How the G20 counter-summit helps build the movement

Date: 8 November 2011

On the final day of the ‘people’s summit’, a local journalist asked me: “Given that the G20 summit is being held all the way in Cannes, do you actually think this week’s mobilisations are going to have any effect? Are your messages going to get through to the heads of state?”

After pausing to collect my thoughts, I answered her in a three stages:

1. Firstly, it’s worth questioning why the people’s summit has had to be held 20km away from Cannes, where the G20 meetings are actually taking place. For the whole week, Cannes has been in complete lockdown. Thousands of police were specially drafted in and anyone attempting to enter the city was subjected to several security checks.

On the day of the family-friendly march that was organised by a coalition of campaigning organisations and unions, Nice was heavily policed with the route of the march barricaded in, water cannons at the ready and police armed with CS gas dispensers and guns. This was not an environment created to encourage protest- which is fundamental for a healthy democracy. The security measures and policing of the G20 (and a counter-summit being held in another town) really made clear that the G20 is not intended to be transparent, democratic or accountable forum. This should lead people to question whose interests the G20 represent.

 

2. In practical terms: Over 10,000 people gathered in Nice for the march and about 1000 have stayed for the week and taken part in the alternative summit. Each day there have been several actions by different groups from stunts about the Robin Hood Tax campaign, to France Uncut occupations of banks, and a tax justice action on the Monaco border. There has been a considerable amount of local and international media presence with journalists from Russia, the US, and Germany amongst others. It would be very difficult for the leaders to ignore that this mobilisation has taken place.

3. But the biggest aim of this week wasn’t necessarily to communicate directly with the G20 heads of state. The greatest thing about these mobilisations has been the creation of a space in which people from different groups and countries could get together and share experiences, skills and ideas to help build a global movement for change. I spoke to people from social movements from all around the world including Tunisia, Canada, India, France, the US, Spain and Portugal. These people will go back to their countries feeling inspired, with new links to other groups and ideas for helping to build an international movement. I know I will.

As the global movement grows stronger, the G20 leaders will be forced to listen.
 

My week in Nice has been packed with workshops and discussions in which people have tackled issues such as debt, food sovereignty, climate justice and the recent ‘occupations’ movement. The movement for social change is constantly evolving and growing, and mobilisations such as the G20 people’s summit are a chance to take part in the change and meet others who are taking action.

According to the French media, not much was decided by the heads of state at the G20 summit and there weren’t any tangible outcomes. The opposite is true for the counter-summit that took place in Nice.