This Is What Democracy Looks Like (2000)

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Fantastic!

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

This is a moving documentary about the protests in 1999 against the World Trade Organization meetings in Seattle. For those who hate this obviously one-sided film and want a 'balanced' view, well, you can get it through the 'balanced' mainstream media, 24 hours a day, every day. And if you really believe the mainstream media offer a 'balanced' view of anything, then I have to ask: how's that famous bridge in New York you bought last year?In this film, we see the media wildly MISreport the events on the ground. Masses of people -- young and old -- were protesting against the rapacious methods of the WTO and the erosion of democracy in the U.S. (and, for that matter, in 'democratic countries around the world). The media, meanwhile, were telling people about 'unruly mobs' taking over the streets of Seattle. They totally misrepresented what was actually happening, which is what they routinely do when it comes to actions against the state.There are many millions of people around the world who suffer and die every day because of the DELIBERATE policies of the faceless mega-corporations under the umbrella of the WTO. That used to be called evil; now it's deemed part of government 'policy'. America was FOUNDED on mass protest, dissent and the fight for freedom of speech and assembly. These historically embedded constitutional rights are now simply ignored, on a daily basis, by politicians and the transnational corporations that control them. Intellectual numbness has replaced critical thought across the world today. Things like brainless 'reality' shows, mindless video games and the celebration of celebrities are more important than the rape of the world by a select few. Kudos to the filmmakers and to all the very brave young and old people who stood up (and continue to stand up) to fight for the human rights of people everywhere.

While this movie goes into great detail to show the police "over reaction" they clearly edit out certain footage to prove their points. While the cops inform the protesters of their rights, they continue to forcibly block hundreds of people. They also incite violence and condemn those who only participated in the non-violent march through downtown Seattle as being turncoats and traitors. Lastly if you look closely at some of the footage, you can clearly see the "peaceful" protesters who are simply "sitting" in the street actually throwing objects, taunting and inciting the police. While this is only seen in the background, is this a coincidence, or was it masterful editing? Like many "documentaries" today, This Is What Democracy Looks Like is interesting, but clearly edits out every instance of something makes the protesters look as radical and violent as they were.

If you've ever been to any of the past demonstrations against globalization or if you are at all confused about which side is there to keep the peace, I strongly recommend this documentary. It exposes the truths behind protesting and how protesters are handled by the "authorities". Our media gives the people one view of what goes on at these major protests but this film definitely shows the truth. Here you have people from all walks of life (taking a risk even being out there) trying to spread awareness to others about what globalization is really doing to the rest of the world. As a Social activist I have seen first hand the injustices faced by those with a will to change; we do live in a democracy and demonstrations are our right but if you've ever been to one you will know that there is no democracy in the front lines, there is only war. Ironically, this is what anti-globalization activists are against but the brutality of the police and army make this hope unattainable. One day all will see- there is no democracy. Wealth and ignorance are the only things that will liberate you.

For those people who wonder what the 1999 protests of the World Trade Organization was all about, this movie explains the rationale for the protests and a day to day video account of the events. The Independent Media Center has edited over 100 hours of video footage into these 80 minutes and remarkably covers a good deal of ground. It was stunning to see the Seattle police become increasingly aggressive when dealing with the protesters. At the showing I attended, the audience audibly gasped when one police officer pulled a protester's hood off so that he could spray some kind of tear gas-like chemical into her face more easily. If you like documentaries, particularly those by Michael Moore, don't miss this one.