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.

Here, Henri Benkoski, the deputy chief of staff for the Belgian French-speaking regional government, is interviewed outside the Sheraton Hotel while protesters blocked delegates from attending conference events. Benkoski said the WTO protests reminded him of home, saying "This is like Europe. Every week or month, we have a big demonstration." His goal at the conference was advocating for international diversity in films, television, and books. Most movies and TV shows in Belgium came from the US, Benkoski said.

Caption information source: "Five of the players in a cast of thousands," by Vanessa Ho, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, December 1, 1999, page A13.