Seattle Protest

In the Dec. 8 article concerning the resignation of Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper as a result of increasing criticism of his department’s handling of the anti-World Trade Organization demonstrations, you cite his officers watching “helplessly.” Is that what you call the police brutality of teargassing peaceful demonstrators, shooting rubber bullets and liberal use of their police clubs? You insist that these helpless officers were up against “mobs” of protesters “rampaging” and leaving $19 million “in damage and lost retail sales.”

What you call mobs were actually tens of thousands of average Americans, union members, people of faith, environmentalists and many others who strongly oppose the idea of giving away our most basic democratic rights to an international, corporate-dominated body. Since 99.5% of the demonstrators were peaceful, I’m not sure how you can justify the use of “rampaging.”

The reality is that $17 million of your $19-million figure for lost retail sales falls into the imaginary category. I am sure the lunch-counter sit-down strikes of the civil rights movement resulted in some “lost retail sales” as well. Fortunately, most understand that an issue as fundamental as the fight for our most basic forms of democracy might have to come ahead of whether Niketown can sell another pair of Air Jordans that day.

KEVIN RUDIGER

Venice

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Poor Chief Stamper, betrayed by protesters. I wonder if he realizes that most of us who were in Seattle feel betrayed as well, because of the excessive violence used by his Police Department.

ELLIE CIJVAT

Los Angeles

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Your story claims that a “mob” of thousands rioted, broke windows and looted. In fact, it is clear that it was the police who rioted. Windows were broken by a handful of young people, only after police in riot gear attacked and teargassed peaceful demonstrators. As one of the more than 50,000 who marched peacefully on Nov. 30, I can attest to the fact that many of us were attacked and imprisoned without cause. The true story of abuse of police authority and brutality is just beginning to emerge.

TANJA WINTER

La Jolla

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So the experts who so emphatically oppose the WTO want to restrict the ability of the nasty corporations to control business and give it back to the “people.” Who do they think controls the corporations, space aliens? Any group of people who set out to control a business, any business, would find it convenient to organize their management function along the same lines as have proven to be so successful already.

Show me one country where business is controlled by the “people,” without the help of a corporation, and I will show you a dictatorship. Life, people and business are not perfectible. Don’t ever believe those dreamy-eyed ones who preach that “this time it will be different.”

By reason of a contentious nature, some people will always be looking for a reason to raise hell. That Seattle bunch must have sat up nights searching for a cause.

NORMAN T. VICK

Seal Beach