MIAMI · Tens of thousands of protesters who march against corporate globalization in Miami next week have an ally in, of all places, the establishment.
When demonstrators take to downtown streets to protest the Free Trade Area of the Americas meeting, they will be joined by up to 80 blue-shirted friends -- goodwill ambassadors from Miami-Dade County's Community Relations Board.
"Their job is to work with people to help everyone follow the law," said Amy Carswell, staff worker for the 30-member board.
That means police as well. If officers and demonstrators get too antagonistic, the ambassadors may intercede to soothe passions, Carswell said.
"Sometimes we could convince police to modify their actions, to encourage police not to be heavy-handed," she said.
Miami police invited the 40-year-old board to participate. In the past, the board's ambassadors have smoothed relations between officers and those attending a hip-hop music awards show and at last year's Memorial Day gathering on Miami Beach.
As at those events, the radio-equipped ambassadors will next week monitor crowds and act as troubleshooting liaisons between police and protesters opposing the opening of trade barriers among 34 nations in the Caribbean and North, South and Central America.
"The idea is to reduce any tensions, to avoid violence," Carswell said.
The board's objectives are twofold: to protect people's right to protest freely and at the same time protect Miami's image.
"We're doing as much as we can to facilitate people's expression of their constitutional rights," Carswell said. "We don't want to have the world perceive Miami as a totalitarian state."
The CRB also plans to conduct daily briefings with representatives from various protest groups to review the day's problems and plot ways to avoid future trouble.
The board won some fans among protesters in late October, when it helped arrange debates on the FTAA in the County Commission chambers. This despite fears from some pro-FTAA commissioners that those opposed to the trade summit would riot in government buildings.
"It was amazing to see the CRB take that step and move forward," said Sushma Sheth, with the Workers Center in Miami. "They recognized the need for sound and reasonable debate."
Fred Frost, president of the South Florida AFL-CIO, whose national organization anticipates 15,000 to 20,000 union members to march next week, already has been meeting with the CRB. "We're working hand in hand, we're building communication and trust," Frost said. "We need to communicate -- that will avoid potential problems."
Robert Nolin can be reached at rnolin@sun-sentinel.com or 954-572-2024.
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