"So if your not in a tux or Ball Gown and fancy car or INSIDE attending a Posh event, your considered a CRIMINAL MOB ELEMENT!!!"

This week the Seattle Police Department announced. They are beefing up the force for New Years Eve. It was stated that they will not allow a repeat of the WTO PROTESTS Furthermore anyone Gathering in Public(ie the streets) something about a 100 or more people will be considered A MOB. and will use force to disperse any MOB.

So if your not in a tux or Ball Gown and fancy car or INSIDE attending a Posh event, your considered a CRIMINAL MOB ELEMENT!!!

They are basically trying to scare people to not come into the city,stay home,stay inside OR ELSE The Police get to determine this. If I decided To Protest on NEW YEARS EVE it is still my FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT TO DO SO

Being the Millenium and all Don't you think Everyone will be in the street. Especially down at the PIKE MARKET CLOCK at 1st and PIKE How about everywhere, CITY HALL, STATE CAPITOL or Pick YOUR FAVORITE PRECINCT.

FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO PARTY!!!!

By the Way I LIVE ACCROSS the street from the 12th ave PRECINCT and the have a EMERGENCY GENORATOR parked outside, in case you haven't noticed. Do they know something that we don't about Y2K.

PAUL SCHELL REMEMBER IN A BATTLE BOTH SIDES ARE ARMED, get over the hype. HURT ONE PEACEFUL PERSON and there will be a CLASS REVOLT

WE ARE WATCHING

PROTECT THE PEOPLE

YOURS TRULY

OTTO WILLIS
GALLERY OWNER
VIA E-MAIL

WTO Francoautophile

Thank you for your column describing the WTO delegates' experience ("Inside the bunker," 12/2). I laughed out loud at the image of the delegates, bereft of self-reflection, locked inside the Paramount Theater, smoking illegally, searching in vain for coffee (in Seattle!), and whining about not being greeted appropriately. After a stressful week, I appreciated the comedy.

One question: If the people of France get to eat hormone-treated beef, why can't I drive a Citro뮿

TIMOTHY R. HALE
SEATTLE

WTO wasn't cool

It is admirable that Knute Berger is so happy for the status quo to be questioned, and he has even carefully chosen his words describing the destroyers of property ("Not-so-nice Seattle," 12/2). Nevertheless, I think that Knute's wasn't-it-all-so-cool attitude reveals a shallow response to an important historical event. Civil discourse and justice issues may include dancing and eco-feminists and pagans; is there anything else involved? Knute's vocabulary reveals his own disdain for civil discourse. Yeah, I know, Knute is just a reporter on the beat. What a cool job!

DENNIS
VIA E-MAIL

Civil spark

Like Knute Berger ("Not-so-nice Seattle," 12/2), I'm glad to see there is still a spark of civil disobedience left in some people, especially when the issue is greater than "cop-kills-crack-dealer" etcetera, which usually bring people to the streets.

I do wonder what the take would be if it were smokers, gun-owners, or farmers taking to the streets to protect their rights and wallets—would it be looked on in the same light?

WILLIAM MURRAY
COLUMBIA, SC

Violence works?

Thousands of people used nonviolent, direct action techniques to shut down the World Trade Organization, but you couldn't tell from Rick Anderson's article "Violence works."

Anderson—was he even on the scene?—maintains that the violence employed by a few dozen youths was effective in calling attention to globalization and shutting down the WTO. "The violent edge kept delegates in their hotel rooms," Anderson asserts.

No, it didn't. Mass, effective, highly coordinated civil disobedience did. The sporadic window smashing occurred later. I know, Rick, because I was there. I witnessed and participated in the successful efforts to occupy and block the 13 intersections and dozens of streets that surround the convention center.

Nonviolent, direct action worked, despite brutal POLICE violence. It's too bad Anderson, like mainstream "journalists," chose to lump the actions of a few vigilantes together with the inspiring and courageous efforts of thousands of well-organized and committed activists.

If any violence "worked," it was the police violence that brutalized peaceful demonstrators and ensured WTO delegates could get on with their work on Wednesday. In the long run, however, police-state tactics may have radicalized enough people to start a mass movement.

RONI KROUZMAN
SAN FRANCISCO

Rick Anderson was indeed "on the scene," being teargassed along with everybody else.

—Eds.

WTO cop

Mr. Scigliano's article is the most accurate account of the "riot" on Capitol Hill Wednesday evening (Web-only article). I was one of the officers there the entire evening, on the front line. Many of the larger, mainstream media could learn a lot from your paper and Eric—accuracy and neutrality. I thank you for that!