Parade for Trade Justice at the WTO

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As world trade ministers set off for the WTO ministerial meeting in Doha, Qatar in November 2001, an 8,000-strong parade of trade justice campaigners rallied in London UK.

In crisp autumn sunshine, there was a carnival atmosphere as costumed marchers and decorated floats processed past the Houses of Parliament and 10 Downing Street to Trafalgar Square.

Swathed in a rainbow of colours, and with a forest of balloons bobbing above them, the crowd including campaigners who had come from as far away as Northumberland and Devon, were accompanied by African drummers, shrieking whistles and blasting horns.

Together, at the foot of Nelson's Column, they unfurled a huge banner proclaiming: "Make world trade work for the whole world", which was passed over the heads of the crowd. A giant photograph of the scene was taken to be presented to UK trade secretary Patricia Hewitt when she met representatives of the Trade Justice Movement on three days later.

The rally was aimed at sending a strong message to world trade ministers who met in Doha, Qatar November 9-13 at the World Trade Organisation Summit.

"We're not against globalisation," said Mexican campaigner Sergio Cobo, addressing the rally. "We're against this kind of globalisation that's hurting the poor and damaging the environment."

'No Logo' author Naomi Klein told the crowd: "We might not be able to meet them head on in Qatar, but we can do something much more powerful. We can surround them in all directions. There's no fence and no fortress that's strong enough to keep us out."

"We are a movement whose time has come," said coalition member and CAFOD head of campaigns Fleur Anderson. 

"The ministers in Qatar need to be working for equality and global justice rather than lining the pockets of transnational corporations," said Liz Taylor, 46, from Garforth, Leeds. "Trade liberalisation doesn't help the poor."

More than 30,000 action cards were sent to the UK Department of Trade and Industry by trade justice campaigners in the run up to the parade, demanding a fundamental reform of the WTO and its rules. In the final week before the Qatar summit they were arriving at a rate of 1,000 a day.

Visit our online picture gallery to see more pictures from the Parade.