> If the broader public thinks that demonstrators = al Qaeda, then
> agitation and sloganeering have to correct the impression, not
> reinforce it. Make the guys inside the Waldorf into the real
> perpetrators of violence. Talking about burning banks is exactly the
> wrong thing to do. I think militancy itself can be made plausible, if
> not acceptable. If it's done right.
It might be worthwhile for the demonstrators to try to connect the WEF with the recession and the uncertainty that a lot of workers are grappling with. Just a few placards with words like "jobs," "Enron," or "health care" could make their message a lot more comprehensible for the public.
Seth