breaking the spell

an anarchic street game.

a memory of the seattle 1999 wto protests.

a kinetic intro to direct action tactics.

breaking the spell offers a lived encounter with the bravery, joy, camaraderie, and challenge that was and is found in the streets, to help invigorate us in the struggles of the present.

  • Protesters wearing black clothing and masks in a crowd, with text about the Seattle 1999 WTO protests.
  • Grim Reaper figure holding a WTO sign with references to Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act, alongside text about the Seattle 1999 WTO protests.
  • Protest banner with a large puppet head and signs against WTO in Seattle, containing text about the Seattle 1999 WTO protests.
  • Protester in a gas mask waving a U.S. flag at a demonstration, surrounded by a crowd, some wearing rain ponchos. "And once you got a taste of the sublime joy of reclaiming control of your life and your world," is overlaid text.
  • A person is hanging a large banner that reads "W.T.O. Don't Trade On..." on a building. The banner also features a drawing of a snake wrapped around the globe. Below the banner, text reads: "of regaining your lost kinship in a human community of which you are an integral component, of realizing your wildest dreams and desires."