Trojan Horse and Activists March Against "Fast Track," TPP

More than a thousand activists rallied and marched – pulling a 15-foot papier-mâché Trojan horse – on Monday past the U.S. Chamber of Commerce down to the U.S. Trade Representative office building in a full-throated protest against the trade agenda that the nation's corporations are trying to ram through Congress.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), shown above center, marched with CWAers and other activists to protest "fast track" and TPP.

CWA President Larry Cohen said the Trojan horse symbolizes what the USTR has become.

"On the outside, some nice words," Cohen said, "nice words about the environment, nice words about working people. But inside, is corporate America. Inside, is the Chamber of Commerce, inside is profits and greed and investors."

Monday's protest brought together a broad and diverse coalition of people and organizations united against this awful legislation. The National People's Action (NPA), a network of grassroots organizations across the country that work to advance a national economic and racial justice agenda, organized the rally and march with Campaign for America's Future, Alliance for a Just Society and USAction. NPA had just concluded its Populism 2015 Conference, attended by more than 700 of its activists and 75 CWAers.

"Working people are rising up against backroom deals that destroy our democracy and threaten our communities and the environment," NPA Executive Director George Goehl said. "We won't stand idly by while our government trades worker protections for corporate profits and democracy for secret agreements. We've seen this movie before and we know it does not end well."

Political commentator Jim Hightower said the most telling thing about TPP, why they are trying to "fast track" it through Congress, is that they don't want people to learn what's in it. "That tells a story right there," he said. "They say, 'trust us.' I would sooner trust a coyote with my last lamb chop than to trust this bunch with our democracy."

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) told the audience he voted against past trade agreements such as NAFTA, CAFTA and "most favored nation" status for China. Every administration pushing those deals told critics about all the jobs that would be created.

"They were wrong then and they are wrong now," Sanders said. "TPP will be a disaster for American workers because our people should not have to compete against people around the world who are working for pennies an hour. We should not have our laws overturned because of corporate desire for profits and contempt for health and the environment."