WASHINGTON DC (April 24[25], 2004) -- April 24, 2004 marked the US alternative globalization movement's protest against the International Monetary Fund and World Bank as these international institutions of neoliberal capitalism celebrated 60 years--60 years of exploiting the Third World in the interests of global capital.

The march was about three blocks long and did not quite fill up Edward R. Morrow Park across from the World Bank. Were there as many present on April 24 as were arrested April 15-17, 2000--1,230+--when about 30,000 protested IMF/WB policies, according to estimates (Z Magazine, June, 2000)? Maybe 2,000. On April 16, 2000, Z Magazine writer Robin Hahnel estimated that 8,000 were linked in direct action blockades outside 18 police barricades surrounding the Bretton Woods institutions. On April 24, 2004, there was no direct action.

At Franklin Park (14th and I Streets), protesters gathered to hear alternative globalization speakers. Maude Barlow brought greetings from the global justice movement in Canada. Barlow spoke of the effects of privatization on tens of thousands of familes in South Africa. Analytically, Barlow pointed out that while the World Bank makes the demands on governments to privatize public services in exchange for loans, the World Trade Organization codifies the privatization through a system of trade rules. But things changed when the WTO met in Cancun, Mexico in 2003. "People from the Global South stood up to the WTO," said Barlow. At these meetings, the Kenyan delegation walked out when they realized that the WTO was not going to address issues of agricultural policy. Kenya was followed by the rest of the African delegation, Latin America, and Asia. Officials of the WTO claimed that this "was a bad day for the world." However, Barlow recounted, the Global South said "This is a bad day for you [WTO, IMF, WB, US, Europe, Japan], but not a bad day for the world." Barlow ended by asking people to remember the Korean farmer Lee who gave his life in protest for the Global South in Cancun.

A member of Argentina's Madre (mothers of "disappeared" children due to kidnapping and killing by death squads), Tina, next spoke. Tina said "We've come here to repudiate the IMF and World Bank. They are robbers which violate economic and political rights." Tina criticized Plan Colombia, Plan Pueblo Panana, increased militarization, and the US war on Iraq. She concluded "We don't owe. We won't pay! Another world is possible!"

After 1pm, the march began behind the black, blue and yellow banner of the Mobilization for Global Justice to the chants of "What do we want? Global justice. When do we want it? Now." And, as it progressed to Morrow Park, the livelier "1,2,3,4. Stop the war on the poor. 5,6,7,8. Global Justice cannot wait."

The day was bright with sunshine, temperature in the 70s. Perfect for the display of colorful banners. There was a contingent with "Convergence of Movements, People of the Americas COMPA. Building Alternatives to Corporate Globalization," a network that unites dozens of popular, campesino, indigenous, religious, student, women's, and community organizations, and unions from around the American continent against corporate globalization. And "MRTA. Pueblo Peruano. Lucha Por Tus Derechos." A student contingent, part of United Students Against Sweatshops, carried 3'x6' vertical banners hoisted high--"Students United" in blue, "Global Justice" in dark blue, "Swartmore" in black with red letters, "Cornell" in red, "Temple" in green, "Haverford" in yellow.

A large, striking banner came with a contingent from North Carolina. It almost stretched across the whole street requiring more than six individuals to carry it. Its lettering asked "What's it take to get a drop of water out of the place?" as a representation of a long line of people of color waited to get a drop of water from a faucet. Access to the water was represented as controlled by a 'white' man in a black suit with red tie sitting behind a table with the sign "H2O. $5" and behind the capitalist a colorful globe, directly the oceans. The banner was a creation of the Raleigh project "Public Assembly." Indymedia spoke briefly with Tara Purohit who carried one end of the banner. The banner, which initially made its appearance at the FTAA protests in Miami in November, was the creation of Joe McTaggart, Roger Ehrlich, and others in the Chapel Hill area.

Purohit, who works on civil and voting rights issues in North Carolina, was in DC for the large march for women's rights to take place the next day on April 25. At least 7 bus loads were coming from North Carolina for the women's march, she said. Planned Parenthood hoped to mobilize 20,000 from NC, according to Purohit. We asked how important she thought it was to cross-link issues. Present for both IMF/WB and Women's March, she said "really important", noting that Planned Parenthood has also made considerable effort to connect with communities of color and low-income women for the April 25 march.

In addition to the creative banners of "Public Assembly", Indymedia also came upon the work of the Beehive Collective from Machias, Maine. The Beehive Collective has been around for three years and has created large banners with considerable detail on Plan Colombia, Free Trade Areas of the Americas, and Latin American Solidarity. Beehive, according to the collective member we spoke with, is currently developing a banner on Plan Pueblo Panama and collective members are currently in Costa Rica collecting stories from the grassroots for representation.

The march arrived at Morrow Park across from the World Bank (1818 Pennsylvania Avenue). There more activists spoke. Virginia Setshedi of the Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee and Anti-Privatisation Forum in Cape Town in South Africa, said that people in her country are dying because they don't have access to electricity and water due to privatization. In the past, Virginia said, "People of Africa died from slavery. Now they are dying because of privatization. Down with the World Bank and IMF. Amanda!"

The march headed back toward Franklin Park for more festive protest....

Why was the turnout to protest the 60th anniversary of the IMF and World Bank so small? As we learned from many we talked to in the streets, more protesters were expected for the Women's March on April 25th--800,000 or more, as it turned out. Activists and citizens must make choices about time and issue priorities. Also, the recent WTO and FTAA meetings collapsed as the Global South rebels against neoliberalism. Governments as well as social movements are drawing lines against IMF/WB/WTO--Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, and possibly South Africa, India.

However, the work of global justice activists is not over when Third World governments say "No" to neoliberalism. At the Socialist Scholars Conference, held in New York City in March, 2004, many speakers and audience participants from other countries spoke about the crucial importance for activists to challenge the economic and foreign policies of the United States ruling oligarchy. The IMF/WB/WTO represent the economic power of global capital; the Pentagon is the other side. Consider the recent wars against Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and the US manipulation, or ignoring, of the United Nations. The battle will be far from over even if Democrat John Kerry becomes the next US president.

The problem is that many liberals, both left-liberal and naive liberal, will believe they done they duty by pulling the lever for Kerry. If only such 'citizens' would look closely at the eight years of the Clinton Administration--the destruction of the US welfare state, the use of the IMF and World Bank in the interest of Washington, the introduction of NAFTA, the re-assertion of NATO during the war on Yugoslavia, at least partly to marginalize a potentially social democratic Europe as a political-military counter-power.

It seems only occasionally will as many as 30,000 US 'citizens' come out to raise structural and anti-capitalist questions (IMF/WB/WTO protests)--and most of these are in their 20s. 100,000s may feel the moral responsibility to come out when they expect the B-52s and Marines to kill civilians, especially children (US-Iraq war)--and many former New Leftists and second-wave feminists made it out for peace. And 500,000 to 1 million may come out when very important individual liberties are threatened (the right to choose). The strategic question is to figure out how to convince the 1 million to see through the eyes of the 30,000, and to move them to take the needed political and personal risks.

See the Indymedia photoessay:
baltimore.indymedia.org/pbook/A24/chapter/1