Leo Broderick to Occupy the G8. Photo by Mitch MacDonald/ The Guardian.
The Herald-Mail (a Maryland newspaper) reports, “When world leaders convene this week (on Friday May 18 and Saturday May 19) at Camp David for the G-8 Summit, Thurmont plans to be ready.” The Council of Canadians will be ready too. It’s sending Charlottetown chapter activist and vice-chair Leo Broderick.
The newspaper adds, “The G-8 Summit originally was scheduled to be held in Chicago, but the White House announced in March that it would be moved to Camp David, the presidential retreat near Thurmont. …A White House statement said the summit, to be held on Friday and Saturday, ‘will address a broad range of economic, political and security issues’.”
“One of the biggest unknowns is the protests. Local Occupy protest movements will hold two events in Frederick, Md. (about 18 miles south of Camp David). …Participants in the local Occupy protest movement have scheduled events in Frederick on the same days as the G-8 Summit. One will be a Peoples’ Summit on Friday at the C. Burr Artz Public Library community room, with discussions about the wealth divide, ending poverty and other topics. On Saturday, there will be a block party at Baker Park.” As noted by WBAL-TV, the ‘block party’ will include “a march in downtown Frederick and a rally at Baker Park.”
Press TV adds, “Anti-Wall Street activists are planning to an Occupy G8 summit to be held at Camp David near Thurmont, Maryland on May 18 and 19. A NATO summit will take place the next two days, May 20 and 21, in Chicago, where large demonstrations are planned. Some Marylanders will be carpooling from Frederick to Chicago, leaving Saturday night, May 19. The G8 summit was moved from Chicago to Camp David because of threatened protests in Chicago.”
“The G8 Economic Summit fled Chicago to avoid protest, but organizers from multiple-Occupy’s and advocacy groups have organized several events to make sure the people’s voices are heard. The Occupy Wall Street website has written in a post, ‘We propose a Peoples’ 99% Agenda against the imperialist (corporate-dictated) agenda. We propose that protesters including the Occupy movement go to Thurmont, Maryland, and demonstrate our concerns regarding nuclear policy, energy policy, resource wars, agribusiness, the 1% corporate dictatorship, and other international issues. Instead of the G8 agenda, we suggest a Peoples’ 99% Agenda: 1. universal nuclear disarmament, 2. label all GMO food (90% of corn and soy beans), 3. save the global climate, 4. justice for developing countries, 5. international banking reform for the 99%, 6. geothermal, solar, wind, conservation, efficiency.'”
Leaders from the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, as well as the European Union, will be present at this year’s G8 summit. Members of G20 will also be there as observers including China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, and Indonesia.
For more on the ‘Occupy the G8’ protests, please go to http://occupywallst.org/article/people-organize-protest-g8-present-alternative-eco/.
