International migrant workers and activists protest the Sixth Ministerial of

Campaign at a glance

In December 2005, international migrant workers, South Korean farmers, and Hong Kong activists protested the Sixth Ministerial of the World Trade Organization in Hong Kong. [source: nv-database]

The campaign aimed to disrupt the meeting and pressure WTO delegates to produce a fairer deal for poor nations. [source: nv-database]

Despite large protests and clashes with police, the ministerial concluded with a deal that offered limited concessions to developing countries. [source: nv-database]

Tactics used

• unknown

Background

The Sixth Ministerial of the WTO met from 13-18 December 2005 in Hong Kong, aiming to advance the stalled Doha Round trade negotiations. [source: nv-database]

Local civil society groups, led by the Hong Kong People’s Alliance, began preparing protests in early 2005 to disrupt the meeting and demand a fairer deal for poorer countries. [source: nv-database]

South Korean farmers opposed lowering agricultural trade barriers, while migrant workers from Indonesia and the Philippines protested labor rights issues [source: nv-database].

What happened

International migrant workers and activists protest the Sixth Ministerial of — Wikimedia Commons contributor (CC BY-SA 4.0). Source: international-migrant-workers-and-activists-protest-the-sixth.jpg

The Hong Kong People’s Alliance formed in September 2004 and hosted an International Coordination Network Meeting in February 2005, where over 200 delegates from 80 countries planned a week of actions called ‘People’s Action Week’ [source: nv-database]. On 11 December, about 3,000 protesters marched from Victoria Park to the government’s trade office, carrying banners denouncing globalization [source: nv-database]. On 13 December, fishermen held a parade in Victoria Harbor, and South Korean farmers marched toward the convention center; a small number clashed with police using bamboo sticks, while 70 farmers jumped into the harbor [source: nv-database]. On 17 December, Korean peasants led a march; protesters split into small groups to evade police, then regrouped and tried to push through police lines. [source: nv-database] Police responded with pepper spray, tear gas, and water hoses, arresting hundreds [source: nv-database]. On 18 December, police encircled protesters at 3:20 am and dragged them into vans [source: nv-database]. The ministerial concluded with a deal that promised G90 countries duty-free, quota-free access to developed markets, but the US retained tariffs on 3% of products important to those countries [source: nv-database].

Key people & organizations

• Hong Kong People’s Alliance
• Asian Migrant Center
• Militant Korean Peasants League
• Indonesian Migrants’ Workers Union
• Tamil Nadu Dalit Women’s Movement
• Our World is Not for Sale
• Hong Kong Police Force
• World Trade Organization
• Dick Lee

Outcome

Verdict: partial.

The campaign achieved partial success: it disrupted the ministerial and drew global attention to trade injustices, but failed to prevent a deal. The final agreement offered limited concessions to developing countries, falling short of the protesters’ demands for full market access [source: nv-database].

Lessons

• Coalition-building across diverse groups (farmers, migrant workers, local activists) can amplify a campaign’s reach and legitimacy.
• Escalation tactics, such as splitting into small groups to evade police, can create confusion and prolong protest actions.
• Symbolic actions (e.g., jumping into a harbor) can generate media coverage and communicate grievances powerfully.

Sources

• Global Nonviolent Action Database — nv-database

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Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.

Sources & verification

• nv-database — grounding: primary — license: link-only
• Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via worker_casestudies_v2.py