{"id":4895,"date":"2012-09-09T23:16:25","date_gmt":"2012-09-10T03:16:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.citizenstrade.org\/ctc\/?p=4895"},"modified":"2013-03-04T18:08:08","modified_gmt":"2013-03-04T23:08:08","slug":"no-back-room-deals-for-the-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.citizenstrade.org\/ctc\/blog\/2012\/09\/09\/no-back-room-deals-for-the-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Leesburg: No Back Room Deals for the 1%"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>As the 14th major round<\/a> of closed-door negotiations on the\u00a0Trans-Pacific Partnership<\/a>\u00a0took place in northern Virginia, Citizens Trade Campaign and our labor, environmental, consumer, public health, family farm and other social justice allies were there to demand an end to back-room dealmaking for the 1%.<\/div>\n
\u00a0 .<\/div>\n
The outside protests began with the\u00a0TPP: Out of the Shadows!\u00a0Rally for Good Jobs, Affordable Medicine & a Healthy Environment<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>on Sunday, September 9 outside the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia, where negotiators were meeting. \u00a0Two hundred people made it out to demand a public voice in the TPP, and to hear rousing speeches from the Communications Workers of America, Friends of the Earth, HealthGAP, Sierra Club and Public Citizen. \u00a0The rally was covered nationally by wire services such as McClatchy<\/a>, Bloomberg<\/a> and Reuters<\/a>, as well as a variety of blogs<\/a>, radio shows<\/a> and\u00a0local newspapers<\/a>.<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0.<\/div>\n
Inside the resort, CTC projected Twitter-sized comments about the TPP<\/a><\/strong> from thousands of people across North America and beyond during a “tabling sessions” where negotiators could see them. \u00a0They sent a clear message to negotiators from every country that people are watching them and are unhappy with the direction in which the negotiations appear to be heading. \u00a0CTC supporters also dominated the “Negotiator Briefing” session, asking questions<\/a> from the lead negotiator from each TPP country, while corporate lobbyists sat by mum. \u00a0The lack of transparency and accountability was a consistent theme throughout.<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0.<\/div>\n
Others also staged a variety of stunts throughout the 10-day negotiations, which included yard signs<\/a>, a mic check<\/a>, balloon lift<\/a>, bat signal<\/a>, tripod blockade<\/a> and even a “barf-in”<\/a><\/strong>.<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0.<\/div>\n
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THE ACTION CONTINUES: \u00a0<\/strong>During the round, CTC also helped the group Avaaz develop an\u00a0online petition<\/a>\u00a0demanding transparency in the TPP negotiations. \u00a0At the time of this posting, it already had over 700,000 signatures. \u00a0Please sign here to get us over the 1 million signers mark!<\/a><\/strong><\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0.<\/div>\n

Why were people so active? The TPP is poised to become the largest Free Trade Agreement in U.S. history. \u00a0Approximately 600 corporate lobbyists have been granted access to the negotiating texts, while the general public is barred from even reviewing what U.S. negotiators are proposing in our names.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a0.<\/div>\n
If it continues on its current course, the TPP is likely to:<\/div>\n