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A20 protests Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/usatoday/20020422/ts_usatoday/4047407http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/usatoday/20020422/ts_usatoday/4047407
IMF protests get anti-Israel infusion
Mon Apr 22, 8:04 AM ET
Peter Eisler USA TODAY
WASHINGTON -- Weekend protests were expected to linger into today, as tens of thousands of people rallied at meetings of the World Bank (news - web sites) and the International Monetary Fund (news - web sites) to complain about everything from U.S. policy in the Middle East to corporate greed.
The protests, which peaked Saturday with crowds estimated at up to 50,000, drew a disparate array of groups to peaceful rallies in front of the White House, the World Bank and other points. Many of the largest and most vocal groups of activists came to call for a stronger U.S. stand against Israel's recent incursions in the West Bank.
''There was a message of immense solidarity,'' said Ganesh Lal, 33, who came with a van full of people from Greensboro, N.C. He said that while he came to protest U.S. support for Israel, he sympathized with those drawn by concerns with other Bush administration policies.
The thousands of pro-Palestinian marchers, many bused from out of town in trips coordinated by their local mosques, added a new dimension to the regular protests at World Bank and IMF meetings. Saturday, messages critical of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) seemed to dominate. By Sunday, the number of protesters dwindled sharply, leaving a more usual mix of groups opposing World Bank and IMF policies.
Hundreds of police, many carrying batons and wearing riot gear, were positioned on streets throughout the city, but officials reported no arrests.
There were a few tense moments, including a U.S.-flag-burning demonstration and an effort by about 100 protesters to block a police route. But there was none of the tear gas, violence and mass arrests that marked past meetings of the World Bank and IMF.
More protests aimed at blocking downtown traffic were planned for this morning's rush hour. On Sunday, though, there was little disruption of the city's routine.
Jo Parkins, 31, hefted a 15-foot puppet of a distraught woman in black -- a veteran protest prop.
''She's just a woman affected by IMF policies,'' Parkins said, noting that the puppet was designed as a Tibetan for a rally aimed at freeing Tibet from Chinese control. ''We keep bringing her out. She's big and she makes a big impact when she comes down the street.''
Many protesters called for immediate relief of all Third World debt -- a regular rallying cry against the World Bank and IMF, which aim to help underdeveloped countries build sound social and monetary policy. Other protesters called on the institutions to abandon privatization as a development tool in poor countries.
For others, the protests were a chance to press broader messages.
''I thought it was important to make the effort to be here because the militarization that's going on in this country is really getting out of hand,'' said Vincent Murray, 67, a retired Episcopal priest from Washington state.
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