranging from the war against terrorism to U.S.
>Mideast policy.
>
>This year, the global financial institutions have
>scaled back their annual meeting, from a week to two
>days, in an effort to trim soaring security costs.
>
>Mobilization for Global Justice, which advocates
>nonviolent protests and serves as an umbrella
>organization for a number of activist groups, is the
>main organizer of planned protests to take place
>outside the World Bank on Saturday. Protest organizers
>say they expect thousands to turn out to demand that
>the financial institutions open their meetings to the
>public, end harmful economic policies and cancel Third
>World debt.
>
>Protesters from around the world plan a series of
>teach-ins and workshops leading up to the weekend
>demonstrations. 
>-----------------------------------------------------
>Source: Sacramento Bee
>http://www.sacbee.com/24hour/nation/story/550324p-4342901c.html
>
>Related Website:
>Global Justice Week Begins + Stop Corporate Greed
>Protest the World Bank and IMF
>http://sept.globalizethis.org/
>
>=====
>Towards True Harmony On Mother Earth~~
>Brother Peter S. Lopez
>
>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HumaneRightsAgenda/
> http://members.tripod.com/nimchira/id22.htm
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>