Protests at G8 Summit Opening
Source: Alalam.ir, 07-07-2008
TOYAKO--The Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations launched three days of talks in Japan on Monday dominated by skyrocketing oil and food prices.
G8 leaders including President Bush, British PM Gordon Brown, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in the spa resort of Toyako for the tough round of talks.
Protesters were being kept at bay in a specially designated camping area away from the plush summit hotel.
On Sunday, hundreds of protesters took to the streets of the talks' venue as G8 leaders began descending on the isolated venue for their annual summit.
Japanese security personnel blanketed the island to ward off any violent reaction and ensure the morning protest took place and ended peacefully.
Another protest sponsored by leftist demonstrators was to be held later in the evening.
The rallies follow a demonstration by thousands Saturday that lead to a brief clash with police in which four people -- including a television cameraman -- were detained.
Protesters have not been able to get anywhere near the summit venue, but have scheduled daily rallies in Sapporo, the largest nearby city. They are often outnumbered by the riot police deployed to control them.
Sunday's protesters were demanding the dissolution of the G8 and the adoption of urgent measures to solve climate change and world hunger.
"Speak with other countries. Speak with all countries in the world. Do it together. Not only eight countries," demanded Posti, a German protester.
"No! G8 summit", said one banner carried at the march.
Members of non-governmental organization Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) wore oversized masks of the G8 leaders.
Host Japan has put global warming at the top of the summit's agenda
But the dilemmas of how to respond to accelerating inflation, slowing global economic growth coupled with soaring oil and food prices were likely to dominate the talks.
The G8 club of rich countries -- made up of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the US -- in 2005 promised to boost aid to Africa by a further $25 billion by 2010.
But UN and African Union figures indicate that only less than a quarter of that amount has been forthcoming.
AU leaders last week ratcheted up the pressure on the G8 leaders to live up to their pledge.
"African leaders are looking to the G8 to turn their existing promises into action -- the credibility of international commitments is at stake," African Union Commission Chief Jean Ping said last week.
The G8's primary focus will however be the food and oil crisis that could imperil global economic growth by stocking rampant inflation.
But non-governmental groups were in Toyako in force, urging the G8 leaders not to forget Africa as the dual food and oil crisis sends shudders across the global economy.
"Rapidly rising costs of oil and food might cause pain in rich countries but it is shattering people's lives and entire economies in developing countries," said Takumo Yamada of Oxfam.
TOYAKO--The Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations launched three days of talks in Japan on Monday dominated by skyrocketing oil and food prices.
G8 leaders including President Bush, British PM Gordon Brown, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in the spa resort of Toyako for the tough round of talks.
Protesters were being kept at bay in a specially designated camping area away from the plush summit hotel.
On Sunday, hundreds of protesters took to the streets of the talks' venue as G8 leaders began descending on the isolated venue for their annual summit.
Japanese security personnel blanketed the island to ward off any violent reaction and ensure the morning protest took place and ended peacefully.
Another protest sponsored by leftist demonstrators was to be held later in the evening.
The rallies follow a demonstration by thousands Saturday that lead to a brief clash with police in which four people -- including a television cameraman -- were detained.
Protesters have not been able to get anywhere near the summit venue, but have scheduled daily rallies in Sapporo, the largest nearby city. They are often outnumbered by the riot police deployed to control them.
Sunday's protesters were demanding the dissolution of the G8 and the adoption of urgent measures to solve climate change and world hunger.
"Speak with other countries. Speak with all countries in the world. Do it together. Not only eight countries," demanded Posti, a German protester.
"No! G8 summit", said one banner carried at the march.
Members of non-governmental organization Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) wore oversized masks of the G8 leaders.
Host Japan has put global warming at the top of the summit's agenda
But the dilemmas of how to respond to accelerating inflation, slowing global economic growth coupled with soaring oil and food prices were likely to dominate the talks.
The G8 club of rich countries -- made up of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the US -- in 2005 promised to boost aid to Africa by a further $25 billion by 2010.
But UN and African Union figures indicate that only less than a quarter of that amount has been forthcoming.
AU leaders last week ratcheted up the pressure on the G8 leaders to live up to their pledge.
"African leaders are looking to the G8 to turn their existing promises into action -- the credibility of international commitments is at stake," African Union Commission Chief Jean Ping said last week.
The G8's primary focus will however be the food and oil crisis that could imperil global economic growth by stocking rampant inflation.
But non-governmental groups were in Toyako in force, urging the G8 leaders not to forget Africa as the dual food and oil crisis sends shudders across the global economy.
"Rapidly rising costs of oil and food might cause pain in rich countries but it is shattering people's lives and entire economies in developing countries," said Takumo Yamada of Oxfam.
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