UK Globalisation Feature Archive
Global South Debt and the G8
26-10-2004 14:05
For over two decades many of the world's poorest countries have experienced a debt crisis which is having a crippling impact on their livelihoods, hobbling economic growth, and draining and diverting scarce resources from health, education and other vital services, which particularly effects women and children. But how did this state of affars come about? What's happening now? And what can we do about it?
A (Very) Brief History
The latest debt crisis in the global south began in the 1970s after the Bretton Woods monetary regime was scraped and financial markets were 'liberated'. The global south found that the resulting instability in the north's economic activity (fluctuating interest rates, recessions and the rising US dollar) made it increasingly dificult to repay money that had been lent to them from northern banks. This problem first came to world attention with the Mexican default on its loan in 1982, which was followed by other Latin and South American countries. African debt was also exacerbated by official "aid" programmes that were often tied to importing from the donor nation, thus creating a new kind of colonialism and imperialism.
Report on Cambridge Forum 'The Rise and Rise of Corporate Power'
23-10-2004 23:25
This is a report on the Cambridge Forum from 19 October 2004 on the Rise and Rise of Corporate Power. The discussion was held in the CB1 Cafe on Mill Road on Tuesday, 19 October 2004 from 8 pm to 10:30 pm. About thirty people listened to the three speakers. Before the forum started, two people from the audience recounted their experience at the European Social Forum which just took place in London the weekend prior.European Social Forum Closes with Demonstration and Actions
20-10-2004 08:59
The forum ended with a large demonstration(70-100,000) and a number of autonomous actions (Clowns actions and Pro-capitalist block). The demonstration had a clear anti-war character and attracted many people who did not attend the ESF.
Reports: [1 | 2 | 3], Pictures: [1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | new 9 | new 10 | new 11 | new 12] and video [1]. A group of activists from the anti-capitalist block were detained at King's Cross train station in an attempt to prevent them from joining the march [1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Global Project][Video Modem | ADSL]. They were eventually allowed to leave and when they finally arrived at Trafalgar Square some tried to get to the stage in what some describe as storming the stage. The police, possibly in cooperation with the organisers, made several arrests including an Indymedia volunteer and member of the ESF organizing body [pics]. The COBAS union condemned the local ESF organisers for this action. Solidarity actions were called and a number of Clowns invaded Charing Cross police station (Video). Those arrested, including a Greek activist, were due in court on Monday [Video]. Meanwhile for four days the IMC center catered for activists and public alike in providing a fully equiped media center and 600 capacity hall for the EFCR, Schnews Conference, parties and other events (IMC call). Indymedia also took to the streets to protest the seizure of the imc servers [pics 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5]. The Wombles also organised 5 Days & Nights of Anti-Authoritarian ideas and action called Beyond ESF, from which a Declaration of Europe’s Precariat came out.
The ESF organisation, and the events during the demonstration, have been the subject of a lot of controversy [In depth: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Previous: 1 | 2 | 3].
A letter condemning [2 | 3] the takeover of the ESF stage in protest against the lack of democracy of the ESF organsing process was published in the Guardian [Pics of action 1 | 2 | Video]. It accuses protesters of interrupting and anti-racist event. A coalition of anti-racism organisations replied condeming the use of the race card to stifle dissent (also IMC Lancaster statement).21st Oct Update: Read latest Guardian Letters | (2), see also Alex Callinicos blames "black Bloc". 23rd Oct: A film of the event has appeared. 27 Oct: Italian Delegation, Some Reflections on the 2004 ESF. Some also resented the lack of coverage of actual ESF events [1 | 2] on Indymedia and the mainstream media [1 | 2]
Don't hate the media - just publish on Indymedia - Upload your reports from the ESF and Autonomous Spaces events to indymedia, or to the events memory reporting database. See: All UK ESF reports | Updated Indymedia ESF Newsblast
[More: ESF daily coverage: Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday
Other languages: German | Dutch | Dutch and French | Català | Castellano 2 3| Hungarian | Portugese | Russian]
European Social Forum Reports
17-10-2004 12:36
Latest Contributions:
Arrests Update
IMC Solidarity Missing From ESF Assembly of Social Movements Declaration!
Guardian Letter: Ken Livingstone's Special Advisor Accuses White Anarchists of Racial Violence!
Anti-Racist Groups Accuse Lee Jasper of Playing 'Race Card' re ESF
Pictures:
The repression at King’s Cross station.
The main ESF demo
Indymedia Banners on ESF demo
The storming of the ESF
The repression after the invasion
[picture report] Samba against war in london
O17 London: A protestor's eye view (report and pics)
Photos from the anti-war march at the end of the ESF
The European Social Forum has ended on Sunday, with a large demonstration and a number of autonomous actions (Clowns actions and Pro-capitalist block). The demonstration had a clear anti-war character and attracted a large number of people who did not attend the ESF. Reports and photos [1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6].
A group of activists from the anti-capitalist block were detained at King's cross station in an attempt to prevent them from joining the march [1 | 2 | 3 | Global Project]. They were eventually allowed to leave and when they finally arrived at Trafalgar Square some tried to get to the stage in what some describe as storming the stage. The police possibly in cooperation with the organisers made several arrests including an Indymedia volunteer and member of the ESF organizing body.
Solidarity actions were called, and a number of Clowns invaded Charing Cross police station (Video). Those arrested including a Greek activist are due in court on Monday. The ESF organisation, and the events during the demonstration, have been the subject of a lot of controvesy [In depth: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Previous: 1 | 2 | 3]. Some also resented the lack of coverage of actual ESF events [1] on Indymedia and the mainstream media [1 | 2 | Don't hate the media - just publish on indymedia].
[More: Timeline | All UK ESF reports | ESF daily coverage: Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Other languages: German | Dutch | Dutch and French | Català | Castellano 2 3| Hungarian | Portugese | Russian]
Previous Days Reports: Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday
All ESF Features on the ESF topic page
Free Cesar Zelada Campaign (jailed in Bolivia)
24-09-2004 11:49
previous updates: 2004-9-29 | 2004-10-6 | 2004-10-8
Cesar Zelada is a well known student activist in Peru. He is also a member of the Fuerza de Izquierda Socialista, a left wing group, and the organiser of the Hands off Venezuela campaign in Peru.
He was in Bolivia as part of a delegation of Peruvian student activists invited by the Youth wing of the Bolivian Workers' Union (COB - the Bolivian TUC) to show solidarity with the struggle of the Peruvian students, particularly those at the Oruro Technical University.
He was arrested on September 14th, in the capital La Paz. He was strip searched and handcuffed by the PTJ police and then questioned without having access to a lawyer. He is being kept in jail in the San Pedro Penal, in La Paz. When making the case against him at the hearing, the prosecutor alleged that he was in possession of explosives, had lied about his address in Bolivia and was carrying "Marxist propaganda" with the aim of "subversion".
Argentinia: occupied self-managed factory Zanon again threatened with eviction
28-08-2004 18:21
International solidarity with the people in Venezuela
16-08-2004 01:39
On the 15th of august, the International Day of Solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution of Venezuela, protesters took to the streets and meadows of Edinburgh to inform the public about the importance of the co-inciding referendum on the president in Venezuela in the struggle against neoliberalism, privatisation, exploitation and globalised trade competition.
In the distributed leaflet, the activists state, that they will support a Global Day of Action on October 12th, 2004. [reports and pictures: 1 | 2 | call | video]
Other international solidarity events happened in London during the week before the referendum [report] in the RampArt social centre, [video], protests took place in support of the Bolivarian Revolution in front of the embassy in The Hague, Stockholm, London [report | pics | video], Amsterdam [1|2], Mexico, Dominican Republic.
Campaign groups call for emergency vigil
13-08-2004 16:07
Campaign groups "Voices in the Wilderness" and "Iraq Occupation Focus" call for an emergency vigil at 10 Downing Street in Central London on Sunday, 15 th of August, Noon -2 pm to protest against the latest military attacks in Iraq. Densely-populated Iraqi cities are under fire from US-UK forces. On Thursday, more than 75 Iraqis were killed in the US bombardment of Kut. British troops have killed at least twenty in their assault on Amara.
The attack on Najaf, led by US warplanes, has been condemned by public opinion across Iraq. Sixteen members of Najaf's 30 member provincial council have resigned in protest at the assault.
In the last 48 hours, hundreds of civilians have been killed by occupying forces in the cities of Najaf, Kut, Sadr City, Sammara, Nasiriya, Amara, Basra, Ramadi and elsewhere.
Native Americans protest at Scottish Power annual shareholder meeting for river restoration
29-07-2004 14:26
A broad umbrella group of 26 people from various environmental, academic and economical organisations and members from four Native American tribes, travelled to Scotland from Southern Oregon and Northern California to lobby, protest at and negotiate with Scottish Power, the parent company of PacifiCorp, which is responsible for the negative impacts of several dams on the Klamath River, its water quality, salmon population, surrounding environment and neighbouring communities.
Previous reports:
[ pictures of protest at Scottish Power's annual shareholders meeting | call to write protest letters | reply to consumer boycott | Klamath river support delegation in Scotland | U.S. Court Rules in Favor Of Hoopa Valley, Yurok Tribes! | Native Americans, Enviros, and Fishermen Battle Scottish Power | Myth and facts about the Klamath River dams ]
Audio reports:
[ interview with scientist | interview with Klamath Tribe | interview with sociologist | Interview with commercial fisherman | interview with Yurok tribe | Environmental Racism Conference 1 | Environmental Racism Conference, Eugene, January 2004 ]
Zapatista child brutally attacked
17-07-2004 10:40
The zapatista "Committee of Good Government" for the Morelia zone has denounced a brutal attack on a zapatista child in the municipality of Chilon, Chiapas, Mexico.Fighting the Criminalisation of Social Movements
28-06-2004 07:33
Genoa Diaz Proceedings Start
The preliminary hearings have begun around the 29 Italian policemen and officers who face charges related to the brutal night time raid on the Diaz school (pics) in Genoa, Italy during the Anti-G8 demonstrations there in 2001, where scores of people were beaten, many left unconscious and hospitalised, before later being tortured in Bolzaneto detention centre.
The hearings went ahead despite appeals by the Police to stop or postpone the proceedings, citing the fact that a key witness, the Policeman who had found the molotov cocktails on the friday before the raid, is in a coma after what some have called a 'suspicious' car accident. The Police also tried to instigate a "judicial review" of one of the charges with the hope of delaying the trial - the judge insisted however that the proceedings would continue.
See:
Genoa Diaz Court Case - Quick Update - Saturday 26th June
Genoa Justice Court Cases Start - Report and Press Conference Statement
First Hearing of the Diaz Trial Report - 27th June [Pics]
A counter-investigation has begun, led by a group from Italian Indymedia.
[more info in Italian | English translation]
For more see Indymedia Italy
Aubonne Bridge Court Case
Coinciding with the beginning of the Genoa court cases in Italy, in Lausanne, Switzerland, the activists Martin Shaw, Gesine Wenzel and Olivier stood trial on Monday 28 of June charged with blockading the road and endangering life, in what has been known as the Aubonne Bridge case.
The background of this prosecution starts at the anti G8 summit protests In Evian (Switzerland) of June 2003 . During the demonstrations and blockades that took place in several Swiss cities, an international affinity group blockaded the motorway in order to stop an official delegation from reaching the G8 in Evian. Two climbers suspended themselves from a single rope being stretched across one of the motorway's bridges. The police eventually turned up at the action, and in a very ruthless manner a police officer proceeded to cut the rope and sent Martin plummeting 20 metres into a shallow, rocky stream beneath the bridge, whilst Gesine was saved by the quick reflexes of her support team who managed to grab a hold of the rope.
Watch Aubonne Bridge Action Video
[see archive pics 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | video | collected reports]
Following a call by the Aubonne Bridge Campaign , around 100 activists from all over Europe came to support Martin, Gesine and Olivier last Monday. Banners were unfurled outside the court, food was cooked for lunch whilst a sound system put some flavour to the solidarity action. At some point, a theatre group performed outside the court house entertaining the crowd that could not get into the packed public gallery. Although the activists were finally found guilty of "blocking the public way and endangering life'", Martin Shaw will not face any sentence, whilst Gesine Wenzel and Olivier were given a 10 and 20 day suspended sentences.
[Photos 1 | 2]
Press release 30 June from the Aubonne Bridge campaign.
See earlier Street Theatre Pictures [1 | 2]
More information: IMC-Switzerland
Dissent! meeting in Bradford, July 3/4
27-06-2004 10:17
Dissent!, a network of resistance against the G8, held a gathering at the 1 in 12 Club in Bradford, on the 3rd and 4th of July 2004.
'Dissent! A Network of Resistance Against the G8' was formed at the end of November 2003. Local groups and working groups are now forming to build a response to the G8 which it is hoped will exist well beyond the summer of 2005. Work has already started on producing publicity and information materials and putting together roadshows to mobilise people for action. Networking with social movements in Europe and further afield has begun, and across the UK solidarity actions were taken with those resisting the 2004 G8 Summit in the US.
The 'Dissent!' network is committed to taking a confrontational stance, calling for direct action. It is a Network without leaders or an official membership list. It is open to anyone who agrees to work under the hallmarks laid down by Peoples' Global Action (PGA) - to read them, click "read more".
See Dissent! website: www.dissent.org.ukA Week Of Resistance to BP And Big Oil
16-06-2004 06:44
A week long Exhibition of Resistance to BP and Big Oil, and the corporate hijacking of the arts is now under way on in London. A space has been squatted specially for the event [Photos]. The address is 50 Chalk Farm Road, Camden.
Update Tuesday 22nd: Another protest was called on Monday night during the BP sponsored awards ceremony at the Portrait Gallery. As protestors were gathering at around 7pm, four London Rising Tide activists chained themselves across the front door effectively shutting down the National Portrait Gallery. It was also announced that the alternative exhibition has been extended for a week, and it is now likely to be open until Saturday 26th June in the squatted gallery.
On Wednesday 16th climate change activists and artists held a 'Greenwash or US' Street Party outside BP HQ, many carrying artworks revealing a true portrait of an oil company. The street party then marched to the private view of the BP sponsored National Portrait Gallery Awards. When protesters tried to move towards the entrance of the National Gallery, police rapidly moved in and pushed people back. In the resulting scuffles one person got arrested for "not moving" [video of the arrest] The party then continued for several hours without any more incidents, and later in the evening it was followed by the opening of the art exhibition at the squatted venue [Report | Photos of street party].
Over the weekend, there will be daily workshops and events in the exhibition space as well as on the streets. These will include speakers from West Papua and Colombia, a Jam Night, film night, and lots of other fun stuff such as painting, subvertising, guerilla cinema, radio, food and discussion. See Programme of Events.
London Rising Tide | Burning Planet
Gleneagles Confirmed as G8 2005 Venue
11-06-2004 01:26
Following months of speculation over the location of the 2005 G8 Summit in the UK, and reports that all police leave in Edinburgh and Scotland will be cancelled next summer, the Gleneagles hotel [official website] in Perthshire, Scotland has finaly been confirmed as the venue (G8 dates: 6th-8th July 2005).
The last time the G8 met in the UK was in Birmingham in May 1998. Then up to 70,000 people encircled the centre of Birmingham, forming a human chain and demanding an end to third world debt [pics]. On the same day up to 7,000 people took control of the centre of Birmingham for the second Global Reclaim the Streets Party [pics 1 | 2 | 3][video] - with actions and protests happening against the G8 in around 40 cities across the world, with over 400 social movements taking co-ordinated action under the banner of Peoples' Global Action (PGA).
Six years and many huge mobilisations later, people in the UK have been organising around the G8 for several months. A growing new network of local groups has been created called the Dissent! Network, with nodes across the country. Dissent! is planning a series of awareness raising events through the year and has been calling for both local and international participation. Many people and groups are now focussing on planning protests and direct action campaigns against the G8.
Recently many NGO organisations are also co-ordinating on a level unseen since the Jubliee 2000 drop the debt campaigns, and are set to try and take advantage of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown's aim to pitch the UK presidency of the G8 as a positive step towards reducing third world debt and around issues of development and trade [see guardian article] - 2005 is also the 20th anniversary of the Live Aid concert. Several groups are expected to use the European Social Forum in London in October later this year as a platform from which to launch campaigns. Recently several Trade Union leaders, politicians and Globalise Resistance have also issued their first call for protests.
See also:
Recent UK Savannah G8 Solidarity Actions
The People's Golfing Association (PGA) [statement][pics]
"Anarchist Group's Gleneagles Website Exclusive!"*
Corporate Media Coverage of Gleneagles G8
For more on G8 - see the Indymedia G8 Reports Section
Brutal murder of a leading Zapatista in Zona Norte, Chiapas
10-06-2004 16:50
http://germany.indymedia.org/2004/06/85327.shtml http://www.chiapas.ch
G8 Repression : June Court Cases
10-06-2004 11:27
At the same time in Switzerland the court case against four people from the Aubonne Bridge action at the 2003 G8 Summit in Evian will begin. UK climber and activist Martin Shaw was cut from the climbing rope he was dangling from by police, falling over 20m onto a riverbed and sustaining very serious injuries [see pics 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | video | collected reports]. While the policeman who cut the ropes remains on duty, ironically, the four protesters, including Martin and the other climber, have all been charged with blocking the traffic and endangering human life! Alongside a European anti-repression meeting will take place on 26-27th June, to promote wider awareness as to the many different cases of repression that have happened recently and to discuss proposals and strategies for creating a stronger and more effective anti-repression network in Europe.
For more see: www.aubonnebridge.net | Indymedia Switzerland
G8 Resistance at Sea Island (US)
09-06-2004 08:55
For ongoing coverage see: Atlanta Indymedia
Also San Francisco IMC | IndyBay IMC
Streaming Radio: Enemy Combatant Radio-In San Francisco | IMC-Atlanta Webradio
Also see Dissent! UK Solidarity Actions:
Nottingham: 8th June : Critical Mass | 9th June: Blockade of Oil terminal report | 12th June: Carnival Against Capitalism
Worthing: 23TOPIA - New anti-G8 social centre / Festival of Resistance (more)
Cambridge: A week of anti-G8 discussion and action | Street Theater report
Norwich and Ipswich: anti-war/anti-g8 protests / free shop / Anti-g8 rebel football
Cardiff Anti-G8 Jam
Also see reports of Reclaim The Commons protests at the Biotechnology Industry Organization's annual convention in San Francisco (more reports)
Who are the G8? -- A week of action and discussion in Cambridge
06-06-2004 12:23
The eight most powerful men in the world are on the run. Rocked by the scandals of third world debt, growing global inequality and violence in the service of neoliberalism, the G8 have been chased around the world since 1998, when 70,000 confronted them in Birmingham (the last time they met in the UK). Nowhere is safe for these eight global superpowers, so they find themselves forced to retreat into brutally enforced 'red zones' (as in Genoa, 2001) or inaccessible mountains (as in Canada, 2002, or Switzerland, 2003). This year, the eight prime ministers and presidents were protected from protesters by the sea, on a small island of the coast of the US. Even so, in case the sound of the sea failed to drown out the sound of dissent, a state of emergency was declared in the state of Georgia, allowing police to halt any demonstrations. And next year, the eight most powerful men in the world will be coming to the UK.
[G8 2004 in Georgia: News (official) | Maps]
[Cambridge pre-event publicity: flier 1 | flier 2 | Forum | Peoples' Golfing Association | East Anglia]
[Cambridge event reports: Anarchist golf photos | street theatre | forum | G8 explanation-leaflet | Corporate media on anarchist golf]
[Background: Debt and the G8 (WDM) | Arms Trade and the g8 (Amnesty) | Unfair Trade Rules (Oxfam) | Iraq War and the G8 | Health (MSF) | Global Policy Forum Analysis | Toronto University Background | `Better World' G8 links]
Resistance against the violence and impunity in Oaxaca.
22-05-2004 21:16
The at present fugacious murderer, was recruited as a municipal policeman and followed the orders of Armando Sánchez Ruíz, who is president of the cmunicipality, but without the popular recognition of the Unidalguense community.
Bolivia: blockade of the gas conveyor system
18-05-2004 13:18
Indigenous Guaraní in the southeast of Bolivia blockade gas conveyor systems of multinational corporations and demand the reversal of the law from 1996 about the sell-out of the Bolivian natural gas. The union of farm workers and Aymará of the Anden region set a four day time limit for the governemt Mesa to fulfill their demands.
Streetblockades are prepared.
Translation of a feature by IMC Bolivia published on the 5.5.2004
Guaraní people defend the natural gas (original: El pueblo guaraní defiende el gas - 05/05/2004 10:51 )
