Big Powers Hit at U.N. Summit
New York City, NY – Over 100 activists marched here September 8, stopping to protest in front of four consulates before proceeding to a rally across the street from the United Nations where the final day of the U.N. Millennium Summit was taking place. Protest organizers stated that the big capitalist powers attending the summit “use economic, military, political and cultural means to defend the investments of powerful corporations in nations which are weaker economically and militarily.”
The New York People's Assembly Against Imperialist Globalization, a new citywide anti-imperialist coalition, organized the day of actions.
The U.N. Millennium Summit was the largest gathering of heads of state in history. Dan Wilson of Network in Solidarity with the People of the Philippines discussed the New York People's Assembly Against Imperialist Globalization's view of the United Nations, “While we believe that the United Nations has established some worthwhile guidelines for human rights, the rights of refugees and others, the fact is that it has no teeth to enforce these guidelines and never will while the U.S. and its junior partners control the United Nations and puppet leaders like Philippine President Estrada. The United Nations only shows its teeth when aiding a U.S. led military invasion as in Korea, Somalia, or Iraq.”
The New York People's Assembly Against Imperialist Globalization brought together the Philippine Forum, a local progressive Filipino organization, and allies in the Network in Solidarity with the People of the Philippines, Colombia Action Committee, International Action Center, Committee to Support the Revolution in Peru, Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador, Forum of Indian Leftists, Direct Action Network and Student Liberation Action Movement.
Robert Roy of Philippine Forum discussed the reasons for protesting at the Philippine Consulate, “After obtaining $105 million in military hardware from President Clinton last July to continue the all-out war policy in Mindanao, President Estrada is now back to meet with the foreign investors he missed in the last trip and to attend the U.N. Summit.”
At the Colombian Consulate, Neala Bern of the Colombia Action Committee spoke about the $1.3 billion in U.S. military aid granted to the death squad government in Colombia, saying “The American people don't want to get involved in this war. We need to oppose this aid.”