SUV struck anti-war protester in D.C.

World Bank Disrupted, SUV Strikes Protestor

Author

• Joe Sacco

25 Sep 2005


Joe Sacco, while working to prevent delegates from attending the World Bank meeting on Sunday, was nearly killed when a motorist drove at speeds over 45 mph with the protester on the hood of the SUV. Sacco was blocking one of four intersections surrounding the Mayflower Hotel- where many important delegates of the World Bank meetings were staying.



At approximately 4:45AM Sunday, September 25, 2005, a collective of approximately 100 activists from around the nation surrounded the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. Multiple affinity groups were able to effectively communicate in order to delay many delegates from easily being transported to the World Bank meeting.

Joe Sacco, of Las Vegas, was standing in the crosswalk at approximately 6:15AM at 17th St. and L when a grey/silver SUV (Washington D.C. plate DW7274) approached the intersection. The motorist came to a full stop about 4 feet away from Sacco. The driver then accelerated and proceeded to hit the activist. Sacco flipped up onto the hood of the vehicle in an attempt to prevent being pulled under and run-over.

The driver, seemingly a private citizen, then drove at high speeds 8 blocks to 9th St. and L. Sacco screamed and pleaded for safety while gripping the windshield wipers for dear life. The man finally came to a stop and let Sacco off the vehicle.

Street medics on the scene comforted Sacco as he was in a state of shock. Legal observers caught the incident on video and several people reported the license plate number to legal aid. Sacco is going to pursue criminal charges and a civil case. He will be speaking with a lawyer soon. And, he plans to be seen at a local hospital for neck, back and shoulder pains.

Due to the blocked intersections, delegates were escorted on foot by police down the streets to shuttles and limos. The activists also walked along their sides exposing the truth to them- how the World Bank and its economic polices plunder resources, devastate ecosystems and exploit disempowered workers.

The direct action was non-violent and decentralized, yet the swarming clusters of affinity groups successfully held the intersections for about 4 hours directly impacting the September 25th World Bank Meeting!!

 

I told you they don't fuck around in the District.
Besides, traffic is so fucked there anyways i don't think that your little protest did anything.

 

Little? There were around 300,000 protesters there that weekend. The most since the Vietnam era.

 

I was being patronizing, you guys coulda dug up all the streets and planeted landmines and wouldn't have fucked up the traffic any worse than it already was.

 

sweet does anyone have that video?

 

damn so close! i believe at 50 mph you get bonus point's.

 

You, patronizing?! I could never picture it!

 

damn bro, you should do stand-up!

 

skratch, check out www.dc.indymedia.org

 

Your car scenario is a bit different. I get angry at stupid and inconsiderate drivers too. But the protesting thing is very different. It's something that's done from the heart, not immature behavior such as disrespectful driving.
As for you being impatient, I suggest you work on that.

 

should had used a garbage truck = any better now?

 

SUV's = 1, Protesters = 0.

 

Do you mean the largest protest, or do you mean the largest anti-war protest? Because the women's rights march in DC last spring had almost a million people... it beat the million man march. Just thought that was worth mentioning. I'm not calling it little by any means, but I also wouldn't call it the biggest.

 

http://lasvegas.staughton.indypgh.org/news/2004/10/539.php

just another "nutter" doing his job, this is just 1 of 5 i've found where "wacko" ooop's typo, i meant sacco, tries his luck at hood surfing.

so this is your "protesting from the heart" poster child! MOST people would consider jumping onto the hood's of moving vehicle's, stupid, ignorant,immature, but then again your not most people.

 

Interesting that his name is Sacco... Where's Vanzetti?

 

for some reason I get the feeling that he was asking for it.

 

not only asking for it, looking for it too. as far as he is concerned, it was best case scenario.

 

i love how he wasn't hurt enough to go to the hospital after the incident, but he plans to go later so he can have record of his "back and neck injuries." What a toolbox.

 

Sounds like you guys have some great moral principles! Can't wait to see your faces on Judgement Day.

Lawngirl, I was talking about anti-war demonstrations in the nation's capital. Believe me, I know there were close to a million protesters for various other (non-revolutionary) causes.

 

....you wanna preach principal's ok, what about sacco's principal's? he goes to protest not to protest but to try to drum up a lawsuit , go do a lil research on him "quit being so damn lazy" he has 2 lawsuit's pending. not including this 1. he lost 2 other's which originated in cali.