Protesters Smell a Toxic Rat at World Bank

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)The fatcat in front of the World Bank was hard to miss. Twelve feet tall, bright orange and wearing a well-tailored suit, it squeezed a worker in its paw. The inflatable tabby joined labor, environment and faith community protestors yesterday at a noontime rally against “Global Capital Gone Wild” – a protest against abusive free-trade agreements they say are wreaking havoc on workers’ lives in El Salvador. “Human rights, labor rights, and environmental rights are non-negotiable” Alexis Stoumbelis – Executive Director of the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador – said at the rally, which was organized by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS). Along with allies in the environmental and labor communities, IPS delivered a petition signed by 14 unions and over 240 community groups to World Bank head Robert Zoellick, demanding respect for Salvadoran regulations against poisonous mining practices. Stressing the solidarity between American and Salvadoran workers, Teamster Tim Beatty said that “democracy is under attack in El Salvador and democracy is under attack here in the United States.” - photo: LIUNA members show their support at the World Bank rally by Julia Kann