Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Saturday

Protests Expected at World Economic Forum

Aired February 02, 2002 - 12:18   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: This could be the most contentious day at the World Economic Forum meeting in New York. Anti-globalization demonstrators are expected to hold their biggest protest yet, but so far things have been relatively peaceful. Thousands of police officers are on alert though.

Our Jason Carroll joins us live from near where the forum meeting is taking place in Manhattan -- hi there, Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And good morning to you, Fredricka. I am standing about two blocks from the Waldorf Astoria, where the World Economic Forum is being held.

You can take a look behind me. One of the largest protests that we have seen so far is going on, taking place right out here on Park Avenue. You can see all of the protesters there demonstrating, most of them holding placards there saying to stop the war and racism. There are about 1,000 of them that are out here so far.

You can see if you look up Park Avenue, just up the street there, you can see they take up about four blocks. They are basically being sectioned off in tents here. That's what the police have done to try to maintain control. There are about 4,000 police officers that have been assigned to the World Economic Forum. A very heavy police presence that we have seen out here for the past three days. What police are doing is they are saying that they are using a zero tolerance policy in terms of any sort of violent activity.

They are also going to be using an 1845 law, a relatively obscure law that basically says any group of three or more wearing a mask will be arrested. And so far this morning, we have seen two people being arrested, but basically the protest has been peaceful.

The group that you see behind me is a group called the ANSWER Coalition. That stands for Act Now to Stop War and End Racism.

Very quickly, let me bring in the spokesman from that group, Brian Becker. Brian, very quickly, give us your assessment in terms of how things are going.

BRIAN BECKER, SPOKESMAN ANSWER: Well, we have thousands of people here in New York City protesting against the billionaires and the chief executive officers of the most important transnational corporations in the world. We are here to say we want money for jobs and education and housing and health care, not to fund a new war of aggression against the people in the Middle East. And certainly not to maximize corporate and banking profit against all of the other potential priorities that we have as a society like meeting people's needs.

CARROLL: So far, the demonstration has been peaceful. I am sure that's the way you want to keep it?

BECKER: Our intention was always to have a peaceful demonstration. That's why we got a permit. We are concerned here about the police state that has been created in midtown Manhattan, thousands of heavily-armed police, but we are hoping for a peaceful demonstration and a spirited demonstration.

CARROLL: All right, thanks very much, Brian Becker, spokesman from the ANSWER Coalition, again. Only protesters with a permit are allowed out here. We have been out here for three days. So far, all of the demonstrations have been peaceful ones -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, that's good news. Thanks very much, Jason.

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