Dozens of activists took over an abandoned apartment building last night in one of the first major demonstrations against the World Trade Organization. About 10 p.m., about 60 people occupied a four-story building. Some boarded up windows and secured doors, while others worked on the plumbing and electrical systems. The group pledged to provide housing for as many as 300 WTO protesters and call attention to global poverty and the problems of Seattle’s homeless.

Earlier in the day, hundreds of street theater performers and protesters danced and chanted their way from Capitol Hill to the downtown shopping district. There were no injuries or arrests. All told, more than 50,000 protesters are expected to descend on Seattle for the World Trade Organization conference.