Mark Read

Brooklyn

Other/Almost

On November 30th, 1999 in Seattle Washington I stood shoulder to shoulder with thousands of fellow citizens to resist corporate globalization and the perversion of democracy by the World Trade Organization. We prevented the WTO from beginning its millenial round that day, and our creative non-violent resistance on the outside helped lead to the collapse of the talks on the inside, and, ultimately, to the diminishing of the WTO's power. Corporate Globalization, as led by the WTO, is a process by which the rich get richer at the expense of the poor and the environment. The movement against it, which began with the global south's resistance against the IMF in the 1980's and reached its peak in Seattle and afterward, peeled away the mystique of "free trade" and revealed the brutal truth of neoliberalism. This truth-telling has played a vitally important role in the uprisings now occurring in North Africa, as resistance to neoliberal austerity measures is at the heart of the the revolutions we are seeing there today. When I see the images of smoke in the air, of those people spontaneously organizing themselves in Tahir Square to tend to their defense and their well-being, I cannot help but think back to the medic teams, and the communications teams, and the affinity groups that were organized in the streets of Seattle, and other cities all around the world; that have been organized each and every time common people rise up against those that exploit and mistreat them. These revolutions and my revolution were the same struggle, the same revolution. A wealthy elite games the system to accrue great wealth and privilege to themselves, and they use the firepower of the state to protect and maintain that privilege. Eventually, people- the slumbering giant- wake up, and shake off their shackles.

Maintain solidarity and resist compromise. You will grow weary and divisions will arise. Take the long view and try to have patience.