SEATTLE, Nov. 30, 1999 --- Militant pacifists
attacked anti-WTO protesters in the streets today, acting in concert with
violent mobs of black-clad, bomb-throwing police.
In at least six
reported incidents, non-violence advocates attacked people who violated
part four of the Non-Violence Code, which forbade protesters from engaging
in "property destruction," a euphemism for economic sabotage. Yet,
despite aggressive action against window-breakers and graffiti-writers,
$1.5 million worth of damage was done to banks and chain-stores on the
first day of protests alone.
In one incident
this reporter witnessed a man attack a masked graffiti-writer with a telescoping
metal baton, striking the writer in the back of the head in a brutal and
unprovoked assault.
"Good," commented
one peaceful(?) protester witnessing the attack. "Somebody has to
enforce the Non-Violence Code."
Anarchists in
the crowd quickly pulled the pacifist off of his victim and stopped the
fight.
In several similar
incidents pacifists defended police interests with their own bodies.
In one case, non-violence advocates linked arms to form a human wall around
police cars when protesters tried to deflate the tires.
"We had to protect
those squad cars because police might have needed to go pick up more tear-gas
or pepper-spray," explained one self-appointed pacifist spokesman.
In another incident,
militant pacifist, seeing that police were outnumbered by protesters, formed
a human wall in front of the Niketown store because people wanted ot break
the windows. Their efforts were noted by grateful authorities.
"I want to thank
all of the pacifist who assisted police and protected windows," said Seattle's
Chief of Police Norm Stamper in a press conference the following day.
"If it weren't for them, I would have had to move a whole squad in to protect
Nike, right at a time when my boys were desperately needed a few blocks
away to help beat and gas unarmed protesters."
"The pacifists
make my job twice as easy," added officer Randolf Berger, who cracked three
skulls, broke two ribs on two different people, and kicked another man
in the balls.
Many peace-advocates
collaborated directly with the violent police gangs prior to the protests,
informing them of action plans and march routes, which allowed the police
to better coordinate their attacks on the protesters. Some peace-thugs
further facilitated police violence by convincing protesters to sit down
in the streets when police attacked. This ensured better aim for
officers who shot people in the face with plastic bullets. Others
screamed "Non-Violence," attempting to intimidate anyone brave enough to
defend themselves from the viscous police assaults.
"Resistance only
causes more repression, not the other way around," explained one pacifist
delegate. "The bad protesters deserve to be captured and punished
by the police state. I hope they all get raped in prison," she said.
Some people complained
that they had never agreed to nor were even consulted on the Non-Violence
Code, which was handed down by a secret tribunal in an un-democratic and
non-transparent process.
"Until the police
agree to the terms of the Non-Violence Code, it remains meaningless," said
one young woman as she smashed an ATM machine with a hammer.