[E-rundbrief] Info 1052 - G20 - counter summit in Nice

[Matthias Reichl]

E-Rundbrief - Info 1052 - Media Center Nice: Cannes is not for 
festivals  - G20 summit - counter-summit in Nice.

Bad Ischl, 4.11.2011

Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit

www.begegnungszentrum.at

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CANNES IS NOT FOR FESTIVALS

Media Center Nice [04/11/2011]

The G20 summit began in Cannes, France with the presence of 
governments of the most industrialized countries.

Because of the summit, the collective anti-globalization movements 
from all over the world met in Nice to attend a top-against where 
proposals for equitable development, both locally and globally, will 
be proposed.

During this week, the participants against this summit will debate 
topics such as the illegitimate debt, austerity policies, food 
sovereignty and lack of security.

The movement of the Indignants joined this meet with the objective to 
share in the debates, to be among the other organizations, to work on 
common projects and to improve the international coordination.

This counter-summit will come to an end in Nice with the departure of 
the Marches To Athens, in the direction of Greece.

The program and shedule of the G20 counter summit is attached here: 
http://acampadabcnintern
acional.wordpress.com/2011/11/02/programa-contracima-g20-niza-2011/

AN EVENT NOG20 WITHOUT INCIDENTS [01/11]

A peaceful demonstration against the G20 summit in Nice began around 
16H, with people numbering close to ten thousand. Various 
anti-globalization organizations have joined the 15M movement which is 
characterized by the atmosphere of celebration and protest.

Among the numerous indignants who gave made it to Nice, we were able 
to distinguish a good quantity of those who had marched in the March 
to Brussels. Other groups of indignants were identified by their 
chants pronounced in languages so varied such as Dutch, German, Greek 
or the Hebrew.

The event went smoothly and peacefully, despite the huge police 
presence deployed within the city, a mechanism which has become common 
in the G20 summits, including, for example, a helicopter flying over 
the participants. In the middle of this mass of people we can hear the 
Spanish indignants singing the familiar songs like ” Que No, que No, 
que No nos representan…”

Before the nightfall we could see banners and posters as “respeto 99%, 
1%provecho” or “G20 J’AI FAIM”, The English were also clearly visible, 
and some have been very clever to show their rejection of the meeting 
of industrialized countries with signs referring to the Occupy 
movement: “I lost my job, found an occupation.”

Toward 18H30 am the protesters arrived at the old slaughterhouse in 
Nice and gradually everyone began to organize a popular assembly. The 
agenda revolved around developing the activities for the next day and 
highlighted among the points was the exchange of experiences, ideas 
and opinions.

CONFERENCE ON THE ECONOMY [02/11]

Shortly before 10 am, a conference organized by the group ATTAC 
started on the theme: “Crisis, debt, taxation and the fight against 
tax havens.” 200 people filled in a room of Don Bosco College, the 
venue for the event. Ricardo Gómez, one of the spokesmen of the group 
Sol Economics participated in the conference with an exhibition of a 
set of proposals for Erradi tax havens and the implementation of 
financial measures, some have already been approved by governments 
where none have ever been implemented. The presentation questioned the 
effectiveness of organizations like the OECD and the FATF group. It 
was also mentioned that the parameters used to determine what is a 
fiscal paradise seem arbitrary and politicized, also the example of 
Switzerland was discussed, who with their constitutional right of 
financial secrecy, in practice opperates as a refuge for scapees of 
great tax fortunes, and multinational groups which hide their 
activities in and have questionable motives.

The other proposal by Economy Sol was the application of common 
standards of transparency which can be applied to transnational 
corporations and that identify their activity, billing, employment, 
trade and purchasing costs intra-group (between parent companies and 
subsidiaries).
The debate has taken root in the struggle of different organizations 
for the past ten years to develop ways to erradicate tax havens, which 
are known as a niche where private money continues to grow more and 
more and now represents a 13% of global GDP and 25% of the private wealth.

Public interventions include the implementation of Transition Day, a 
proposal to withdraw money from banks to be held on Saturday 5th. You 
can get more information by accessing the following address: 
.http://takethesquare.net/2011/10/25/call-for-transition-day-on-november-5th/

INTERNACIONAL MEETING [02/11]

Around sixty persons participated in the International Meeting that 
was convoqued on the 2nd of November in Nice. The panel of 
participants was diverse. Groups from Egypt, Tunez, Italy, Belgium, 
France, United Statesm Israel, Greece, Holand, Canada, Germany and 
Spain spoke in an inniciative by the movement OccupyLondon.

Seated on the floor of the Pasteur Sports Complex, the round of 
interviews began with a presentation of the different fights that have 
been developing in the various countries.

Specially interesting where the experiences of countries such as 
Syria, Egypt or Greece, where freedom of expression and the 
consequences of the economic crisis are much more intense that the rest.

One spokesperson from Egypt wanted to leave clear that the real 
revolution is still far from us, and, on the other hand, stressed that 
the elections taking place in Egypt are far from being democratic.

Left to be said is that countries such as Bahrain or Siria are still 
fighting against their dictatorships for their freedom, and that the 
human price the people o those are having to pay for it is ignored by 
the international press.

 From Israel we heard how the take the squares occurred throughtout 
the whole country, inniciated at first by the real state bubble which 
installed itself in that region ten years ago. The protests and the 
assemblery meets afterwards made possible a social justice which 
included peace among the Palestinian people, even though it is clear 
that this process will require much time.

It should be emphasized the involvement of a participant from the 
March to Brussels.The young woman of Venezuelan origin who walked from 
Madrid to Brussels said “I lived in Spain and I saw how a country has 
gone from wealth to a total marginality, it disappoints me. Like many 
others, I could not do anything to until the marches began … “It is 
not only in Spain that we are experiencing a dictatorship… The 
dictatorship is even stronger in France … They are repressed, there is 
no freedom of expression, they are being manipulated because most 
people have a comfortable life, but there are thousands of people who 
are struggling there.”

As the various spokepeople conversed, it was curious to observe how 
many of the same problems were repeated almost systematically.

A constant between the mentioned countries was on the one hand, that 
we are met by the same problems, and that local governments are not 
prepared to deal with a globalized economy an on the other hand, that 
the G20 seems to have no intention to fix global problems because 
governments represented at the Summit are the same ones which are 
defending the Transnational and taking advantage of laws, tax havens… 
etc., with the aim to continue to operate their companies.

COUNTER-SUMMIT CONTINUES WITH ARRESTS [03/11]

Discussions and workshops on public debt, its impact on employment and 
social costs, have where also part of the G20 counter-summit. Another 
group treated the topic of the reform of the financial system.

There have also been actions taking place such as the concentration at 
the border of Monaco to see the closure of tax havens which were 
promised during the G20 in London. On a more ironic note, a parody of 
a press conference by Sarkozy was held.

At 16H, a demonstration by three hundred people, monitored by two 
hundred police officers, was held from the slaughterhouse to the 
Piazza Garibaldi in support of the three inmates from the Basque 
country which were sent to prison on Tuesday, November 2nd. They were 
charged with possession of dangerous objects and detained after the 
police searched their vehicle when they arrived in Nice. Among the 
confiscated materials were: 1 pole, 2 spikes, 2 hicking sticks, 
sungoggles, leather gloves, a Swiss army knife, and some nails and 
screws. The car owner said that all the equipment belonged to him 
because he works as a maintenance man in camping zones and has a 
passion for mountaineering.

After 30 hours of isolation and no communication with the police, the 
prisoners agreed to a speedy trial during which they were accused of 
conspiring in groups to harm third parties (by which they were found 
innocent) and transport of weapons of the sixth degree ( by which they 
were found guilty and convicted).

The prosecutor demanded 10 months in prison for the owner of the car 
and the equipment, 8 months for the second member, who declared 
himself an anarchist and 5 months for the third who said he was not 
linked to any organizationed group.

The sentence was settled at one month in prison prorrogable to 3, 
depending on conduct, the confiscation of the equipment and a ban of 
entry into the Alpine region for a period of 3 years.

According to statements by one friend of the detainees, the 
translation of the trial was insufficient for the full understanding 
by the accused. In addition, the judge’s questions where all directed 
at finding out the political and ideological orientation of the three 
detainees. Also, they were represented by counselman given by the 
court who was impossible to contact after their speedy trial.

The lawyers who have now taken over the case will appeal and ask for 
the three citizens of Basque origin to be immediately released.

Since the start of the forum in Nice, the police presence has been 
disproportionate, identity check points have taken place everywhere 
and citizens who seemed to be of Spanish origin have been stopped and 
searched by police. One participant from Paris eclared “I had to pass 
through three controls until I arrived at the lawyer’s office of the 
detained. I was an hour late because of it… this is like a jail, one 
can’t walk down the street without being interrupted.”

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Matthias Reichl, Pressesprecher/ press speaker,
Begegnungszentrum fuer aktive Gewaltlosigkeit
Center for Encounter and active Non-Violence
Wolfgangerstr. 26, A-4820 Bad Ischl, Austria,
fon: +43 6132 24590, Informationen/ informations,
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