Protest at Ground Zero

Protesting the Afghan war in the same city terrorists attacked with hijacked planes may sound a little batty. But that isn’t stopping Montreal activists from protesting the World Economic Forum (WEF) in New York—a meeting of the world’s top 1,000 business leaders and politicians—albeit quietly. Afraid of being stopped at the border, Montreal activists are driving to the Big Apple or taking buses from other cities like Toronto. Over 20,000 protesters are expected to take part in street demonstrations and a Counter-Summit from January 31 to February 3 at Columbia University.

“Nobody was into organizing it because we thought getting a bus across the border wasn’t safe, and we probably wouldn’t get through, realistically speaking,” says Karina Chagnon, of the Montreal-based Anti-Capitalist Convergence (CLAC). “We‘re a little burned out from supporting different struggles outside Montreal. We respect and support what they’re doing, but I think a lot of people want to focus on fighting local capitalism.”

It is the first time the WEF is being held outside of Davos, Switzerland, where it’s been since 1971. “They say it’s because they want to show support for [America] after September 11,” says Virginia-based organizer Jake Hosen, of Students for Global Justice. “But what in fact is going on is, there’s a pretty institutionalized anti-globalization movement in Davos, so the WEF decided to go to New York expecting there would not be any protests.”

For information about buses or ride sharing, check out www.studentsforglobaljustice.org, or call (416) 208-0785. :