The Syracuse System Shakers – Syracuse’s Radical Cheerleading Squad – brought their pom-poms and their friends from Syracuse University’s Student Environmental Action Coalition down to Washington, DC the weekend of September 28th. We joined thousands of Mobilization for Global Justice activists from across the country for a weekend of rallies, marches and cheers designed to bring attention to the semi-annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
On Saturday, the System Shakers shed light on the terrible policies of corporate economic globalization promoted by these institutions. We cheered for the media and for fellow protesters at the rally-point by the Washington Monument. Then we continued on to the main march, where we showed our stuff to police, tourists, and pedestrians as they watched from the sidewalks. Crowds cheered for our original cheer, “Cap-it-al-ism, does not work! Cap-it-al-ism, who does it hurt? YOU!”
On Sunday, we made our way towards Dick Cheney’s home to tell him we don’t want a war on Iraq. The System Shakers shook it up the whole weekend as we found a cure for the redundant, Hey-Hey, Ho-Ho’s of boring protests.

Kim is a System Shaker in search of the perfect cheer. If you can help her find it, email her at knmccoy@syr.edu.