WTO/99: A New Documentary Revisits the Seattle Protests That Challenged Globalization
A new immersive documentary, WTO/99, revisits the historic 1999 protests in Seattle against the World Trade Organization (WTO), corporate power, and economic globalization, offering a stark reminder of the enduring struggle for economic justice. The film utilizes over a thousand hours of footage from the Independent Media Center (IMC) and other archives, presenting a ground-level perspective on events that seemed eerily familiar to contemporary demonstrations.
In November 1999, Seattle was set to host a meeting of 135 nations focused on the WTO. As recounted by Dan Rather in archival footage featured in the film, the stage was set for a pivotal moment in global trade negotiations. However, the meeting was quickly overshadowed by massive protests, drawing an estimated 70,000 people to the streets.
Protesters articulated a range of concerns, from fair labor practices to the broader impacts of globalization. “The TV stations, they’re not informing people why there is a protest. This explains why there is a protest,” one protester stated, highlighting a perceived media failure to adequately cover the motivations behind the demonstrations. Others voiced more direct opposition: “Globalization has already gone too far,” and “Not in our city! Not in our state!”
The protests were intentionally disruptive, with demonstrators aiming to “nonviolently shut down the World Trade Organization.” This direct action was met with a forceful response from law enforcement. A police officer’s request for “at least five more squads” underscored the escalating tensions, while protesters accused the police of protecting corporate interests. “The police are protecting millionaires who are killing our environment, our future and our kids,” one protester asserted.
The situation escalated to the point where Seattle’s mayor, Paul Schell, felt compelled to call in the National Guard, a decision he described as “the last thing I want to do.” Police deployed tear gas and other chemical agents, prompting a direct order to disperse: “Seattle Police Department. You are being ordered to leave the area. Go westbound on Pike, and go north on 6th. We are going to start using chemical agents now.”
Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman was present in Seattle, documenting the events firsthand. A scene from WTO/99 features Goodman questioning a Seattle police lieutenant regarding the use of force. The exchange revealed a lack of clarity even within the police force about the specific agents being deployed. When asked about the “orange gun,” the lieutenant admitted, “I have to be honest. I don’t know what’s in it… It’s probably either chemical agents or rubber bullets, something like that.”
Despite the police crackdown, protesters felt a sense of victory. Consumer advocate Ralph Nader, appearing in the film, celebrated the historic gathering, stating, “Never before in American history has any cause for justice brought together so many people from so many different occupations and backgrounds.” Nader argued that the WTO posed “a principal threat to democracy in the world.”
The protests also targeted specific corporations perceived as benefiting from the WTO’s policies, including Starbucks. Footage shows demonstrators protesting outside a Starbucks location, prompting a response from then-CEO Howard Schultz, who expressed confusion over the targeting of his company, stating they had “tried…to develop a corporate conscience.”
The events in Seattle were foreshadowed by Congressional debate over a bill to support the WTO as an international judicial body. Senator Bernie Sanders, in archival footage, voiced concerns about national sovereignty, arguing that the WTO transferred power “out of the hands of local government and state government, and it gives it to nameless bureaucracies abroad that operate in secrecy.”
Director Ian Bell explained that the film emerged from conversations about the 2016 election and a desire to understand the roots of shifts in the labor vote. He highlighted the crucial role of the Independent Media Centers in documenting the protests, noting that they preserved footage “in their shoe boxes” and ultimately provided access to a unique historical record. The IMCs, Bell emphasized, filled a critical gap by providing coverage that mainstream media failed to deliver.
Juan González noted that the WTO protests represented the “birth of citizen journalism on a mass scale.” The archival footage provides a vital counter-narrative to traditional media coverage, allowing viewers to witness events as they unfolded through the eyes of those on the ground. .
Ralph Nader reflected on the lasting impact of the protests, stating they “punctured the myth of free trade” and initiated a shift in Congressional attitudes toward trade agreements. He argued that the protests laid the groundwork for future challenges to corporate-managed trade policies.
The issues raised in Seattle in 1999 continue to resonate today, as evidenced by recent protests outside Starbucks and the Empire State Building. As Ian Bell observed, the concerns that galvanized activists 26 years ago are still relevant, and the power structure remains slow to listen.
WTO/99 begins screening this Friday at DCTV’s Firehouse Cinema in New York City. Amy Goodman will host a Q&A with Ian Bell after the 7:30 PM screening. Goodman will also host a Q&A after the 7:30 PM screening of Steal This Story, Please! at the Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor at the Hamptons Doc Fest on Thursday, December 4th.
