As part of the Our Land Our Business campaign to abolish the exploitative Doing Business Rankings, actions to protest the World Bank were held in 12 cities around the world on October 10. In some places where the security state is harsh such as in Nigeria and South Africa, the actions revolved around social media and teach-ins.
In Kenya, artists painted their message:
In London, England, activists shut down the Milbank Tower and staked out prime land in front of it:
Here is a sign by Yo Soy 123 in Mexico:
And photos from New Delhi, India:
A protest was held in Washington, DC close to the World Bank Headquarters where the annual meeting was being held. About 75 protesters gathered at Rawlins Park for a spirited rally which was emceed by Kymone Freeman of Washington’s We Act Radio. Speakers included Anuradha Mittal of the Oakland Institute, Medha Patkar of the National Alliance of Peoples’ Movements, Ruth Nyambara of the African Biodiversity Network and Okok Ojulu, Former World Bank employee and advocacy director for Anywaa Survival Organization – Ethiopia (living in political exile in Kenya) and Jeff Furman – Chair, Board of Directors Ben & Jerry’s.
Then, the Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir, dressed in black mourning clothes and veils, performed several songs. They proceeded to lead the protest out of the park where people took over the street, banging drums and marching to the World Bank while singing:
“Ding Dong the bank is dead. Which bank? The World Bank. Ding Dong the wicked bank is dead.
Wake up the 1%. Throw them out on their heads. Ding Dong the wicked bank is dead.
It’s gone where the devil goes, below, below, below, we’re free to shut them down and now the bells are ringing…”
Flowers were placed upon the sidewalk outside the World Bank and the Reverend and Choir performed a eulogy for the seventy year old bank which Rev. Billy preached “should have never been born.” The World Bank claims to end poverty but in fact, it’s policies create poverty. The World Bank’s policies such as the Doing Business Rankings draw multinational corporations to places where worker and environmental protections are the weakest and the Benchmarks on the Business of Agriculture displace millions of Indigenous People from their lands. The Bank forces countries into debt and into accepting Structural Adjustment Programs that destroy their public education and health systems and privatize their resources.
The DC protest ended without incident. But the work to end the destructive neo-liberal policies of the World Bank continue.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE OUR LAND OUR BUSINESS CAMPAIGN
And let’s tell the World Bank that the world knows how to end poverty and it begins by closing the World Bank. Follow #WorldVsBank.
Video of march and eulogy in Washington, DC by DC Direct Action Media
Photos from Washington, DC:
