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CNN Live At Daybreak

Talk With Bruce Alan of WTOP Radio

Aired September 23, 2002 - 06:24   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for our Talk of CNN segment.
Today, Bruce Alan from WTOP Radio News in Washington, D.C. is joining us by telephone.

Let's find out the hot topics his listeners are talking about this morning.

How are you doing?

BRUCE ALAN, WTOP RADIO HOST: Hi, Catherine. How are you?

CALLAWAY: Yes, I'm doing great. Redisch, our deputy director there in D.C., was talking about the big protests expected at the IMF/World Bank meeting coming up. That has to be a big concern there in Washington.

ALAN: It's a huge concern. I mean it's not the meetings themselves, it's the protests that they bring with them. And this is really organized. On the Web sites, you've got the Mobilization for Global Justice, the Anti-Capitalist Convergence. And in some cases, it's just anarchists who want to just cause trouble.

CALLAWAY: Now, I understand there's like a Web site where they're actually giving out points for how much damage you can do?

ALAN: Can you believe that?

CALLAWAY: It's amazing.

ALAN: This is an anti-capitalist scavenger hunt that assigns point values for various acts of disobedience and destruction. Now, some of it's harmless, like hanging a banner or stenciling a sidewalk. But some of it is more harmful -- smashing the inside of retail stores, smashing store windows, car windows, overturning cars, blocking bridges, things like that. And some of these groups vow to shut the city down on Friday.

CALLAWAY: Is that the goal, just to literally shut the city down? Because the meetings are going to take place regardless.

ALAN: Well, for some of them that is the goal. Yes, the meetings are going to take place. There are going to be fewer of them, or at least they'll be more condensed and in fewer locations than originally planned to make it easier for police to deal with it. And, really, Chief Ramsey and the D.C. police are about the best there are at dealing with this stuff. So if anybody can do it, they can handle it. And they've got other officers coming in from other cities across the country, particularly the East Coast.

CALLAWAY: What are your listeners saying to you when you talk to them? Are they planning on not going to work that day, Friday? Or are they going to, despite the protesters, come out anyway? What's...

ALAN: Most people are planning on doing what they can to keep their regular schedule. A lot of folks will be taking Metro rather than driving in, so even if there is some sort of a bridge problem or a road blockage, it won't affect them too much. The Metro is putting out a big push to get everybody to ride Metro that day and that's really going to be the smartest thing.

But, man, that's going to tighten things down in the city.

CALLAWAY: Yes, it really is. Bruce, you know, where are these guys coming from? Where are these protesters going to come from?

ALAN: All over the country.

CALLAWAY: I mean are they taking in the hotels?

ALAN: All over the country. I have no idea where they're staying. I feel sorry for the hotels if they're staying in hotels.

CALLAWAY: Because they may be destroying the hotels, right?

ALAN: Well, the thing is even -- the World Bank and the IMF are actually even holding some panel sessions with some of the more legitimate protesters who have actual issues they want to discuss. And there will be discussions about their issues and the problems they have with the World Bank and the IMF. Some of the people coming into town, though, are just bent on causing trouble.

CALLAWAY: All right, thank you very much.

Good luck, Bruce.

ALAN: Thanks, Catherine.

We'll talk to you later.

CALLAWAY: We'll be talking with you later on.

Thank you.

That's Bruce Alan.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired September 23, 2002 - 06:24   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for our Talk of CNN segment.
Today, Bruce Alan from WTOP Radio News in Washington, D.C. is joining us by telephone.

Let's find out the hot topics his listeners are talking about this morning.

How are you doing?

BRUCE ALAN, WTOP RADIO HOST: Hi, Catherine. How are you?

CALLAWAY: Yes, I'm doing great. Redisch, our deputy director there in D.C., was talking about the big protests expected at the IMF/World Bank meeting coming up. That has to be a big concern there in Washington.

ALAN: It's a huge concern. I mean it's not the meetings themselves, it's the protests that they bring with them. And this is really organized. On the Web sites, you've got the Mobilization for Global Justice, the Anti-Capitalist Convergence. And in some cases, it's just anarchists who want to just cause trouble.

CALLAWAY: Now, I understand there's like a Web site where they're actually giving out points for how much damage you can do?

ALAN: Can you believe that?

CALLAWAY: It's amazing.

ALAN: This is an anti-capitalist scavenger hunt that assigns point values for various acts of disobedience and destruction. Now, some of it's harmless, like hanging a banner or stenciling a sidewalk. But some of it is more harmful -- smashing the inside of retail stores, smashing store windows, car windows, overturning cars, blocking bridges, things like that. And some of these groups vow to shut the city down on Friday.

CALLAWAY: Is that the goal, just to literally shut the city down? Because the meetings are going to take place regardless.

ALAN: Well, for some of them that is the goal. Yes, the meetings are going to take place. There are going to be fewer of them, or at least they'll be more condensed and in fewer locations than originally planned to make it easier for police to deal with it. And, really, Chief Ramsey and the D.C. police are about the best there are at dealing with this stuff. So if anybody can do it, they can handle it. And they've got other officers coming in from other cities across the country, particularly the East Coast.

CALLAWAY: What are your listeners saying to you when you talk to them? Are they planning on not going to work that day, Friday? Or are they going to, despite the protesters, come out anyway? What's...

ALAN: Most people are planning on doing what they can to keep their regular schedule. A lot of folks will be taking Metro rather than driving in, so even if there is some sort of a bridge problem or a road blockage, it won't affect them too much. The Metro is putting out a big push to get everybody to ride Metro that day and that's really going to be the smartest thing.

But, man, that's going to tighten things down in the city.

CALLAWAY: Yes, it really is. Bruce, you know, where are these guys coming from? Where are these protesters going to come from?

ALAN: All over the country.

CALLAWAY: I mean are they taking in the hotels?

ALAN: All over the country. I have no idea where they're staying. I feel sorry for the hotels if they're staying in hotels.

CALLAWAY: Because they may be destroying the hotels, right?

ALAN: Well, the thing is even -- the World Bank and the IMF are actually even holding some panel sessions with some of the more legitimate protesters who have actual issues they want to discuss. And there will be discussions about their issues and the problems they have with the World Bank and the IMF. Some of the people coming into town, though, are just bent on causing trouble.

CALLAWAY: All right, thank you very much.

Good luck, Bruce.

ALAN: Thanks, Catherine.

We'll talk to you later.

CALLAWAY: We'll be talking with you later on.

Thank you.

That's Bruce Alan.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com