Conclusion

The events of November 30th and the days that would immediately follow were immensely important for a variety of reasons. Firstly, they were able to fundamentally change the narrative of free trade in the United States political realm. While mostly believed to be a positive buzz word used by politicians on both the left and right, the fierce opposition to the WTO conference in Seattle turned the discussion from profit to people as workers rights and environmental impact were added to the discussion. In addition to this, the protests also were able to stall the World Trade Organization, delaying its conference an entire day and eventually forcing the conference to wrap up early without any real conclusion. The pressure put on the delegates from the outside no doubt was a major contributing factor to this. This was also one of the first protests in the United States were black bloc tactics were used effectively. “N30” as it became to be known sparked controversies of police brutality and unfair suppression of free speech, as well as the discussion of property damage as a legitimate form of protest. Since the WTO protests in Seattle, several other international multigovernmental organizations have been challenged in the US, including a NATO summit held in Chicago in 2012. Domestically, the tactic of anonymous protest and black bloc has been used several times in everything from May Day parades in Portland and Seattle, to as recently as the inauguration of President Trump on January 20th, 2017. Both the tactics and the discussions sparked by them remain very similar to this day.