Introduction

On April 16, 2000 approximately 30,000 activists converged on Washington D.C. as part of a direct action against the International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank meetings occuring that weekend.

History and Context

Following on the perceived success of the Seattle protests in November 1999, the then fledging anti-globalization movement set its sights on the policies of the IMF/World Bank, which activists said promoted poverty in developing nations and global inequality between nations by forcing poor nations to adopt free market reforms and other neo-liberal policies in order to qualify for loans.

The Event