<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="position: relative;" class=""><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" class=""><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/28/tpp-protests-mass-opposition-worked-trump-presidency" class="OWAAutoLink" id="LPlnk378507" previewremoved="true">https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/28/tpp-protests-mass-opposition-worked-trump-presidency</a><br class=""></div><div class="hide-on-mobile" style="font-size: 16px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;"><header class=" tonal__head content__head
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"><div class="content__header tonal__header" style="background-color: rgb(239, 239, 236);"><div class="gs-container" style="position: relative; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 71.25rem; padding-left: 1.25rem; padding-right: 1.25rem; box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="u-cf content__main-column" style="max-width: 38.75rem; margin: auto 20rem auto 10rem; position: relative;"><h1 class="js-score content__headline" itemprop="headline" style="margin: 0px; font-size: 2.25rem; line-height: 2.5rem; font-family: 'Guardian Egyptian Web', 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif; font-weight: 200; padding-top: 0.375rem; padding-bottom: 2.25rem;">The TPP wasn't killed by Donald Trump – our protests worked</h1></div></div></div><div class="tonal__standfirst u-cf" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-color: rgb(230, 113, 27); padding-top: 0.375rem;"><div class="gs-container" style="position: relative; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 71.25rem; padding-left: 1.25rem; padding-right: 1.25rem; box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="content__main-column" style="max-width: 38.75rem; margin: auto 20rem auto 10rem; position: relative;"><div class="content__standfirst" data-link-name="standfirst" data-component="standfirst" style="font-size: 1.125rem; line-height: 1.375rem; font-family: 'Guardian Egyptian Web', 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif; margin-bottom: 1.5rem;"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5rem;" class="">We the people can create change by standing together. This is crucial to remember for the next four years</div></div></div></div></div></header></div><div class="content__main tonal__main--tone-comment tonal__main" style="font-size: 16px; padding-top: 1.5rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;"><div class="gs-container" style="position: relative; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 71.25rem; padding-left: 1.25rem; padding-right: 1.25rem; box-sizing: border-box;"><div class=" content__main-column--article js-content-main-column content__main-column" style="min-height: 17.25rem; max-width: 38.75rem; margin: auto 20rem auto 10rem; position: relative;"><div class="football-tabs content__mobile-full-width js-sport-tabs" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px;"></div><figure itemprop="associatedMedia image" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" data-component="image" class=" media-primary media-content()" data-media-id="e6a098730bc56afc4f8bfb59dea911727fbd827c" id="img-1" style="margin: 0px; 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display: block; width: 620px; height: 372.046875px; position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px;"></picture></div><span class="inline-icon centered-icon article__fullscreen modern-visible rounded-icon inline-expand-image" style="fill: #ffffff; border-top-left-radius: 62.5rem; border-top-right-radius: 62.5rem; border-bottom-right-radius: 62.5rem; border-bottom-left-radius: 62.5rem; display: inline-block; vertical-align: middle; position: absolute; top: 0px; right: 0px; width: 2.75rem; height: 2.75rem; background-color: rgba(51, 51, 51, 0.6); margin: 0.625rem;"><svg width="22" height="22" viewBox="0 0 22 22" class="centered-icon__svg rounded-icon__svg article__fullscreen__svg modern-visible__svg inline-expand-image__svg inline-icon__svg"><path d="M3.4 20.2L9 14.5 7.5 13l-5.7 5.6L1 14H0v7.5l.5.5H8v-1l-4.6-.8M18.7 1.9L13 7.6 14.4 9l5.7-5.7.5 4.7h1.2V.6l-.5-.5H14v1.2l4.7.6"></path></svg></span></a><figcaption class="caption caption--main caption--img" itemprop="description" style="min-height: 1.75rem; max-width: none; font-size: 0.75rem; line-height: 1rem; font-family: 'Guardian Text Sans Web', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: rgb(118, 118, 118); padding-bottom: 1.5rem; padding-top: 0.5rem; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important;"> ‘An unprecedented, international uprising of people from across the political spectrum took on some of the most powerful institutions in the world, and won.’ Photograph: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images</figcaption></figure><div class=" content__meta-container
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" style="min-height: 2.25rem; position: absolute; margin-bottom: 1rem; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; top: 0px; margin-left: -10rem; width: 8.75rem;"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 1rem; font-weight: bold; padding-top: 0.125rem; line-height: 1.375rem; color: rgb(118, 118, 118); clear: both; margin-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0.0625rem; border-top-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(223, 223, 223); box-sizing: border-box; padding-bottom: 0.75rem; min-height: 3rem;" class=""><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemprop="author" class=""><a rel="author" class="tone-colour" itemprop="sameAs" data-link-name="auto tag link" href="https://www.theguardian.com/profile/evan-greer" style="color: rgb(230, 113, 27); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Evan Greer</a></span>, <span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemprop="author" class=""><a rel="author" class="tone-colour" itemprop="sameAs" data-link-name="auto tag link" href="https://www.theguardian.com/profile/tom-morello" style="color: rgb(230, 113, 27); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Tom Morello</a></span> and <span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemprop="author" class=""><a rel="author" class="tone-colour" itemprop="sameAs" data-link-name="auto tag link" href="https://www.theguardian.com/profile/evangeline-lilly" style="color: rgb(230, 113, 27); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Evangeline Lilly</a></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 0.75rem; line-height: 1rem; font-family: 'Guardian Text Sans Web', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; position: relative; color: rgb(118, 118, 118); box-sizing: border-box; padding-top: 0.125rem; padding-right: 0px; min-height: 3rem; padding-bottom: 0.75rem; border-top-width: 0.0625rem; border-top-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(223, 223, 223);" class=""><time itemprop="datePublished" datetime="2016-11-28T07:00:29-0500" data-timestamp="1480334429000" class="js-wpd content__dateline-wpd" style="display: inline-block;">Monday 28 November 2016 <span class="content__dateline-time">07.00 EST</span></time></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" class=""><br class=""></div><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;" class="">The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/11/11/donald-trump-promised-to-rip-up-trade-deals-tpp-is-the-first-casualty/" data-link-name="in body link" class="u-underline" style="color: rgb(0, 86, 137); cursor: pointer; border-bottom-width: 0.0625rem; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; -webkit-transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; text-decoration: none !important;">reports</a> are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/nov/12/tpp-trade-deal-congress-obama" data-link-name="in body link" class="u-underline" style="color: rgb(0, 86, 137); cursor: pointer; border-bottom-width: 0.0625rem; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; -webkit-transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; text-decoration: none !important;">rolling</a> in: the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is dead. If you read the obituaries, most news outlets seem to agree that the cause of death was simple: the election of Donald Trump, who railed against the deal during his campaign. But the pundits have the story wrong.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;" class="">The real story is that an unprecedented, international uprising of people from across the political spectrum took on some of the most powerful institutions in the world, and won.</p><aside class="element-rich-link element--thumbnail element element-rich-link--upgraded" data-component="rich-link" data-link-name="rich-link-1 | 1" style="font-size: 16px; float: left; margin: 0.3125rem 1.25rem 0.75rem -10rem; clear: both; width: 13.75rem; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;"><div class="rich-link tone-news--item" style="background-color: rgb(246, 246, 246); margin: 0px; position: relative; overflow: hidden;"><div class="rich-link__container" style="position: relative;"><div class="u-responsive-ratio rich-link__image-container" style="width: 220px; padding-bottom: 132px; position: relative; overflow: hidden; -webkit-transition: background-color 0.25s ease; transition: background-color 0.25s ease; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392);"><img itemprop="contentURL" src="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/43e9354fcbbaab112050b68aa81109c826c115fe/638_100_3766_2261/master/3766.jpg?w=460&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&s=2ce323030463743d1d4cf338c40b1eae" style="border: 0px; width: 220px; height: 132px; position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px;" class=""></div><div class="rich-link__header" style="font-size: 1.25rem; line-height: 1.5rem; font-family: 'Guardian Egyptian Web', 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif; padding: 0.25rem 0.3125rem 0.5em; box-sizing: border-box; min-height: 2.25rem;"><h1 class="rich-link__title" style="margin: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; padding: 0px;"><a class="rich-link__link" style="background-color: transparent; color: inherit; cursor: pointer;">Trump: I will withdraw from TPP on 'day one'</a></h1></div><div class="rich-link__read-more" style="padding-left: 0.3125rem;"><div class="rich-link__arrow" style="display: inline-block;"><span class=" inline-arrow-in-circle inline-icon" style="fill: #ffffff;"><svg width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" class="inline-arrow-in-circle__svg inline-icon__svg"><path class="rich-link__arrow-icon" d="M12 0C5.373 0 0 5.373 0 12s5.373 12 12 12 12-5.373 12-12S18.627 0 12 0m.21 19l-.637-.668 4.888-6.326H4.996v-1.01h11.465l-4.888-6.333.637-.668L19 11.153v.685l-6.79 7.157" fill="#005689" fill-rule="evenodd"></path></svg></span></div> <div class="rich-link__read-more-text" style="font-size: 0.875rem; font-family: 'Guardian Egyptian Web', 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif; display: inline-block; height: 1.875rem; line-height: 1.625rem; padding-left: 0.125rem; vertical-align: top; color: rgb(0, 86, 137);">Read more</div></div><a class="u-faux-block-link__overlay rich-link__link" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/22/tpp-withdraw-donald-trump-day-one" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; top: 0px; right: 0px; bottom: 0px; left: 0px; overflow: hidden; text-indent: 200%; white-space: nowrap; position: absolute; z-index: 0; opacity: 0;"></a></div></div></aside><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;" class="">Sure, Donald Trump – and Bernie Sanders’ – campaign focus on the TPP elevated US awareness about the pact, a wide-reaching international agreement negotiated by the Obama administration. But no single politician killed this deal.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;" class="">If not for the constant pressure from activists and civil society groups, the TPP would have become law long before the recent US election. But thanks to intense, creative and strategic organizing from the day the text was finalized in 2015, there was never a majority of support for the pact in Congress. That’s why it was never implemented.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;" class="">The TPP is a massive global deal that was negotiated in secret with hundreds of corporate advisers given special access while the public was locked out. It would have handed multinational corporations like Walmart, AT&T and Monsanto extraordinary new powers over everything from the wages we earn, to the way we use the internet, to the safety of the food we feed our children. </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;" class="">Perhaps most shockingly, the TPP would have allowed corporations to sue governments before tribunals of three corporate lawyers, essentially creating an unaccountable, shadow legal system outside of our traditional courts to punish governments that pass laws that corporations don’t like.</p><div id="dfp-ad--im" class="js-ad-slot ad-slot ad-slot--dfp ad-slot--im ad-slot--rendered u-h" data-link-name="ad slot im" data-test-id="ad-slot-im" data-name="im" data-mobile="1,1|88,85|fluid" data-label="false" data-refresh="false" data-google-query-id="CNaR2OHQy9ACFUcHNwodj9sMwg" style="font-size: 16px; z-index: 1010; float: left; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif; border: 0px !important; clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px) !important; height: 0.0625rem !important; margin: -0.0625rem !important; overflow: hidden !important; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; width: 0.0625rem !important;"><div id="google_ads_iframe_/59666047/theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/ng_1__container__" class="rad-flowline rad-fl-583619995c03118a43000706 ad-slot__content nedit" style="margin: 0px auto; border: 0pt none; z-index: 999 !important; padding: 0px !important; position: static !important; height: 1px !important; max-width: none !important; background-position: 0px 0px !important;"><ins style="display: block !important; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4) !important; padding-top: 0px !important; background-position: 0px 0px !important;" class=""></ins><iframe id="google_ads_iframe_/59666047/theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/ng_1" title="3rd party ad content" name="google_ads_iframe_/59666047/theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/ng_1" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" msallowfullscreenwebkitallowfullscreenmozallowfullscreenallowfullscreenallowtransparency="true" data-integralas-id-e792bcdf-1bb4-b794-68a7-315e40d54bdf="" style="margin: 0px auto; display: block !important; padding: 0px !important; position: static !important; width: 1px !important; max-width: none !important; border-width: 0px !important; vertical-align: bottom !important; background-position: 0px 0px !important;" class=""></iframe></div></div><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;" class="">A simple agreement to lower tariffs and other anticompetitive barriers to trade wouldn’t have been so controversial. But big business couldn’t resist the urge to abuse the extreme secrecy surrounding the TPP negotiations to stuff the pact with a wishlist for policies they knew they could never pass through traditional means.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;" class="">That unchecked greed was the TPP’s demise. What emerged from the closed-door negotiations was more than 5,000 pages of policy so clearly against the public interest that it awakened a firestorm of opposition that swept the globe, and in the end, sent the TPP to its grave.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;" class="">While negotiations were still under way, tens of thousands of people joined mass protests in Japan, Peru, Australia, New Zealand and other Pacific Rim nations. They pushed back on the TPP’s worst provisions, held their leaders’ feet to the fire and dragged the talks out for years. This early wave of international resistance changed the game: it bought time for activists to organize an effective opposition in the US, which was seen as all-important in the global calculus of the Washington-led deal. If Congress did not ratify the TPP, it would die.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;" class="">In the meantime, an unlikely alliance was forming. Activists, <a href="https://nfu.org/2015/11/05/nfu-says-tpp-will-fail-family-farmers-and-ranchers/" data-link-name="in body link" class="u-underline" style="color: rgb(0, 86, 137); cursor: pointer; border-bottom-width: 0.0625rem; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; -webkit-transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; text-decoration: none !important;">farmers</a>, labor unions, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/may/20/hundreds-tech-companies-oppose-tpp-trade-agreement" data-link-name="in body link" class="u-underline" style="color: rgb(0, 86, 137); cursor: pointer; border-bottom-width: 0.0625rem; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; -webkit-transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; text-decoration: none !important;">tech companies</a>, environmentalists, <a href="http://www.democracynow.org/2016/9/8/leading_economists_oppose_tpp_provision_giving" data-link-name="in body link" class="u-underline" style="color: rgb(0, 86, 137); cursor: pointer; border-bottom-width: 0.0625rem; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; -webkit-transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; text-decoration: none !important;">economists</a>, nurses, <a href="http://www.prideatwork.org/tpp-signing-undermines-u-s-commitment-to-lgbtq-equality-and-the-fight-against-hivaids/" data-link-name="in body link" class="u-underline" style="color: rgb(0, 86, 137); cursor: pointer; border-bottom-width: 0.0625rem; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; -webkit-transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; text-decoration: none !important;">LGBTQ</a>advocates, libertarians and <a href="http://www.ifla.org/publications/library-statement-on-trans-pacific-partnership-agreement-tppa-negotiations-2012" data-link-name="in body link" class="u-underline" style="color: rgb(0, 86, 137); cursor: pointer; border-bottom-width: 0.0625rem; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; -webkit-transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; text-decoration: none !important;">librarians</a> mounted an intense opposition to the “fast track” legislation that the White House needed to rush the final agreement through Congress. The <a href="http://stopfasttrack.com/" data-link-name="in body link" class="u-underline" style="color: rgb(0, 86, 137); cursor: pointer; border-bottom-width: 0.0625rem; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; -webkit-transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; text-decoration: none !important;">coalition</a> that formed grew from dozens, to hundreds, to literally <a href="http://www.citizenstrade.org/ctc/blog/2015/04/27/2009-organizations-call-on-congress-to-oppose-fast-track-authority-for-the-tpp/" data-link-name="in body link" class="u-underline" style="color: rgb(0, 86, 137); cursor: pointer; border-bottom-width: 0.0625rem; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; -webkit-transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; text-decoration: none !important;">thousands</a> of organizations, many working together for the first time, ranging from Black Lives Matter to Doctors Without Borders to the Tea Party.</p><div id="dfp-ad--inline1" class="ad-slot ad-slot--dfp ad-slot--rendered ad-slot--inline ad-slot--inline1 u-h js-ad-slot" data-link-name="ad slot inline1" data-test-id="ad-slot-inline1" data-name="inline1" data-mobile="1,1|300,250|fluid" data-google-query-id="CIbl-YHRy9ACFUoLNwodaUMA2Q" style="font-size: 16px; z-index: 1010; min-width: 18.75rem; min-height: 17.125rem; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 246); float: right; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif; border: 0px !important; clip: rect(0px, 0px, 0px, 0px) !important; height: 0.0625rem !important; margin: -0.0625rem !important; overflow: hidden !important; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; width: 0.0625rem !important;"><div class="ad-slot__label" data-test-id="ad-slot-label" style="font-size: 0.75rem; line-height: 1.25rem; height: 1.5rem; background-color: transparent; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px 0.5rem; border-top-width: 0.0625rem; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(223, 223, 223); color: rgb(110, 110, 110); text-align: left; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Guardian Text Sans Web', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;">Advertisement</div><div id="google_ads_iframe_/59666047/theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/ng_2__container__" class="ad-slot__content" style="border: 0pt none;"><iframe id="google_ads_iframe_/59666047/theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/ng_2" title="3rd party ad content" name="google_ads_iframe_/59666047/theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/ng_2" width="1" height="1" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" data-integralas-id-1c4778aa-323f-a0d0-422a-5c2fb855a30d="" style="border-width: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;" class=""></iframe></div></div><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;" class="">We marched in the streets. We rallied outside the hotels and resorts that hosted the secret negotiations. <a href="http://www.truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/zahara-heckscher-51-with-advanced-breast-cancer-arrested-for-protesting-to-stop-tpp-passage-in-lame-duck-session" data-link-name="in body link" class="u-underline" style="color: rgb(0, 86, 137); cursor: pointer; border-bottom-width: 0.0625rem; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; -webkit-transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; text-decoration: none !important;">Cancer patients</a> protesting about the TPP’s impact on healthcare access engaged in civil disobedience and were arrested. Internet freedom activists mobilized thousands of websites for <a href="https://www.fightforthefuture.org/news/2015-04-23-thousands-of-websites-protest-fast-track-trade/" data-link-name="in body link" class="u-underline" style="color: rgb(0, 86, 137); cursor: pointer; border-bottom-width: 0.0625rem; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; -webkit-transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; text-decoration: none !important;">online protests</a> that bombarded lawmakers with emails and phone calls. Academics picked apart leaked versions of the deal, and coordinated with advocates to launch a campaign to educate the public on its flaws.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;" class="">Hard-hitting activism and public outcry slowed the TPP down, and as a result, dragged it fully into the spotlight just as the US headed into a contentious election season. </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;" class="">It wasn’t a coincidence that Donald Trump saw the TPP as a useful stump speech talking point. Widespread suffering caused by previous trade deals laid a strong foundation for skepticism, making President Obama’s devotion to the Wall Street-friendly deal, and Hillary Clinton’s previous support for it, a huge liability for the Democratic party. As more and more people learned about what the TPP really meant for them and their families, it became politically toxic, to the point that no major party candidate for president could openly support it.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;" class="">This was a sign that the TPP was on its deathbed, but with the threat of a last-minute push during the “lame duck” session after the election, we needed to be sure. So we targeted undecided lawmakers with protests and flew inflatable <a href="https://www.fightforthefuture.org/news/2016-08-01-breaking-anti-tpp-activists-are-flying-a-25/" data-link-name="in body link" class="u-underline" style="color: rgb(0, 86, 137); cursor: pointer; border-bottom-width: 0.0625rem; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; -webkit-transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; text-decoration: none !important;">blimps</a> outside their offices. We harnessed the power of music to draw huge crowds across the country to “<a href="http://rockagainstthetpp.org/" data-link-name="in body link" class="u-underline" style="color: rgb(0, 86, 137); cursor: pointer; border-bottom-width: 0.0625rem; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; -webkit-transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; text-decoration: none !important;">Rock Against the TPP</a>” concerts and teach-ins, taking our opposition to the TPP into the cultural <a href="http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-news/watch/musicians-and-artists-rock-against-the-tpp-748124227776" data-link-name="in body link" class="u-underline" style="color: rgb(0, 86, 137); cursor: pointer; border-bottom-width: 0.0625rem; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; -webkit-transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; text-decoration: none !important;">mainstream</a>. We tuned out the chorus of voices that told us that corporate power would always prevail in the end. And finally, we claimed our victory.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1rem; font-size: 16px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;" class="">Now more than ever, it’s crucial that Americans understand how the TPP was really defeated. An organized and educated public can take on concentrated wealth and power and win. With four years of new battles ahead of us, this is a story we must commit to memory, and a lesson we must take to heart.</p><div style="clear: both;" class=""></div></div></body></html>