Beltway Area Indymedia

In an unannounced action on the evening of April 14th, two dozen individuals braved the cold rain and took to the streets with makeshift soccer balls and noisemakers in hand, to send a message to World Bank and IMF delegates in town for the joint spring meetings of the Bank and Fund. Amidst the now infamous Wolfowitz corruption scandal and the subsequent discontent brewing within the Bank, global justice demonstrators went beyond the reformist rhetoric of those calling for the resignation of current World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz and called for the closure of the Bank itself. At approximately 4AM, just hours before the start of the Sunday round of talks, the noise brigade and street soccer players marched downtown, stopping at several major hotels housing delegates.

The Marriott was the first stop. Opening the evening with air horns, whistles, pots and pans, and a game of soccer, the contingent easily woke up the delegates sleeping soundly in the hotel. Within minutes, lights turned on in various rooms and guests wandered outside in dismay. The group stayed just long enough to get cheers from passing taxi-cabs and yells from hotel guests. In attempts to keep the police at bay, the group departed shortly thereafter the Marriott and trekked on to the next hotel.

The Westin Grand and the Fairmont, conveniently situated caddy-corner from one another, were visited next. Again: noise and soccer in the streets effectively woke the delegates. The group stayed long enough to watch room lights go on, then departed back to the Marriott for a second round.

Then it was off to the St Gregory, at 21st and M NW, for a rousing wake up call for the folks inside. It was about 5am at this point and the meetings were set to begin in just over 3 hours. Most of the rooms were dark when the noise brigade arrived, but a cascade of lights turned on as the whistles and chanting penetrated the hotel walls.

The final stop brought the group to the Mayflower Hotel on Connecticut Avenue NW. Long viewed as the symbol of extravagant wealth in DC, and often the target of late night counter Bank and Fund demonstrations, (Spring 2005, Adopt an Intersection Fall 2005, Spring 2006) the Mayflower was the shining star of the evening/morning. Banging on fences, newspaper boxes, and pots and pans, the group made their presence known. Hotel security watched from afar as the silence of the night was breached by the cacophony of resistance.

Just before dawn, the soaking wet sleep-deprived noise brigade called it a night. But we'll be back. So long as delegates keep meeting and sleeping in DC, they'll continue to be woken up in the middle of the night.

No sleep for the wicked.