While thousands of protestors surged through the streets of Quebec City April 21 to protest the Summit of the Americas meeting and the FTAA, people from all over California gathered in solidarity near the Mexican Border in San Diego.

An estimated 2000 people of all ages, races and political persuasions gathered in Larsen Park; a stone's throw away from the eerie sight of the Mexican flag flying above what looks like just a flimsy picket fence, but what is, to some, a symbol of class and race apartheid.

The day had a very positive tone, with, for the most part, a fairly relaxed although vigilant police presence. Under an alternating rainy and sunny sky, veteran demonstrators networked and passed out literature, while others painted banners and put the finishing touches on puppets. Milling through the growing crowd were folks bearing t-shirts claiming their affiliation with groups such as The Revolutionary Communist Party Youth Brigade, The S.E.I.U. (service workers union), Wages for Housewives, and The Socialist Party among others. Black clad youths, faces covered with the ubiquitous black bandanas gathered in a small cluster, and were watched suspiciously by the police. Drummers, a must have at all modern day protests, brought out their instruments and soon a joyful drum and dance circle created a rhythmic groove throughout the park, and set a tone of solidarity for the day. Food Not Bombs supplied lunch.

The planned rally began at around 12:30 and speakers included Medea Benjamin of Global Exchange, labor representatives from the A.F.L.C.I.O., and local organizers from both sides of the border. The basic message was that the workers and people from around the world need to rise together to fight the corporate greed that threatens to throw millions of working people around the world into poverty, destroy any vestige of democracy or national sovereignty while completely ignoring the environmental crisis we now face. In the words of Los Angeles organizer Don White, "We are not *against* globalization; we are *for* the globalization of resistance."

The beauty of being so close to the Mexican border was the highlighting of the proximity of our two nations. Unlike Europeans who all live in close range of many different countries and cultures, most Americans are insulated from the effects of national borders and the ways in which they can divide peoples. Holding the demonstration at a border crossing where hundreds of refugees from poverty die every year while attempting to cross to the other side brought home the true effects of artificial boundaries on poor people around the world. Speeches in English and Spanish served to show that we share the same concerns with not only our close neighbors, but with all people. The lesson to be learned was that only false ideas separate us, not languages and cultures

The original rally plan had called for the entire demonstration to move to Border State Park at 3 p.m. where a hand-across-the-border ceremony was planned with a group of demonstrators mirroring the protest activities in Tijuana. However, due to rain and mud, access to the state park was deemed impossible, and a plan "B" was hastily created. This new plan called for a march to the border crossing, about a half hour's walk away, and a solidarity demonstration at the border. Another option allowed for people to walk across the border and join the Mexicans for a rally near the beach. Some opted to cross over, while the majority stayed on the American side to avoid the possibility of being hassled at the border on the way back.

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The march to the border was festive, upbeat and noisy, with puppets and banners supplying color. Drummers accompanied lusty chants in both Spanish and English proclaiming allegiance to the Zapatista movement in Mexico, and solidarity against the FTAA. Local residents and tourists added to the feeling of a parade by gathering on the sidelines, some curious, and some cheering and offering thumbs-up support.

It wasn't until the group arrived at the border that the energy changed from the sense of a celebratory picnic to something more angry and passion driven. A portable microphone appeared from somewhere, and several young speakers took the opportunity to shout their rage at the system. A large drum circle formed a few feet away, and the steady rhythmic beats added to the sense of building anger while clueless tourists scurried to the sidelines. The police, sensing the escalation of energy, began to increase their heretofore rather loose presence, and surrounded the protesters in a stiff soldier-like formation, billy clubs at the ready. Soon the San Diego police in their black uniforms were joined by a number of California Highway Patrol officers in green. Although there were no tear-gas canisters in evidence, the tension was mounting, and the sense was that anything could happen began to build.

There was concern amongst some of the protesters as well, and veterans from other incidents began to move out of the way to avoid being trapped in a confrontation. One young latino man was overheard saying he didn't think some of the white protestors understood that in the case of any trouble it would be the brown people who were more likely to get hurt by the police. When questioned, he proclaimed his solidarity with the days events, but said he was concerned about the safety of brown skinned people, and just wanted to make sure they were alert and aware of the potential for violence that he felt was brewing.

The San Diego organizers were quick to sense the energy escalation, and managed to defuse any potential for trouble by calling for the entire gathering to return to Larsen Park. This was accomplished smoothly with only one more minor incident, when the police, seeming to think that a shopping center on the way back was at risk, felt the need to surround the group of black-clad youths who were marching peacefully together, penning them in. Would the windows of the NIKE outlet store have been smashed? We will never know. And the Black Bloc will never tell.

The day ended with music by local bands, and the crowd dispersed peacefully with the message to continue the fight against the corporate economy.

I was at the San Diego/Tijuana protest April 21. And when I saw the number of people milling about at the border, backing away from the Black Bloc's angry confrontation with the nervous police, and when I saw young men and women begging the black-clad soldiers not to be so violent, I was reminded of something Mark Twain once wrote (in "King Leopold's Soliloquy"):

"I know the human race...just when they've had enough, just when they are ready to pick up a brick and throw it, they throw a poem instead... Yes, I know the human race."

I am the young latino man that this article refers to near the end and i wanted to clarify the comments in the article.

First of all, I am Xicano, not latino... although identity politics is only of minor relevance to the larger picture in relation to the anti-ftaa, wto, imf organizing (and other corporate bastards), it is important here in order to understand where it is that my comments are coming from.

Second, I am from San Ysidro but currently go to school in the Bay Area. I grow up only blocks away from Larsen Field and the border so i know the area and the socio-political context (cops and BORDER PATROL!!!) it operates under.

The concerns that I have are rooted in the fact that too often (seatle, dc, philly, la, or quebec) anti-corporate actions (for the lack of a better name) lack people of color... this itself is in no way an attempt to discredit the actions but a reminder that both people of color and issues affecting people of Color are often left in the background Example) attempts to bring border issues (militarization and immigrant death) into the events were glossed over even though it's the existence of borders that allow for trans-national corporate exploitation

whereas i fully support any action that takes place against capitalist greed, all folks (especially white folks) need to recognize that if the cops come beating down on us, it is more than likely that people of color will be the first hit and the most hit, and as xicanas/os along the border, we must deal not only with cops but with border patrol too, which means the risk of deportation regardless of 'legal' status. My concern was and is that anti-wto (and the likes) organizers often ignore issues affecting people of color and local circumstances (philly, la, the border), I hope this is taken as constructive criticism and not as an attack as all that we have to do from here is learn from and build on our previous experiences...

Greetings,

The youth and others who come out to protest the WTO, IMF, FTAA, etc ARE taking into account issues that affect people of color. In fact, they are laying their bodies on the line -- laying down in front of polioce cars, standing their ground despite getting shot at, getting arrested and, what all acounts say, tortured in the jails cleared out for them all over the country and the world. Yes, they are largely white. Great! The more people the better!!! Where else would we want white people to be??? They are an inspiration to the people of the world. You think people in Africa who are fighting the genocidal Aids epidemic care if the youth storming the fences to fight to an end to Thrid World Debt if these youth are white? It gives people, in fact, immense heart to see that their is a generation in this country that is unwilling to live in the old way, who refuse to get rich off the slavery of others.

I am Black and I've heard some of the "there's not enough color in the movement" comments or the "movement is too white" comments. The problem is not that our movement lacks color. The problem is US imperialism. We need to continue to build unity and dig deeper and bring more people out from all nationalities. And from what I've seen there is alot more diversity in the streets that these critics let on. I was at the FTAA protest in San Diego and there was alot of color there. But, if it had been all white it still would have been a beautiful determined statement against the FTAA.

I've also heard the comments about people of color getting targeted first by the police if shit goes down. Hmmm, maybe you don't remember the Black Panther Party. I wonder if Huey and Bobby were worried about Black people getting targeted first? Black people were already being targeted first--that's why they came out with their militant, armed revolutionary stance. People fight back BECAUSE they and others are being targeted. You don't pull back and do nothing because people will get targeted. The question is what will happen to people if they don't fight back.

Yes, there are questions of stratgegy and tactics and so on, but if we hold everything up to the light of whether or not people of color will get targeted then perhaps people should do nothing because frankly, anything is an excuse to target people. I don't think the Freedom Riders threw bottles but they got attacked with bull dogs, beaten, and fire hosed just the same. We have to confront what we are up against--a murdering system that won't play nice with people who follow THEIR rules. And for people who want real change we are going to have to break their rules amd go up against their brutality.

We cannot sit back making sure that people of color don't get targeted (as if that were possible) meanwhile someone dies every day on the US/ Mexico Border.

I come from parents who fought in the civil rights struggle. I allign myself with my class brothers and sisters around the world, who on the bottom and have nothing to lose but their chains. I expect to fight and expect to get targeted like my sisters and brothers from Africa to Nepal-- there is no other just way to live. And in no better company. Cast Away Illusions. Prepare for Struggle --Mao Tse Tung

I just want to express my exitement that we have people disagreeing on this issue and they are speaking respectfully to each other! I see to little of this.