WTO-Cancun 2003

Photo Essay by Orin Langelle

10 September Mask at the Campesino encampment in Cancun Centro.	10 September Thousands of people, the majority farmers, were joined by labor, indigenous people and students opposed tothe WTO, marched toward the Cancun Convention Center.
10 September Part of the march.	10 September Part of the colorful South Korean contingent in the march. Later in the march, a South Korean farmer, Lee Kyung Hae, 54 years old and father of two, committed suicide.
September 10 The march was was stopped by police and barricades many kilometers from their destination, ironically at Kilometer O on the maps. It was later refered to as ground zero by the demonstrators. Protesters overturned sections of the wire barricades and were then stopped by riot police.	September 10 "The Mexican authorities are responsible for this (suicide)as they prevented open dialogue to happen between farmers and the WTO delegates," said Walden Bello from Focus on the Global South outside of the Cancun General Hospital where Lee Kyung Hae was pronounced dead. "Suicide rates among farmers are increasing globally and even in the U.S. This is a tragic example," he continued.
September 11 Deputy USTR Peter Allgeier (left) and a disgusted USDA Under Secretary, Farm & Foreign Agricultural Services J.B. Penn after Greenpeace activists dumped corn during a press briefing.	11 September Minutes after the Greenpeace activists left, three others in attendance stood in front of Allgeier and Penn with signs.
11 September A woman WTO delegate holds a candle as a vigil for Lee Kyung Hae is held in the Press Center.	12 September Banner hang greeting the delegates on Friday from atop hi-rise apartments under construction next to the Convention Center.
12 September Around 6:30 pm Friday, protesters took over the street next to the Convention Center by sitting down in the road and then were joined by the Pagan Cluster in a Circle Dance. The demonstration disrupted traffic for three hours. No one was arrested.	12 September The protesters on the street were in solidarity with Lee Kyong Hae and farmers, indigenous peoples and the Earth.
13 September Thousands again took to the street on Saturday and marched toward the Convention Center and were met at ground zero by barricades and the police. The fence was cut by people with bolt cutters and a large section was torn down.	13 September More than 500 years of resistance is evidenced in Cancun protests while police look at the banner.
13 September Protester shows his feelings to authorities protecting the WTO from the people.	13 September NGOs drop banner over walking bridge leading to Convention Center.
14 September Argentina's Vice-Minister for Trade, Martin Redrado speaks in a hallway of the Convention Center after WTO talks collapse.	14 September Delegae Rebecca John Muna from Tanzania smiles moments after the collapse.
14 September U.S. Trade Representative, Robert Zoellick, blames the collapse on others (namely the Group of 22) stating, "Whether developed or developing, there were 'can do' and 'won't do'countries here. The rhetoric of the 'won't do' overwhelmed the concertedefforts of the 'can do'. 'Won't do' led to impasse.	14 September Council of Canadian's Maude Barlow celebrates the victory.
Photos by: Orin Langelle, 2003