Millennium Videos

New Jersey's First News weekday mornings at 5am on New Jersey 101.5 FM. Start your day with a full hour of New Jersey information you can't get anywhere else.

New Jersey's First News weekday mornings at 5am on New Jersey 101.5 FM. Start your day with a full hour of New Jersey information you can't get anywhere else.

As the 10th anniversary of the WTO protests in Seattle approach, we have rooted around in our archives to bring you the 5 original episodes of "Showdown in Seattle," produced at the Seattle Indymedia Center that week. "What Democracy Looks Like" Dec 3, 1999 William Kunsler, great American defense attorney describes Michelangelo's Statue of David as unique because it captures the moment of decision, not the moment of victory. The first four episodes of "Showdown in Seattle" were produced while the battle was raging, when each activist and group had to face THEIR moment of decision, the moment when they decided to go up against all odds to really stop the WTO. This, the final episode of "Showdown," proclaims their victory as the WTO talks collapsed in defeat. (Although not shown in this episode, to really rub it in, the city government of Seattle refused to let the WTO conference extend their stay in town by even a day, even though the WTO begged for an extension. Activists in the streets shut down the WTO on the first day, and the City shut them down again on the last day. Double shut-down! Some people feel that it took 911 and the subsequent development of the US security state to check the people's movement that stopped the WTO. Irregardless of 911, the united front that emerged to stop the WTO in Seattle still is needed, now, more than ever. There have been subsequent losses of liberties, economic collapse, and an ever greater understanding of the importance of taking into consideration the environment. As a species, we are still racing for the bottom when we need to fight for the other world that is possible. (There is not one peep about global warming in ANY of these 5 episodes. That's one example of an issue that has arisen full force since 1999, but that proves the point of the protests.) These videos serve as a fine example of what can come out of a people's media. The IMC went viral, spreading to countries around the world, playing an important part in keeping the movement alive and well. The PepperSpray Collective, producers of "Indymedia Presents," began as part of the Seattle IMC. We are proud to continue this fine tradition. Like Michelangelo's David we have decided we CAN fight the giant, and we can win. Please visit our website for more info: www.peppersprayproductions.org

As the 10th anniversary of the WTO protests in Seattle approach, we have rooted around in our archives to bring you the 5 original episodes of "Showdown in Seattle," produced at the Seattle Indymedia Center that week. "What Democracy Looks Like" Dec 3, 1999 William Kunsler, great American defense attorney describes Michelangelo's Statue of David as unique because it captures the moment of decision, not the moment of victory. The first four episodes of "Showdown in Seattle" were produced while the battle was raging, when each activist and group had to face THEIR moment of decision, the moment when they decided to go up against all odds to really stop the WTO. This, the final episode of "Showdown," proclaims their victory as the WTO talks collapsed in defeat. (Although not shown in this episode, to really rub it in, the city government of Seattle refused to let the WTO conference extend their stay in town by even a day, even though the WTO begged for an extension. Activists in the streets shut down the WTO on the first day, and the City shut them down again on the last day. Double shut-down! Some people feel that it took 911 and the subsequent development of the US security state to check the people's movement that stopped the WTO. Irregardless of 911, the united front that emerged to stop the WTO in Seattle still is needed, now, more than ever. There have been subsequent losses of liberties, economic collapse, and an ever greater understanding of the importance of taking into consideration the environment. As a species, we are still racing for the bottom when we need to fight for the other world that is possible. (There is not one peep about global warming in ANY of these 5 episodes. That's one example of an issue that has arisen full force since 1999, but that proves the point of the protests.) These videos serve as a fine example of what can come out of a people's media. The IMC went viral, spreading to countries around the world, playing an important part in keeping the movement alive and well. The PepperSpray Collective, producers of "Indymedia Presents," began as part of the Seattle IMC. We are proud to continue this fine tradition. Like Michelangelo's David we have decided we CAN fight the giant, and we can win. Please visit our website for more info: www.peppersprayproductions.org

It was the moment when a great coalition of the future, the people of the world, united together, first became visible. American labor had seen its factories closed down, jobs exported to more exploitative regions of the world. The third world had felt its own pains, and WTO delegates from those countries knew they were committing their homelands to perpetual poverty if they willingly locked on the shackles of the WTO agreements. Farmers of India were committing mass suicide. Environmentalists had recognized the signs of ecological collapse. Nowhere was safe from the reach of global capital and a bleak future of corporate monoculture, all in the name of ?free trade.? The crack-down intensified, the jails filled up, but demonstrations continued. In the swirling clouds of teargas, the American public got a glimpse of the crossroads of the future: one way was the road of repression and a corporate-dominated race to hell. The other road raised the possibility of world unity and a fight to lift us all, symbolized by the coalition of ?Teamsters and Turtles.? At the least, people the world over, wondering what the fuss was all about, got a quick political education, fulfilling one of the goals of the protests. This is episode 4 of the 5-part series ?Showdown in Seattle, 5 days that shook theWTO,? produced by the Seattle Indymedia Center during the week of meetings and protests in late 1999. Looking back we know that the ?Millennium Round? of the WTO collapsed that week, but when this episode was produced, the collapse had not yet happened. Like the Berlin Wall, which fell without warning, the demonstrators rage against the machine, not knowing how close to total success they were getting. Students of political process could study these videos and learn profound lessons about going up against the corporate state.

It was the moment when a great coalition of the future, the people of the world, united together, first became visible. American labor had seen its factories closed down, jobs exported to more exploitative regions of the world. The third world had felt its own pains, and WTO delegates from those countries knew they were committing their homelands to perpetual poverty if they willingly locked on the shackles of the WTO agreements. Farmers of India were committing mass suicide. Environmentalists had recognized the signs of ecological collapse. Nowhere was safe from the reach of global capital and a bleak future of corporate monoculture, all in the name of ?free trade.? The crack-down intensified, the jails filled up, but demonstrations continued. In the swirling clouds of teargas, the American public got a glimpse of the crossroads of the future: one way was the road of repression and a corporate-dominated race to hell. The other road raised the possibility of world unity and a fight to lift us all, symbolized by the coalition of ?Teamsters and Turtles.? At the least, people the world over, wondering what the fuss was all about, got a quick political education, fulfilling one of the goals of the protests. This is episode 4 of the 5-part series ?Showdown in Seattle, 5 days that shook theWTO,? produced by the Seattle Indymedia Center during the week of meetings and protests in late 1999. Looking back we know that the ?Millennium Round? of the WTO collapsed that week, but when this episode was produced, the collapse had not yet happened. Like the Berlin Wall, which fell without warning, the demonstrators rage against the machine, not knowing how close to total success they were getting. Students of political process could study these videos and learn profound lessons about going up against the corporate state.

New Jersey's First News weekday mornings at 5am on New Jersey 101.5 FM. Start your day with a full hour of New Jersey information you can't get anywhere else.

"Showdown in Seattle, 5 Days That Shook the WTO" part 2, Nov 30, 99 It was the opening day of the official proceedings. Activists were way better organized, and got up earlier than authorities had expected. Using multiple tactics, including the blockading of the streets leading to the meetings, activists managed to do what they had promised to do, which is keep the meetings from happening. Longshoremen shut down every port on the west coast, Seattle cab drivers went on strike, activists held their blockades and barricades, and 50,000 union members marched into the city center, hard hats, steel toed boots and all. Beyond physically stopping the meetings, the coalition which formed to stop the "Millennium Round" of the WTO scored a BIG political victory by putting the WTO and the problems with it in the minds of people and by really boosting and linking movements around the world. Watching this footage, which was captured and edited in the thick of the "Battle of Seattle" is fascinating, because 10 years later we know how the story turned out, and that the effort was way more successful than even the activists understood at the moment. The stories of how US Secretary of State Madaline Albright was stuck in her hotel room and couldn't get to the sites of the WTO meetings were not known to demonstrators on the ground. The stories of how the protests outside embolded Third World delegates inside the Ministerial meetings only came out later. The video coverage of that day, contained in part two of the 5 segments is remarkable for how similar it is to ANY large demonstration, and shows, in a way, how "mountaintop" moments are made. Indymedia Presents #371 features part 2 of the 5 parts series made 10 years ago in occupied Seattle. Part 3 will be in our next episode, #372, and so on.

"Showdown in Seattle, 5 Days That Shook the WTO" part 2, Nov 30, 99 It was the opening day of the official proceedings. Activists were way better organized, and got up earlier than authorities had expected. Using multiple tactics, including the blockading of the streets leading to the meetings, activists managed to do what they had promised to do, which is keep the meetings from happening. Longshoremen shut down every port on the west coast, Seattle cab drivers went on strike, activists held their blockades and barricades, and 50,000 union members marched into the city center, hard hats, steel toed boots and all. Beyond physically stopping the meetings, the coalition which formed to stop the "Millennium Round" of the WTO scored a BIG political victory by putting the WTO and the problems with it in the minds of people and by really boosting and linking movements around the world. Watching this footage, which was captured and edited in the thick of the "Battle of Seattle" is fascinating, because 10 years later we know how the story turned out, and that the effort was way more successful than even the activists understood at the moment. The stories of how US Secretary of State Madaline Albright was stuck in her hotel room and couldn't get to the sites of the WTO meetings were not known to demonstrators on the ground. The stories of how the protests outside embolded Third World delegates inside the Ministerial meetings only came out later. The video coverage of that day, contained in part two of the 5 segments is remarkable for how similar it is to ANY large demonstration, and shows, in a way, how "mountaintop" moments are made. Indymedia Presents #371 features part 2 of the 5 parts series made 10 years ago in occupied Seattle. Part 3 will be in our next episode, #372, and so on.

You can make a difference! Blueprint for a Better World is an interactive exhibition which is traveling around Australia. The exhibition shows the general public how the eight Millennium Development Goals can help end poverty and injustice in our world. Watch this exhibition movie to see what its all about and find out how you can help make a better world! www.blueprintforabetterworld.org

Want to know what people think about being confident? Sobieski Vodka's camera crews is in Chicago to find the answer.

Want to know what people think about being arrogant? Sobieski Vodka's camera crews is in Chicago to find the answer.