[E-rundbrief] Info 33: Writers Bloc: Report from Cancun - We are winning

[Matthias Reichl]

E-Rundbrief - Info 33

Bad Ischl, 16.9.2003

Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit
www.begegnungszentrum.at

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Report from Cancun

We Are Winning

By WRITERS BLOC   http://www.counterpunch.org/cancun09152003.html

By the time news that negotiations inside the WTO had imploded in the face
of an open and unified insurrection by delegates of the global south, the
party was in full swing. Members of the resistance Peasants from South
Africa, Thailand, Central America and Korea with a large crowd of global
justice activists still high from the success of the previous day's grande
manifestation', danced around the fountain. At kilometer zero, the spot
where Lee Kyung Have fell by his own hand just a few days earlier, ecstatic
celebration mixed with memorial, an American hippie drummer joined the
Korean percussionists. Mexican campesinos sported Korean headbands and a
handsome schoolteacher from Seoul stood slightly apart from the joyous
crowd in dark sunglasses and an embroidered ladies indigenous blouse.

With tears in his eyes, the president of Via Campesino recounted the words
of Lee's daughter when he presented her with a bouquet earlier in the
day."My father is not dead," she said. "He lives in the heart of farmers
allover the world". As people gathered around the memorial that had grown
up at the junction, Cancunensas brought their children forward to light
candles at the memorial, passing vehicles honked their horns in support, and
in some of the weeks most surreal images, truckloads of Policia Federal
gave the thumbs up as local cops tied white flags to the antennas of their
cars.

The previous day, thousands of resisters descended on the newly fortified
security barrier near kilometer zero. Like the initial structure, this
fortification was pulverized by the collective action of the demonstration.
A couple of hundred women first massed along the fence and set about it
with heavy bolt cutters. Mountains of wire were cut free and discarded by
supporters as the women went into the 10 foot deep no man's land, thousands
of riot police pressing at the other side. Bolts and chains which locked
the wall together disappeared in a Fordist destruction line, the chains
worn around the necks of the African women as trophies.

During the gradual escalation of militant activity, Media Benjamin, CEO of
Global Exchange, a San Francisco craft's importer and travel agency, was
spotted on the outskirts of the demonstration. Obviously sensing an
opportunity to increase her product visibility, she, like many other NGO
boosters, crawled out from amongst the WTO delegates to rub elbows with the
resistance. Nowhere to be seen at the second assault was the liberal
mouthpiece and parliamentarian, Tom Haydan who outdid the rightwing media
in his assessment that the movement was split by a mythical debate
over'violence' as a tactic. Nothing could be further from the truth. The
notorious black block, the same ones who keep Hayden awake at
night,displayed a sophisticated and mature reading of the situation. They
worked closely with the women at the front in securing the barricade from
nutcases and provocateurs ensuring the success of the day.

Next up, the Koreans. They had spent the morning weaving rope into long
plaits. These were brought forward and attached to the top of the
barricade. The throng lined up, took the three lines in hand and began to
pull in time with the Korean chants of a work gang. During an incredible
three hours, the barricade was destroyed and removed from the road by the
steady collective action of the crowd. It took several turns and minor
adjustments to tear the wall asunder. At one point, when it was about to
tear into two parts for the first time, several journalists and
photographers were gathered inside the collapsing structure. Warnings to
vacate were given and the work teams paused, breaking the tempo of the
operation. Nevertheless, as the steel caved towards the crowd 2
photographers went arse over tit inside as it rolled. Fortunately the work
gangs were attentive enough that the signal went quickly along the line and
these people were saved from grave injury.

The atmosphere was otherworldly as the mammoth structure began to buckle
and sway, the realization began pass through those assembled that this
thing was really coming down. The crowd was silent as the drummers
accompanied the heaves of those on the ropes and the barricade
disintegrated. It was quickly moved from the road onto the median where
youths mounted it for a better view of the front line, now a small open
space between the riot cops, a throng of cameras, the Koreans and the women
of the movement of the global south.

In an unorthodox but tactically genius move, the crowd, flying high on this
tremendous group achievement, which was ready to storm, to riot, to do
almost anything- instead sat down. There was a ceremony and moment of
silence for comrade Lee, and then the electrifying news that not only had a
group of Korean companeros made it into the convention center, but the
group of 21 developing nations had signed a document refusing the proposals
of the U.S.A and E.U. We are winning.

For days militants had infiltrated the "zona hoteleria" and caused
mayhem,blocking traffic, confronting delegates and being chased around by a
bewildered army of private security, conscripts and military policemen. In
one of the weeks more comical actions, a 'reclaim the beach' party was
reported on breathlessly by network correspondents as a demonstration.Video
footage showed bathers bobbing, and waving while fifty odd security guards
stood sweating on the sand scratching their heads. Due obviously to orders
not to sully the image of the WTO with arrests or blood, these spontaneous
demos would routinely end in a negotiated deal whereby the police would
provide air conditioned coaches back to kilometer zero and parties at the
Korean encampment. This is the real Cancun.

On Sunday night at the fiesta around the memorial to Lee, the mood was
triumphant. People from around the world celebrated the death of the WTO
and the life of Kyung Hae Lee. His death had crystallized something very
important. As one Campesino woman put it, he has given us a great gift; he
has reminded us that the policies of the WTO are a matter of life and
death. 9/15/2003

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Matthias Reichl
Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit
Wolfgangerstr.26
A-4820 Bad Ischl
Tel. +43-6132-24590
e-mail: mareichl at ping.at
http://www.begegnungszentrum.at