“Family-friendly” is one term we never hear connected to G8 protests but this year the Halifax-Dartmouth District Labour Council has asked protesters to be safe, not violent.
In the past, protests in Canadian cities and around the world have aimed to shut down the meetings, almost at any cost. Not this year, Kyle Buott, president of the labour council, says. “There is no possibility of violence at these protests whatsoever.”
Buott says the group’s goals are to inform the public and to build momentum for the anti-G8 movement. “The leadership of the G8 is responsible for the economic and social policies that have caused the economic crisis that is wrecking the lives of millions of workers around the world,” he says.
Halifax is hosting the Group of Eight (G8) development ministers April 26 to 28 in advance of the June G20 conference in Toronto. However, several local groups say the decisions made at these meetings reinforce the global divide between rich and poor countries. The labour council is mobilizing a “G8 Welcoming Committee” to peacefully object the meetings.
During a Peasants Day event on the Common last week, held in solidarity with the anti-G8 resistance, organizer Aaron Beale encouraged attendees to say “no” to corporate control of food by planting gardens and buying local. Protesters hula-hooped under cloudy skies and munched on free vegetables, pita bread and apple crisp.
Halifax Regional Police spokesperson Brian Palmeter doesn’t expect this weekend’s rallies to be violent. “We’ll be prepared to deal with anything should we be required to, but we hope that people will, if they feel the need to protest, that they’ll come down and do it lawfully,” Palmeter says.
Though this year’s G8 meeting focuses on maternal and child health, the Feminist League for Agitation Propaganda plans to protest the lack of abortion and contraception on the agenda. “We’re critical of the G8’s existence and we’re upset that the agenda of maternal and child health is so narrow,” says member Emily Davidson.
FLAP and others plan to make their voices heard April 25 in Victoria Park at 1:30pm and April 26 in Cornwallis Park at 7am.
This article appears in Apr 22-28, 2010.
I hope they keep it clean, because the message gets lost the moment it turns anything but uneventful, although I feel that The Feminist’s League is a bit misguided when they think that the G8 is a force that can decide a complex societal issue such as abortion/contraception. The focus on maternal and child health is a benefit, because the G8 are the countries that drive infant mortality down through technological advances, which is certainly more important.
Lotsa luck with that whole non-violent thing. Here’s a “radical” idea. When the sociopathic little masked douchebags show up to smash stuff, have the Raging Grannies and FLAP line up in front of them and sing “We Shall Overcome”. Oh, I forgot, they’ll be too busy standing in front of the Riot Police reminding them that “We are somebody’s mother, sister ,daughter.”
looks like I picked a good time to invest in Amalgamated Plywood & Pepper Spray, Inc. Gotta feed the beast.
For some analysis on how the G8 affects Nova Scotians check out this newsletter:
http://libcom.org/library/nova-scotia-g8-b…
by a group of workers in Halifax.
Too bad the G8 is a dead horse anyway. Whats wrong with dialogue between nations anyway?
Spassibo, Bizcaz, that was as much fun as reading “Lavrentii Beria’s Believe It Or Else” in Pravda.
bizcaz – I think we left the 1930s behind some time ago. You must be related to that leftie dinosaur Ron Stockton. Poor downtrodden workers, not many about these days.
Hey Dr. Fever,
We don’t think that “the G8 is a force that can decide a complex societal issue such as abortion/contraception.” We think that the G8 should stay out of the business of women’s bodies and women’s health. Period.
You can see some of our analysis on why the G8 has not been kind to women here:
http://halifax.mediacoop.ca/blog/jjeross/3…
“We think that the G8 should stay out of the business of women’s bodies and women’s health. Period.”
Except when it comes time to cut the cheques, right?
Kaley— I read that article, but it’s full of supposition and opinion, and not actual facts, so as such, I can only take it with a grain of salt. Also you do realize by not including what you consider “cis-male” individuals in the discussion, you are perpetrating your own sort of sexism, right? However you may feel, you are being hypocritical. But hey, it’s a woman’s right to organize with other women in a female only space, right? Too bad when men do the same thing, it’s seen as sexist. But hey, I’m a cis-male, so my opinion doesn’t count.
So if the G8 is to stay out of women’s health, then they should stay out women’s issues (which I could also say that is a health issue) such as abortion or contraception, or even female circumcision. Female circumcision could be considered a health issue as well. But as an economic force, and as a political force, they have an opportunity to effect change, but hey, no dice, right?
Hey, let’s take it a bit further and punt the UN out of women’s issues altogether too, because the UN is forwarding globalization too.
I am so pleased to see so many comments related to how these meetings ARE necessary and how many of the groups that oppose these meetings oppose them without looking at facts or suggesting viable alternatives. These 8 countries realize that the decisions they make affect the whole world, and that’s why they get together to discuss problems each other are facing and create a unified approach going forward. There is not a secret agenda to keep the poor people poor or restrict health care to women. For example, in the article bizcaz links to, the mention of how 75% of our electricity comes from coal is a valid point, however if you’re going to create solar power panels or wind or water turbines you’re going to need a corporation to build them – unless you know how to make a solar panel or wind turbing in your back yard using hemp and asparagus you grew in your garden
It’s nice to see people criticize something but not have anything constructive to contribute. People will be out on the streets getting behind what they believe in. Sitting at a computer making generalized statements, something that is *always* un-debatable, is just so hard. Oh yeah, and so is being a man. We’re so oppressed.
Yeah, and making snide comments online is just so much better, right?
How could we not be in awe of those heroic souls who have the courage to condemn the political and economic systems that allow them the personal liberty and, more importantly, the leisure time to condemn those same political and economic systems. What were we thinking?
thats right Col. Ivan Sonofabitch we must attack the hand that feeds us.clothes us,educates us,makes us healthy,police protection ,fire protection,and protects us from possible enemy armies invading us.insures us with the greatest fail proof societies.along with all the freedoms to shit on our way of life.how dare us be such hypocrites taking advantage of all the great things capitalist economy offers us.why?why? are all us left wing supporters forced to be phoney hypocrites.we will take what you offer then like a spoiled bitch we will! you hear me, WE WILL BITCH ABOUT THE GENEROSITY IT OFFERS