[Dryerase] AGR G8 Ottawa

[Shawn G]

Here is our piece on the G* in ottawa.  One the website we have some photos 
(issue 181), and we have a compiled piec for the other g8 stuff there also.

Asheville Global Report (www.agrnews.org)

Anti-capitalists ‘take’ Canada’s capital

By Eamon Martin


Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, June 28 (AGR)— Undeterred by near-relentless 
rainfall, thousands of revolutionary anti-capitalists marched through the 
streets of Canada’s capital city in solidarity demonstrations marked to 
coincide with the Group of Eight (G8) summit of Western industrial leaders 
taking place in the remote resort village of Kananaskis in Alberta. Two days 
of marches ended with demonstrators taking to the steps of the nation’s 
parliament where protesters rallied against capitalism, fascism, war, 
exploitation, imperialism, and George W. Bush.

With no liberal presence in sight, a sea of balaclavas, bandanas, ski masks 
and red and black flags of militant, soaking-wet protesters followed a 
serpentine path through Ottawa’s streets. As high-rise office dwellers 
gawked at the streets below them, the throngs of thousands chanted in the 
pouring rain, “One-two-three-four – we don’t want your facist war! 
Five-six-seven-eight – organize and smash the state!”

“We’re trying to defeat capitalism. Capitalism is responsible for most of 
the world’s problems,” explained Bill Lambain, 72, from Toronto and a member 
of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty.

Protest organizers had put out a call to action to “Take the capital” on 
June 26 and 27. Included on their website was an address list of corporate 
headquarters and international embassies that the event planners figured 
would be helpful to the visiting protester in search of a good location to 
vent their frustrations. In response, police were stationed on most street 
corners. Some of those on the “Radical Tour” list closed operations for the 
days of action. An Ottawa McDonald’s restaurant shut down, temporarily 
covering its storefront from top to bottom in plywood. City school children 
were given a surprise holiday and The Eternal Flame national monument at the 
capitol was doused and covered.

“The goal is very clear – a political and economic disruption of those 
institutions and government offices that help perpetuate the agenda of the 
G8,” said organizer Jaggi Singh.

On Wednesday, around 3,500 demonstrators took the city’s streets, stopping 
traffic in a circuitous route through the capital’s financial and commercial 
district.

During the day, local activists, in a cry for public housing, broke into and 
occupied an abandoned house. The march paid a visit to the site along its 
side-winding path.

Behind a banner reading, “Sick of waiting? Occupy!” activist Dan Sawyer 
shouted from a second-floor balcony of the squatted house to the hundreds 
assembled below.

“It’s a crime that this house is empty while 15,000 families wait seven 
years to get social housing,” said Sawyer. “We’ve had enough. We’re taking 
over this house.”

While police looked over the scene powerlessly, a few masked participants 
smashed in the windows and popped the tires of a squad car across the 
street.

At 3:30pm, Ottawa Police Staff Sergeant Rick Levine talked to the squatters 
and announced that police would not go in to remove them. “It’s [the 
situation] not going to change as long as you keep it cool,” he said.

Not long after, the day’s main march culminated with rallying on the steps 
of Parliament Hill. Protest slogans were quickly spray-painted and written 
in chalk on much of the area’s walkways. Among the phrases freshly adorning 
The Eternal Flame was “Eternal Struggle.” A small number shed their clothing 
while a few others toked “victory” bowls of marijuana.

One hour later, a separate march descended on the US embassy where revelers 
protested against US imperialism and the Bush administration’s “terror war.” 
More than any other G8 leader, the US president was undeniably singled-out 
as a target of outrage. Protesters chanted “Feed Bush more pretzels!” and 
“Bush is a terrorist!” until their throats were audibly hoarse. And much to 
the delight of most present an effigy of Bush was set afire in front of the 
embassy.

The next day, marches continued in much of the same fashion but with an even 
greater contingent of around 5,000 people participating. Thursday’s march 
was organized under the banner “1000 Flags of Resistance -- No One Is 
Illegal.” The central theme was an anti-capitalist attack against the 
criminalization, subjugation, and exploitation of indigenous peoples 
worldwide by the industrial forces of the Western world. Moreover, the day’s 
events were to express solidarity with those who are struggling for their 
rights to self-determination, whether in the Philippines, Colombia, 
Palestine, or even the US and Canada.

Signs depicted slain Genoa, Italy G8 protester Carlo Giuliani beneath the 
caption “Killed By G8.”

A widely distributed statement explained: “Today, the leaders of the G8 
states are meeting in Alberta, surrounded by scenic mountains, golf courses, 
and thousands of soldiers and police. These eight men are the executive 
board of global capitalism, and the directors of the so-called “War on 
Terrorism.”

“We are marching together today in clear opposition to the G8 and its agenda 
…Hypocritically, capitalist globalization makes it easier for rich people 
and their money to cross borders, while controlling and exploiting the poor. 
We call for open borders, and full rights for migrants and refugees 
worldwide.”

At the outset, police threatened to tow away the march’s sound van. But 
hundreds of protesters immediately swarmed the vehicle, preventing any such 
thing from happening.

The march proceeded with delayed stops at crucial intersections, the 
National Defense Building, the British High Commission, and the Ministry of 
Citizenship and Immigration.

“Free Palestine!” thousands demanded in front of the Israeli embassy.

One Ottawa woman who wished to remain anonymous, “nearly 80”and a member of 
the Raging Grannies, described her group’s position: “We’re here because 
we’re older women and we’re concerned about a decent world being left for 
our grandchildren. The G8 and all the things they’re doing are fucking up 
the world.”

Despite weeks of alarm about “violent protests” and snide condemnation by 
local officials and media, the tenor of the protests were distinctly 
physically non-confrontational. Besides the damaged squad car, a smashed 
anti-abortion marquee, some small smatterings of impromptu graffiti, and a 
few paint balls thrown at a bank or two, property destruction was notably 
tame. Conversely, there were also few incidents of arrest or police 
provocation.

Last Autumn, John Baglow, Ottawa resident and regional leader of the Public 
Service Association of Contracted workers (PSAC), participated in 
demonstrations against the Group of 20 meetings held at the time. Taken 
aback by repressive police measures they saw then, Baglow and his wife 
helped organize a protest witness team. This year, Baglow and other 
witnesses were on call 24 hours in case the police might renege on their 
promise to not evict the squatters.

“Quite frankly, [police conduct last fall] was outrageous,” Baglow said. 
After a public outcry, “the police figured they really had something to 
learn. They were much better this time.”

This year, hundreds of riot police were present in Ottawa but kept out of 
sight in nearby parking lots and hotels.

“It’s been asked if we’re grateful for the police. Let’s have a reality 
check here,” offered Singh. “There are over a hundred groups who’ve endorsed 
this demonstration. Many of them are groups that represent Arab groups, 
Muslim groups, African groups – some groups that are generally targeted. 
These groups have been visited by the police. They’ve been told explicitly 
that ‘if you participate in a non-permitted demonstration, you could be 
arrested,’ or ‘you know, you might not want to be involved with these 
groups.’ That’s what’s happening in the background. So you ask if we’re 
grateful? No, we’re not grateful for those visits or that intimidation.”

Singh himself is no stranger to protest intimidation. During last year’s 
protests against the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas summit in Quebec 
City, the activist was suddenly abducted by undercover police while walking 
down a city street and then detained for weeks on bogus conspiracy charges 
that were ultimately thrown out.

Challenging numerous members of the press who attempted to bait the 
organizer into advocating violence, Singh spoke about the nature of this 
peace movement at a press conference earlier in the day: “What we’re talking 
about is community control over resources –those necessities that you need 
to live your life. When we talk about Africa and the G8 -- they’re promoting 
privatization schemes that make water and electricity beyond the ability of 
the average person in Soweto or other communities in South Africa to have 
access to those things.

“We’re talking about cooperative control over these resources, creating 
decentralized communities, a people-centered economy. This is not Utopia. 
This is reality. These are things that do occur in small steps all over the 
place and things that can occur. They’ve occurred historically and they can 
occur again. But to do so we need to denounce those systems that make that 
community control, that kind of mutual aid, that kind of community 
solidarity impossible, because instead you’re promoting profit. The leaders 
of the G8 are quite explicit about this. George Bush said that in order for 
the economy to prosper, corporations need to make more profits. That’s his 
vision. I don’t think that’s the vision shared by most people. Enron and 
WorldCom -- I don’t believe people think we need to promote that kind of 
greed. We promote another vision based on social justice.”





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