A-Infos (en) Canada, Montreal Anti-WTO Update (Calendar of Events, Dates and Venue Confirmed!)

[Resiste l'OMC!/Resist the WTO! <resisteomc@resist.ca>]

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MONTREAL ANTI-WTO UPDATE: IMPORTANT NEW AND DETAILED INFO -- June 26, 2003
[1) Venue and Dates Confirmed, 2) Calendar of Events - July 26-30, 2003,
3)  Spokescouncils and Green Zones, 4) Anti-WTO Consulta and
Spokescouncil, 5)  Logistics, 6) Basis of Unity, 7) Staying in Touch, 8)
Upcoming Organizing Assemblies, 9) More Info ...]
1) VENUE AND DATES CONFIRMED
Pierre Pettigrew, Canada.s Minister of International Trade -- who recently
declared that "the phenomenon of anti-globalization has completely
disappeared" -- has officially announced the venue and dates of the World
Trade Organization Mini-Ministerial Meeting. The mini-ministerial, which
is the last WTO meeting before the major ministerial meeting in Cancun,
Mexico this September, will take place on July 28-30, 2003 at the Fairmont
Queen Elizabeth Hotel in downtown Montreal (900 Rene-Levesque Boulevard
West).

The official website for the mini-ministerial is at:
http://www.mimm.gc.ca.

The Montreal Mobilization Against the WTO website is at:
http://montreal.resist.ca.

The Queen Elizabeth Hotel is in the heart of downtown Montreal. It was the
site of the inspiring "Commando Bouffe" action of 1997, when anti-poverty
activists entered the hotel premises and removed steaming heaps of gourmet
buffet food, which was then served to the poor and homeless outside.


2) CALENDAR OF EVENTS -- July 26-30, 2003

WTO'S IN TOWN? -- SHUT IT DOWN!!!
Five Days of Action and Events Against the WTO in Montreal
July 26-30, 2003

[NOTE: The Montreal Mobilization Against the WTO strongly encourages
affinity groups to organize autonomous actions to shut down or disrupt the
WTO meetings in Montreal. The WTO Mini-Ministerial takes place at the
Queen Elizabeth Hotel (900 Rene-Levesque Boulevard West) between July
28-30).]


* Saturday, July 26: TEACH-IN AGAINST THE WTO
(location and times to be confirmed shortly)


* Sunday, July 27: NO ONE IS ILLEGAL MARCH

Meet at the Norman Bethune statue, at the corner of deMaisonneuve and Guy
(metro Guy-Concordia), at 1pm. NO ONE IS ILLEGAL is a child-friendly
march, focussing on the frontline struggles of indigenous peoples,
immigrants and refugees, and in opposition to the WTO's policies of
displacement, genocide, occupation and war. Bring your banners of
resistance! This demonstration will not involve direct action.


* Monday, July 28: DAY OF ACTION: SHUTDOWN THE WTO!!!

Two snake marches departing from separate locations and converging at the
site of the WTO Mini-Ministerial meeting. Departure at 6:30 a.m. The two
meeting points are: 1) Phillips Square (corner of Ste-Catherine and Union,
metro McGill); and 2) Guy-Concordia Square (opposite metro Guy-Concordia,
Guy Street exit)


* Tuesday, July 29: MEGA-DEMONSTRATION TO DISRUPT THE MINI-MINISTERIAL!

Mass resistance against the WTO.s agenda of mass destruction. Meet at
10:00am at Phillips Square (corner of Ste-Catherine and Union, metro
McGill).


* Wednesday, July 30: ANTI-CAPITALIST CARNIVAL
(times and location to be confirmed)


Updated info will be posted at http://montreal.resist.ca


3) SPOKESCOUNCILS AND GREEN ZONES

There will be spokescouncils held every evening starting from July 27-30.
Details will be posted shortly. As well, there will be a "Green Zone" -- a
relatively safe, non-confrontational, chill space -- organized between
July 28-30. The location of the Green Zones will be posted shortly.


4) ANTI-WTO CONSULTA AND SPOKESCOUNCIL

Last weekend (June 21-22), an anti-FTAA/WTO Consulta and Spokescouncil was
held in Montreal. The first day was focussed on networking and actions in
solidarity with mobilizations against the WTO Meeting in Cancun in
September, and the FTAA Ministerial in Miami in November (for info,
contact the Montreal Anti-Capitalist Coalition Against the FTAA at
caczlea@cyberso.zzn.com).

The second day of the Consulta was focussed on organizing and actions
against the WTO Mini-Minsterial in Montreal. At least 40 delegates
attended the spokescouncil, representing groups and organizations from:
Montreal, Quebec City, Matane, Toronto, Gatineau, the Maritimes, Vermont
and Massachusetts. The main decisions of the sposkescouncil are reflected
in the calendar of events listed above.


5) LOGISTICS -- Housing, Transport, Food, Convergence and Welcoming Spaces

Montreal organizers are preparing the various aspects of logistics to
welcome out-of-towners. Housing info is available on the website:
http://montreal.resist.ca. Convergence and welcoming spaces will be posted
shortly. Please be patient with us, as we sort out the various logistics


6) BASIS OF UNITY

The hallmarks of the Peoples' Global Action (PGA) network constitute the
basis of unity of the Montreal Mobilization Against the WTO
Mini-Ministerial (see http://www.agp.org). The hallmarks are a set of
principles that have evolved from grassroots struggles in the global
South. They are as follows:

1. A very clear rejection of capitalism, imperialism and feudalism; all
trade agreements, institutions and governments that promote destructive
globalisation;
2. We reject all forms and systems of domination and discrimination
including, but not limited to, patriarchy, racism and religious
fundamentalism of all creeds. We embrace the full dignity of all human
beings.
3. A confrontational attitude, since we do not think that lobbying can
have a major impact in such biased and undemocratic organisations, in
which transnational capital is the only real policy-maker;
4. A call to direct action and civil disobedience, support for social
movements' struggles, advocating forms of resistance which maximize
respect for life and oppressed peoples' rights, as well as the
construction of local alternatives to global capitalism;
5. An organisational philosophy based on decentralisation and autonomy.


7) STAYING IN TOUCH

For updates, consider joining the wto-montreal-announce e-mail list. The
list is moderated, and low-volume. To join, visit the following website:
https://lists.resist.ca/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/wto-montreal-announce

Consult the Montreal Mobilization Against the WTO website frequently:
http://montreal.resist.ca

Otherwise, the get in touch, e-mail resisteomc@resist.ca or phone
514-409-2049 (messages only). Nous parlons francais. Se habla espanol.


8) UPCOMING ORGANIZING ASSEMBLIES

Starting July 9, there will be weekly organizing assemblies against the
WTO in Montreal. All assemblies begin at 6:30pm (sharp!) at L'X (182,
Ste-Catherine Street East, between metros St-Laurent and Berri-UQAM).
Translation is available into English and Spanish, and childcare is
available (please contact us in advance). The anti-WTO organizing
assemblies will take place on Wednesday, July 9; Tuesday, July 15; and
Wednesday, July 23. Evening spokescouncils will commence on July 27
(location and time to be announced) until July 30.


9) MORE INFO ...

Check out the website, particularly the "Materials" section:
http://montreal.resist.ca/mat-e.htm


----------
WEB: http://montreal.resist.ca
E-MAIL: resisteomc@resist.ca
TEL: 514-409-2049 (messages only)
(Nous parlons francais. Se habla espanol.)

[Pour la version francaise, svp contactez resisteomc@resist.ca]


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