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G8 protests { June 3 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/g8/story/0,13365,969546,00.htmlhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/g8/story/0,13365,969546,00.html
G8 meeting proves a predictable drama
Most of the action, at counter-conferences and demonstrations, took place in the shadow of the Evian summit, reports Gideon Burrows
Tuesday June 3, 2003
The script for this year's G8 summit and surrounding protests could, just like the meeting's "final" communique, published today, have been written weeks before the event itself. It's the same script every year and it's getting boring.
In act one, over 100,000 protesters gathered around the host city for the summit, mounting counter-conferences and colourful demonstrations in a largely peaceful way. Up to 200 "black block" protesters went on the rampage smashing windows and overturning cars, leading locals to call for a crackdown on protesters, and giving G8 leaders an excuse to dismiss every protester who had travelled across Europe for the event.
Inside Evian, act two was just as familiar. Weeks before the summit, G8 leaders led by the French president, Jacques Chirac, promised that, this time, there would be real progress on tackling poverty and debt, an open ear to campaigners and concrete action - including funding - on issues such as fresh water, HIV/Aids and partnership with Africa.
But as the summit got under way, it quickly became clear that campaigners' hopes would once again be dashed. Like last year, the world's most powerful leaders regarded the G8 summit as simply an expensive photo opportunity; a lavish dinner date with people they didn't much like, from which they could duck-out early.
Much of the anti-G8 protests were upbeat and inspiring. Across the three cities close to where the summit was taking place - Geneva and Lausanne in Switzerland, and Annemasse in France - activists held packed counter-conferences, which the local media covered widely. I attended the Summit for Another World in Annemasse, where seminars took place on global citizenship, poverty in Africa, human rights, the arms trade and global security.
Just as 100 people were massacred in another bloody battle in Congo, the Annemasse counter-summit heard from Dismas Kitengue, a Congolese human rights campaigner, who said the G8's refusal to provide debt relief to the regions was directly responsible for war in the region.
"The current state of the world is terrorism against the people of Congo," he said. "It has killed many more people than terrorism has."
The main protest on Sunday saw up to 150,000 people take to the streets in a lively, colourful and positive demonstration. But many came away disappointed because the march had been forced so far away from where the G8 summit was actually happening. Two huge marches left Geneva and Annemasse respectively, joined up at the French/Swiss border after an hour, and then continued to some non-place on the main road between the two cities. Many protesters had to amble the route back home, in the glaring sun, wondering what they were doing out there.
As per the usual script, violence erupted in the evening. This time it was more pointless and indiscriminate than ever. I'm no supporter of violence against property but neither do I particularly shed a tear when exploitative multinational companies get their windows smashed, or their property spray-painted. But in Geneva on Saturday and Sunday night, newsagents, bread shops, community centres and recycling bins were attacked, indiscriminately and with no apparent purpose.
The mainstream protest movement is beginning to deal with this problem, just as the mainstream media, for the most part, are now at least trying to draw a distinction between these idiots and the thousands of us whose cause they damage. As window smashing began on the demonstration on Sunday, most of the marchers quickly moved away, leaving the violent protesters without the public attention and the cover they seem to desire. The local police seemed savvier this year, too, staying low key and in the background until absolutely necessary, robbing the violent protesters of the running confrontations they like best of all.
After the main days of protests, I ventured to the press centre at Evian, a mammoth three-hour coach and boat journey from Geneva, punctuated by three searches and security checks. Here the £2.5m summit can be experienced in all its glory. I now have my free G8 umbrella (not much use in the French sun), my Paris art book, and my unlimited supply of mineral water (can you guess the manufacturer?).
But when I arrived, campaigners here were already expressing their disappointment. Stephen Turner, head of planning and development at WaterAid, was crushed that the G8's promises for action and sanitation had again come to nothing: in fact, water and sanitation had barely received a mention.
"There was no suggestion of anything at all on water, they seem to have taken it off the agenda," he said. "They may not be another opportunity like this, but the G8 are not even inching towards meeting their targets."
Oxfam was calling the Evian summit a washout before the second day ended: "If this is the summit, I'd hate to see the valley," said a spokesperson, Justin Forsyth.
"Past summits have taught us to have low expectations of the G8," said Barry Coates, director of the World Development Movement. "Our expectations have been met. Evian should consign the G8 to a watery grave."
One can't help thinking that as the new bilateral partnership of George Bush and Tony Blair flew out early from Evian yesterday, apparently to attend to much more important things, they were secretly thinking the same thing.
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