Today, as was the case during yesterday's protests, there was a large group protesting against China's policies toward Tibet. There were some people near me who were taunting the black-clad riot police by humming one of the themes from a Star Wars movie.

There were signs and chants saying "money for jobs and education not wars and occupation." There was a marching band playing The Battle Hymn of the Republic and an anarchist group chanting "no laws, no borders, no bosses," and a sign that read "Obama, keep your fair trade promises, and "rescue Falun Gong practitioners "

Later I met Adan Stevens-Diaz who came to Pittsburgh from Brooklyn, NY. He was carrying a sign that read " Obama, you're a speech walking. So was Robespeare." When we spoke, Diaz referred to Obama as a "walking sound byte."

The smaller march in Oakland made its way down the slope of 5th Avenue into downtown. When I got there, it was too crowded for me to get close to the area where people were giving electrically amplified speeches. But I caught some of what they were saying. I had heard some of it during events earlier in the week, before this main rally took place.

It seems ironic that some public misconceptions about G-20 protesters have involved the idea that activists are storing human waste to be used against the police and other people. My guess is that the vast majority of the people involved with protesting the G-20 are also intensely and extensively involved in serving their communities, whether it's helping to feed, house, or educate people or some other type of sevice.

Today two young men repeated to me the tale of urine -filled barrels being discovered in Seattle in 2000. He also said people staying at a small tent city in the Hill District had something similar going on during the past few days.

His view of the people at the tent city contrasts with that of the people at the People's Summit who talked about the problems of foreclosures and how domestic and international policies are hurting people. It seems that an element of public sentiment about the G-20 is the idea that people who question and oppose our leaders are pretty much lowlife terrorists and the people who are hurting econi

za of United Students Against Sweatshops, said that Obama is wrong by saying that G-20 protestors have too abstract ideas in terms of their opposition to G-20.

Another speaker is talking about Burma changing from being the rice bowl of Asia to being a country used for Russia and other countries which use that money to fund their military. She also said we must stand with Honduras. The militarization of our country is something we must address, in terms of our prisons. Our military is used to give our natipn its increasing access to the world's resources. -UN should distribute funds of G-20 to cancel Third World debt

Now Priva Hang ' andu of the organizatipn called Jubilee Zambia is speaking. Poor countries need to be part of decision-making. US has suppoerted repressive regime in the Congo. Why should South Africa service a debt that was used against its people. The developed world must stop extracting resources from poor countries. We must end double standards, in terms of policies toward poor countries. We must stop subsidizing agriculture of rich countries. We need better definitions for development. Stop forcing poor countries into debt.