[x-pubpol] TPP protest press release

[Joly MacFie]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: The Yes Lab <donotreply at yeslab.org>
Date: Sat, May 12, 2012 at 3:16 PM
Subject: Party ends badly for U.S. trade reps and federal agents

 May 12, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

*DALLAS PARTY ENDS BADLY FOR U.S. TRADE REPS AND FEDERAL AGENTS*
*Dozens of rogue "delegates" disrupt Trans-Pacific Partnership gala with
"award," "mic check," mass toilet paper replacement, projection*

    Click here for
video!<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5curJyngiDI&feature=youtu.be>

Two dozen rogue "delegates" disrupted the corporate-sponsored welcome gala
for the high-stakes Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade negotiations
yesterday with a fake award
ceremony<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5curJyngiDI&feature=youtu.be>and
"mic check." Other activists, meanwhile, replaced hundreds of rolls of
toilet paper (TP) throughout the conference venue with more informative
versions <http://www.flickr.com/photos/tcpp/7181916698/in/photostream>, and
projected a message on the venue's facade.

The first action began when a smartly-dressed man approached the podium
immediately after the gala's keynote speech by Ron Kirk, U.S. Trade
Representative and former mayor of Dallas. The man (local puppeteer David
Goodwin) introduced himself as "Git Haversall," president of the "Texas
Corporate Power Partnership," and announced he was giving Kirk and other
U.S. trade negotiators the "2012 Corporate Power Tool
Award<http://www.flickr.com/photos/tcpp/7180090620/in/set-72157629687739468/>,"
which "Haversall's" partner held aloft.

The crowd of negotiators and corporate representatives applauded, and
"Haversall" continued: "I'd like to personally thank the negotiators for
their relentless efforts. The TPP agreement is shaping up to be a fantastic
way for us to maximize profits, regardless of what the public of this
nation—or any other nation—thinks is right."

At that point, the host of the reception took the microphone back and
announced that the evening's formal programming had concluded. But Mr.
Haversall confidently re-took the microphone and warmly invited Kirk to
accept the award.

Kirk moved towards the stage, but federal agents blocked his path to
protect him from further embarrassment. At that point, a dozen well-dressed
"delegates" (local activists, some from Occupy Dallas) broke into ecstatic
dance and chanted "TPP! TPP! TPP!" for several minutes until Dallas police
arrived.

Fifteen minutes later, another dozen interlopers from Occupy Dallas
interrupted the reception with a spirited "mic-check." Outside, activists
projected a message on the hotel, and throughout the night, delegates
discovered that hundreds of rolls of custom toilet
paper<http://www.flickr.com/photos/tcpp/7181916698/in/photostream/>had
been installed in the conference venue.

The activists disrupted the gala to protest the hijacking of trade
negotiations by an extreme pro-corporate agenda. "The public and the media
are locked out of these meetings," said Kristi Lara from Occupy Dallas, one
of the infiltrators. "We can't let U.S. trade officials get away with
secretly limiting Internet freedoms <http://tppinfo.org/>, restricting
financial regulation <http://www.citizen.org/Page.aspx?pid=783>, extending
medicine patents <http://www.citizen.org/Page.aspx?pid=5325&frcrld=1>, and
giving corporations other a whole host of other
powers<http://www.citizen.org/tpp>allowing them to quash the rights of
people and democracies, for example by offshoring
jobs <http://www.citizen.org/Page.aspx?pid=5411&frcrld=1> in ever new ways.
Trade officials know the public won't stand for this, which is why they try
to keep their work secret—and that's why we had to crash their party."

There is mounting criticism of the U.S. role in pushing the negotiations
forward in secrecy, despite the public's overwhelming disagreement with TPP
goals. ("Buy American" procurement preferences are supported by over 85% of
Americans, but U.S. trade negotiators are preparing to accept a ban on such
preferences. Two weeks ago, 69 members of Congress sent a
letter<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/03/obama-trade-congress-buy-american_n_1475277.html>to
President Obama asking him not to accept that ban.)

Many are calling the Obama administration duplicitous: while the
administration publicly hypes a plan to revitalize American manufacturing
and create jobs in the U.S., U.S. trade officials push for new "investor
rights" that would make it easier for American companies to lay off
domestic workers and open plants overseas.

"The TPP has been branded as a trade 'negotiation' by its corporate
proponents, but in reality it's a place for big business to get its way
behind closed doors," said Pete Rokicki of Occupy Dallas. "This
anti-democratic maneuver can be stopped if the public gets active—just look
at the movement that killed the ill-advised SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act)
law a few months ago. That's why Obama's trade officials lock the public,
the press and even members of Congress from the trade negotiation process."

"We're really happy to know that even in their most private moments, US
trade reps are reminded that a vast majority of the public stands opposed
to corporate-friendly, closed-door trade deals like the TPP," said Sean
Dagohoy from the Yes Lab <http://www.yeslab.org>, who assisted in the
actions.

Contacts:
    Occupy Dallas: Kristi Lara, kristi096 at gmail.com, 505-463-7013
    The Yes Lab: disruption at yeslab.org

For more information on the TPP, live from Dallas, contact Lori Wallach,
Public Citizen Global Trade Watch, Lwallach at citizen.org, 202-454-5107

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