Jane WTO: Women and Civil Disobedience

1. Jane WTO:Women and Civil Disobedience BeverlyYuen Thompson, Ph.D. NewSchool for Social Research Sociology

2. Genesis • Globalization, social movements, and women • Globalization and women • Global Justice Movement fieldwork • Focus: female leadership, mass protest episodes, civil disobedience, and jail resistance

3. Gender and Globalization • Women are the global poor • Development money doesn’t trickle down to women • Gender-specific migration • Gender-specific industries • Cuts in social programs (school/health) severely impact women and children

4. The Global Justice Movement • Long history in the global south “IMF riots” • Free trade v. Fair trade • World trade meetings are closed to the public • The street is the only place for the people to voice their concerns • They are arrested en mass on charges that are later dropped • This intimidates civil participation and silences the people

5. Social Movement Theory • Sidney Tarrow: • Protests have a life-cycle. There is a “high point of the wave” that produces the appearance of spontaneous collective action. • Charles Tilly: • New tactical innovations are created during these high points, created on the margins.

6. Women and Leadership in Social Movements • Women have always been involved in social movements • Historical representations more lacking than the reality • Male leadership emphasized • Definitions of leadership normalizes male models • Women participate in high-risk direct action

7. Methodology • Historical Lineage • Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) • Civil Rights • Anti-nuclear • Global Justice • Ethnography • Field research at all major U.S. protests: 1999-2004 • Worked with three law collectives during demonstrations • Participated in jail solidarity in DC and in LA • Interviewed 50 people (arrestees and legal workers)

8. History • The IWW “soap boxing” • Emma Goldman and Mother Jones arrested

9. History • Civil Rights Movement • Rosa Parks arrested

10. History • Anti-nuclear movement • Women’s Peace Camp • Katya Komasaruk arrested

11. Present • The Global Justice Movement • Appears in global north in Seattle 1999 • “Teamsters and turtles together at last” • Mass demonstrations at each summit • Mass arrests • jail solidarity used

12. “Jane WTO” and Jail Solidarity • WTO protests in Seattle, 1999 • Around 600 protesters arrested • They used “jail solidarity”: or continued direct action to achieve demands of charges dropped, immediate release, all equal charges • Refused to provide names • Physical non-compliance • Hunger striking • Demand lawyers and jury trials • Outside support/publicity • Sarah Kerr: “Jane and John WTO” • Jail Solidarity succeeds • Released after five days • Nearly all charges dropped • City loses court battle two years later and pays fine

13. Jail Solidarity • Jail Solidarity became the successful new tactic • It is utilized at the following national protests: • “A16” IMF/World Bank in DC April 2000 (156 arrests) • Republican National Convention in Philly 2000 (~420 arrests) • Democratic National Convention in LA 2000 (~56 arrests) • School of the Americas in Georgia 2001 (~40) • World Economic Forum in NYC in 2002 (~201) • Another round of national protests stops using jail solidarity, becomes less successful and repressed by police • Anti-war protest in DC 2002 • IMF/World Bank in DC 2002 • Republican National Convention in NYC 2004

14. Jail Solidarity Questions • Is our freedom of speech really protected? • Are women and racial minorities represented in leadership positions? • What is the jail solidarity experience? • What is the final outcome?

15. Freedom of Speech • The state’s response to large-scale demonstrations at globalization summits has been to mass arrest, clear the streets, and then release protesters and drop the charges. • Pre-emptive arrests • Sweeping arrests • Designated “free speech zones” • Charges later dropped/cities lose civil suits

16. Police Violence • Weapons on the streets • Tear gas • Rubber bullets • Concussion grenades • Batons • Philly—Eli: “Brutality in the jails” • LA— Jane Doe Statement: “Ramparts Police Station action”

17. The Women’s Jail Experience • Vanessa: “It was the first time we went into the holding cell for court and it was standing room only, so packed. We walked in there…” (2001). • Eli: “We’re developing amazing communication skills for being in isolated cells. The women were really trying to communicate…” (2002).

18. Law Collectives • Law collectives: • Are comprised of volunteer activists • Provide a liaison between lawyers and arrestees • Provide pre-protest trainings on civil disobedience, jail solidarity, and “know your rights” trainings. • Provide legal support during the protest, in the streets, establish an office to take calls from jail • Assist in organizing the legal defense and court visits • Conduct the follow-up work, often taking years with court dates of defendants and filing civil suits against the city and police. • From mobile legal collective to social movement of law collectives

19. Gender and Race • Global Justice Movement has good representation of women in all levels of involvement. • Global Justice Movement has poor representation of racial/ethnic minorities. • Martinez (2002) estimates 5%. • Globalization disproportionately affects people of color, yet northern movement mostly white. • Movement refers to itself as white. • Interviewees mostly white.

20. The Future of Jail Solidarity • Participation Outcomes • Brought attention to Global Justice issues • Often life transforming experience for activists • Education on prison industrial complex • Potentially provides links between prisoners and activists with resources • May cultivate connection between Global Justice and prison abolitionist movements. “Chris” • End of Cycle • Authorities are able to counteract jail solidarity • Social movements become more grassroots, community based, move away from summit hopping. “Dee”

21. Have you ever been to the D.C. jailAt the very, very bottom of the justice system? There you’ll find quite a few resisters, Who go by the name of Jane. If you do, that’s us, We’re Jane Doe. We crossed the line, got pepper sprayedand now we’re in cell 48, Solidarity. It’s working! --Jane Doe (Washington DC 2000)