Goodbye Miami,

robocop town,
hundreds of arrests,
beatings, shootings,
harassment, disrespect-
“a massive show of force.”

Goodbye Miami-
and good luck,
jailed freedom fighters,
movement lawyers,
public defenders,
other support people
and,
most of all,
Miami residents
who yearn for
and work for
justice.

Miami-
“Gateway to Latin America.”

Miami-
bi-, tri-lingual town.

Miami-
FTAA host, this week, and,
they hope,
forever via FTAA secretariat.

“They”-
the corporatists
the John Timoney media apologists,
the liars and cheats,
those who steal daily
using the weapons of
the pen, the contract,

backed up by
the crowd control weapons
of the 21st century state-
electronic tazer guns,
rubber bullets,
bean bags,
pepper spray,
tear gas,
clubs and,
visible for all to see,
a massive and intimidating
police presence,
literally on every
(downtown)
corner, thousands strong,
with helicopters overhead,
loud and bright.

But “they” lost.

Once again, as in Seattle,
as in Cancun.

They didn’t get
their FTAA
in Miami.

They got, at best,
a hollow shell piece of paper,
little more.

They don’t have
the support of the people,
as the polls show,
as we experienced
on the streets,
in the trains,
in daily conversations
with the people of Miami.

Their vision of the future
is in trouble,
while we, the people,
just like the rivers,
keep flowing,
keep organizing,
keep learning.

So goodbye, Miami.

And thank you,
Miami residents,
for all your support.

Thank you,
young people
(and those not so young),
for putting your bodies
on the line
for justice
once again.

Thank you,
all my sisters and brothers,
for your refusal
to submit,
for keeping hope alive,
for holding high
the blood-stained banner
of freedom and justice.

The struggle is long,
but yes,
I still believe,
I have seen in Miami,
that victory is certain.

Thank you Miami.