Received: by dot.crosswinds.net (mbox republican) (with Cubic Circle's cucipop (v1.31 1998/05/13) Wed Nov 3 15:44:35 1999) X-From_: owner-apecalert-l@envirolink.org Tue Nov 2 20:21:48 1999 Return-Path: Received: from envirolink.org (manatee.envirolink.org [208.195.208.7]) by dot.crosswinds.net (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id UAA16169 for ; Tue, 2 Nov 1999 20:21:46 -0500 (EST) (envelope-from owner-apecalert-l@envirolink.org) Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by envirolink.org (8.8.7/8.8.7) with SMTP id UAA15161; Tue, 2 Nov 1999 20:19:11 -0500 (EST) Received: from tao.ca (jaggi@tao.ca [198.96.117.188]) by envirolink.org (8.8.7/8.8.7) with ESMTP id UAA14507 for ; Tue, 2 Nov 1999 20:12:01 -0500 (EST) Received: from localhost (jaggi@localhost) by tao.ca (8.9.3/TAO5) with ESMTP id UAA12973; Tue, 2 Nov 1999 20:21:01 -0500 Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1999 01:21:01 +0000 (GMT) From: Jaggi Singh To: apecalert-l@envirolink.org, pga-van@tao.ca Subject: toronto: Free Trade Stinks ... Youth for Corporate Progress Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Reply-To: apecalert-l@envirolink.org Sender: owner-apecalert-l@envirolink.org X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.2.07 -- ListProc(tm) by CREN more info from the anti-ftaa protests in toronto ... ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1999 04:53:44 -0500 (EST) To: stopftaa-tor@tao.ca Subject: Goblins Strike at the ABF/FTAA (fwd) Hey ... more goblin reports ... pass it on. Update on goblin activities for Monday Nov. 1st. -CEO gala infiltrated by stinky goblins -Shapeshifter goblins trick international business leaders into revealing dirty thoughts Monday evening saw a gala hosted by Mayor Mel and the city for the 1000 and 1 capitalists coming to town for the Americas Business Forum (The real negotiaters of the Free Trade area of the Americas). And as any good trickster goblins, our peoples' goblins were there in style. FREE TRADE STINKS! A number of goblins made it inside Roy Thomson Hall amongst the suits and evening gowns and raised the stink of stinks. Throughout the entire hall, grotesque aromas of rotten eggs and feces emanated from the crowd. From the outside one could see random areas become vacant within seconds. The business leaders carried on but from a back alley we could hear a goblin rolling around in laughter. "Those damn corporate schmucks don't care that 'free' trade stinks. They just pull up their noses and ignore it like all the other problems they create. HA! HA! What a bunch of smelly rich bastards!" YOUTH FOR CORPORATE PROGRESS A larger body of goblins took to the streets outside the gala and masqueraded as right wing business students/groupies, cheering on the CEO's and the Americas Business Forum Agenda. On top of their formal wear, the goblins pinned down body-banners such as: "1000 Capitalists can't be wrong!" "Hurrahh For the Rich!! FTAA NOW" " End Environmental Regulations Now! More Profit!" "Privilege is Divine!" "War on the Poor Now!" and "Who Gives a shit about the South." As the business leaders entered and left the building, the goblins waved, shook hands, cheered, and conversed with the rich and richer. They videotaped a number of interactions with the corporate leaders who were happy to see their young supporters. A Chilean man who had been invited by the Fraser Institute to speak on intellectual property rights and patents, pointed out his friends from the institute and spoke to the goblins about indigenous peoples, labour, and environmental issues in Chile. He remarked cheerfully that he wished there were supporters like the goblins in Chile, because yes, environmental regulations do get in the way of investment. "There are 2 indian families who have stopped a $500 million project for a power plant ... all the others have accepted except those two old women who say they will have to be dragged away dead." When a goblin piped in that maybe the military should get involved the man gave a hearty laugh. "No, no. Not the army. :-) We'll send a couple of guys in." The tricks continued, and it was amazing how many of the business leaders cheered and waved back when they saw the goblins. (Even after reading the signs.) At one point, the assistant to trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew came out to speak to the goblins and offered to get Pettigrew to come and talk with them. The goblins claimed they were mad at him for letting lefty talk get into the trade talks and for Pettigrew's attempt to humanize the 'face' of corporate globalization. "War on the Poor! We have to take the lefty rhetoric and reclaim it. Yes we want a war on the poor! The upper class deserve what's theirs!" exclaimed an excited goblin. The assistant backed off and claimed that the minister wouldn't speak to the goblins if they used 'words' like that. He had a feeling that the goblins were being sacrastic, but they kept up with their tricks. Perhaps the most shaken were the confused police, who, expecting protestors, were unsure how to respond when it was revealed that the Youth for Corporate Progress worked with the same Conservative government the police helped put in power. Stay tuned for more tales from the goblin front ...