Financial Fools Day is one of the slogans
under which a great protest is forming ahead of the G20 summit where talks are going to be held between 20 of the worlds' country leaders. The protest is against
capitalism, portraying the system unfair, unjust and therefore unethical in the model of
business that it follows. The windows of the Bank of Scotland were smashed as taxpayers money went into helping the bank remain sustainable, whilst a large packet of money in the form of a pension went into the pocket of the CEO. That is whilst many members of the public are loosing jobs, homes & livelihoods. For this reason, bank employees were advised to wear casual clothes and not stand outside of their work place, and many banks and hotels have boarded their windows.
Police have been boxing in protesters and pushing them together. They will not let protesters leave and people got knocked over. There was a peaceful group of students waging a sit-down protest whom the police charged. Some of the students got hit on the head by sheilds and batons or were stamped on by police, and were helped and bandaged by ITN television crews, whilst an Italian female student was carried off unconcious.
Barrack Obama is said to have brought a security team of 200+ men, but most world leaders are relying on the British police for their security. Police are bracing themselves for a challenging two days. In addition to anti-capatalism protests, similar to those held in the 1990s in Britain, there are also two other main protests, one against Climate Change, being peacefully held in the Bishopsgate, and also
Stop the War are holding their protest in London City Centre. It seems there is alot to protest about, in this current world climate, ahead of the G20 summit where world leaders hope to make firm decisions.
Sources: Aljazeera Newshour, 1/4/09, Aljazeera News website G20 Protesters Beseige Londons Bank accessed 2/4/09; Guardian Newswebsite G20 Protests: Riot Police Clash with Demonstrators accessed 2/4/09Demonstrate at the G20 on 2 April 11 am, the roundabout at end of Tidal Basin Road, E16 1AD.
Nearest working tube/DLR: Canning Town.
Please bring shoes, baby dolls, photos and other symbols of the death and destruction wreaked by the world's leaders.
- Get the troops out of Iraq & Afghanistan
- End the siege of Gaza – free Palestine
- Create jobs not bombs
- Stop arming Israel
- Abolish all nukes
Called by Stop the War, CND, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, British Muslim Initiative
Join Earth connect and HELP to keep the world focused on EARTH in the months coming up to the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009!
