In one of the largest protests in recent history, tens of thousands are taking to the streets of Seattle today to demonstrate against the World Trade Organization, which officially launches four days of trade talks today. Some 2,000 protestors marched through downtown yesterday to proclaim their view that the WTO and its free trade policies are undermining health, safety, and environmental protections around the globe. At a nongovernmental organization forum yesterday, groups called for reform of the international trading system to incorporate stronger protections for workers, the environment, and human rights, with an audience that included U.S. Trade Rep. Charlene Barshefsky, Commerce Secretary William M. Daley, and Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman.
