Lori Wallach at the G20 and on Democracy Now!

Check out the video above, in which GTW Director Lori Wallach discusses how the WTO's Financial Services Agreement undermines the stated G-20 goal of reregulating the financial sector.

Updates from the ground in Pittsburgh are plentiful, for instance a New York Times story with this quote:

Trevor Griffith, 21, was part of the march after driving 16 hours from Pensacola, Fla., with three fellow students from the University of West Florida.

“The fact that 20 or so individuals right now are determining economic trade policies for four to five billion people just isn’t right,” Mr. Griffith said. “That’s why we’re here.”

Also check out some photo galleries at the Post and the Times, or, for something a little more Web 2.0 and less dinosaur media, this monster discussion forum thread.

Finally, for more from us, check out our new report that Todd just posted about, and the action alert we sent on Wednesday asking folks to call on Obama to turn around the WTO.

Comments

[Lumberjack Paul]

I viewed some of the G20 gathering and heard President Obama give his speech. Some of what he said sounded pretty good but most of what he said left me disappointed. It was as if President Clinton and Larry Summers we're telling him what to say and what not to say through an earpiece. I didn't hear that fire in the belly from the President about how trade policy and globalization of the economy will change because he's committed to seeing it through no matter what the critics throw at em'. If President Obama really is sincere about charting a new path for prosperity and financial security for average working people then he's got to revise and reform all of the current policies and laws that are blocking this from happening. Some he can do through executive order and others he'll have to either pass through Congress or implement by way of all the various federal agencies working for his administration. It's a given that none of this will be easy to do but it's imperative to remember that it's the right thing to do no matter how noisy and cynical all of the status quo backers become. The reason they all oppose fundamental change to the way the economy and trade is being done is because it benefits them the most at a huge loss for workers and consumers alike. When an economy is far too consumption based like it is in the U.S. we continue down the road of a boom/bust cycle that does nothing except increase unemployment and financial hardship for the middle class while all the high flyin' country club ivory tower lovin' greed mongers keep on living the good life. I can only remain hopeful that President Obama won't let us down?? Time to go take down some more rotten trees with the help of a lantern !