Battle in Seattle: Bringing protest back

Battle in Seattle opened this weekend in select theaters, the directorial debut of actor Stuart Townsend, a.k.a. Charlize Theron's beau. The gorgeous Academy Award winner stars as a policeman's pregnant wife, a normal woman who becomes caught up in the 1999 WTO protests in Seattle. Woody Harrelson and Channing Tatum play cops on the beat who have no idea what they're in for, and Michelle Rodriguez and Andre 3000 play young protesters out to bring their message to the world.

The historic protest, which was the first to be organized over the Internet (thank you Al Gore!) brought together environmentalists, trade unionists, and yes, the mysterious anarchists, to actually shut down the convention. And ever since, protest has never been the same.

The film is a must see for anyone who has ever raised a sign or taken to the streets as a reminder for why you fight. (Full disclosure: CGG was gassed in the streets of Quebec City at 2001 FTAA protests.) And it's worth watching too as a brush up on free trade before the upcoming election if you don't know your WTO from your NAFTA. Townsend does an amazing job of showing all sides of the story, from cop to anarchist, to journalist, to woman on the street.

CGG saw the premiere during the Impact Film Festival at the Denver Democratic National Convention. Check out the clip above as Stuart Townsend tells us why protest is important to him.