Called the Boston Independent Media Center, it posted photos, stories, and audio clips on its Web site throughout the week of protests. Concerns about corporate control of global trade were mentioned almost as often in Boston as they were in Seattle. Seattle itself was mentioned frequently at the counter-conference. Ralph Nader, speaking on Saturday, flat-out called Biodevastation an extension of the WTO protests. It comes down to corporate control. . . .
Globalization is all about the distribution of power.
The reason that citizens like me are so uptight is that we see this corporate agenda as being an infringement upon democracy. Seattle was remarkable, among other things, for its unusual alliances, with environmental activists marching next to blue-collar union workers. The same dynamic was visible at Biodevastation, where scientists rubbed shoulders with anarchist youth, hippies, farmers, and everyone in between. Rain was a possibility on Sunday, but the weather turned out to be gorgeous. The police presence was heavy, but organizers, as they said repeatedly, didn't want mischief.