Yesterday, protests began at the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Hong Kong Ministerial Meeting with protests both inside and outside the meetings. During the opening ceremony of the meeting, forty protests interrupted the opening address, chanting slogans such as "WTO Kills Farmers" and "Stand by Your People" while demanding that the developing countries reject the development package being offered by the WTO. Outside of the meeting, protestors clashed with riot police, although the police were able to prevent the protestors from breeching the security perimeter around the meetings. Hong Kong's security forces have prepared for months and already activists are reporting harassment by security forces with several prominent activists being detained and raids on places where activists are meeting (http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/1213-05.htm).

There have also been numerous stories in the corporate press detailing the "deadlock" faced by trade negotiators who have been worried that the negotiations will end in failure since November. Failure may come from the WTO's unwillingness to offer a substantive development package to developing countries and divisions over farm subsidies benefiting wealthy nations. WTO analysts have noticed in the past few days that the WTO may offer a slightly improved development package in order to split the opposition and create the public appearance of success while delaying more controversial discussions for future meetings. While the WTO may be able to put off a substantive discussion of farm subsidies at the Hong Kong meeting, the subsidies will likely determine the future of the WTO. Some have pointed out that the WTO may be in danger of collapsing as it continues to be unable to meet its goals of expanding unrestricted trade in the face of continued opposition from popular movements around the world.