Belfast Grassroots Against the G8 Press Launch

international | anti-capitalism | press release

Tuesday May 17, 2005 18:27

by Belfast Grassroots Against the G8 Media Group - Belfast Grassroots Against The G8

g8belfast at doyourservice dot com

0770 470 8172

Call for Belfast's Citizens to Join G8 Summit Protests in July

Belfast Grassroots Against The G8 a network the groups and activists in Belfast opposing the G8 held a Press Briefing this afternoon in the Belfast Unemployed Resource Centre . The Briefing was an opportunity for journalists to interview individuals and learn their personal reasons for going from Belfast to Scotland this summer.

Community Activist Ann Patterson & Davy Carlin of the AntiRacism Network gave brief statements about why it's important for people from Northern Ireland to resist the G8 Summit.

The Irish News, Belfast Newsletter & NVTV are covering the story.

Tony Blair, Anne Patterson, Davy Carlin & George Bush

Call for Belfast's Citizens to Join
G8 Summit Protests in July

A coalition of Belfast based environmental and community activists calling themselves “Grassroots against the G8” have called on local people to protest against the Group of Eight Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland in July.

Press Contact:
Anne Patterson: 0770 470 8172, g8belfast@doyourservice.com

The G8 summit is one of the most unpopular and costly events in the world, with mass public protests dating back to Bonn in 1996. For years a huge range of citizens' groups have accused the G8 summits of being a phony spectacle, used to pander to the demands of wealthy and powerful institutions at the expense of the whole world's population and our
environment.

"Bush, Blair and the other G8 elites are trying to portray this meeting as an attempt to resolve two of the world's major problems: Global Climate Destabilization and the Mass Poverty in Africa, but since the 1970s the decisions which have caused these problems have all come from the G8 summits, and been made by G8 leaders."

said Lisa McKee, member from the “Food Not Bombs” group, an anti poverty organisation in Belfast.

"Huge protests have forced the issues of poverty and climate collapse that ordinary people are concerned about into the media spotlight. Now Tony Blair wants to claim these ideas are coming from the G8 elites"

adds Cormac Bennett, a grassroots activist.

The movement against the G8 has united people from communities all over the planet, including Northern Ireland. Local organisations and activists are calling on people to participate in local protests, or to go to Scotland for the Make Poverty History March July 2nd in Edinburgh and then July 6th-8th go to Gleneagles Hotel to join the Scottish CND and the Dissent! Network to blockade the G8 meetings, play golf on their hotel’s golf course, and shutdown the Faslane Nuclear Submarine Base.

The negative effects of globalisation are not just something that happen somewhere else in the world. Those returning from Scotland will join the rising tide of discontent about the Belfast Water Tax, a local occurrence of the global corporate push to privatise of water, from Cochambamba, Bolivia to Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Resources for Journalists
More detail is available at http://www.g7.utoronto.ca/

Other Journalist Resource Links
Dissent!: http://www.dissent.org.uk/
Make Poverty History: http://www.makepovertyhistory.org
G8 Alternatives: http://www.g8alternatives.org.uk/
Faslane Nuclear Submarine Blockade: http://www.faslaneg8.com/
Make Poverty History (local): http://www.makepovertyhistory-ni.org
GrassrootsGathering(local):http://www.mallusk.net/grassrootsgathering
Dissent Ireland : http://www.dissentireland.org/

The other side of the story
Official G8 website: http://www.g8.gov.uk/

Notes:

The G7 (now often referred to as the G8 since Russia was invited) was formed in the 1970s during a period of economic crisis by Canada, Italy, the USA, UK, Japan, France, and Germany. Its express purpose at the time was to enable these seven countries to develop long-term strategies to maintain their position as the world's dominant economic powers.
Among the strategies developed and employed by G7 countries were:

1) monopolizing and controlling the oil supply of other countries in the Middle East, Africa, the Pacific, and South America
2) loaning of money to corrupt dictatorships in Africa and Asia, causing third world debt
3) escalation of the nuclear arms race against the USSR, and the export of conventional weapons to client regimes such as Iran and Iraq.
4) making third world agricultural system dependent upon Western oil and chemical industries

Russia, although much less economically important since the collapse of the Soviet Union earns it's place because of it's large oil and arms industries and its arsenal of WMD. The president of the EU is also entitled to attend, and sometimes selected African leaders or pop stars are invited as public relations gimmicks.

The G8 has no constitution, accountability or status in international law- there is no such thing as a 'G8 presidency'. Some media commentators are confused on this issue. The substantial multi-million pound bill for the annual G8 meeting is, however, covered by the host country. Often many costs must totally be absorbed by the local government, which has already caused some complaints this year from the City of Edinburgh.

The G8 meetings rotate annually and this year is the turn for the UK to host the meeting. At the 1998 G8 meeting in Birmingham, Tony Blair promised to focus on elimination of third world debt. Each year since 1998, the G8 press conferences have contained announcements of debt cancellation. Every year, these promised measures have been delayed, reduced and then quietly dropped. We expect this year to be no exception.

Many people feel that there would be a better world if this meeting of elites from the eight most powerful nations in the world did not take place.

Tony & George fool around some more

Belfast Grassroots Against the G8 Media Launch

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Additional Press Contact Information

by GrassrootsAgin'taG8

Tue May 17, 2005 19:21

G8Belfast at doyourservice dot com

Media and Interview contact calls
g8belfast@doyourservice.com

To contact the speakers for interview quotes or sound clips use the press contact information below. The speakers presented information on the following-

1.
Manus Maguire: (+44) 02890749147
-Why the water tax to be imposed here in Belfast is connected to the global privatisation of water. from Communities Against the Water Tax (CAWT)

2.
Davy Carlin: (+44) 07774053223
-Why antirascist organisers oppose the G8. from the AntiRacism Network

3.
Anne Patterson: (+44) 0770 470 8172
-Why community members & those who don't support the War also oppose the G8. from the Peace Movement.

As so it Begins

by Davy Carlin

Wed May 18, 2005 17:36

carlindavid at hotmail dot com

0777 405 3223

The Belfast Grassroots against the G8 press launch was a good success {given how hard it is to get press coverage on such initiatives at this early stage}.

Grassroots activists where contacted by many of the main Northern Newspapers in which we gave interviews.

It was carried in the 'Protestant' Newsletter and is to be carried in more detail in a Nationalist daily shortly. Also others have sought to get more extensive interviews closer to the time.

Activists in Belfast Grassroots Against the g8 have also already been contacted by a few from the International media {today} for similar interviews - -and we had did also an hours interview on NVTV, hopefully screened on TV shortly {who are seeking also to do a video diary of our travels to the G8}.

Such press coverage in my experience is excellent given that very little if anything has been covered here in the North to date - and this will intensify over the coming weeks as the mobilisations begin in earnest.

Many many hundreds shall travel to the G8 the largest such mobilisation seen from the North.

The biggest bulk of those travelling from around Ireland will come from Grass roots and Dissent supporters and those involved in and around MPH - and of course we will also see the SWP mobilising and many others also seeking to travel independently.

The more the better.

It was ironic that on the day we had our press coverage that it was stated as to where -and to the how the security at the G8 will be erected to exclude {we} ‘those people'.

And so as they where releasing their statement we had held our press conference {although we had sent out a brief statement went out a few days prior}-

and so Belfast like many many across Europe and for us all - it now begins in earnest.

See ye All at the G8 - Looking forward also to the debates and the discussions may it be on marches, at rallies, at blocades or around the old camp fires. -

Let's make our voice loud and clear and let the world know that we are there at the G8 in our tens of thousands.

Until then - D

Neanderthal's comment

by Stephen Caves - The Sacred Order of the Extinct Neanderthals

Wed May 18, 2005 18:52

lindsay.steven at ntlworld dot com

1 Workman Avenue, Belfast, BT13 3FB

02890223728

I arrived at the Unemployed Center half an hour late, but I regarded it worth every step to get there. I feel an excitement that I haven't felt for some time. If we play our cards right there could be big changes on the way. Keep it up, der-boy (and girl) -ohs. In building a strong network among the disenfranchised groups we will be assured of victory against the corporate beast. I will definately be in touch and look forward to future events like this.

'Groups call for protset against the G8

by Davy carlin - Street Seen

Sat May 21, 2005 11:16

Also -

Yesterdays Irish News -May 20th {North's largest Nationalist Daily} did a good piece on the Belfast Grassroots Mobilisation under the title

'Groups call for protest against the G8'

Have not got time to type in all in. D
.

And so -

by Davy Carlin - Street Seen

Tue May 24, 2005 11:15

- THE HIGHER THEY BUILD THEIR BARRIERS THE STRONGER WE BECOME -

As activists continue with our preparations -they - continue theirs, -

this as momentum builds and as many more prepare to go to the G8 in protest -

-and such in starting to be carried within the main stream Northern Press from an early stage as had been the case in the North in the build up to the Genoa protest -

For example -.

Irish News today Tuesday May 24 th

G8 Summit gets ring of steel

'Construction has begun on a ring of steel at Gleneagles Hotel ahead of the upcoming G8 Summit, police said yesterday.

More than 10,000 wire mesh panels will be used to create a five mile cordon around the complex.

The five star hotel and its famous golf course are expected to run as normal while the fence is put up. {May try and get in a few guerrilla rounds myself at the G8}

Group 4 Securicor have been hired to provide a security presence until police take overall control.

Tayside Police Assistant Chief Constable Willie Bald said, 'The fence is one element of security measures and part of a comprehensive policing operation that will prevent unauthorised access to the venue'

It emerged last week that the policing bill for the event {TO DATE}, which takes place from the 6th July to July 8th, is expected to be more than £50 million.

Organisers are anxious to avoid the scenes of clashes between police and anti - capitalist activists which marred the G8 summit in Genoa in 2001.

PS - The Street Seen webpage will be updated again shortly -as a surge in interest - around 250 hits so far this week

Belfast Grassroots has put the Northern G8 mobilsation into a wider audience

Tue May 24, 2005 16:32

Update on Successful Grassroots Press Launch.

Various Northern and International media are now increasingly and specifically - contacting activists from the Belfast Grassroots Against the G8 - since our press launch which put the Northern G8 mobilsation onto an early build up footing -

with estimates of up to 500 Belfasters heading across to date-

as publicity and activist momentum grows right across the Northern Networks.

They are also looking contacts for the build up - and for interviews, radio, newspaper, TV - from 'Southern Activists'.

If any Grassroots, Dissent heads are up for a few words,

{Don't worry we have already did the 'sofa' pre G8 interviews for the North}

E - Mail me your Phone or e-mail contacts.

these Journalists concerned are sound enough - and the ones who will carry it -

it also provides a good opportunity to attempt to cut through some of the propaganda that will be coming our way. D

Posters and leaflets

Wed May 25, 2005 16:44

Posters and leaflets for MPH Belfast June 4th rally will be forwarded for download in a few days - or sonner if possible. Davy Carlin

ALL SET

by Davy Carlin - ARN, MPH and Street Seen

Wed Jun 01, 2005 15:35

Friends, below is the Press release from the Northern Ireland Make Poverty history Coalition {NI MPH}. As Chair of the Northern Ireland MPH Events Committee, and Chair of the Anti Racism Network I would urge you to support this event. Please circulate widely and bring banners, friends and family.

Hundreds will also be travelling with MPH, various grassroots Networks, Students Against Poverty groups amongst others etc, from around the North over to the G8 protests as well. The largest such mobilisation to travel from the North to such an event. The ARN {Affiliated to the Northern Ireland MPH Coalition} have also laid on a bus and details can be found on the MPH webpage of the MPH Affiliated buses going.

MAKEPOVERTYHISTORYNI
MOTIV8 4 G8

Custom House Square, Laganside, Belfast
Saturday 4th June at 2pm

MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY Northern Ireland today welcomed the confirmation of Live8 just days before Belfast hosts its own Motiv8 4 G8 rally. The rally has attracted celebrity support from Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol, Graham Norton, Natasha Bedingfield and Ronan Keating, some of who will appear on the day.

The Motiv8 4 G8 rally is one of a series planned by the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY coalition in the UK in various cities in the run up to a mass rally in Edinburgh on 2nd July. With the addition of Live8, it will be assured that the campaign receives priority coverage on TV in the run up to the G8.

Deborah Doherty, spokesperson for MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY in Northern Ireland said, “The demands of MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY are fully compatible with Live8. Bob Geldof has consulted with our coalition and we are co-ordinating our events to ensure maximum impact. We share the same basic message, that G8 leaders must strike a significant deal at their Summit in Scotland on 6-8 July.”

She continued: “This Saturday’s rally in Belfast will be the chance for Northern Ireland to join this campaign. We have cross-party, multi-denominational support and there will be circus performers and top musicians present, as well as a wonderful array of people on the platform. It will be a day for all those who support eradicating world poverty- young and old alike.”

People are encouraged to wear a white top or wear a white band as a gesture of support at the event and can out further details of the programme for the day by visiting www.makepovertyhistory-ni.org.

For further information contact:

Jon Glackin 0774 327 5533 streetseen04@hotmail.com

Lawrence McBride 02890 808 841 media@makepovertyhistory-ni.org

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Belfast Grassroots Against the G8 Press Launch

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