The Third Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) was held in Seattle from November 30 to December 3, 1999. Trade ministers and other officials from the WTO's 135 member nations met in an unsuccessful attempt to plan negotiations to further deregulate free trade. Tens of thousands of activists for many causes gathered to protest what they saw as the WTO's favoring of corporate interests over social and environmental concerns.

This image shows a protest march held on the day before the opening of the WTO conference. Protesters made and wore sea turtle costumes in response to the WTO's decision that banning the use of a particular style of shrimp net was a barrier to free trade. The nets had been responsible for the drowning deaths of sea turtles and other animals. Susan Oseth, bottom center, of Bainbridge Island was one of nearly 250 "sea turtles" taking part in the march from the First Methodist Church to Eighth Avenue and Pine Street.

Caption information sources: "WTO Meeting and Protests in Seattle (1999) - Part 1," by Kit Oldham, HistoryLink.org Essay 9183; and "WTO Meeting and Protests in Seattle (1999) - Part 2," by Kit Oldham, HistoryLink.org Essay 9213.
Caption information source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, "20 years later: Looking back at the Battle in Seattle, the WTO riots" by Zosha Millman, retrieved at https://www.seattlepi.com/local/seattle-history/article/WTO-Riots-Battle-Seattle-1999-anniversary-13431709.php#photo-797496