Today, December 9, the 11th anniversary of the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement, approximately 20-25 people from College Park, Baltimore, Towson, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC, protested the closed-door negotiations of the Central American Free Trade Agreement. Starting at 9 AM the activists picketed in front of the main door of the Mayflower Hotel in the District where the negotiations were being held. Armed with tubas, horns, "Go Terps" thundersticks, cans, pots, pans, and a gong the group marched for an hour and a half, while trying to make enough noise that the delegates inside could hear their resistance. Some individuals handed out informational fliers and others held signs and banners reading "No AL CApitalismo," "CAFTA is CRAPTA," "Corporate Agreement For Theft of the Americas (CAFTA)" and "FTAA, CAFTA, NAFTA, Ya Basta."
The group was boisterous and noise could be heard inside the hotel. At several points, Latin American press that heard the commotion from the second floor of the hotel and came out to cover the protest.
At one point, delegates from Costa Rica passed by the noise action and were given fliers about why we are opposed to CAFTA. Protesters told them to resist CAFTA and refuse to sign it. Costa Rica's president was one of five Central American presidents that signed a letter endorsing the U.S.'s version of CAFTA. They pledged that their countries would sign the agreement.
There were minimal problems with the police and hotel security. As soon as the protest started, uniformed police emerged from the building where they had been lying in wait. When it was clear that the protest was not a security or safety risk, and when the National Lawyers Guild legal observers made it clear that we knew our rights, the protest proceeded without a problem.
At the end of the protest, the noisemakers attempted to enter the building. They were promptly escorted out, but not before briefly letting a wave of noise from the antechamber and through an open door into the lobby. The cacerolazo/noise action was called by the Maryland Action Collective.
UPDATE Costa Rican delegates walked out of CAFTA negotiations. Nevertheless, an agreement was reached between the US, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. These are the weakest economies in the region. The deal still may fall through in Congress, because certain American sectors like sugar and textiles are threatened by such a deal and the markets offered don't get anybody really excited.
It's a strange position standing next to such manufacturing sectors (read: owners of factories), but unless some protections for workers are included in any such deal, the manufacturers and investors will simply gain more leverage over the populations of the U.S. and Central America.
For more info on CAFTA, see 
http://www.stopcafta.org and http://www.cispes.org
For more info on CAFTA protests, see http://dc.indymedia.org
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