Police, Protesters In D.C. Prepare for Day of Disruption
Activists Vow to Slow Beltway, Clog Streets; Ramsey Says Jail Awaits if Violence Occurs

By Monte Reel and Manny Fernandez
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, September 27, 2002; Page B01

Anti-capitalism activists envision slow-moving caravans on the Capital Beltway impeding this morning's commute, bicyclists clogging downtown streets and thousands of demonstrators working together to generate as much inconvenience as they can for the District.

D.C. police see another possibility: If today's protests, timed for the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, turn violent or disruptive, jail cells will fill.

"These people that are apprehended are going to miss several protests," said Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey, "because they'll be behind bars."

Members of the Anti-Capitalist Convergence -- the group loosely coordinating today's protests -- said violence isn't on the agenda. But they said disrupting the "vicious cycle" of capitalism is. In addition to large demonstrations organized by the Anti-Capitalist Convergence, an unknown number of actions by smaller, independent groups are expected. Protesters and police said those actions could be the wild card that determines the extent of today's disruptions.

Anti-Capitalist Convergence members said they have met with several "affinity groups" this week to plan what intersections, Metro stops or traffic circles should be targeted during this morning's rush hour. Organizers kept those plans secret, hoping to spring a few surprises on D.C. police, who will use a network of surveillance cameras to help monitor events.

Even so, those organizing the protests said yesterday that they were not sure exactly what to expect. Coordination of today's actions was spread among group members, they said, and no one person has been privy to all the plans.

"None of us knows it all," said Rae Valentine, one of several Anti-Capitalist Convergence organizers. "Our ideology is based on the fact that we're decentralized and non-hierarchical."

Regardless of whether the actions succeed in tangling transit systems, the mere possibility has prompted several transportational detours.

The Maryland Transit Administration and OmniRide commuter bus systems, which serve the Maryland and Northern Virginia suburbs respectively, announced yesterday that they will terminate D.C.-bound routes today at suburban Metro stations.

Metrobus will continue its D.C. service, but officials said some downtown routes could be altered because of impromptu street closings.

D.C. police last night began erecting a perimeter of waist-high bicycle racks around the IMF and World Bank headquarters in Foggy Bottom.

Today or tomorrow, the perimeter may expand significantly, taking in the White House and larger swaths of downtown, police said. Protesters have said they hope to surround the headquarters tomorrow and trap delegates inside, but police have said they hope the expanded perimeter will thwart those plans.

Although the 1,500 D.C. police officers on duty are expected to be bolstered by about 1,700 officers from other jurisdictions, most of those outside officers were still on the way last night and probably won't be on the street until tomorrow, Ramsey said.

Metro officials, expecting to absorb a lot of commuters who normally brave the Beltway, said the system's normal rush-hour service -- with more-frequent trains -- could be extended if key stations are crowded this morning. Parking restrictions at suburban Metro lots will be relaxed to encourage maximum capacity. Coolers and bicycles will not be allowed on trains today, tomorrow or Sunday.

Police said as many as 20,000 activists could participate in various protests through Sunday -- a number roughly equal to the turnout for the IMF and World Bank protests of April 2000. During those demonstrations, about 1,300 activists were arrested.

Throughout the week, activists have been checking into separate "welcome centers" set up by the Anti-Capitalist Convergence and the Mobilization for Global Justice, a group coordinating tomorrow's demonstrations.

"Every minute that goes by, five to 10 people walk through the door," Valentine said. "There's a lot of momentum."

A couple of hundred activists staged a rally yesterday at Edward R. Murrow Park, across from the IMF and World Bank headquarters, to denounce the World Bank's energy policies.

A large force of riot-helmeted U.S. Park Police and D.C. police officers on foot and on motorcycles lined Murrow Park and the sidewalk outside the World Bank entrance on H Street NW at 18th Street.

Steady rainfall dampened protesters' signs, anti-corporate T-shirts and the demonstration's star attraction -- a 15-foot-tall cardboard horse held together by old bottle caps. The so-called Trojan horse, standing on a wooden platform with wheels and decorated with corporate logos, was designed to mock the World Bank's support of oil, mining and gas projects. Protesters tried to wheel it across the street, but police blocked them. After several minutes of chanting, the protesters wheeled it back.

More rain is in the forecast today, but protesters said weather would not be a deterrent.

"The bank doesn't stop drilling when it rains," said Stephen Kretzmann, 38, who helped organize yesterday's rally. "We're not going to stop protesting."

Today's planned actions include caravans of vehicles on the Beltway that drive slowly and snarl the morning rush hour. At 7:30 a.m., activists on bicycles plan to meet at Union Station and ride through downtown.

A march starting from Franklin Square at 7 a.m. is planned to snake past "political targets" downtown, and a drum protest against a possible war in Iraq is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at Freedom Plaza.

Staff writers David A. Fahrenthold and Lyndsey Layton contributed to this report.