G8 SUMMIT: London Blasts No Shock to Protesters in Gleneagles

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Stefania Milan

GLENEAGLES, Scotland, Jul 7 2005 (IPS) - After the massive protests around Scotland on the first day of the Group of Eight summit, Thursday was relatively a quiet day for activists: time to deal with those who got themselves arrested and get some rest before the next actions.

The news of the four bomb blasts that struck London’s transport system Thursday morning had some resonance amongst activists – many of them come from London. But it didn’t seem to come as a shock.

"In some way we were expecting something similar to happen," a Londoner named Sarah told IPS. "We went to war (in Iraq), didn’t we?"

The terrorist attack – a group calling itself "The Secret Organisation of al-Qaeda in Europe" has claimed responsibility – inadvertently echoed the position of many of the activists. Their main concern regarding the G8 summit is not what the industrialised world’s leaders discuss on climate change and development aid, but the illegitimacy of the G8 itself.

The terrorists behind the London bombs seem to have chosen the date to coincide with the July 6-8 meeting of the G8 (United States, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Russia and host Britain) at the Gleneagles golf resort in Scotland.

"In a certain way the bombs will give (U.S. President George W.) Bush an excuse to justify its wars, but we were not expecting anything positive to come out of the G8 summit anyway. We are not really interested in the negotiations; we are against the system those leaders are part of," Sarah said.

Thursday evening, a spontaneous march of around 50 people took place on the main Edinburgh thoroughfare, Princes Street, "for the victims of the London bombings, the Iraqi occupation and the 30,000 people who die every day from preventable causes."

No major actions were planned for Thursday on the protesters’ calendar.

At the Stirling campground, where activists set up self-governing "communities", tensions remain high. The police surrounded the camp at 2:30 early morning Thursday (local time) to "prevent disruptions", but did not invade the camp. "People are starting to get paranoid. We were barely allowed to leave the camp the whole day, with police only letting out small groups of two or three people at a time. It has become a trap," British activist Dave told IPS. The camp is in a green space surrounded on three sides by a river with only one access road.

An anarchist group challenged the police in a football match, and declared unilateral victory when the police team did not show up.

In Edinburgh and Stirling it was also time to deal with those who were arrested. So far, around 500 people are said to have been identified and taken to the police station. Most were immediately released.

The G8 Legal Support Group, made up of lawyers and legal observers, is taking care of the prisoners. Before the mobilisations, the group issued a card, distributed to all protesters, with legal tips in case of arrest and the lawyers’ mobile phone numbers.

Sixteen male activists arrested during the "Carnival of Full Enjoyment" parade on Monday are currently jailed on remand at the Edinburgh prison. Ten of them will appear on court Friday. The others are expected to remain in prison until Monday, the G8 Legal Support Group reports.

Seven women were put behind bars Monday in the Corton Vale prison in Stirling. Three of them were released, the others will have a hearing Friday in Edinburgh.

They all are accused of "mobbing", "rioting" and "breaking the peace."

Over 400 people were reportedly arrested while carrying out road blockades and actions during the first day of the G8 summit, and brought to police stations in Perth, Dundee and Edinburgh. The number was not confirmed by the police. Most were released, but it is unknown how many of them are still jailed.

Most are expected to be released on bail, with obligation to leave the area. Some foreigners were deported. Trials are slated for September and October.

On Thursday afternoon, a demonstration in support of the anti-G8 prisoners took place at the Edinburgh prison with the musical support of the band Infernal Noise Brigade, from the northwestern U.S. city of Seattle, while about 80 people protested in front of the Edinburgh sheriff court.

The Prisoners’ Support Group is visiting the detainees and providing them with clothes, books and five British pounds a day to make phone calls.

The Activist-Trauma group – a psychologist and 12 volunteers trained in psychological support – is offering support for those experiencing or witnessing violence or arrests. Part of the group is based in Edinburgh and part at the Stirling self-organised campground.

"We set up a helpline. So far, we dealt with 12 cases of post-traumatic stress. You cannot come back from war, and expect that everything will be the same. It will not," German volunteer Christina Bauer told IPS.

"Our passion for freedom is stronger than their prisons. Solidarity with political prisoners is a part of our struggle," Bauer said.