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Reviewed by Vancouver Media Co-op editors. copyeditedfact checked [?]

G8 Bus Stop

by murray bush - flux photo

G8 bus stop
G8 piñata smash
G8 bus stop
G8 bus stop
G8 bus stop
G8 bus stop
G8 undercover
G8 bus stop
G8 bus stop

These images are from a protest against the G8 University Summit in downtown Vancouver on Friday, May 21. Over 100 people met, marched, chanted and smashed a G8 piñata before physically blocking a charter bus that was to take summit delegates back to UBC.

Demonstrators managed to prevent the bus from pulling out until it was physically escorted by cops, who violently pushed people off the route. Six people were arrested at the tail end of the action, in what appeared to be revenge arrests by frustrated police. They were all released late last night.

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Topics: Poverty
Tags: g8 protest Vancouver

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Trusted by 6 other users.
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flux (Murray Bush)
Vancouver, Unceded Coast Salish Territories
Member since February 2010

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Comments

More information please

Submitted by Chris Ryan (not verified) on Sat, 05/22/2010 - 16:27.

 

I looked around your site and the only objection I could find to the Education Summit was this:

"Like the G8 & G20 meetings the summit is an opportunity for closed door, unaccountable meeting to further economic and social agendas that promote exploitation, profit, environmental degradation and colonization of the worlds [sic] resources. Universities increasingly are promoting the same agenda and continue to operate under their own unaccountalbe [sic], top-down institutional structures. During their meeting we expect government, corporate and university officials to talk about the continued corporatization of the university and the role of academia in supporting corporate 'greenwashing' campaigns while it continues to be the laboratory for the oil and pharmaceutical industries.

"The summit's theme is 'Universities and Communities: transition to a sustainable future'. We believe that the oil and pharmaceutical industries are the problem. We believe universities are serving the interest of corporations, not communities."

But no evidence is offered; what is the source of your concern? Who actually attended the summit? More information, please.

The summit's 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 like something worth supporting. So, convince me: what's the problem here?

 

 

Look harder

Submitted by dawn on Sun, 05/23/2010 - 16:11.

We have posted numerous videos about the G8 University summit, including

http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/video/3427

http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/video/3424

http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/video/3476

We're not out to convince you of anything. Read, listen and learn, and make your own decisions, hopefully informed ones, about the possibility of sustainable models emerging from the same old same old top down model.

another resource

Submitted by sumayya on Sat, 05/29/2010 - 23:46.

also this! http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/story/3333

[sixth picture] Make Capitalism History - Make Poverty History

Submitted by Michaël Lessard (not verified) on Sat, 05/22/2010 - 21:35.

Greetings,

I noticed in the sixth picture the sign Make Capitalism History, which is interesting since there's a worldwide NGO appeal called Make Poverty History. I think both calls go well together and are synonymous.

 Anyhow, I will add Media Co-op links and content to the Quebec Indymedia soon ( www.cmaq.net )

 

Cheers

Make a Business out of "Making Poverty History"

Submitted by dawn on Sun, 05/23/2010 - 16:14.

I don't think Make Poverty History would even touch the slogan "Make Capitalism History," sensible as it may seem. Make Poverty History is all about negotiating with the big boys in their unaccountable, closed meetings and promoting Bono and Geldorf styles of activism. You know, wristbands can change the world type of stuff. Their funders would probably go nuts if they dared whisper the word capitalism.

Oh, and thanks for the repost on CMAQ!

Re: Make a Business out of "Making Poverty History"

Submitted by Michaël Lessard (not verified) on Sun, 05/23/2010 - 21:08.

Eh, obviously I was not implying that others (« they, it, NGO » or whatever else) would use the slogan Make Capitalism History. That was not my point in any way. I was speaking only about how for me, in my political analysis and opinion, they are synonymous.

Nonetheless, you remind me though of how we misjudge so many people, how radicalism is too often about feeling so hot and diffrent, how I am so much better than « them ». It annoys me, because many activists with NGO are anti-capitalists. It doesn't take much analysis and understanding to know why a public campaign, trying to reach out to the masses, will use Make Povery History instead of Make Capitalism History. The masses, the people, tend to support capitalism for many reasons, such as the fact that our "educational" system which tends to deform the concept (eg.: portraying 'economy' as being 'capitalism', which is bullshit).

All these ideological divisions or diversions and judgements are really not helping us. Slowly, but surely, social movements in Quebec, and I hope in Canada, are starting to use the words capitalism more clearly. Let's encourage them to do so.

It was not obvious

Submitted by dawn on Tue, 05/25/2010 - 21:55.

It was not obvious that that was what you meant in your post. Thanks for clarifying. I disagree with Mr Howlitt from Make Poverty History and particularly the stance he has taken on the G20. He's slammed the door shut to many protesters who plan to be in the streets. Point being that we should know who we can trust and who will denounce more radical folks to the mainstream media and by extension to the cops at the drop of a hat.

I do know that MPH is a huge coalition and as a matter of fact I have tonnes of respect for the work of many of the affiliated organizations.

Re: It was not obvious

Submitted by Michael Lessard on Sat, 05/29/2010 - 14:32.

Thank you for your response (read: I was afraid my own response was a bit too brash due to "activism-fatigue :P).

I was unaware of M. Howlitt of Make Poverty HIstory and of his critical position concerning protests.

On a positive note, we had a pep talk yesterday in Quebec City from Toronto activists, followed by a nice dose of passion and hope from artists-singers illogik, Testament and Blank Space. It was a mind opener to hear different words and beats from what we hear in conservative Quebec City (not to be confused with the rest of Quebec :).

Cheers

We're Seeing the Goings on @ U of Guelph

Submitted by Vancouver Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 06/07/2010 - 08:32.

 hope this helps http://www.topix.com/forum/ca/huntsville-on

 

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