[mobglob-discuss] Globalizing And Unifying The Movement June 29, 2002

[Macdonald Stainsby]

Net Commentary
Globalizing And Unifying The Movement June 29, 2002
By Judy Rebick

This week may very well mark a critical turning point in
the movement against corporate globalization in Canada. Since last
year in Quebec City there has been a growing division on the issue of
diversity of tactics between anti-capitalist direct action activists on the
one side and the labour movement and more moderate groups like the Council
of Canadians on the other. These divisions grew deeper after September
11, when even minor violence became much riskier and less acceptable to
moderate groups.

In opposition to the G8 meeting in remote Kananaskis, the
two wings of the movement organized in two separate cities. The more
radical direct action wing, lead by Montreal's CLAC (Anti-Capitalist
Convergence) and Toronto's OCAP (Ontario Coalition against Anti-Poverty)
organized two days of marches in Ottawa. The labour movement and
anti-globalization NGO's organized almost of week of actions, including a
People's Summit in Calgary, the nearest city to Kananskis.

Taken together the demonstrations were a successful protest against the G8,
especially given the lengths to which the Canadian government had gone to
prevent protest altogether. Not only was the meeting itself in a remote
location where five checkpoints prevented anyone getting anywhere near the
leaders but also the City of Calgary refused permits for city parks and the
federal government paid off a farmer who had rented land to the protesters
near the Summit site.

Most of the media has focussed on the welcome absence of violence. For
whatever reason, the RCMP, made a decision to leave the riot cops in the
closet until they were needed. No visible cops, no violence. In Calgary,
police on bicycles even distributed water to protesters. In Ottawa,
community police mingled with demonstrators on the edges of the march.

There has also been a profound discussion in the movement
about "diversity of tactics." Anarchist groups insist that imposing an
agreement on non-violent tactics on a demonstration is authoritarian
and divisive and that only the principle of diversity of tactics will
ensure that everyone can participate. But in practice, their refusal to
exclude violent tactics has deepened divisions with the labour movement.

On the other hand, more conservative elements in the labour movement were
only too happy to sit on their hands or organize their own actions without
having to deal with the unruly anarchists. Adopting the practices of either
group cannot solve the clash in politics and political culture. There has to
be compromise and in Ottawa there was.

Unwilling to compromise for unity with the more moderate wing of the
anti-corporate globalization movement, direct action activists and leaders
were willing to compromise to ensure the involvement of immigrant and
refugee communities. The result was that for the first time, the
demonstrators started to reflect the colours of the community.

The theme of the Ottawa march, "No-one is Illegal," spoke to the interests
of immigrant communities particularly in light of the repressive new
immigration law. The anarchist organizers of the CLAC agreed to no direct
action in Thursday's march in response to the request of Palestinians and
other vulnerable groups. Despite the rhetoric of diversity of tactics, there
was an actual agreement that the Thursday march would be without
confrontation.

Since the threat of violence at demonstrations has been at the root of
divisions in the movement, the peaceful nature of both Calgary and Ottawa
actions should provide a basis for a reconvergence of the movement.

"The largest anti-war demonstration in Ottawa since September 11," famed
activist Jaggi Singh said triumphantly, "and the radical hooligans organized
it."

There were about 2,000 marching on Thursday in Ottawa and about 3,000 on the day
before. Even taken together, the Calgary/Ottawa marches were much
smaller than the massive march in Quebec City last year of almost 70,000.

The Ottawa march was organized as an explicitly anti-capitalist action;
although many who marched were far from drawing those conclusions. What was
missing was the labour movement. Conspicuous by their absence too were many
local Ottawa activists who had organized for the G20, where their
differences with the CLAC resulted in two different actions.

The labour movement focussed on a march last weekend in Calgary, a typically
conservative town. While Calgary had never seen 2500 people in the streets
before, the march was modest by movement standards. The rest of the week in
Calgary saw daily actions, including a naked protest against the GAP--I'd
rather wear nothing that wear GAP clothes. The People's Summit, called the
G6 billion, also had an important impact in the media and on participants.

The anti-capitalist organizers of the Ottawa march can claim a victory for
their ability to successfully mobilize and broaden the movement to immigrant
communities and people of colour. In Calgary labour and community groups
were equally successful in a creative, well organized series of actions that
managed to overcome serious state imposed barriers to freedom of assembly.

Imagine what could be accomplished if both wings of the movement came back
together again respecting their differences but working in concert to build
the kind of mass movement against corporate globalization and war that is
sweeping Europe and Latin America.

-------------------------------------------
Macdonald Stainsby
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/rad-green
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international
--
In the contradiction lies the hope.
                                     --Bertholt Brecht