Dorli Rainey has become known around the world as the 84-year-old woman who was pepper sprayed by Seattle police as she non-violently stood in a downtown intersection. She has a long history of activism in support of peace and justice, and has been active with many organizations including Women In Black, Veterans for Peace, ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) and the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee. Liberation News spoke with her on the morning of Nov. 17.
Liberation News: Is there anything you want to say about the incident?
Dorli Rainey: The incident by now is well known. What I want to talk about now is what brought us to this point in history where the police are ruling without oversight.
Liberation News: So, what brought us here?
DR: What brought us here is the takeover of capitalism that needs to protect its private assets like the banks. Laws have been passed that little by little have allowed banks to do more things, like sell securities. The limits on what banks can do have been eroded. Then with the profit motive, the international treaties like NAFTA and CAFTA have undermined the ability of U.S. labor to compete with the underpaid labor in underdeveloped countries.
But these treaties have not done what they promised to do. The host countries have not benefited, like Mexico or Bangladesh or anybody.
Liberation News: That reminds me of when we were protesting the Korea Free Trade Agreement talks here in Seattle a few years ago.
DR: Yes (laughs). To the contrary, we have depleted the host countries’ natural resources, depleted their water supplies, diminished their environmental laws and rules, all to benefit a few corporations.
Liberation News: What does your experience with this incident say about democracy and free speech in this country?
DR: Democracy and free speech have eroded here to keep corporations and banks and capitalists in power and protect their bottom line.
Liberation News: I thought it was ironic that you and others were pepper sprayed about 24 hours after the City Council passed a resolution in support of Occupy Seattle and free speech.
DR: Yes! It was ironic. We saw how speech is protected in this city.
Liberation News: Is there anything else you would like to tell people?
DR: I would say whatever changes we make, with Occupy Seattle for instance, have to be well thought out to maximize our impact and minimize the opportunities for cops to get at us.
Liberation News: One more question: what do you have to say about becoming a symbol of the movement?
DR: I don’t mind being a symbol if that is what people are drawn to but I don’t want to become the focus. I want to keep the focus on what we are here for, which is to change the regime. I have a bumper sticker that says, “Regime change begins at home,“ it’s on my refrigerator as a daily reminder.
