The New York Times

Thursday, December 2, 1999

THE REACTION

Internationally, Embarrassment for U.S.

By SARAH LYALL

LONDON -- If Seattle had wanted to use the World Trade Organization meeting as a postcard demonstrating its idiosyncratic charms to the rest of the world, it would surely have hoped for some better pictures.

International responses to the images of rioting and chaos in Seattle varied as widely as countries' own views of the trade group and of American domination of world markets. Broadly speaking, though, Tuesday's events were seen as an embarrassment to the United States and to Seattle, as well as a sometimes welcome opportunity to train attention on trade issues dear to various regions.

In Britain, criticism tended to focus on the jarring spectacle of black-clad, heavily insulated officers repelling nonviolent demonstrators with what seemed like an arsenal of inessential weaponry. Glenys Kinnock, a member of the European Parliament who is in Seattle for the talks, said on a British television program that the Seattle authorities had grievously overreacted.

"They dress in very strange sort of Star Wars outfits, had tear gas, and I think it was quite a draconian response to the demonstration," Mrs. Kinnock said.

In some countries, commentators could barely contain their glee at what they saw as a humiliating blow to American domination of the world trade agenda. Vittorio Zucconi, a columnist for an Italian daily, La Repubblica, commented approvingly on what he described as "the strange, but formidable alliance between environmentalist agitators and European ambassadors, between blue jeans and double-breasted suits, of mothers against 'Frankenfood,' genetically altered food, and the agricultural interests of Europe."

Switzerland was not surprised by the unrest, having had its own experience with violent protests at a top-level meeting of the trade group in Geneva last year. Less than two weeks ago, 60 students chained themselves to the group's main staircase, barricaded the headquarters and unfurled an unflattering banner from the top of the building.

In Brazil, which has the largest economy in Latin America and has been expected to act as a spokesman of sorts for developing nations, the protests were described in headlines as the worst in the United States since Vietnam. In some respects, Brazil and other Latin American countries view the demonstrators as supporters of their own position -- that the international economic order is unfair to developing nations.

At the same time, though, countries like Brazil feel that the demonstrators' emphasis on environmental and labor issues tends to distract from the main question of economic inequality between rich and the poor.

For its part, France seemed to welcome the protests with an anarchic spirit of its own. French skepticism over the talks is not surprising, given the centrality of France in many of the most hotly debated issues in Seattle, including liberalization of farm trade.

The French news media devoted much of their coverage to chronicling the exploits of Jos Bov , the sometime French farmer and anti-McDonald's protester who is being called the "American hero" by some newspapers. To the delight of his countrymen, Bov illegally brought several hundred pounds of Roquefort cheese -- on which Washington has levied heavy import duties -- to the United States before joining the protesters in Seattle.

The official Chinese media gave scant coverage to the conflict in Seattle, and ignored it at first. The issues that were being raised are sensitive for the Chinese leaders, who normally take pleasure in highlighting "contraditions" in Western societies. But they have staked their reputations on gaining China's entry into the World Trade Organization, and they fear just these kinds of angry demonstrations at home from displaced workers.

In Jordan, which was scheduled to become the first and perhaps only nation admitted to the trade group during the conference, there was bitterness at the disruptions. Jordan sees the organization as essential to the foreign investment and economic growth it desperately needs. From Seattle, Muhammad Asfour, Jordan's minister of trade, was quoted as saying he was shocked and disappointed by the events.

"People like us, who came from thousands of miles away, to find no organization -- it's very sad," he said.