DES MOINES — Chanting the phrase “No globalization without representation,” more than 100 students, environmentalists and activists began their protest of the World Trade Organization in front of the Des Moines Federal Building Tuesday.

The protest, held by the Iowa Fair Trade Watch, a group based out of Grinnell College, was attended by members from 20 activist groups such as the Sierra Club, United Steel Workers of America and the Iowa Green Party.

The rally coincides with the protest held at the four-day WTO talks in Seattle this week and protests in cities around the world.

“The WTO declares laws protecting the environment as barriers to trade,” said Emily Mize, junior at Grinnell and Iowa Fair Trade Watch member.

The WTO was established in 1995 to replace the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trades and is the only organization dealing with global regulations of trade between nations.

It currently is made up of 134 nations, including China, the entire European Union, Malaysia, Indonesia and Paraguay.

“According to the new guidelines set by the WTO, we would have to be completely oblivious to how our clothing was made in terms of fairness — we wouldn’t be able to factor in sweatshop labor,” said Heidi Sabers, senior at University of Iowa and member of University of Iowa Students Against Sweatshops.

“Imports are not supposed to be valued according to how they were made or the conditions in which they were made; you have to be unbiased — it is loophole to help corporations get around national laws,” she said.

Sabers said the WTO and the Free Trade Laws have allowed corporations to have more power and monitor themselves. It leaves the people without a representative in the governing process to voice their opinions, she said.

Ellen Gallagher, of the Iowa Fair Trade Watch, said she thinks the WTO needs more consideration for human rights and environmental impact.

“Part of the problem with the WTO is that we don’t know how it’s run or how it’s governed. The secrecy of the organization is one of my biggest problems,” Gallagher said.

The Iowa Fair Trade Watch is calling for a trade policy that is open, democratic and fair to the people, Gallagher said.

“We need a system that rewards the support of workers’ rights instead of corporate rights,” said Ken Sager, secretary treasurer of the Iowa Federation of Labor. “We need a voice to talk about environmental and agricultural issues. What is going to happen if we don’t have a place at the table?”

Matt Ewing, sophomore from Grinnell College and member of the Iowa Fair Trade Watch, said students need to let the Legislature know that they feel WTO is not operating in their interests.

“We demand that the WTO reform so that it benefits the people,” he said.