- In full:
- Seattle World Trade Organization protests of 1999
- Also called:
- Battle of Seattle
- Date:
- November 28, 1999 - December 3, 1999
Seattle WTO protests of 1999
-
What were the Seattle WTO protests of 1999?
The Seattle WTO protests of 1999, from November 28 to December 3, disrupted the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference in Seattle. A coalition of labor unions, student groups, NGOs, media activists, and others protested against WTO policies, free trade, and human rights issues related to globalization.
On November 30, an estimated 10,000 protesters prevented the opening ceremony from taking place. Police responded with pepper spray, tear gas, and rubber bullets, while some protesters threw sticks and water bottles. A few hundred anarchists damaged Starbucks, Nike, Nordstrom, and other stores.
The mayor declared a curfew and requested support from the National Guard and the U.S. military. Mass dissension, civil disobedience, vandalism, and curfew violations led to more than 500 arrests on December 1. The conference was suspended on December 3 due to the protests and disagreements between delegations. The Seattle WTO protests are viewed as the start of the antiglobalization movement.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Why were people protesting at the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle?
The Seattle WTO protests of 1999 involved marches, direct actions, and protests from November 28 through December 3, 1999, disrupting the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Seattle, Washington.
A broad coalition, including labor unions, student groups, NGOs, media activists, and others, protested against specific WTO policies, free trade, and human rights failures of globalization.
On November 30, an estimated 10,000 protesters prevented the opening ceremony, leading to police using pepper spray, tear gas, and rubber bullets. Simultaneously, the AFL-CIO Peopleās Rally and March of over 25,000 activists moved downtown, while some anarchists damaged stores. The mayor declared a curfew, and the National Guard and U.S. military joined the police.
On December 3, the conference was suspended due to street actions and disagreements between delegations. The Seattle WTO protests jump-started international antiglobalization protests and demonstrated the power of the Internet for mobilization and coalition building.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Who participated in the Seattle WTO protests?
The Seattle WTO protests of 1999 involved a diverse coalition of participants. These included the American Federation of LaborāCongress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and other labor unions, student groups, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), media activists, international farm and industrial workers, and anarchists. An estimated 40,000 protesters gathered in Seattle to oppose WTO policies, free trade, and human rights issues related to globalization.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What methods did protestors use during the Seattle WTO protests?
During the Seattle WTO protests of 1999, a diverse coalition of groups employed varied methods of protest. These tactics included marches, direct actions, and civil disobedience such as street theater, sit-ins, and chaining themselves to objects. Some protesters used "black bloc" tactics, causing property damage to stores like Starbucks and Nike. In response, police used pepper spray, tear gas, and rubber bullets, leading to arrests and further demonstrations against police tactics. Despite the eventual suspension of the conference, the protests left Seattle with millions of dollars in property damage and civil rights lawsuits.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did the police and city officials respond to the protests?
During the Seattle WTO protests of 1999, city officials and police responded to widespread disruption with escalating measures. On November 30, police used pepper spray, tear gas, and rubber bullets against protesters, some of whom responded by throwing objects.
As protests continued, Mayor Paul Schell declared a curfew. December 1 saw the illegalization of gas masks for protestors and the creation of a "no protest zone". The Washington National Guard and the U.S. military joined the Seattle police. These actions led to mass arrests, with over 500 people detained on December 1 alone.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What effects did the Seattle WTO protests have on future global meetings and activism?
The Seattle WTO protests of 1999, a series of marches, direct actions, and protests, disrupted the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference in Seattle. The protests are viewed as the start of the anti-globalization movement. They were some of the first major international mobilizations coordinated via the Internet. The Seattle WTO protests jump-started a series of international anti-globalization protests and helped progressive movements realize the power of the Internet for mobilization and coalition building.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Seattle WTO protests of 1999, a series of marches, direct actions, and protests carried out from November 28 through December 3, 1999, that disrupted the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Seattle, Washington. Comprising a broad and diffuse coalition of the American Federation of LaborāCongress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and other labour unions, student groups, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), media activists, international farm and industrial workers, anarchists, and others, the Seattle WTO protests are often viewed as the inauguration of the antiglobalization movement.
The Seattle WTO protests were some of the first major international mobilizations to be coordinated via the Internet. The protests were reported online with streaming audio and video clips by the Seattle Independent Media Center. While 400,000 people took part in a virtual sit-in of the WTO Web site organized by the Electrohippies Collective, more than 40,000 protesters (some estimates were as high as 60,000) were in Seattle to oppose everything from specific WTO policies to free trade and the human rights failures of globalization. Throughout the week, NGOs also sponsored debates, lectures, and teach-ins.
By the morning of November 30 (dubbed N30), an estimated 10,000 protesters surrounded the Paramount Theatre and Convention Center, where many WTO functions were being held. Through a variety of tactics, such as street theatre, sit-ins, chaining themselves together, and locking themselves to metal pipes in strategic locations, the protesters prevented the opening ceremony from taking place. In response to this civil disobedience, the police used pepper spray, tear gas, and rubber bullets in their efforts to disperse the crowd; some protesters responded in kind by throwing sticks and water bottles. At the same time, the permitted AFL-CIO Peopleās Rally and March of more than 25,000 activists began at Memorial Stadium. As the march gradually moved downtown toward the Convention Center, a few hundred anarchists used targeted āblack blocā property-destruction tactics against Starbucks, Nike, Nordstrom, and other stores, and a few protesters burned trash cans and broke store windows. By midday Seattleās central business district was clogged with marchers and other protesters, and consequently several WTO events were cancelled. The police ran out of riot-control chemicals, and Mayor Paul Schell, looking to quell the massive protests in anticipation of President Bill Clintonās arrival the following day, declared a curfew for 7 pm to 7 am in the area.
The following day, December 1, saw the illegalization of gas masks for the protestors and the creation of a 50-block āno protest zoneā in the central business district. At the mayorās request, the Seattle police were joined by members of the Washington National Guard and the U.S. military. More mass dissension and acts of civil disobedience, some vandalism, and curfew violations resulted in reprisals by the police forces and the eventual arrest of more than 500 people on December 1 alone. On December 2 and 3, thousands of demonstrators staged sit-ins outside the Seattle Police Department to protest what was seen by many as the departmentās brutal tactics against peaceful protesters. Finally, December 3 ended with U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky and WTO Director-General Mike Moore announcing the suspension of the conference in response to both the street actions and disagreements between the various delegations.
Seattle was left with millions of dollars in property damage and lawsuits by protesters arguing civil rights violations. While many of the affiliations formed by divergent political groups dissolved within the next few years, the Seattle WTO protests did jump-start a series of international antiglobalization protests and helped progressive movements realize the power of the Internet for mobilization and coalition building.