This is a funny protest....

Read the article for a laugh, they definitely get +1 for creativity and sheer nerve to pull it off (spoof the WTO).

http://www.theyesmen.org/hijinks/wto.shtml

read in your idle free time.  Post your thoughts

Yeah not well written still funny, there stunt even expanded to a live interview on TV

On July 6, 2001, an email arrives at GATT.org from a television producer with CNBC Marketwrap Europe. The producer wants a representative of the WTO to debate an “anti-globalization” activist (possibly Naomi Klein) live in front of millions of TV viewers. The date: July 19th, the eve of the G8 protests in Genoa.

Andy and Mike are already in Paris, where Andy lives and works full-time; they are preparing to drive to Genoa to attend the protests. It is decided that Andy will go on the air from CNBC's Paris studio, linked by satellite to the main studio in London. Good: should Naomi want to punch him in the nose for the nasty things he’s going to say, she will be more than an arm’s length away.

On July 19, 2001, Andy dons his somewhat threadbare business suit and tries to look as mean and serious as possible. Unlike “Dr. Andreas Bichlbauer,” who smiled and laughed politely in Salzburg, “Granwyth Hulatberi” is more agitated, without a hint of joviality. Andy finds the TV studio and strides purposefully in. The technicians put a microphone on his tie and an earpiece on his ear. Andy sits in front of the camera. The open window behind him frames the Arc de Triomphe, a perfect symbol for the unabashed arrogance he feels welling up in his breast.

The cameras roll. “Granwyth” is live on CNBC’s European Marketwrap Europe, along with host Nigel Roberts, activist Barry Coates from the World Development Movement (Naomi Klein couldn’t make it), and the other guest: Vernon Ellis, the International Chairman of Andersen Consulting.

Ellis seems to be on his own planet: “I do believe that multinational corporations can be good for business,” he responds when asked whether the protesters might have a point.

Unlike Ellis, “Granwyth” doesn’t have anything to hide, so he explains what the WTO has in mind for people like Barry. With privatized education, Barry’s children won’t think the way Barry does. They will understand why free trade is good, and they will honor great thinkers like Darwin and Milton Friedman instead of Robespierre and Abbie Hoffman.

Andy does agree with Barry’s simple facts: dire reports of growing poverty in the world are of course correct. But Coates and the other protesters don’t understand the theories well enough. Markets are still the answer no matter what the cost. For example, a market in human rights violations can allow countries that want to abuse people to buy “Justice Vouchers” from those who don’t. Might makes right, Andy concludes: the rich are right because they have power, and the poor are wrong because they don’t.

In London, Barry Coates can barely contain himself, rolling his eyes in disbelief and almost losing his composure each time Andy opens his mouth. Despite this, Coates manages to respond articulately and patiently, explaining how the WTO is making the poor poorer and the rich richer.

Andy leaves the studio and rushes to catch the night train to Genoa, where Mike has already joined one of the largest and most colorful demonstrations in history—and one of the bloodiest police riots ever. Days later, the producer sends Hulatberi a videotape of the debate along with a friendly word, and no indication whatsoever that he noticed anything wrong.

In May 2000, an organizer of a conference on international trade law in Salzburg, Austria writes to GATT.org inviting WTO Director-General Mike Moore to serve as a panelist. "Moore" politely declines but suggests a replacement, “Dr. Andreas Bichlbauer.”

Andy, Mike, and Brian set out to lecture as the most powerful trade organization in the history of the world. First, they scrape together the money for plane tickets to Vienna (cheaper than Salzburg); next, Brian borrows business suits from a friend; finally, Austrian friends Hans and Liz leave them the keys to their Vienna apartment and enough money to get them the rest of the way.

On October 27, “Andreas Bichlbauer” (Andy) arrives in Salzburg with security assistants “Ravi Bhaticharaya” (Mike) and “Brian McDaniels” (Ryan). Ryan sets up his camera in the conference hall while Mike explains to the organizers that a recent spate of pieings makes such video witnessing necessary. (Here is what was done with the tape.)

Andy delivers an alarming Powerpoint lecture about removing hindrances to free trade. He suggests that violence is acceptable in banana trade so long as prices stay low and trade is free; that the siesta in Spain and the long lunch in Italy should be outlawed in the name of standardized business hours; and that a “free market” in democracy should be encouraged by allowing the sale of votes directly to the highest bidder through Voteauction.com.

Some audience members are intrigued, and ask interesting questions; some, however, are dismayed by the insults to Italians, and Andy must explain that he is simply being more frank than the WTO usually is, and is presenting its message more clearly than normal. No one objects to Dr. Bichlbauer's scheme for American voting; perhaps they are just being polite?

Even after a luncheon in which Andy defends the free-market character of Hitler’s economic policy, there is no substantial response. Perhaps they simply don’t want to challenge the most powerful man in the room?

To elicit more sincere responses, Ryan returns as journalist after shaving off his beard and most of his hair; the idea is that the delegates will feel comfortable speaking frankly with him.

Ryan arrives back at the conference center and announces to various people he recognizes from the lecture that Dr. Andreas Bichlbauer was pied as he was leaving the conference. Ryan then asks if they remember anything odd about the lecture that might have merited such an attack. But even under cross examination of an “impartial journalist,” almost no one can remember anything weird about the lecture.

Andy and Mike continue the discovery efforts by e-mail. To trip more of the conference delegate’s memories, a WTO secretary, “Alice Foley” (Andy), announces to all the delegates that Dr. Bichlbauer has contracted a grave sickness from the pie. The only suspect was heard muttering "voter fraud, voter fraud": what can this mean? But even now, no one can remember a thing.

Finally, “Alice Foley” announces Dr. Bichlbauer’s death. Finally, at long last, now that the crime is one of murder, the memories of voting begin to flow. Now we can be fairly sure that no one minded the lecture, except perhaps its insults to the Italians.

To calm the excited delegates, Dr. Bichlbauer is unmasked, and things are explained to one angry fellow. The experience is deemed a success!

Go see the article about this in The New York Times. And if you're really ambitious, watch the videotape!