* Activists brutalized at FTAA protest; FTAA Ministerial concludes with "watered-down" agreement *
from indymedia.org

As over 10,000 people demonstrated in Fort Benning, Georgia, against the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, formerly called the US Army School of the Americas and on the heels of 200,000-strong demonstrations against George Bush's formal state visit to the United Kingdom, thousands of demonstrators gathered in Miami to protest the signing of the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas, which would extend "free trade" rules similar to those in NAFTA to all American states except Cuba. (See People's Global Action for context). Creative actions during the protests included public sharing of food, guerrilla gardening and demonstrations against the biases of corporate media, featuring the Kensington Welfare Rights Union.

The Miami police were led by former Philadelphia police commissioner John Timoney, made infamous during the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, August 2000, which has since set a national precedent for police brutality and arbitrary mass arrests during demonstrations. Following Timoney's decision to "embed" reporters within the ranks of the police, at least seven non-embedded journalists were among the more than 250 activists arrested, including Democracy Now! producer Ana Nogueira, and Indymedia reporters Justin Lipson, Jeanette Lee and Michael Medow. There have been at least twelve activists hospitalized with serious injuries and police even attacked the clinic where demonstrators were being treated. There have been repeated reports of torture and abuse in prison, unfair targeting of Queer activists and People of Color, and data collection for sharing with immigration and customs agencies, prompting calls for a Congressional investigation from Amnesty International and the United teelworkers of America. Donations are being collected for bail, legal, and medical costs.

Shortly after the protest, Jordan, a Miami street medic who worked with New Jersey Anti-Racist Action, died of meningicoccal meningitis [Memorial Website].

Despite the police and paramilitary repression, the FTAA conference concluded early, with an agreement that is less restrictive for member states than the original proposal. Activists are already regrouping to prepare for the Western Hemispheric Conference against Neoliberal Globalization and the FTAA, to be held in Havana, Cuba, on January 23.

Én nem alkotok véleményt, csak beszúrom ide, más is lássa. A véleményemet már leírtam elébb, egész blog szól vélemény :)

  ¶ 12/01/2003 03:14:00 pm