SEATTLE -
10 years ago today riots broke out on the streets of Seattle during the first WTO meeting on U.S. soil. Now the WTO is opening their conference today in Switzerland, but police and demonstrators have already clashed.
Those who were part of Seattle's event say many of the demonstrators 10 years ago, were peaceful. Heather Day was among the group and says the violence distracted from why many of them were out there. "We were very disciplined, principled people that felt very passionately about the injustices of the global economy" Day said.
Day joined with others to commemorate the anniversary with the "The People's Summit" at Seattle University. It's a 3-day conference to remember the events from 1999 and discuss current problems.
Presenters at the event say they've seen progress and setbacks over the last 10 years. "It's not as accommodating for protests as it once was" Doug Honig of the Washington ACLU said. He adds "at the same point, it's really important that people know what their rights are and stand-up for them."
The group also said the WTO demonstrations were a big building block for the alternative media. One panelist encouraged the group to remember "people can be given voice to share how their stories are told."
UW Professor Emeritus Philip Bereano says there's been little change to the US trade policy that many people protested. "The U.S. is always talking in favor of WTO but it doesn't abide by the WTO rules" Bereano said. Bereano adds "5 different judgments in the WTO found the US is violating its rules by giving supports to US farmers."
Bereano was among those who say they're not surprised by the current protests in Geneva. "We're not playing by the rules that we're pushing on other countries" Bereano said.
"The People's Summit" will hold a march today. Organizers hope it will remind people about the problems that first sent them to the streets, a decade ago and get involved with the issues they still want to tackle.
Those who were part of Seattle's event say many of the demonstrators 10 years ago, were peaceful. Heather Day was among the group and says the violence distracted from why many of them were out there. "We were very disciplined, principled people that felt very passionately about the injustices of the global economy" Day said.
Day joined with others to commemorate the anniversary with the "The People's Summit" at Seattle University. It's a 3-day conference to remember the events from 1999 and discuss current problems.
Presenters at the event say they've seen progress and setbacks over the last 10 years. "It's not as accommodating for protests as it once was" Doug Honig of the Washington ACLU said. He adds "at the same point, it's really important that people know what their rights are and stand-up for them."
The group also said the WTO demonstrations were a big building block for the alternative media. One panelist encouraged the group to remember "people can be given voice to share how their stories are told."
UW Professor Emeritus Philip Bereano says there's been little change to the US trade policy that many people protested. "The U.S. is always talking in favor of WTO but it doesn't abide by the WTO rules" Bereano said. Bereano adds "5 different judgments in the WTO found the US is violating its rules by giving supports to US farmers."
Bereano was among those who say they're not surprised by the current protests in Geneva. "We're not playing by the rules that we're pushing on other countries" Bereano said.
"The People's Summit" will hold a march today. Organizers hope it will remind people about the problems that first sent them to the streets, a decade ago and get involved with the issues they still want to tackle.
