What we need to say is not 'what was the use of all the protests' but now that they are over, and we know that it was a lot of hell for a symbolic gathering, what are we going to do to continue builing alternatives to the capitalist system, and to strengthen are community initiatives and solidarity.

I agree that 'summit hopping' isn't the end all and be all of fighting capitalism, but it sure helps.

Last spring at the OAS Shutdown in Windsor we had about 4-5000 ppl show up after months of organizing and a lot of money. Lots of people got arrested, tonnes of intelligence reports were written up on active organinzers, media slammed us before during and after as violent anarchists, and it was generally a draining thing.

BUT:::::::::::::::

before the protests...local labour, activist groups, and the general public had a bad impression of the protestors. The amount of people working on anti-capitalist issues in Ontario wasn't super strong or networked.

Coming out of the protests the locals all saw how there city was walled off, millions of their dollars were spent to by big toys for mean cops who beat protestors for walking down the street or trying to hang a banner.

Coming out of the protests there was a much radicalization. For years i knew about capitaliasm, environmental destruction etc, it wasn't untill i put myself in a position where i had to give up my comfort severely and place my self in the hands of brutal overreacting cops working for nothing other that private capital, that i became more radical and my resolve to fight was hardened.

Also coming out of the protests was a lot more people looking forward to Quebec, a lot more anti-capitalist globalization groups springing up in towns where nothing existed before, and more networking between these groups. Now that the big day is over, people aren't going to go back home and just pat themselves on the back for being there and rubbing their bruises. They're going to create new local community groups, and focus on issues that matter to them there. And they are also going to be connected to other organizations that have all came together under the summit protests. Awareness and solidarity with laitin american struggles, fighting for first nations sovereingty, and fighting poverty.

What we need to say is not 'what was the use of all the protests' but now that they are over, and we know that it was a lot of hell for a symbolic gathering, what are we going to do to continue builing alternatives to the capitalist system, and to strengthen are community initiatives and solidarity.

Lastly...while the summit hopping is merely symbolic in someways...the organizing and buildup for them is what are the lasting benefits of organizining around the summits. They bring more people into the movement in the end (despite what some may say are low numbers at the summit itself, thousands organized in their own communities around the americas), and it is a show of strength and a feeling of putting ourselves in an empowering situation where we can take control together in large numbers and know that it is possible.

check out www.tao.ca/~ridefree/summithop/ for more info on this stuff.