Seattle National Lawyers Guild
                  Releases Draft Report on WTO Ministerial


     PRESS RELEASE
     National Lawyers Guild
     CONTACT: Paul Richmond, wtolegal@yahoo.com

     The Seattle Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild has just
     released its report on the World Trade Organization Ministerial.
     The report examines what took place in Seattle as an example of
     larger trends brought about by destructive economic policies. The
     report pays particular attention to the thinning lines between law
     enforcement and the military and the adverse effects this loss of
     delineation is having on civil liberties. The report begins with
     an overview of the WTO. It provides the historical framework of
     the WTO as an institution born of the think tanks which were
     themselves created by the illicit fortunes of the robber barons.
     It provides concrete examples of the way the WTO has subverted
     democratic institutions, and had detrimental effects on human
     rights, the environment, safety and labor laws.

     Following this, the report traces the way the WTO was brought to
     Seattle. It examines the lack of process that took place - most
     members of the Seattle City Council seem not to have been
     consulted until after the event was a done deal. Moreover, Seattle
     and King County are areas with a history of resistance to WTO and
     GATT. King County was declared an MAI free zone months before the
     WTO's arrival had been announced. Seattle was declared an MAI free
     zone weeks after the WTO's selection of Seattle as it's
     Ministerial site was announced.

     Next comes a report of what took place on the streets of Seattle
     in the weeks leading up to the Ministerial and during the
     Ministerial itself. The report utilizes information from its 200
     legal observers, and hundreds of witness declarations. It also
     utilizes information gained from public disclosure and from email
     chatlines utilized by participating members of law enforcement,
     including commanders and line members of the Seattle Police
     Department. A picture is painted of confused, inexperienced law
     enforcement officers armed with frighteningly powerful,
     potentially lethal weaponry and little idea of what to do with it.
     Random forays seem to be launched against random groups of
     demonstrators. Thousands of people, including bystanders, are
     exposed to potentially lethal chemical agents hours before the
     first window is broken. Masked unmarked police invade the most
     densely populated area on the West Coast North of San Francisco,
     attacking residents and shoppers. Those arrested are often
     subjected to conditions resembling torture. Weapons are repeatedly
     deployed in ways that may be potentially lethal. Police
     themselves, are often injured by their own weapons.

     The official reports that have been released by law enforcement
     consultants all paint pictures of a police force that should have
     used more force and should have utilized it earlier. The NLG draft
     report looks at the economic and political reasons these law
     enforcement administrators have adopted this perspective. It notes
     that the U.S. economy, is a wartime economy. Since the collapse of
     the Soviet Union, much of those resources that were devoted to the
     military have been devoted to law enforcement, with major military
     contractors building prisons and designing "less lethal weapon
     systems." It looks at the moves to classify political dissent as a
     type of warfare, and to utilize recent demonstrations such as the
     WTO Ministerial as examples of why more force should be used. It
     notes the way the factors that have created a shrinking middle
     class, have further divided the "haves" and the "have-nots." The
     picture is one of a global village where the majority of the
     world's population lives in slums and prisons and a wealthy few
     ride around in armored limousines from fortified enclave to
     fortified enclave. This dynamic has created an enlarged and
     militarized law enforcement system.

     The report then examines the thinning lines between the military,
     who are trained to kill, and law enforcement who are trained to
     preserve lives. It examines the way military tactics, training and
     weaponry have come to dominate law enforcement. Citing testimony
     of law enforcement professionals, the report then traces the
     disastrous effect this blending of the two has had on the fabric
     of democracy and members of law enforcement themselves. It
     examines the disastrous way this dynamic has played out in the
     past and the disastrous way this dynamic played out during the WTO
     Ministerial. Citing past work in the field, the report shows how
     such trends can endanger both the fabric of democratic society and
     the law enforcement officers themselves.

     Particular attention is paid to the use of "less lethal" weaponry.
     The origins of rubber bullets, flying truncheons, CS and CN are
     examined. All began as weapons designed to put down rebellions and
     fight wars. All were gradually exported into the areas of law
     enforcement. Looking at the training materials provided by the
     manufacturers themselves, the lethality of these substances is
     examined in detail. If the projectiles strike from too close a
     distance or strike something other than the buttocks or thighs,
     it's usually a potentially trauma inducing or lethal use of force.
     If CS, or CN is used there are to be adequate ways for those
     present to escape, or it's potentially lethal especially, for the
     young, the elderly and those with diseases like AIDs. Anytime
     these substances are used, reports are to be administered on each
     person on whom the weapon was used, making it far less efficient
     to use these weapons than to simply arrest offenders.

     Yet, repeatedly, all of these weapons were used in ways that could
     have easily been lethal. Part of the reason for this is that given
     the specific parameters of these weapons use, it is impossible to
     use them in situations where there a dozen people moving around,
     let alone hundreds or thousands.

     The report concludes by looking at the melt down that occurred
     inside the ministerial itself. There are quotes by NGO's and
     delegates who found the process undemocratic, and heavilly slanted
     in favor of a few multinational corporations.

     The report then looks at the aftermath that is taking place now in
     Seattle and issues recommendations. Among these recommendations
     are: Limiting the use of "less lethal" weapons to only those
     situations where lethal force is being threatened. In line with
     this, we recommend following the example of the European
     parliament and declaring all such weapons inappropriate for
     dealing with political protest. Examining the long terms effects
     of all those exposed to chemical agents, including members of law
     enforcement.

     Examining the effect that the militarization, including SWAT
     training, waves of inexperienced new hires, and more lethal
     weaponry is having on the function of the police.

     Investigating the role of all federal agencies, especially
     military, in the decision making processes.

     Full text of the report:
     http://www.nlg.org/programs/mass_defense/wto_report.htm
     http://seattle.indymedia.org/local/images/NLG-REPORT.pdf
     http://www.nlg.org/