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The Battle of Seattle in 1999 marked a resurgence of the American protest movement and warned of a growing anti-globalization movement. The protests turned violent, with the Seattle police ill-equipped to handle the situation. The media coverage brought attention to the international movements against globalization. The protests had at least 40,000 attendees and were a low estimate. The security measures were heightened after 9/11, and protests on the level of the Battle of Seattle were never seen again in America.
The Battle of Seattle was a series of protests that took place during the World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial conference in 1999. The event marked a major resurgence in the American protest movement, which had been in decline in the wake of the turbulent 1960s, and also warned the rest of the world of a growing anti-globalization movement. Thanks to the tightening of security following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States, protests on the level of the Battle of Seattle were never seen again in America.
The events of the Battle of Seattle were interesting from several points of view. Seattle, the host city of the conference, is known for having extremely liberal politics, and when protesters began applying for permits, the city didn’t foresee major problems. However, on November 30, radical groups began descending on Seattle with the specific goal of blocking the streets surrounding the Conference, making it impossible for delegates to enter, and the nature of the protests began to change.
The city of Seattle expected peaceful marches and a little organized nonviolent civil disobedience, but no violent protesters were expected. The Seattle police were not well equipped to handle the situation and the protest quickly spiraled out of control, turning into rioting. Cars were overturned and set on fire, protesters violently resisted the police, and the streets of Seattle became quite dangerous. Some peaceful protesters tried to get involved, attempting to subdue the violent element, and Seattle police eventually turned to riot control agents such as tear gas, rubber bullets, and sledgehammers to calm the crowds, arresting over 600 protesters. In 2007, several of those arrested participated in a lawsuit that resulted in a one million (US) dollar settlement.
Seattle was heavily criticized for not handling the Battle of Seattle better and the global media began broadcasting more information about the protests than the WTO summit. The anti-globalization movement essentially entered the mainstream during the Battle of Seattle, thanks to widespread media coverage. Before the Battle of Seattle, the international community was largely unaware of a major anti-globalization movement within the United States; later, “anti-globalization” became a common topic in American and foreign news. The events of the Battle of Seattle also focused attention on international movements against globalization, including indigenous movements in Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa.
At least 40,000 protesters were in attendance at the Battle of Seattle, and many media sources agreed that this was a low estimate. Protests following World Bank/IMF meetings and political conventions in the United States had similarly large numbers, but protesters tended to be less focused, addressing multiple issues, rather than just global economic policy. Such protests also tended to be less violent, thanks in part to heightened security measures designed to prevent another Seattle battle and address terrorism concerns.
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