Eyewitness reports from the G8
Socialist Party member Tony Mason recently participated in the anti G8 protests near Rostock in Germany. Below Tony and Michael O’Brien from SP in Ireland report on the events.
The meeting of the G8 world leaders in Heiligendamm not only was the meeting of the most powerful members of the capitalist world but was also the site of some of the most openly anti-capitalist protest since the G8 summit in Seattle 1999.
Unlike the more reformist mood of the protests in Gelneagles in 2005 where the slogan of the protest was “Make Poverty Historyâ€, the slogan of the protest of Heiligendamm was one of “Make Capitalism Historyâ€.
With the complete failure on the part of the capitalists to make good on their promises at Gleneagles to provide debt relief and aid to an impoverished Africa and to meet climate change goals set at previous meetings, there was a far more angry and anti-capitalist feeling from protestors. The destruction brought to the Middle East, especially in Iraq and Palestine, by the military intervention of the US and their allies also served to heighten the hostility of the protesters towards the G8 and the capitalist interests that they represent.
While the turn out to the demonstrations organised were impressive in number with 50,000 protesters attending the rally at the beginning of the week and 10,000 attending other marches such as the immigration rights demonstration on the Monday there was very little attendance by the organised trade unions to these events. This is partially because of the fear that was being whipped up by the capitalist press about the risk of ‘violent protestors’, the deployment of 16,000 heavily armed police from around Germany to deal with the protestors and a lack of leadership from the Trade Unions themselves.
Despite the massive police presence the protesters that did attend the rally managed to have a significant impact on the G8 summit and make a definite statement to the world at their displeasure at the actions of the G8 leaders. On the day the G8 summit was due to begin in Heiligendamm protestors were able to blockade the only three roads leading into the town and delayed the beginning of the summit by a day without the use of violence. While these blockades were more symbolic than anything, they sent a strong message around the world that organised protest can have an effect.
The CWI was able to intervene strongly both at the blockades and demonstrations but also at the campsite and alternative summit held in Rostock putting forward our ideas for the Socialist transformation of society by hosting meetings, workshops, selling our material and having discussions with the people in attendance of the protests.
While we would say the absence of the trade unions in the anti-capitalist movement hampers the ability of these movements to have a lasting and transforming effect on society, certainly a strong message was sent that capitalism is not providing for the needs of the world and that people, like those in the CWI, are willing to organise themselves and stand against the neo-liberal policies of the G8.
Broken promises - G8 leaders have nothing to offer
By Michael O’Brien, SP Ireland
It’s two years since Gleneagles, Scotland, where the G8 leaders went out on a limb to give the impression that they would fundamentally deal with the issue of debt and development in Africa. Some, like Bono and Bob Geldof, were happy to give Bush, Blair and friends the benefit of the doubt.
However those of us with no illusions in these war criminals have had our suspicions proven correct as less than half of what was promised in Gleneagles has been delivered. Most of what has been delivered in terms of “aid” is tied to countries in Africa putting up with disadvantaged terms of trade and opening their public services to the capitalist market. Even Bob Geldof was forced to describe this G8 gathering “a farce” after the broken promises.
The G8 leaders play fast and lose with figures, figures that add up to the lives of millions. Their promises to provide assistance to people suffering with HIV/AIDs in Africa was based on a presumption that five million are suffering from the disease in Africa whereas any aid agency will tell you that the real figure is ten million plus.
The sell out on climate change is as stark. Bush made it clear that he would not agree to any cuts in CO2 emissions that would impact on US multinational profits in the short term. In the end the G8 agreed in a “non binding communiqué” to reduce CO2 emissions by 50% by 2050. “Non binding communiqué” means that there will be no enforcement of this target and no consequences on the G8 leaders if it is not met. Even if these targets were met it would not be enough to save the planet from the irreversible effects of global warming. To do that would mean cutting CO2 emissions by something in the order of 90% by 2030.
What is clear is that the initiative for combating debt and global warming cannot be left to these leaders who only demonstrate a mock concern over these issues. The mass protests in Rostock that disrupted the G8 meeting despite the police repression shows that the Bush, Blair & Co. agenda will not go unchallenged by socialists.
