Make the G8 History Blog

G8, Africa and climate change: a good time to bury bad news

Friday 8 July. Stuart Hodkinson in Edinburgh. When the news of the bombs hitting London broke on our campsite in Craigmillar, we all immediately reached for our mobile phones in the hope that friends were ok. In that moment, the G8, Africa, the protests and the police all became irrelevant. As  good news filtered through, political minds inevitably began to drift back to the wider political implications. "This will definitely mean ID cards,” one sighed. "Iran will be next for the neo-cons," said another. "And Muslims are going to be hammered." Debates and disagreements broke out but on one thing everyone was agreed: this was “a good time to bury bad news”. And yesterday's announcement of the G8 deal on Africa and climate change contained a lot of bad news, whatever those idiots Geldof and Bono say.

Nobel Peace Prize for Sir Bob? Why not

Gabriele Zamparini, The Cat's Dream. Live8 organiser Bob Geldof has been nominated for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. Why not? Look at these recent statements in the media:

Sir Bob Geldof has warned an unnamed American musician not to criticise US President George W Bush during the American Live 8 concert next month. (...) The mystery singer, who is anxious not to be named, was told by an angry Geldof, "Please remember, absolutely no ranting and raving about Bush or Blair and the Iraq war."

Good protester/bad protester

Alex Nunns. At 1600 BST the news went round the Independent Media Centre in Edinburgh that Bob Geldof was in town. Within minutes a rapid reaction force of independent journalists and activists were dispatched to Edinburgh station, where the has-been rock star had arrived aboard a Make Poverty History Virgin train along with Hollywood's Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon. Our mission was to disrupt Geldof's press conference, armed only with an Indymedia banner and some tough questions.

Crane stoppers protest against 'Brownwash' of anti-poverty movement

Stuart Hodkinson. At 8.30am this morning, three protesters hung a banner off a construction site crane near Edinburgh's North Bridge demanding 'No More Brownwash' in response to the successful co-optation of the aims and message of Make Poverty History by Gordon Brown and the UK government. The development campaigners from Brighton World Development Movement (WDM) wanted to get out a message from grassroots activists that New Labour is not a defender of the poor and has no intention of delivering the Make Poverty History agenda. The activists came down at 6.15pm and were immediately arrested.

Ideas of a movement

JJ. I've been told that Madonna began her set with the hit song 'Music' whose main refrain goes "Music unites the rebel with the bourgeoisie". I can think of hardly any other song that sums up Live8 better than this. But if the ideas of the gig goers and TV viewers must have been mixed, what of those who actually came to the protests in Edinburgh? Having spent the weekend diligently vox popping and discussing the mood there are some clear pictures emerging, of who is here and why.

Decaffinated protest

Click. Click. Click. The marketing people must've been smiling last night as the Make Poverty History march in Edinburgh passed off with incident. In fact, it felt like the protest equivalent of decaffinated coffee. A crowd, a march route and some slogans - but nothing to keep the G8 leaders awake at night.

The Abominable Live 8

Gabriele Zamparini, The Cat's Dream I felt dizzy when I read about Bono and World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz talking about poverty in Africa. But the worst had still to happen. I wanted to laugh – but I couldn’t – when I heard George W. Bush talking about the great generosity of US Government to help the developing countries. But the worst had still to happen. I felt sick when I saw Tony Blair and Sir Bob Geldof flirting and preaching on TV about Make Poverty History. But the worst had still to happen.

Monbiot to march against Live 8 and MPH

Stuart Hodkinson. Last night's 'Make the G8 History' rally in London sponsored by War on Want and Red Pepper certainly had its moments. Journalist Victoria Brittain reminded over 300 people in the packed LSE venue "how many times we've been here before" and that the G8 plans for Africa were just the same old "colonialism". Author and '68 veteran, Tariq Ali, said we should all be worried by a recent picture in the Financial Times showing a smiling Gordon Brown and Bob Geldof with "love in their eyes". But it was journalist George Monbiot who took the plaudits when he declared:

I will be going up to Edinburgh not to march in favour of the G8, but to protest against it. And to protest against Geldof and Bono as well.

Red Pepper and the Sunday Telegraph - an unholy alliance?

Stuart Hodkinson. Here's one for you. Last week, as Red Pepper's heroic volunteer press officer Alex went through the monthly motions of pestering the grandees of Britain's media to read our latest collection of brilliant articles, something rather strange happened: the press started to ring him! And not just any old newspaper hacks, oh no - we were courted and then chased by none other than the scourge of the radical left itself, the Sunday Torygraph.

Murky world of Make Poverty History uncovered

Make Poverty History is being trumpeted in the British media as an unprecedented success story for development campaigners. On paper it certainly looks impressive with over 460 trade unions, charities, NGOs and a stellar-cast of celebrities. However, Red Pepper can now exclusively reveal that as the G8 summit approaches, leading members are briefing against each other to the press while many African and other Southern social movements are angered at the silencing of their voices and political demands by Oxfam, Richard Curtis, Geldof and co. SH

Read the full story here:

http://www.redpepper.org.uk/global/x-jul05-hodkinson.htm