D1 Westlake Arrests

Today, people going downtown were well aware that there was a "No Protest" zone in the core of the city surrounding the Convention Center You could be arrested for having a sign, button or gas mask.

The Women & Democracy's permit to march was revoked on the the morning of D1 by the city because of the no protest zone. You will see what they decided to do in the "Silent March" clip.

Some groups blatantly marched through downtown on the streets. First in the morning, a march ended up at Westlake Mall where they sat down and refused to move. About 175 people were arrested there.

DATE: December 1, 1999
WHERE: Westlake Mall, Downtown Seattle, WA
VIDEOGRAPHER CREDIT: Jen Domeier

Jen enters downtown from the North, passing by people who have planted themselves in the intersection of Boren and Westlake after watching their friends get arrested for pretty much doing nothing. Then she moves into the People for Fair Trade headquarters to interview some people there. At Westlake Mall, she films a lot of the arrests and watches one person get their gas mask confiscated. Arrestees are taken away, literally, by the busload.

DATE: December 1, 1999
WHERE: Westlake Mall, Downtown Seattle, WA
VIDEOGRAPHER CREDIT: Brandon DeCuir+Ricardo Hubbs

Brandon - Has some intense, close up footage arrestees being boarded onto the buses. Then an interview with a labor union activist. The story is, that the Steelworkers got pissed off that so many people were being arrested that they decided to march through the No Protest Zone that day. They were aware that the nonunion activists were being targeted while the Unions were more safe from arrests..being more mainstream., and decided to support the other activists. Kept the shaky footage to keep consistent audio. The feel of the crown is important to experience.

DATE: December 1, 1999
WHERE: Westlake Mall, Downtown Seattle, WA
VIDEOGRAPHER CREDIT: Brian Jones

Brian Jone's Westlake footage starts with an interview of how the arrests came to be. His footage of the event is at the doors of the buses as people are being taken in. He interviews John Sellers from the Rukus Society.

This footage can get a little boring..until you notice the way that people are familiar with each other. Not like it would be if it was full on shopping in downtown Seattle. There is a strong feeling of community, of shared experience. It is phenomenal to be in. Powerful. Changing.from honest and true intention. We enter this sacred place to stand present in our yearning, to bring forth our own beauty and to have it answered.