THE STORY – An immersive archival documentary that reanimates the clash between the then-emerging World Trade Organization (WTO) and the more than 40,000 people who took to the streets of Seattle to protest the WTO’s impact on human rights, the environment, labor, and the future impacts of continued globalization.
THE CAST – Michael Moore, Tom Hayden, Bill Clinton, Paul Schell & Norm Stamper
THE TEAM – Ian Bell (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 100 Minutes
It was dubbed “The Battle of Seattle,” and over four days in late 1999, it became by far the largest demonstration against economic globalization in American history. The target was the first meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on American soil, and its presence in Seattle brought over 40,000 marchers from across the political spectrum in protest. And the chaos that followed made headlines around the world.
Director Ian Bell has captured how the nonviolent protest met with a dramatically violent response in the new doc, “WTO/99,” which chronicles the four-day standoff in vivid detail. Bell and his co-editor Alex Magaro have designed the film to be immersive, eschewing any contemporary talking-head commentary that could offer perspective on the event. Instead, they utilize first-hand footage shot at the time — from local news coverage on the scene to footage shot by the marchers themselves on home camcorders — to more effectively chronicle just how a protest filled with hope turned horribly wrong.
It wasn’t supposed to go down this way. Though the film begins with footage of youthful protesters en route to Seattle, buying gas masks just in case the police use chemical weapons against them. Seattle Mayor Paul Schell publicly asserts that the city will do all it can to ensure the marchers are heard. That sentiment is echoed in videos sent out by the Seattle PD, led by Chief Norm Stamper, that offer assurance that the police would strike the right balance between respecting the protesters’ First Amendment rights while keeping local residents safe. For that, they promise, they are fully prepared.
The demonstrators have come prepared as well, and early on the morning of the WTO conference’s opening day, many chain themselves to key intersections, taking control of the streets as marchers fill in all around them. As we learn in interviews, the demonstrators cover a wide range of the political spectrum, from union members (over 25,000 in all) to students who have arrived from around the world. The police attempt to maintain crowd control as they try to escort delegates into the conference hall, with little success. After demonstrators refuse to move, the police opt to use tear gas to disperse the crowd, and while many activists have been trained to deal with chemical weapons, most demonstrators flee the scene in confusion. When a few anarchists use the chaos to smash store windows, Mayor Schell declares a curfew and orders the city into a state of emergency.
It is in these scenes on the ground during these protests that “WTO/99” truly displays its power. By using footage from demonstrators’ own camcorders, Bell puts us in the shoes of the people on the street. If you’ve ever marched in support of a political issue or candidate, you may recall feeling exhilarated at letting your voice be heard, often mixed with a bit of apprehension about what you might face ahead. Here, Bell’s footage captures that same feeling, only heightened, as we suddenly find ourselves confronted by gun-toting authorities firing tear gas or worse, rubber bullets, directly at us and the camera. The impact that these scenes elicit gives us a far greater understanding of the event than any talking heads might have provided.
That intensity is ratcheted up on Day 2, as the mayor and police chief, stung by critical press coverage accusing them of mishandling Day 1, take a more aggressive stance against the demonstrators. For their part, the marchers are concerned that their message, protesting the WTO’s impact on human rights, the environment, and labor, is being lost amid the violence. Complicating the standoff is the fact that it is now December 1st, with holiday shoppers intermingling with the demonstrators on the street, complicating the police response. As the march moves toward them, the police feel threatened and respond by firing rubber bullets into the crowd, prompting shoppers and demonstrators to flee in panic. Their action does little to reduce the tension, and clashes continue well into the evening, with over 500 people jailed.
While the footage, from local news to marchers in the midst of the fight, gives the doc a thrilling immediacy, that strength is also, at times, its weakness. Because the footage comes from various angles of the protests, the film’s depiction of the marchers can feel scattered, with no single figure from the demonstrators’ side emerging as a much-needed focal point to give the film narrative shape. While what we see on the streets of Seattle is engrossing and, at times, even startling, the lack of a singular protagonist keeps us from becoming as emotionally invested in the ultimate outcome of the protests as we might.
Still, it’s undeniably thrilling to witness the dedication of those fighting for causes they believe in, walking the walk to make their voices heard. Though the protests against economic globalization began to fade after 9/11, those demanding justice, whether it’s championing No Kings, Black Lives, or women’s reproductive health, remain on the streets to this day, and the fighting spirit exhibited in “WTO/99” captures that struggle in a vivid and inspiring way.
