A decade ago, tens of thousands of people converged in Seattle, Washington to protest the ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization. Directly confronting some of the planet's most powerful corporations, governments and security forces, those activists made history by successfully derailing the WTO’s expansionist agenda.

Today, we find ourselves in the midst of the worst economic and environmental crises in generations.

The same corporate interests activists confronted in Seattle are attempting to exploit these crises in order to concentrate their own power. We need to fight back. It is time to reclaim the "Spirit of Seattle," come together as affected communities and take control over the policy decisions that affect our economic and ecological well-being.

A broad coalition of labor, environmental, faith, human rights and community activists is calling on people everywhere to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Seattle protests on Saturday, December 5, 2009 by organizing events in their own communities.

On D5, people across the United States and beyond will demand:
An end to any further expansion of the undemocratic, “free trade” model. We’ll let elected officials know we’ve had enough of trade agreements that lead to a collective race to the bottom for workers in the United States and across the world; that worsen global poverty; push small farmers off their land; force migration; increase carbon emissions; destroy the environment; deregulate banks; weaken consumer safety; and disappear the middle class.

The prioritization of human needs over corporate greed. From global trade to global warming, financial services to health care, “free market” corporate rule has been a disaster for most of the world’s people. Rich corporations have had their say. We’ll work together to take control of the decisions that affect our lives and the planet.

These D5 celebrations are envisioned as “big tent” events. They will be a time to highlight the connections between different progressive issues, and strengthen relationships between people working on those issues. The WTO protests famously brought together “Teamsters and Turtles.” Let’s use the anniversary of that historic alliance to work together again.

D5 is also an opportunity to reach out to neighbors and educate them on the importance of organizing and activism. The Seattle protesters helped alter the course of global trade policy. D5 is a time to celebrate our victories, and reinforce the message that public engagement and grassroots resistance makes a real difference.
Local organizing committees will decide for themselves what issues, targets and tactics to prioritize on December 5th, but are encouraged to visit the forthcoming website www.December5.org to share information about upcoming planning meetings and events, and to start coordinating with others throughout the country and the world.

Help Make “D5” a Success in Oregon!

A broad coalition of organizations and activists is already planning a large-scale indoor rally and outdoor action for “D5” in Portland, and want people from around the state to participate. These events will call for an end to any expansion of harmful trade policies, and include other timely demands about prioritizing people over corporate profits. Your organization is invited to get involved in making this a success.

Please send organizational endorsements to
endo...@december5.org