Seattle Settles Into Post-WTO Holiday Rhythm

SEATTLE —  Holiday shoppers reclaimed the streets of Seattle from angry protest and strife Saturday as the relieved city welcomed the end of its turbulent week as host to the meeting of the World Trade Organization.

“Thank God it’s all over,” said Samuel Taylor, manager of a downtown suit store. “This is the Seattle we’re used to: orderly.”

The meeting, which adjourned without setting an agenda for future talks, was a letdown for Seattle as well as for free trade proponents. The city had hoped to showcase its reputation as a world-class city, not display the volatile images, seen worldwide, of baton-wielding police in black riot gear clashing with hundreds of protesters.

Downtown businesses threw open their doors with special offers and promotions, desperate to make up for millions of dollars of holiday sales lost because of the unrest.

“I feel really good about the city. I think things are good now,” said Les Deets, manager of the Seattle Shirt Co. “People are being nice and giving forth positive feelings. In an overwhelming way, people are trying to put this behind them.”

The voice of dissent, however, was not silent. A small band of activists outside the King County Jail demanded the release of protesters arrested during the demonstrations.

In a Starbucks coffee shop that still had its windows boarded up, a woman told Mayor Paul Schell: “Time to move on. It’s a new day.” Schell replied, “Yes, it’s a new day.”

Asked if Seattle would ever ask the WTO to come back, Schell answered: “No.”