As the capital of the free world, Washington is home not just to the federal government and numerous international institutions, but also to the people whose chosen job is protesting them.
Basar Sen is one of these activists. A full-time volunteer at “Mobilization for Global Justice” here in D.C., he makes it his duty to block the streets with chanting protestors as part of what he calls the “struggle” against the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund’s policies on transparency, privatization and debt, not to mention the recent appointment of former Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz as the Bank’s President.
Sen spends his days talking to supporters in multi-hour meetings, corresponding with activists and hashing out permits with city authorities for safe protests. As a result: This Friday and Saturday, a few thousand activists will rally and march outside of the Group of Seven meeting and in front of the World Bank/IMF headquarters.
“Hopefully, there will be a celebratory spirit,” Sen said. “We want to emphasize not just what we are against but what we are for.”
Born in India, Sen got his start after experiencing IMF and World Bank policy firsthand as an activist protesting IMF-funded dam construction in Western India. He moved to the United States, first to Texas, then to Boston and finally to D.C. at the beginning of last summer. Though MGJ does not have a hierarchy, he acts as a lead organizer for this area.
“There are things that are happening in Georgetown, Guyana that are happening here at Georgetown University,” Sen said.
Making global issues local is Sen’s method of increasing awareness of IMF and World Bank policies, but his work can bring other problems to the area as well. Violent anti-WTF demonstrations in Seattle and Washington in 1999 and 2000 have led to a general association of the protests with violence, despite relatively calmer protests and a tepid turn-out last year, when 3,000 people attended instead of 1999’s 20,000.
“I don’t think that perceiving these events as prone to violence will hurt what we are doing,” Sen said.
Sen may not be right-at last year’s event this reporter saw two distinct camps: The colorfully dressed sign-bearing activists and the black-garbed, hooded and masked anarchist contingent, whose collective age ranged from 14 to 23. The activists chanted, cheered and danced, while the anarchists cursed, pushed cops and generally brought a pall over the day.
For most students, a trip to the protest march this year will be a fascinating chance to see a more exciting side of an important policy debate. Just don’t make this reporter’s mistake and wear black.
