A broad coalition of activists will hit the streets of downtown DC at noon today to protest the TPP. No, they’re not against toilet paper; TPP stands for Trans-Pacific Partnership, the latest massive corporate power grab that would set rules governing nearly half the global economy. Critics warn that the TPP poses dire consequences for the economy, environment and public health both at home and abroad...
photo: 2013 Stop TPP rally in DC; photo by Chris Garlock
photo: 2013 Stop TPP rally in DC; photo by Chris Garlock
The noontime rally is outside the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative at 17th and F Streets NW, where trade negotiators from throughout the Pacific Rim are meeting behind closed doors. "We've seen this movie before and it doesn't have a happy ending," Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D, CT) said last week. "NAFTA pitted good American jobs against Mexico's $10-a-day wages. TPP puts us with Vietnam where we're looking at minimum wage that is more like 52 cents an hour. We know that we're going to watch more American jobs vanish."