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The G8’s effect on UK Activism

Rich | 31.10.2007 10:36 | Analysis

Let me take you back to summer 2005. It was the G8 summit in Gleneagles Scotland and UK activists were suddenly very busy after years of being badly organised. During this time, three important things happened which has affected the UK activist scene ever since.

There was a campsite set up in Stirling which was as eco-friendly as possible given the limited resources and short-term nature of the event. It was advertised everywhere as the “eco-camp”, with being green as important as actually being a base for other actions. A handful of people liked this camp enough to want to do it again next year, only next year the G8 was in Russia and they had no excuse to set up a camp in the UK - so they decided to create a camp just for the sake of being green. Had big business decided to do something just to show they are green, most activists would have called it a cheap publicity stunt - but I digress. And so the climate camp was born, and out of that climate change became one of the major issues that UK activists now campaign on - and with this year’s camp taking place outside Heathrow, the climate change activists are increasingly concentrating on aviation.

One of the major actions during the G8 was a blockade of the Faslane nuclear base. The people involved with this enjoyed it so much that they wanted to do it again, and it led to a year-long campaign against the base. Many of the activists involved with this were anti-Faslane activists, rather than anti-nuclear activists or even pro-peace activists. This is evidenced by the lack of activity at other military and nuclear bases around the country, the declining interest in Iraq and the poor turnout for the DSEi arms fair in London last month.

To a much lesser extent, something similar happened with the protests outside the Dungavel immigration detention centre. A DVD had been produced explaining why Dungavel is bad, and what happens in Scotland. This DVD got sent out to people interested in immigration across the UK and bolstered interest in No Borders groups.

So as a direct result of the G8 summit in Scotland, we now have three very strong issues that UK activists are spending much of their time on. The leaders of issue-based campaign groups claim this is a major success, and the activist scene is doing an awesome job. However, that’s not entirely true. Whilst these three issues are receiving a lot of attention, other issues don’t receive major attention unless somebody from one of these three groups suggests it. Activists outside these three groups who are trying to get themselves known in order to gain some say over what is and isn’t important are considered “publicity-seeking wannabe-celebrities”.

Palestine, the Iraq war, Afghanistan, queer-rights and human rights in general aren’t receiving the attention they deserve because the people high-up in Faslane 365, Climate Camp, and No Borders don’t do anything about them. Groups who are interested in these issues are no longer cool, and don’t receive the publicity they deserve.

The recent fascination with Burma is an exception. Reading this, you’d expect Burma to have been pushed by one of the three previously mentioned groups. It wasn’t. It was pushed by big business who want democracy in Burma so that they can move in and exploit workers there. In a previous article I wrote on the Burma issue, I got called up on the sources used - every single one of them was a front for, or funded by, American Neocons or American businesses; the best video explaining the situation in Burma was funded by Reebok.

So how do we go about challenging the hold these three groups have over the UK activist scene? How do we affirm the fact that those of us uninterested in climate change are indeed still activists? How do we show that our work in building communities and making our world a better place is just as worthwhile as going on route-marches? Nobody is bothering to answer these questions, they’re simply carrying on campaigning on their issues which the rest of the country no longer considers important.

Rich

Additions

Disagree

31.10.2007 12:01


I disagree.

Each of the campaigns you mention is "single issue", so will deal with what it sees are its own scope of action:

* Faslane 365 - nuclear weapons
* Climate Camp - climate change
* No Borders - immigration and detention centres

Possible groups which deal with the other issues you raise:

* Stop the War Coalition - Iraq war / Afghanistan
* OutRage! - Queer rights
* Liberty - Human rights - although I would debate the effectiveness of Liberty and Shami Chakrabarti seems to be becoming increasingly an "establishment" figure

etc, etc

So, it's up to you to make your connections with these and other groups, as you see fit.

Hope this helps...


dissenter


As always, do it yourself...

31.10.2007 14:13

There's an element of truth in original piece. To some degee, there's been a permanent, if changing, network in place around the G8, Dissent and Climate Change - lots of the same people, same way of organising through local groups and national gatherings, focus on protest camps etc. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Some will say its the right level of decentralised organisation - others will criticise them for being 'hippies' etc. Whatever your view, the fact of some kind of continuous movement being in place is at least an ORGANISATIONAL success. But why is this stopping other campaigns? How is it controlling anything? As always, do it yourself, make links with like minded people. Equally, if you want to use these networks to promote other campaigns, why not do that?

John


exageration

31.10.2007 14:24

I think you exagerate the grip these 3 campaign groups have over uk activism, maybe they appear bigger than they really are - probably down to better tactics if you ask me!

1000-2000 people came to the climate camp. National meetings were only ever a hundred or so.

300ish people came to the no-borders camp with a few hundred extra on the march, most uk cities don't have no borders groups, most that do need more people to help.

less than 1000 people turned up to the big blockade at faslane, and there weren't enough people to fill all 365 days.

Ther was a considerable amount of overlap between all three events in terms of some of the people attending!

More people seem to show up for the causes that you say are neglected.

Besides, all three groups mentioned above rely on grassroots campaigners, volunteers building things from scratch. If you are concerned an issue is being neglected, why not try and get something going? Simply moaning at the 'leaders' of other campaigns to change direction doesn't seem constructive!

Also, have you considered that many people involved in the 'big three' might also be involved in campaigns such as anti-war, queer, palestine, community building and and a whole lot more?

t


Not true

31.10.2007 14:57

"Things in Scotland badly organised before the G8"????

Cheers mate fyi there'd been a number of blockades at Faslane before the G8 going back to 2000 - each one just as big as the G8 one and with a lot more people getting arrested.

Try telling folk at Faslane Peace Camp or involved in the Big Blockades that nothing had been happening before the G8 came along.

Or the folk at ACE or at Bilston Glen. Even the social centres that set up in Glasgow around the time of the G8 grew out of projects that pre-dated the G8 by at least two years...

You might have the impression that interest in No Borders in Glasgow grew out off a DVD and the Dungavel protest but my impression is that the No Borders guided tour of Glasgow during the G8 was directly more influential on local activists and that the decision to set up a No Borders group in Glasgow, at least, was more affected by experiences from blockading and weekly vigils at the Home Office reporting centre at Brand Street.

And that came out of people deciding for themselves that on a personal level they wanted to do something on the No Borders issue. There hasn't been anyone dictating what issues people should work on...

And as others have said. If you think an issue isn't getting coverage then do something about it. You don't have to knock other people's work...



Scottish bloke


Faslane365 - Not as single issue as you think

31.10.2007 15:18

As one of the people involved in co-ordinating the year long blockade of Faslane I would like to give a very different view from that of Rich. Because we don't see nuclear weapons and the UK's deployment of Trident in particular in isolation Faslane 365 made huge efforts to reach out to other campaigns and issues and make common cause with them. Each blockading group could focus their blockade and their presence at the base over their two day slot in whatever way they wanted. They all had a page available on the website to promote their issues and link to their websites. Everyone we know who has been active at Faslane over the year is engaged with all sorts of campaigns as well as having lots of cultural interests and varied skills. The range could have been wider and there were some areas that we we failed to connect with - but it wasn't through want of trying. Groups came along to link nuclear weapons to climate change and the environment, and asylum and no borders - but before you read more into that than you should there were also groups who campaign on Palestine, the Iraq war, human rights, gay rights. People of all ages from all over the UK and beyond came to explain how at the press of a button this weapons system is capable of killing millions, of contaminating the whole planet for ever and that even when not being fired it is used politically to give the UK a seat in the security council. Whether people opposed because they are feminists, anarchists, socialists, Scottish nationalists, Christians, Buddhists, environmentalists, or just plain human beings they were very welcome. See more at www.faslane356.org
We didn't just come up with the idea for Faslane 365 because we 'enjoyed' blockading during the G8. That was the 9th mass blockade of Faslane since 1999. But in fact what the G8 did for us was to find ways to work much more closely with lots of other groups and as most of us in Scotland were involved with lots of G8 activity it opened up ideas of better ways to mobilise and how to put much more pressure on Faslane by reaching out to other campaigns. We hope that the many of the people who have taken part will use the skills they have learnt in all sorts of campaigns just as we in the anti-Trident movement have learnt much from others.
More importantly Faslane 365 reached out to lots of people who weren't active at all and certainly had never taken part in direct action before. Many of the geographical groups pulled in new people who will now connect with all sorts of campaigns and maybe start some of their own,
Those of us in the Faslane 365 steering group have done our job, we worked our socks off for nearly two years and are now about to disband. We hope that other ideas come forward to carry on co-ordinated, focused NVDA at Faslane and the other Trident sites. I personally want to see ordinary people taking action anywhere and everywhere on anything that makes a more peaceful, just and sustainable planet for us all.

Jane
- Homepage: http://www.faslane365.org


Comments

Hide the following 2 comments

yes...but

31.10.2007 11:26

people do tend to mass around a few issues...that's always happened, hasn't it?

climate change, or at least the way many people involved in the climate camp and rising tide is as much about social justice and the north/south divide. No borders, also encompasses queer politics, if not queer rights. as for fashion, anti-nuclear is hardly this years thing, is it darling? as for forgetting about iraq, there were 5000 people on london the other day, around 5 times the number at the climate camp and ten times the number attended the no borders camp. perhaps what you mean is that for the relatively small number people who are involved with direct action the issues you mention have become their priority. that much is true. as for dsei, numbers have always fluctuated over the period of time i have been involved...there was also a smash edo camp - specifically targetting one arms dealer...there was also an action in bristol earlier targetting BaE....what more do you want?

but if your antagonistic towards climate justice as an issue, or the way that refugees are treated I am not sure what common cause we could have.

realist


debate needed

05.11.2007 20:42

it is refreshing to read some rare analysis and comment on the state of UK activism, even if somewot negatively slanted.
Rich makes some valid points about most activists coalescing around certain issues since G8 2005 and attempts some explanations. Obviously many factors need to be considered including the following.
Both Faslane 365 and Climate Camp had financial and organisational support from more mainstream structures and were/are well placed to reach out to the activist and student community - obvious i would have thought. No Borders is a much smaller outfit with fewer resources but the few dedicated people involved have done a great job.
Maybe a disclaimer is in order here. I'm not knocking the dedicated people behind F365 and CC, only pointing out the obvious. Many of those involved in CC would have been active in the anti-war/arms trade movement a few years ago. The turn outs at the last 2 DSEIs (did even Mark Thomas bother to turn up this year or was he too busy campaigning for the Greens?) and at other national anti-war/arms trade events testifies to this.
The problem with CC, F365 and summits in general is what happens when everyone goes back to their social centres/universities - start writing PHD proposals or applications for jobs at NGOs with good careers prospects and pension plans or get involved with local campaigns.
Social centres are great when there is loads of energy and activists to run them to support local campaigns but too often they become an end in themselves and suck a huge amount of the energy of a limited number of activists in keeping them running. Most seem to be shut most of the time anyway, especially during the daytime.
Likewise with summits, which can be a year in the planning with thousands of hours spent in meetings. They are often just an excuse for an alcohol-fuelled social. a chance to exchange war stories with fellow warriors or meet new ones - nothing wrong with a few beers but aren't there 51 other weeks in the year for that.
'Be the change you want to see' is for many an excuse for inaction and a retreat into social centre cliques whilst living off the state - nothing wrong with living off the state if you are genuinely working for social change imho.
Again the problem is the few dedicated people involved in organising camps like CC, and yes, even social centes. Just, it would be great if a few more helped them out so they don't burn out so quickly. An excuse for the lunched-out attitude is that so and so does it best so things get left to a few people perceived as being experienced/competent. Also some of those few people would do well to try and delegate and actively encourage new activists.
On a positive note its great to see the EF winter moot back after an absence of 2 years, all the Total actions and the recent rash of campus anti-military/arms trade actions.

late reader