A-Infos (en) US, State College, PA: Media: Kropotkin, Bakunin protest Wolfensohn - World Bank head

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Protest was not listed in the program for yesterday's 
forum with World Bank President James Wolfensohn -- 
but that didn't stop local anarchists from adding it to 
the agenda.

Security for Wolfensohn's appearance was tight. Before 
the annual Granoff Forum began, there were close to 
half a dozen uniformed police in and around Zellerbach 
Theatre, as well as several plainclothes security 
personnel.

Still, several protesters -- most of whom were not Penn 
students -- did manage to gain entrance to the forum. 
But despite the contingent of protesters in the audience, 
Wolfensohn was able to deliver his prepared remarks 
without incident.

The former investment banker opened by remarking on 
the current war in Iraq, noting that it is too early to 
assess the war's impact on the World Bank, but also 
stressing that "our world is going to be reshaped."

Wolfensohn also lamented the problems that scandals at 
companies like Enron have created for the World Bank 
as it tries to encourage developing nations to eliminate 
corruption.

"Recently, the events in corporate America have made it 
difficult to use the United States as an example," he 
said.

In his closing remarks, Wolfensohn highlighted the 
challenges facing his organization.

"The issues today are of equity, social justice, poverty 
and ultimately peace," he said. "Unless we deal with 
those issues, your children are going to be handed a 
world that's a lot less good than we have today."

The attack on Wolfensohn began after only a few 
questions from the audience.

"I'm actually appalled," said Philadelphia resident Peter 
Kropotkin, "that you are able to sit there and lie to 
these people and say that the World Bank is a success."

School of Arts and Sciences Dean Samuel Preston 
responded angrily to Kropotkin's comments, saying it 
was "a very inappropriate time for sermons."

Protesters also distributed pamphlets outside 
Zellerbach featuring a mailman saying, "I've got a news 
flash! CAPITALISM IS WAR!" on the cover.

Mike Bakunin -- a protester who had been booed away 
from the microphone after calling Wolfensohn a "rich 
scumbag" -- also gave Wolfensohn a harsh critique.

"I think that he's pretty typical of the charming 
figurehead that they put in front of the public, giving 
people a nicely packaged set of lies," he said.

However, few audience members agreed with the 
protesters, and most questions were more positively 
framed.

"I think the World Bank makes a lot of positive 
contributions to emerging economies," said Brian 
English, a graduate student in the Graduate School of 
Fine Arts.

"He seemed very sincere, and his background seems to 
indicate that he cares about developing nations," he 
added.

Tickets for the event were only picked up with a Penn 
ID at a temporary box office set up outside the building, 
and backpacks were not allowed inside -- causing several 
students to be turned away at the doors.

Inside Zellerbach, seats in the orchestra section had 
been removed and a barrier wall had been erected, 
creating an empty space in front of the stage that 
stretched about 25 feet.

Wolfensohn is a friend of College alumnus Michael 
Granoff, who sponsors the annual forum on globalization.

By Greg Maughan
March 28, 2003

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