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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Personal account of WEF protest -- one family's experience. |
Current rating: 0 |
by Gil Raviv (posted by Sascha)
Email: meinrath (nospam) ucimc.org (unverified!) |
05 Feb 2002
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Gil first contacted the Global IMC Donate list following his experiences in NYC during the World Economic Forum (WEF) protests. He sent me his story about what he and his family experienced and I asked if I could post it on our news wire. I think it an exemplar of what has been happening at protests throughout the country. |
Here is my story of the WEF Protest for our family....
I went from MA to CT Friday 2/1/02, then to NY on Sat 2/2/02 with my family. We walked from the Hotel up 42nd St. to Madison Ave., we were going up and to where we heard and read there was going to be a peaceful protest (50th and Park Ave). We intended to go to a street carnival @ 59th and Park later in the day because it sounded like fun for the kids (SE Corner of Central Park).
We later found out that a major confrontation happened there. We tried unsuccessfully to cross over to Park Ave (the site of the permitted protest - a safe green zone) We were turned away on 50th, 51st, 52nd and 53rd. We kept being told to go farther away. We finally got to cross over from 54th to Park Ave.
We were allowed to enter into one of those "steel cages". They were a series of areas partitioned by metal barriers 2 x 6 (~ 8 ft long each). These areas could hold about 400 people each. These were the measures the WEF needed to
secure itself by. At first, I believe, I was singled out for having dreads and asked by some police to see my backpack. My crime was opening a metal barrier to let some
protesters in the holding pens these masters of design created.
I said I don't consent to a search and was asked, "What did you say?" I repeated myself and then was told I would have to go. I told him all I had in the backpack but he insisted I give it to him. I said, "I can't believe you are keeping us in theses pens like caged animals" He continued digging amongst my "suspected weapons". All they found was a banana, a tangerine, some granola bars and some juice/water. Big catch NYPD Blue Man Group.
Is this not either insane, an indication of a police state, another Rasta profiling, unusual aggression, being ticked off by my anarchistic colored red and black coats, angered by my buttons "Meat is Murder" and "Humans aren't the only species on earth They just act like it", stupidity, evil, a
sign, just plain discrimination or what? One of them said, "It is for everyone's protection". How ironic - they had the batons, guns, and bulletproof vests, riot gear, 1,000's of their own "army" nearby, snipers on roofs, helicopters overhead and more. All I had were snacks for my kids.
My wife and kids got scared and walked away thinking the worst was yet to come, but it ended peacefully. We gathered with our own held signs, took pictures, and waited for action. I was shook up a bit but was quickly moving into protest mode: buying pins, getting many organizations material (flyers. newsletters, signs, newspaper's and other information).
We stayed from 12:30 till 2:00 listening to great speakers, repeating phrases like "we stand in solidarity with you" (workers, oppressed, victims, poor, hungry, etc), listening and singing music like "Get up stand up - Stand up for your rights" (Bob Marley), and chanting "Beat Back The Bush Attack, Beat-Beat Back The Bush Attack", "WEF - SHUT IT DOWN", "Power To The People, Power To The People Right On", WEF - You Cant Hide - We charge You With Genocide", etc
This is what we needed to do - not because we are crazy radicals but because we are caring human beings commenting on the situations that have been set up by the rich, corrupt self-serving elite, governments and mega-multi-national corporations.
It's just sick and sad that all the main media is ignoring the messages of the protesters, the groups and it's people. They love focusing in on the parties these free market WEF attendees are schmoozing at, security issues
for the police, how New Yorker's are handling this invasion of the "anti-globalization" movement and some "violence". . Maybe that sells.
Are they going to seek the truth or speak it? Are they going to find the real issues? As usual - They got plenty to sell and nothing to tell.
Keep changing the world,
Gil |
See also:
www.ucimc.org
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