City struggles to regain control of downtown streets after rampage

By REBECCA COOK
Associated Press Writer

SEATTLE -- City officials struggled to regain control of
downtown streets ravaged by a handful of violent militants trying
to disrupt a world trade meeting.

    Mayor Paul Schell declared a civil emergency, imposing a curfew
until 7:30 a.m. PST today across much of the business district
after police battled protesters with tear gas and pepper spray.

    "We're really urging people to give us the streets so that we
can get ready for tomorrow," Schell said Tuesday.

    At Schell's request, Gov. Gary Locke called in as many as 200
unarmed National Guardsmen with crowd-control experience to help
restore order today after protesters defied police, lit fires,
smashed windows and scrawled graffiti throughout downtown Seattle
on Tuesday.

    A few angry protesters smashed windows at a McDonald's, a Planet
Hollywood restaurant, a jewelry store, a Nike Town store, a Gap
clothing store, a U.S.Bank branch and other businesses.

    "We are winning," was a prominent graffiti message.

    About 300 Washington State Patrol troopers also were being
pulled off duty to help relieve exhausted city police officers.

    Chaining themselves together and lying down at intersections,
about 5,000 demonstrators succeeded in preventing most of the
delegates from getting to the talks and forcing a cancellation of
the opening ceremonies of the World Trade Organization.

    There were scattered reports of looting after dark Tuesday -- one
incident at a Starbucks coffee shop was televised locally -- as
police cleared the downtown streets.

    Once police and the curfew cleared downtown streets of
protesters, street sweepers and work crews worked through the
night, clearing debris and boarding up broken windows.

    Most of the tens of thousands of people _ as many as 40,000 _
who thronged downtown to protest the WTO's power and secrecy were
peaceful, but the few exceptions were enough to throw the city into
chaos. An AFL-CIO rally poured more than 20,000 people into the
downtown core.

    "Do I wish things had turned out differently? You bet," Schell
said as he announced the curfew.

    "I'm not happy about the property damages. Nobody can be happy
about what happened today."

    Police Chief Norm Stamper said members of his force met with
activist leaders several times over the past few months and were
assured the protests would be peaceful.

    "We have demonstrators from all over the world who were not
part of that planning process and have chosen to use much more
aggressive means," he said.

    Schell said police made 60 arrests, and Stamper praised their
restraint.

    "If we find ourselves making huge numbers of arrests, then we
drain off resources while we're making those arrests," he said.

    Mainstream protest groups were unhappy with the violence as
well.

    "Today for the first time, students, people of faith, environmentalists, labor leaders and working families came together to send the message that the WTO rules do not protect workers or the environment," said Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra
Club.

    "We deplore the violence exhibited in downtown Seattle," he
said. "It is usurping the real story of ... people who stood
together to demand respect for workers and the environment."

    Most were peaceful, but once the violence began, it quickly
spread through the downtown shopping district.

    Frustrated delegates cooled their heels at the Sheraton and
other hotels for much of the day, unable to reach the convention
center through the protesters and clouds of tear gas.

    "I haven't been able to do anything," said Mohammed Asfour,
Jordan's Minister of Industry and Trade.

    "Unfortunately, I feel the whole thing has been disorganized.
... People like us who came from thousands of miles and to find no
organization -- it's very sad," said Asfour, whose country is
scheduled to be admitted to the WTO at this week's session.

    Protesters dominated several square blocks of the city for much
of the day. The smell of marijuana mingled with lingering tear gas
as activists danced atop overturned trash bins and spray-painted
buildings, buses and police cars.

    "I'm really happy with this," said a Portland, Ore., college
student, Catherine Booth, 18, as the crowd swelled Tuesday
afternoon. "It's mass revolt, but with a purpose."

    Officers warned protesters over a loudspeaker several times
before using "chemical irritants," including tear gas and
red-pepper spray, or oleoresin capsicum, delivered by spray
canisters and pellets fired from rifle-like devices.

    "They sprayed me right in the face. We were just sitting there
chanting to the delegates and they sprayed us with tear gas," said
Tom Wilson, 54, Viroqua, Wis., who spoke with his eyes closed,
grimacing in pain.