Many of them are joining forces on a few marches, but the rough coalition has no formal leaders. This past spring, he was among those arrested by D.C. police during demonstrations against the World Bank. Like others who were busy painting protest signs, Montes said he will take to the streets in Los Angeles next week because he thinks too many elected officials answer only to their big-money donors. He also said he is angry that large companies are displacing U.S. workers by moving factories overseas for cheaper labor. There are lot of different issues, but we're basically all just asking for more compassion.
Police fear that some protesters have dangerous mischief in mind.
Last month, about 150 activists gathered in the nearby mountains of Malibu for a five-day camp that taught them how to scale skyscrapers and billboards. Several hundred self-proclaimed anarchists also are convening in Los Angeles this weekend for a conference. In Seattle last year, police blamed a small masked band of violent anarchists for much of the property damage the city's downtown businesses sustained during the trade protests. At a news conference here this week, anarchist leaders insisted that they have no intention of staging any violent demonstrations during the convention. Lisa Fithian, who is helping organize the protest coalition, said that every group she has spoken with intends to march and conduct acts of civil disobedience such as blocking busy intersections peacefully.