Derby G8 Protests Go Ahead Amidst Massive Policing Operation
March 17th: Despite extraordinary measures approved by the Home Secretary to Ban all Marches in Derby [see pics of orders] and set up exclusion zones, the Derby G8 protests went ahead. A Critical Mass bicycle protest took place in the morning with around 40 people taking part - police arrested 12 cyclists [see pics], who were released on bail that night, however their bicycles have been kept 'as evidence'. Later amidst a militarised Derby with riot police [pics] stationed across the city, and several police surveillance units filming protestors, around 100 people gathered in the Town Square to protest against the G8.
See: Breaking News Reports from Derby M17 Protests
Pics: Bush + Blair Pied + General Photos
Pics: G8: Derby M17 Picture Collection
Pics: Derby Photo Report PtII
Friends of the Earth Interview at Derby M17
In the run up to the this summer's July G8 Summit in Gleneagles (Scotland), ministers from the eight more powerul economies have been holding 'mini-summits' around the country.
14-15th March: Coinciding with the International Energy and Environment Ministers' Roundtable meeting in London (see DEFRA link) a Climate Change Noise Protest was held on Tuesday 15th. Amidst heavy police security there were two arrests - including one person who was filming and whose film was seized. See Reports 1 | 2 | 3 and Pictures.
11th March: While the Employment Ministers of the G8 nations were meeting in London, activists staged a protest outside the Department of Trade and Industry and other locations [see report and pics 1 | 2 | 3]. Also see www.nodeal.org.uk for background and press release.
On Monday an Alternative Summit for Climate Justice called Moving Beyond the Greenwash was also held in London.
Other planned G8 Ministerial meetings include the G8 Finance Ministers in London (June 10-11th), the G8 Justice & Interior Ministers in Sheffield (June 16-17th), and the G8 Pre-Summit Foreign Ministers meeting in London (23rd June). For more protests and events follow the 'read more' link...
An evolving list of events and protests related to the G8 Summit can be found at:
http://www.nadir.org/nadir/initiativ/agp/resistg8/timeline.htm
Other Events
March 1-13th Fairtrade Fortnight
March 10th: Edinburgh People & Planet Climate Change Focus Group Meeting - 6pm Forest Cafe, Bristo Place
March 10th: G8Alternatives Meeting "Why we should oppose the G8?" - Appleton Tower, Edinburgh University
March 17th: G8Alternatives Monthly Meeting County Hotel, Perth
March 19/20th: Dissent Convergence Space meeting in Edinburgh
March 26th: Dissent International Networking meeting in London
March 27th: Dissent International Networking meeting in Leeds
March 26th/27th: Dissent! Gathering in Leeds
April 6th-10th: Festival of Dissent in Lanarkshire
April 15th: All-Night Anti-Free Trade Protest In Whitehall London + Global Poverty Action Week
April 16-17th: G8Alternatives International Co-ordination Meeting - Edinburgh
April 30th: Critical Mass Against G8 & Climate Change, Steingardens, Worthing, 2pm
May: Dissent Gathering in Nottingham
May 16th: World Debt Day (Anniversary of G8 summit protests in Birmingham 1998)
June 18th: Jubilee Debt March 2005 leaves Birmingham to Edinburgh (contact topstan(atnospammers)fish.co.uk)
June 19th: G8 Cycle Caravan departs london
June 20th: Jubilee Rickshaw Freedom Riders Depart Westminster to Edinburgh
July 1st: UK assumes presidency of the European Union
July 1st: Edinburgh Critical Mass
July 1st: Make Poverty History 'White Band Day'
Comments
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G8 conference - Derbyshire Constabulary use legislation to facilitate protest
16.03.2005 15:20
Jill Walden
Homepage:
http://www.derbyshire.police.uk
Statement from Anneky Rice on M17 Protests
16.03.2005 17:01
Statement from Anneky Rice on the G8 Environment & Development Ministerial Roundtable, Derby 17th March
There is every indication that the earth is experiencing the early stages of catastrophic climatic change. Small increases in temperature will lead to:
• Sea level rises of up to a metre as the warming water expands and glaciers melt, flooding many of the most populated coastal regions on the planet, leading to loss of infrastructure, loss of fertile land and massive human migration.
• Changes in the growing season, likely to cause widespread crop failures as farmers take time to develop new agricultural practices and planting patterns. Will also lead to the loss of up to a million species.
• The spread of pests and diseases (e.g. malaria-carrying mosquitoes) as northern regions become hospitable to them. This may lead to further crop failures, and certainly increased use of pesticides.
• There will be many more extreme weather events (flooding, drought, typhoons, etc), destroying more crops and exacerbating the humanitarian disasters already mentioned.
We can stop this!
It is a phenomenon brought about by Western Civilization’s addiction to fossil fuels and we can avert disaster by fundamentally changing the way we live – but is that what the G8 ministers are discussing?
Do you think they are working out how to limit the international movement of traded goods? How to stop the mindless production which exists purely to drive economic growth? How to drastically reduce car use by discouraging commuting and car ownership?
It seems more likely that their main focus is on how we can limit the effects of climate change, so as to maintain economic growth. Or perhaps the focus is how we can export our lifestyle to the developing world, so that millions more can contribute to the exploitation of the earth as equal partners, rather than purely suffering from its terrible consequences.
We want to show our desire for change – for a more equitable world, where individuals have direct control over land and food, where livelihoods are not destroyed by market speculators, where peoples cannot be held to ransom by their rulers and where personal and national security are not ensured by greed, self-interest and repression.
People will be taking over Derby’s market square with banners, music and street theatre. The Council of All Beings will bring world leaders to trial, charged with knowingly allowing our world to be destroyed. The message is loud and clear: we cannot continue as we are - there will be a radical change in society. Let it be of our choosing, not forced on us by disaster.
£2 million is being spent on policing the ministerial conference - it seems the police have been carried away by the media hype, whipping up fears of mindless chaos and destruction. Apparently the world’s most powerful governments, the World Bank and corporate lobbyists must be protected from those who seek a better future. This conference is pure greenwash - an attempt to convince the public that our interests and the earth are best served by the rich and powerful, which has surely never been the case.
I hope the people demonstrating in Derby tomorrow have a good time - our future is about fun, sharing, compassion, dancing, sustainability, humour, self-sufficiency and mutual aid. It is about control over our own lives and direct action to defend the earth and its inhabitants.
Anneky Rice
e-mail:
challengeanneky@riseup.net
Homepage:
http://www.dissent.org.uk
Internal issues European Ministers demo
20.03.2005 16:51
...'unfortunately' in Polish,
and I want be translating now (maybe in a free time moment... soon)
Peter
e-mail:
beme@op.pl