ABSTRACT
The Battle of Seattle brought together union workers, environmentalists, social justice activists, anarchists, as well as American, Korean, and Mexican farmers. The Zapatistas ideology demanded a form of participatory governance in which everyone had an equal voice, which meant consensus decision making was essential. This model of participatory democracy was adopted both by the Seattle protesters and by those involved in Occupy Wall Street (OWS). Under World Trade Organization (WTO) rules it did not matter that sea turtles were listed as an endangered species by the United States; these rules violated the fishing rights of countries like Malaysia. An enthusiastic crowd then stormed McDonald's smashing its windows and urging workers and customers to join the protests. The mass media is good at reporting on spectacles, because that makes the evening news cycle, but far less successful at communicating why people are protesting. Focus on building a movement organization makes leaders more risk averse and less likely to bring about change.
