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On one very recent day, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in over 100 cities across the globe. On September 26 (S26) the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) planned to have their 55th annual summit meeting in Prague, Czech Republic. At the same time, thousands of people from around the world were to converge on Prague to confront these 2 global financial institutions that have harshly impacted millions of lives.
All across the globe people were organizing solidarity actions to coincide with the actions in Prague. So what ended up happening?
Here's a very brief roundup of some of the events that were reported in English, and that I was able to find.

Sep25: A train of foreigners on its way to Prague reached the Czech border and stopped for the border routine. Four members of an Italian group (Ya Basta!) were denied entrance into the Czech. As a response, over 700 of the other activists on their train decided to block it, preventing its departure until the authorities gave in and let them ALL thru. The border dispute lasted 19 hours.

[Sep25: Action at the Bridge]

Sep26: By 9:00 in the morning thousands assembled for a Carnival Against Capital before beginning the march. An international collectivity besieged the summit with thousands maintaining a circular blockade around the conference facilities. Some even gained access to the heavily guarded complex itself. Protests were numerous and spanned all across the city with the common message: Shut down the IMF! Shut down the World Bank!
Some protests were peaceful and some were all but peaceful. There were banners in several different languages expressing rage toward the IMF/WB.

At around noon the group split into three groups, each taking a different rout to the conference center where the meeting was taking place. One procession was led by Italian and Spanish groups linked to the Ya Basta! movement. They were dressed in foam-padded overalls and carrying heavy shielding.
They approached lines of heavily armored riot police that were occupying the bridge leading to the conference center. For more than 2 hours they were pushing up against police lines, but the bridge was thoroughly blocked by armored police vehicles and proved to be too difficult to break through to the conference center. They left the bridge and joined up with the other marches.
One of the other 3 processions moved through a valley separating the city and the center. They too, met serious police resistance including concussion grenades and tear gas. A number of people were able to climb up a hill to get closer to the center, while below, in the streets there were massive confrontations. People tore down police lines and hurled rocks, cobblestones and petrol firebombs at the police.
The third group managed to approach the center from another side, and was able to get close to the complex. Some people were able to get through, occupying parts of the complex, before the police responded with teargas, clubs and concussion grenades. People were able to maintain blockades around the center, locking in the delegates for about 6 hours.
Into the evening, all over the city, there were confrontations between police and large groups of demonstrators. Banks as well as American fast food restaurants were targeted and hit with acts of property destruction (including McDonalds and KFC). Just over 70 people were injured including 20 or so protesters, 50 or so police and, according to the mainstream media, 2 delegates. There were over 850 arrests, about 200 of which were foreigners.

Jail solidarity was strong. A group of detained Italians sang and fasted until their embassy representative came to release them, at which point they refused to leave until all other nationalities were released.

The meetings ended early.

INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY ACTIONS

when you are still missing your S26 Report, please send it to agpweb@mail.nadir.org

ARGENTINA

Buenos Aires - More than 600 people (including student and socialist groups) marched around the city demanding the cancellation of dept payments to the IMF (who by the way, are now taking 52% of Argentina's Gross Domestic Product). (more)

Córdoba

AUSTRALIA

S26 Melbourne Melbourne - About 200-300 people gathered in front of Melbourne Niketown.
There they had a rally with speakers and announcement on the situation in Prague. The group then marched to the Parliament House, chanting along the way. Once there, there were more speeches and some theatre. (more)

Sydney - A group attempted to blockade the Prime Minister's office, but they were met with police. There was a peaceful march (despite police's warning that it was an unauthorized assembly) in which 120 or so people showed up. They were able to expose Olympics tourists to the issues of third world debt. (more)

[more cities in Australia: Adelaide, Canberra, Perth]

BELGIUM

Bruxelles - The report has not been translated, but I was able to figure out some of it. Apparently, there was a solidarity action for the prisoners of Prague outside of the Czech embassy in Bruxelles on the 28th. (more)

BANGLADESH (read also: domestic workers struggles)

Dhaka - There were plans to have two different demonstrations in this capital city, to show support for the international resistance as well as protest the local policies imposed by the WB/IMF. In the morning there will be a protest put together by Left Front (an alliance of leftist parties) that will eventually lead a procession to the World Bank's Dakka office. In the afternoon, there was to be another demo comprised of students, workers, the Democratic Revolutionary Alliance, Revolutionary Unity Front, Platform Against Sexual Harassment, movements against the oil/gas plunder of MNC's, environmentalists, writers and intellectuals.
That rally was also to march to the local offices of the World Bank.
That report was from the morning of S26, before the events. Whether all went as planned, I am unsure. I couldn't find a more recent report. (more)

BRAZIL

S26 Belo Horizonte Belo Horizonte - Around 300 people gathered in a busy downtown square.
They marched to the nearby CitiBank (a major investor in World Bank bonds) and blockaded the street. After 20 minutes or so the police came and did their thing. Several people were injured. One person was sent to the hospital. They held the street for about an hour; then marched back to the square to finish the protest. (more; mais pormenorizade em português)

Sao Paulo - Around 800 people (students, ecologists and anarchists) met in front of the Municipal Theatre in downtown Sao Paulo before marching to the Stock Exchange. Sticks, stones and small homemade bombs were thrown at the gates and windows of the building and the walls were littered with paint. A TV Globo van was destroyed. An uncle sam puppet was hanged.

S26 São Paulo After the police came and the conflict began, the crowd started to disperse.
17 people were arrested by that time. Shortly after, people began to regroup back at the Municipal Theatre. About 600 people stayed for a while singing and chanting before marching off to the Republica square.
Conflict began again when a group of students tried to close a road.
5 more were arrested including a journalist from the city's largest newspaper. There were 3 injuries including 2 police officers and 1 protester. (more)

[more cities in brasil: Brasilia Fortaleza Salvador]

CANADA

Montreal - 100-150 people marched through the streets on downtown Montreal with anti-capitalist banners. They had to change their rout as riot police had blocked off the streets to a local McDonalds outlet. The march ended up in front of the Stock Exchange Tower in the heart of the financial district. There was a heavy police presence. (more)

Toronto - About 400 people marched from the U.S. consulate, through the financial district to City Hall. Again there was a heavy police presence. (more)

COLOMBIA

Bogota

CROATIA

Zagreb

ENGLAND

Bristol - Banners were hung around the city above major roadways and intersections with brief statements (related to globalization) to reach out to the general public. The banners also displayed a web address (www.bristolresist.com) for a site containing an article about why the actions and issues raised in Prague should concern them. Anarchist symbols and Prague slogans were left (in paint) around town. (more)

[more cities in england: Bath Oxford]

[And London??? There have been some good Jail Solidarity actions afterwards, but I've not yet any report about S26 Actions. please send'em to agpweb@mail.nadir.org!]

FRANCE

Paris - I looked at the report and could only make out a couple words.
200 people gathered in front of the World Bank's Paris office. Judging by the length of the report, it was eventful.

[more in france: "anticapitalist caravan" S26 Guingamp (Bretagne)]

GERMANY

Frankfurt

GREEK

Athens

INDIA

Calcutta - About 500 people gathered for a rally under the banner 'Prague Solidarity 2000'. The rally was organized by a group called 'Initiative Against Capitalist Globalization'. The street was decorated with banners apposing the WB/IMF/WTO regime. There were also speeches, music and street theatre that drew an even larger audience. A memorandum addressed to the prime minister of India was submitted to the governor's secretariat.
It demanded that the Indian government must not subject its people to the economic policies dictated by the WB/IMF/WTO. The rally ended with the determination that the struggle must continue. (more)

Delhi - A crowd of 60 or so marched to the offices of the World Bank.
Once at the gate, security guards blocked them out. Soon after their arrival, mass amounts of police arrived by bus and truck. The crowd then blocked the gates preventing any WB employees from entering or exiting the building. After 2 hours the crowd went on another short march then quietly dispersed. According to organizers, the action achieved its 2 goals. One was to draw residents from Delhi's slums who are effected by WB policies (though indirectly) and expose them to that issue. The other goal was to show symbolic solidarity with the protesters in Prague. (more)

Mumbia - Around 50 people gathered in front of a new shopping mall (a more recent icon of gentrification) to voice their opposition to the IMF/WB, and the government's 'New' Economic Policy (liberalizing trade and pursuing foreign capital at a tremendous cost to the people, the workers and the environment). There were banners, posters, art, food and speakers. (more)

IRELAND

Cork

ISRAEL

Tel Aviv - Nearly 1,000 people converged in the streets of Tel Aviv for a street party, representing the wide coalition built for S26. There were DJ's with sound systems on mini-trucks, anti-consumerism street theatre skits, and banners calling for the abolition of the IMF/WB.
Many fliers were also distributed. The mass continued to move through the streets. Its final destination was the museum where the state of Israel was declared in 1948 (now it is surrounded with Banks offices).
The music stopped and hundreds put bandanas over their mouths and stood in silence for 15 minutes to make a statement about police violence and media ignorance (which silence and cripple social movements worldwide).
They then concluded with a call for people to wake up and get involved. (more)

NEPAL

NETHERLANDS

Utrecht - 500 people marched in protest of the IMF/WB and the expansion of global capitalism in general. They stopped at banks and demanded of the employees, that they take responsibility and think about the social and ecological consequences of the banks' investments. There is an awesome 9 minute video of the Utrecht demo at www.engagetv.com that is very much worth checking out. (more)

NEW ZEALAND

Wellington - A Carnival Against Capitalism, put together by local anarchists, was held. They started it off by having a BBQ outside of McDonald's, where they passed out leaflets and free vegan burgers to McDonalds' would-be-customers.
Messages that had been sent to and from Prague were read aloud. 9 people were arrested when police broke up an occupation of the Westpac Trust Bank (a multinational whose investments include uranium mining in Australia). (more)

NORTHERN IRELAND

Belfast

NORWAY

Stavanger - Around 150 gathered for a rally. After the speakers spoke, they all marched against the exploitation of developing countries, the IMF's pillaging of the environment and in support of those in Prague. (more)

PAKISTAN

Awami (People) Caravan

POLAND

Wroclaw - There was an anarchist demonstration at the Wroclaw Market Square. There was music, dancing, distribution of leafle0ts and a clear message of opposition to the IMF/WB. (more)

PORTUGAL

Lisbon - Around 200 people (including anarchists, socialists, animal rights activists, environmentalists and anti-fascists) gathered in a downtown street near major banks and multinationals, wielding signs and banners with anti-capitalist slogans. Leaflets were handed out to spectators.
About 150 riot police waited nearby. (more)

RUSSIA

Moscow - About 40 anarchists and other anti-capitalists marched through one of Moscow's main streets on to the offices of the World Bank (despite the banning of S26 demonstrations in that district) in a demonstration against capitalist globalization and as a show of solidarity with those in Prague. Anti-IMF/WB posters were wheat-pasted onto the walls outside the offices of the WB. Six people were arrested. (more)

SOUTH AFRICA

(more)

Cape Town - A group of about 100 people gathered in front of the U.S. embassy under the banner of Jubilee 2000, to protest against the debt relief policy of the IMF and WB, as well as to voice their support for those in Prague. The protesters (which included representatives of various NGO's and the labor movement of Western Cape) called for the abolition of the World Bank and IMF. A memorandum was read to the crowd before being given over to someone of the embassy to be taken inside. The memorandum read: "We support the hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world who are making use of this opportunity to protest against the World Bank and the IMF - of which America is the protector and benefactor.
We say the World Bank means nothing but increasing poverty for us."
Then, when protesters threatened to enter the building, 15 police armed with shields intervened to stop them.

Johannesburg - A coalition of anti-privatization and anti-globalization organizations (under the banner of September 26), marched through downtown. Violent demonstrations against the IMF/WB were also held at Anglo American's head office (also in Johannesburg). Anti-globalization protesters burst into the foyer of Anglo's HQ and clashed with company security officers:
Windows were smashed, and security guards fired pepper gas.

SPAIN

Madrid - I could not find a report in English, but there is a website (www.sindominio.net/praga) that has pictures of Madrid's S26. From the pictures it looks like they got a great turnout and that at least 500-1,000 people marched in solidarity with those in Prague.

[more cities in spain: Barcelona Reus Tarragona]

SWEDEN

Malmo - On the late night of S26, several banks in central Malmo were hit; all their windows were broken out. (more)

Stockholm - Around 200 gathered for an evening demo. People gave speeches and made announcements about the situation in Prague. Eventually the crowd began to march, but police moved in with K9's and riot fences.
They sealed off the entire section and the crowed eventually dispersed without conflict. (more)

Uppsala - About 100 people staged a demo in solidarity with those in Prague. Several speeches were held, condemning the neo-liberal policies of the IMF and WB, with positive reactions from the public. (more)

SWITZERLAND

Geneva - 50 or so attended a rally. A symbolic sculpture of flesh, bones and Swiss money was built in the street in front of the IMF office.
12 people got inside and occupied the office. Speakers spoke about solidarity for those in Prague as well as with the anti-water-privatization movement in Bolivia (already 6 protesters killed by Bolivian military). (more)

more on Bolivia

TURKEY

S26 Istanbul Ankara - 150-200 participated in protests on two different university campuses; Ankara University and Middle East Technical University. There was also a protest at the city center in which 400 people from the Ankara Anti-globalization Platform shouted the slogan "Global resistance to global exploitation!" (more)

Bergama - Peasants (who have been carrying out a successful, 10 year resistance to a gold mining company from Canada that's been operating in their locale) protested the IMF/WB in Bergama's town center. (more)

Istanbul - Around 150 people gathered near Taksim Square to support those in Prague and to protest capitalist globalization. They met a heavy police presence. The crowd was surrounded and police prevented them from marching into the square. (more)

Izmir - The Platform Against Global Capital and a health workers union held a demonstration at Konak Square. (more)

UKRAINE

Kyiv

UNITED STATES

Berkeley, CA - Around 400 marchers and 100 bicyclists met at the downtown Berkeley BART station. The march began as did the critical mass ride.
The two groups reunited later for a Reclaim The Streets party. There were sound systems, puppets, a marching band, a large tripod, banners and a flag burning. People danced in the streets for hours and eventually, a large bonfire was started from the remnants of newspaper vending machines.
People danced around the fire for a while before the police moved in to have the fire extinguished. The march began again with smaller bonfires lit along the way. The window of a local CitiBank was smashed. Riot police came in to disperse the crowd. Most people dispersed, but a small group converged again to occupy Telegraph Ave to play duck, duck, goose (or anarchist, anarchist, cop). (more)

Boise, ID - About a hundred people took to the streets and closed certain intersections in support of those apposing the IMF. 18 people were arrested.

Boston, MA - Around 150 people gathered at the MIT Student Center to listen to various speakers before beginning their anti-IMF/WB march to Pfizer (one of the biggest and most brutal pharmaceutical corporations) where they held a rally.

Buffalo, NY - Around 2 dozen people converged on Niagara Square for a Carnival of Resistance. There was a banner drop at a branch office of the HSBC Bank denouncing the bank's economic policies and involvement in the IMF/WB. (more)

Burlington, VT - About 75 people (including members of Vermont Action Network) showed up for a march to celebrate the 4th global day of action against capitalism. The march went through downtown and eventually turned into demonstrations and nonviolent direct actions against the Gap as well as other multinationals. V.A.N. began its festivities by visiting Sodexho Marriot's dining hall in the Billing Student Center, where literature was handed out about the corporation's massive investments in the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), the largest private prison corporation in the U.S. The group then marched to Old Navy (one Gap Inc.'s newer installments) where six people from the crowd went in as "shoppers" and grabbed "purchases" and began clogging the checkouts by asking questions about where their products are made, the conditions in their factories, and treatment of the workers. Then the rest of the group came into the store shouting, beating drums, waving banners; halting the store's business. (more)

Chicago, IL - In mid afternoon the Carnival Against Capital made its way into a "Town Hall" meeting on "National Security Challenges for the 21st Century" held by the U.S. State Dept. on the University of Illinois Campus. The Carnival serenaded the attendees with a new version of the U of I Alma Mater. There were also ten arrests (9 for "masking" and 1 for aggravated assault on a police officer) at another solidarity action in front of Niketown, which was called to draw attention to Nike's exploitation of sweatshop labor. (more)

DeKalb, IL - Students at the Northern Illinois University in DeKalb hung a banner and distributed propaganda in support of the activists in Prague. (more)

Denver, CO - There was a small morning rally on the downtown mall. In the early afternoon the group went to the campaign headquarters of Al Gore to protest (street theatre with tons of fake blood) the fate of the UW'A people, who are trying to protect their ancient homeland from Occidental Petroleum. Gore is complicit to Occidental's business practices.
Later that afternoon the group met up with Janitors for Justice and together they marched around downtown Denver, beating drums, waving banners, chanting and handing out leaflets. Over 100 people participated. There was at least 1 arrest. (more)

Duluth, MN - About 40 people gathered at an intersection calling for an end to globalization in their community. Speakers spoke of the soon approach 5 year limit on welfare programs, the advancement of biotechnology, and the workers struggles at a local metal working plant. (more)

Eugene, OR - During the night of S26, various banks were targeted, vandalized and littered with anti-capitalist literature.

Gainesville, FL - 50 or so people showed up for the S26 solidarity rally.
After awhile the rally took on the Carnival Against Capital theme and took to the streets, chanting, beating drums, flying banners and blocking busy intersections. (more)

Hadley, MA - 300-500 workers, students, teachers and community activists converged on the parking lot of Wal-Mart in solidarity with the sisters and brothers in Prague. There was a stage, a sound system, banners and puppets.

After awhile they all marched single file to Wal-Mart's doors delivering a loud and clear message: No more sweatshops! No more union busting! No more ecological destruction! No more bullshit! (more)

Hartford, CT - About 1,000 angry janitors, students, and fellow workers clogged afternoon traffic in downtown Hartford. After a rally in a park, a large group marched in the streets demanding radical change in the economic system as well as living wages, workers rights and a stop to capitalist globalization. The procession met up with a local janitors union and then sat in the middle of an intersection in front of UTC headquarters.
A few arrests were made toward the end of the day. (more)

S26 LA Los Angeles, CA - A solidarity rally drew 150-200 people. Speakers from a variety of different groups drew attention to some of the local, state and regional impacts of globalization (of capital) including speeches on the Maquiladoras and sweatshops in L.A. The rally then turned into a march through downtown L.A. in which leaflets were distributed to onlookers. (more)

Louisville, KY - Dozens of people gathered for a solidarity rally in downtown Louisville. Speakers voiced support for those in Prague and spoke of the problems created by the IMF/WB as well as the resistance.

New York, NY - Approx. 250 people gathered for a solidarity rally in front of the IMF HQ in New York City. There were anti-IMF/WB speeches and skits. The rally was caged in by a ring of police officers carrying plastic handcuffs, blocking the visibility of the rally to the passers-by.
Speakers were also prevented from using their bullhorn.

Pittsburg, PA - People gathered for street theatre in downtown Pittsburg.
A person (personifying the IMF) wearing a ferocious loan shark skin suit bludgeoned a pi=F1ata of Planet Earth until its contents (anarchist books/buttons) came pouring out (demonstrating that the seed of the new society will be born in the shell of the old). Clever, no?

Portland, OR - Two different styles of protest converged on downtown Portland on S26. A legal, permitted labor rally at Pioneer Square and, several blocks away, an RTS (Reclaim The Streets) street party. The RTS group (about 150 strong) marched through the streets and took over a city block in front of the U.S. Forrest Service's Portland offices; there they set up their sound system. Eventually they were pushed back by police and told to go to the permitted rally. They went, but rather than joining the rally, they took over the street adjacent to the square where the rally was taking place. The labor rally was delayed for 45 minutes so that those assembled in the square could be in solidarity with those in the street and be witnesses to police behavior. As people danced in the street, police moved in with horses and riot gear and began shoving and pepper-spraying dancers. A few people sat down in the street as an act of civil disobedience and were quickly hauled off to jail.
After the police began their attack, several people fought back and started throwing bottles at the police. Police vehicles were also vandalized.
The mounted patrol then charged up onto the sidewalk to "clear the street".
By-standers who were breaking no laws were trampled, pepper-sprayed and arrested. A woman was hospitalized with head injuries. Shortly after, the crowd began to move again marching through the downtown area and ended up at the South Park Blocks where some people spoke about the importance of reclaiming public space. In total, around 300-500 people participated. The streets were occupied for over 5 hours. 20 were arrested. (more)

Providence, RI - About 200 people met in front of City Hall (with banners, puppets and signs) to show support for those in Prague and to draw attention to local issues. The group went into the building to surprise and embarrass the CEO of a major downtown developer who hasn't been very receptive to attempts at dialogue. A banner was hung from the roof (WE'LL SHUT IT DOWN!).
A few people stayed outside singing 'Solidarity Forever', wielding a huge puppet of the CEO (with money pouring out of his pockets and mouth). (more)

San Francisco, CA - All the info we have so far is that quite a few people showed up to the peaceful solidarity action in SF. There was an RTS street party. (more)

S26 Tucson Tucson, AZ - Around 75 people showed up outside the National Law Center (which represents the U.S. in trade negotiations involving the implementation of NAFTA and other "free" trade agreements) to protest in solidarity with those in Prague. Early in the protest a small group attempted to enter the building, but were blocked by security guards. After awhile several protesters gained entrance into the building, but were then confronted by police. At one point a protester was tackled to the ground and as the crowd got closer to get a better look, police used pepper spray. About 10 people were hit including a 6 year old. There was 1 arrest. (more)

Washington DC - Several hundred anti-globalization protesters stood in solidarity with Prague and supported an action of parking lot attendants (who are struggling with their employer for the right to unionize).

They marched outside the offices of Inter-Park (who continues to refuse its workers that right). (more)

[more cities in the US: Amherst Dallas New Haven]

VENEZUELA

Caracas

Although I could find no further details, there were also S26 solidarity actions in other cities in Brazil (Cordoba), Germany (Dresden, Frankfurt), Greece (Athens), India (in the province of Tamil Nadu), Pakistan (Multan, Bawalpur, Khanewa), South Africa (Durbin), Ukraine (kiev) and the U.S. (Seattle, Tacoma) as well as others that I could find no info about.

JAIL SOLIDARITY

On Sep. 28th, about 15 people burst into the Czech consulate (in Barcelona, Spain) demanding the release of fellow anti-capitalist activists held in Prague. The Czech embassy in Bern, Switzerland was also occupied.
There were also protests in front of the Czech embassies in London, Stockholm, Paris, Venice, Vienna (with a turnout of around 800 people), and Berlin all demanding the release of the Prague S26 prisoners.

Most of the info was taken off of www.indymedia.org. You are encouraged to reproduce this in any way, shape or form you see fit.

"S26 non exhauting Global Report"
Nov. 2000