A bus load of university delegates made it out of downtown today, at high speed with a running police escort. The bus had been blocked from leaving the site of the G8 University Summit, and consequent street manifestation of protesters and anti-capitalist resistance.
The street assembly gathered at the Vancouver Art Gallery at 3pm, and while people expressed disappointment that more people had not gathered, the march started shortly after. After a short walk to Canada Place and the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel, where the small group confronted police at the front door. Having blocked the front entrance, hotel staff worked to find alternate entrance and exit for other hotel clients. When police and management asked the group to step back off of private property, the people became defiant and continued to chant slogans against the G8, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization. A speaker on megaphone spoke to participants and onlookers about the G8 university summit as a process towards privatization of schools and corporatisation of society, and the undemocratic nature of closed door elitist gatherings and world politics.
The assembled people of mixed generations, took to the streets again and circled the building a few times in procession, which gathered constant attention. Each round stopped again at the hotel front doors, where onlookers both inside and out paid attention. On the third time round the building, on the opposite end, the group decided to hold the street to disrupt the departure of the honoured spokesmen(and women, maybe).
There was a few minutes of discussion and a consensus on where to occupy what corner, which changed suddenly when participants identified a coach bus which transported G8 University architects. A group of 4 or 5 had blocked the buses path before the majority of police were able to respond. The response was aggressive, with three women and a couple men being thrown to the ground, resulting in at least one major injury of a possibly broken arm and three others having had their heads hit the ground.
As the rest of the people's assembly arrived running, the police were still slow moving and tried to direct the bus through the peoples blockade. As the group reassembled, an agent arrived at the police line with a large gun shaped weapon(presumably 'less lethal') which gained the focus of the crowd for a moment. The chanting “G8, Shut it down.” became more motivated and louder, the participants hoping to reach the inside of the ivory tower.
It became apparent after about 10 minutes that an idea had come to the forces of order, a plan or decision. Suddenly another group of police came running from behind the buss and the police on their front line launched their attack. Pushing, pulling and throwing people, the police made a path for the bus in under 10 seconds. A nervous looking bus driver was directed by running police to “keep going!” Several attempts were made by individuals to block the bus, who were likewise thrown out of the way by around 15 cops running and urging the driver “[Don't worry about people in the way]Keep going!”
While the dignitaries were able to escape, it certainly was never clear what the motivated and militant group would have wanted with them anyway. Onlookers watched and took photos of a group of people who confronted hierarchy and motivated world domination to assert themselves and communicate openly. I don't think it will change the world, especially since all the rest of the do-gooders didn't come out, but I do think it was educational for all parties involved.
Unfortunately though, there was another round of ass kickin' coming from the police. It's not clear to me yet why, but several brutal arrests were to take place shortly there after. In total, 4 people injured, 6 arrested, and a bunch of great footage (I hope) showing the police in their finest aggressive moments.
Fuck the G8! Fuck the Capitalist War Machine!
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Comments
I looked up the G8
I looked up the G8 University Summit; here's what their site says:
"Contributions from academia are vital to tackle challenges of the global environmental problems such as climate change, which are related to the continued existence of all humanity.
"The G8 University Summit aims to make international contributions representing academia, in order to achieve the sustainability of the global, social and human systems and their mutual relationship and to promote education for sustainable development and construction of an international network through cooperation among universities."
This sounds pretty reasonable to me; your article says absolutely nothing about what you're objecting to. Your line about the "undemocratic nature of closed door elitist gatherings" both makes me wonder if you think all such meetings should allow a free flow of anyone in and out at any time; and makes you sound not unlike the nutty teabaggers in the U.S.
"It certainly was never clear what the motivated and militant group would have wanted with them anyway"--bingo. Sounds to me that the focus here is on having a good fun protest and provoking the police--people were obviously ready with their video cameras--rather than doing anything constructive.
"At least one major injury of a possibly broken arm" and "brutal arrests"--no details or corroboration offered.
I don't think you're "fucking" any war machines here; from the sounds of it, you're just having a lark, and looking foolish trying to disrupt a meeting on sustainability.
Thanks, anonymous, for your research and faith
"The G8 University Summit aims to make international contributions representing academia, in order to achieve the sustainability of the global, social and human systems and their mutual relationship and to promote education for sustainable development and construction of an international network through cooperation among universities."
To me, my ideals, I believe that to represent academia, would be a hard line against co opting to pressures, government, corporate, industry. In the end it would mean free education for all.
to achieve the sustainability of the global, social and human systems and their mutual relationship The mutual relationship here is capitalist exploitation, note that everything here is singular, don't be fooled by 'systems', this should be read, "achieve the sustainabilty of the global system, the social system, the human system and their mutual relationship(singular item)... and construction of ... an international network
to me this all sounds like flawed logic, sounds like impossibility, like a grand project that will need many resources(Imagine a deep inspired announcer voice) sounds like academia for economic security, sounds like bullshit. But if you think it sounds pretty reasonable... do some more lite google searching.
As far as the people on the bus, I don't think it would have done any good to talk to them, let alone ruff them up. I meant to say, that no one at any moment appeared to have any interest in damaging the bus, or reaching the people on the inside. I think it's clear that the G8, the topmost global, public capitalist collaboration project, in the world(impressive inspired announcer voice), is a little bigger than just that bus load of university tools.
Undemocratic...
I guess I was just trying to say that for anything to democratic, it has to be open. Oh, yeah, then there's representative democracy. but then the people have to be able to choose their representatives. That didn't happen here either... therefore this is an undemocratic form, I am against that, I believe that others expressed clearly that they are against that.
finally, I think it's important to note that this is the ***G8*** university summit, so all the reasons to oppose the G8, can be understood to be connected to this meeting,
keep on the research though, and keep up the good faith, it's important to pick your team though, I'm with the world wide collective that hopes for the end of war for profit and power
We pay taxes for the Law to Protect Canadians, No protection = $
It is a crying shame that the real anarchists at the G20 and the G8 are the criminal parasite globalist elite, attending the summit for discussion on the bank tax - and maybe even Ban Kai Moon foreigner from Korea head Rep of the uncredible and criminally filled United Nations - who comes here to Canada to tell PM Stephen Harper what shoud be discussed at the G20 even though Canada is the host of this traitorous summit!
These people are eugenicists, murderers, psychopaths and thieves who represent the criminal wealthy 1% mafia illuminatti of the world, the only reason they are not in jail is because of their money! A lot of it gained illegally through all kinds of graft procedures eg; drug trade, embezzlement of countries like Greece and Iceland, USA, kidnapping of women and children to foreign countries to be used in the sex trade, extortion, blackmail etc. !
Isn't it a shame that our police force that we pay taxes for, keeps an eye on Canadians', who do not like what the G20 leaders stand for and the criminal offences they have committed, that the whole world sees, as the "Emperor is Naked"?
Yet the law abiding citizens who protest this injustice and criminal activity on what is supposed to be Canadian Sovereign soil, are being watched as criminals!
Is there something wrong with this picture? Is this what I and Canada’s citizens pay taxes for?
Did our Government ever hear the expression " You’re Peeing up the wrong tree" ?
Let me say this, all will be remembered come election time!
Now if we only had some honest for the people constitutionalist leaders to vote for in parliament that had more than Corporate fascism on their mind!
What will "be remembered" at election time?
There is something wrong with this picture. And yes, this is the Canada that you and the other nationalist yahoos pay taxes for.