[mgj-discuss] 4-7pm Happy Hour Rally: Release! Come!

[Herb Ettel]

MOBILIZATION FOR GLOBAL JUSTICE
For Immediate Release: November 21, 2003
Herb Ettel (202) 291-2258
David Levy (202) 288-2283


D.C. Global Justice Activists Celebrate Success Against
FTAA in Miami with 'Happy Hour Rally', Theatrics and Mirth Sends Off Vans 
to March to Close U.S. Military's School of the Americas

(Washington, D.C.)- Globalization activists in D.C. will celebrate their 
movement's success opposing the Free Trade Area of the Americas at the FTAA 
Ministerial talks in Miami, in a "Happy Hour Rally" today near the U.S. 
Treasury Department. Using puppets, music and mirth, including the 
theatrical appearance of "Billionaires for Free Trade", they will show 
solidarity with the thousands of labor, environmental, and economic justice 
advocates, who marched in Miami against the FTAA.

"The groundswell of opposition to FTAA and other so-called 'free trade' 
agreements, shows a growing awareness by both Latin and North Americans 
that the corporate-dominated process and rules give the wealthy greater 
power to exploit workers and resources while reducing jobs, wages, 
democracy and human rights everywhere," said Nadine Bloch. Bloch is an 
organizer with the Mobilization for Global Justice, sponsor of the rally. 
"Small farmers are being driven off their land, pharmaceutical prices for 
lifesaving drugs are out of reach for the people who need them most, and 
access to clean water is jeopardized by increasing privatization of public 
goods."

Today's festivities take place 5-7 p.m. at 15th and Pennsylvania Avenue 
N.W. They will conclude with a rousing send-off of DC activists driving 
vans tonight to Ft. Benning, Ga., for this weekend's protest to close the 
U.S. military's controversial School of the Americas there. Renamed the 
"Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation" in 2001, the SOA is 
a combat training school for Latin American soldiers, including techniques 
of interrogation, crowd control and assassination.

"Graduates of the School of the Americas have tortured, raped, 
assassinated, 'disappeared', massacred, and made refugees of hundreds of 
thousands of Central and South Americans, including many priests and nuns" 
explained Hendrik Voss, of SOA Watch. "FTAA would cause even greater 
military repression throughout the Americas, to protect corporate 
interests. It is appropriate these actions come in the same week. It's time 
to shut down the SOA and to stop the FTAA."

The Mobilization for Global Justice is a Washington, DC based organization 
of groups and individuals focused on the growing problem of corporate 
globalization in today's world.  It sponsors educational events, rallies 
and demonstrations that serve to highlight the harmful neo-liberal economic 
policies carried out by unaccountable, undemocratic international financial 
institutions.  Visit our web site at <www.globalizethis.org>.
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