La lucha. The struggle. The struggle for justice, economic reform, human rights, and the people's voice to be heard. That is what we are involved in here in Windsor, Ontario as the OAS (Organization of American States) General Assembly convened yesterday. Thousands of student protesters, aging activists and union workers took to the streets in marches and rallies, direct action and solidarity support. Outnumbered dramatically by 1000s of Windsor police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in full riot gear, the protesters (to my knowledge) remained non-violent...even in the face of pepper spray attacks by the police. Two young women were pepper-sprayed directly in their mouths as they tried to hang a banner on the security fence surrounding the 6-block OAS meeting site. 41 student activists were arrested, only 20 of whom were undertaking direct action (trying to block a bus believed to be carrying OAS delegates into the meetings). The others were picked up arbitrarily, some believe because of camera surveillance that had identified certain students as known activists. One such occurrence happened as my friend P.N. and I were outside the Capitol Theater late Saturday afternoon.

We had just finished attending an all-day teach-in sponsored by the CLC (Canadian Labour Council). We'd heard the voices of women from Peru, Columbia, Mexico and the Caribbean, seen Zapateatro, a guerilla theatre troupe show images of the Mexican government's violence against the Maya people of Chiapas, experienced panel discussions on the economic disparities in the Americas, the role of multinational corporations in the OAS and its decisions, the growing movements of global resistance.

As we walked outside at about 6 PM, P.N. and I were delighted to find our student activist friends from the OAS Shutdown Coalition milling about as they ate the free dinner (prepared by Food Not Bombs) being served in an orderly fashion from huge pots on the sidewalk. There was an air of excitement and anticipation of tomorrow, Sunday, when all our preparations would turn to the streets. Of course, we also noticed the helicoptors overhead, ranks of riot-geared police across the street, at nearby street corners, cruising in open-backed trucks and standing on rooftops. By then, though, this show of force was becoming familiar to us all. How quickly one becomes used to living in a police state!

Suddenly the mood changed. A young man who had helped me out on several occasions was scooped up and carried away in a police car, arrested for juggling in the street. "Police state, police state" chanted the crowd. Someone beside me said he was actually picked up because the brown Suburban at the corner was taking digital photos of everyone in the crowd and matching them up with "criminal" records. Apparently, he had been released from jail at an earlier protest under a probation agreement that he not participate in any demonstration for a year.

Now an important part of this whole story to realize is that being arrested for what is called "direct action", or civil disobedience, is to be arrested for a nonviolent act like sitting down in a street to block traffic...as we saw 1000s of folks doing in Seattle and DC. It is based on the tradition of resistance of Gandhi in India, and Martin Luther King, Jr. in the US., among others. Direct action is not a spontaneous action, rather one that is carefully planned and involves extensive training. Individuals do not engage in direct action by themselves. Affinity groups are formed--often months ahead of a planned action--to study the issues and determine how they can best work together and support one another. A medic is trained on how to respond to pepper-spray, tear gas and beatings. A legal support person learns how to offer  appropriate help when his/her sisters or brothers are arrested. A communications liason assures that all parties stay closely connected and informed during the actions.

In Windsor, not only were there 3 days and nights of teach-ins to study the OAS and its role in the Americas, but extensive direct action trainings as well. Each affinity group had a representative at the Spokes Council gatherings that convened at least once a day (twice yesterday). Each affinity group on the street had a person with a walkie-talkie and map to keep in touch with what was happening with all other affinity groups. Yesterday, my "affinity friend", M. M., and I happened upon an affinity group's meeting on the streets, as they were trying to determine what to do next. I was so impressed with their respectful consensus approach. Not until everyone was comfortable with the decision did they proceed.

This is clearly no rule by anarchy, as some would have us believe.