When Seattle hosted the World Trade Organization's meeting in November/December 1999 few people anticipated that more than 50,000 protesters would wreak havoc on the city. For three days police clashed with demonstrators in the downtown core of the city. The National Guard was called out to help enforce a curfew designed to protect the city from rampaging anarchists.

Activists not only succeeded in shutting down the W.T.O. talks for much of the week. They spawned a new type of global protest which went on to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings in Washington, D.C. in April 2000, again in Prague in September 2000 and continued on to the G8 Summit in Genova in July 2001. Activists in Seattle still celebrate the anniversary on November 30th of what they consider a victory for democracy and public opinion.