The Streets of Cancun
Saturday, September 13th

Br. Dave and I began the day with intentions to participate in discussions on genetic engineering and privatization of water at a venue in the town of Cancun. Organizers of these symposiums included Friends of the Earth, Public Citizen and the Polaris Institute. But when we arrived at the meeting site, everything was postponed and everyone was invited to join the peoples march to Ground Zero. This is the 0 Kilometer mark that begins entry into the Hotel Zone and where the anti WTO demonstration took during the opening day of the ministerial meetings. It is also the site with the Korean trade union leader committed hari kari, a supreme act of sacrifice for a cause.

While Br. Dave stayed with a group of Maryknollers who had come from various parts of Mexico, I joined others who came from Canada, Denmark and various parts of the United States. We joined into the march with a sizeable group from South Africa who handed out T shirts saying "Africa is Not for Sale". They also sang beautifully. Just ahead of us was a group of Sandinistas, or so I was told, and they had drums and nice beat going. Behind us were a group of Mexican workers in white caps who chanted slogans and waved to everyone.

After arriving at Ground Zero, the marchers paused for several minutes. We all needed a water break and a bit of shade. At the same time, preparations were being made to approach the barricades a couple hundred yards away; that was where the military police had stopped all traffic and pedestrian flow into the Hotel Zone and WTO meeting area. A sudden downpour came, but if anything that refreshed the several thousand marchers and demonstrators.

The barricades were a double row of fences, almost like cages set in a straight line from one end of the boulevard to the other. Mangroves and mud prevented anyone from going around these. While drummers kept up a constannt beat, the people began to clip away at the fencing. For reasons not clear to me, only young women seemed to be working on the chainlink fences stretching away the grassy meridien. But they were snapping the wires and slowling making their way the first row. While wandering through the crowd who could only watch, Br. Dave and I spotted some of our friends from the Rural Coalition and our Midwest family farm network. We saw our friends from Agricultural Missions and the Presbyterian Hunger Program. There was also Peter Rosset from Food First!, Mark Ritchie from IATP, Pat Mooney from ETC Canada. Of course, it easy enough to start a conversation with anyone since we all wanted to know where we came from and what exactly brought us to this place and moment.

At the double fencing blocking the street, a combination of Koreans, Mexicans and anyone else who cared to join in tied large ropes to the barricades. By the fifth or sixth try, they had torn away the metal fences and hauled these away into the mangrove swamp. But this was a day for the Koreans ... the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions ... and they made it clear to the demonstrators and the military police now facing each other that this as far as anyone would go. Speaking to the crowd in a series of Korean, English and Spanish translations, the organizers explained why we wanted "WTO down, down, down". Two effigies were raised to symbolize the powerful WTO interests who negotiated against the wishes of the people. These were set on fire. The crowd chanted and raised their fists. But the crowd cheered loudest when an American flag was set on fire. There was no feeling in my mind that I, as an American, had anything to fear from anyone here. And indeed it was a day of singing and festivities as much as chanting and protests.The last symbloic act was the raising of white flowers. I did not see these handed out, but suddenly they sprouted from the people in the street who had spent the last four hours tearing down the barricades. One last song was sung and then dancing began, people hand in hand forming large circles. It was a sign of hope. "We are everywhere" is our global strength.

A solemn postscript: Later that evening, a handful of people gathered for a simple remembrance of Mr. Lee, the Korean union leader who committed hari kari four days before. Br. Dave and I were the few non-Koreans there. At the spot of Mr. Lee supreme sacrifice, as many called it, a few words were spoken by the Korean people, an anthem was sung, a chant with raised fists, and that was it. The skies were clouding up again.

Robert Gronski
National Catholic Rural Life Conference