G8 in Ireland, draconic police measures

This video says about itself:

2013 Anti G8 march takes place in Northern Ireland

June 15, 2013

Environmentalists, trade unionists and other civil society activists paraded through Belfast city centre at lunchtime for what they bill as a march and festival for a fairer world.

Thousands of people took to the streets of Belfast on Saturday to tell the G8 leaders they were not welcome in Northern Ireland for this week’s summit in Fermanagh: here.

The full cost of the G8 security operation may never be known but its presence is certainly being felt on both sides of the Irish border.

Government leaders attending the G8 summit in Fermanagh feign concern about global poverty and corporate tax dodging, but they are committed to a system that guarantees such phenomena: here.

By Ben Chacko in Britain:

Northern Ireland enters lockdown for G8 circus

Friday 14 June 2013

Northern Ireland went into lockdown today in preparation for the G8 jamboree of capitalist leaders.

Police Service of Northern Ireland Assistant Chief Constable Alistair Finlay said he was expecting “relatively small numbers” of protesters to target the summit – but thousands of police from Britain are being deployed in the largest ever security operation in the territory.

A “ring of steel” has been erected round the luxury Lough Erne resort in County Fermanagh where the conference will take place.

The five-star hotel is crawling with security guards, including patrols by the British army’s Gurkha units.

Public transport, schools and hospitals all face disruption – with Enniskillen’s South West Acute hospital planning to double staff numbers in case of clashes between activists and police.

An entire prison block at Maghaberry jail has been set aside for demonstrators, while 16 judges will be on standby to run extraordinary courts to “process” protesters.

The club of wealthy nations is due to discuss issues affecting the world economy – though critics say its domination by moribund Western nations and exclusion of economic powerhouses China and India make it increasingly irrelevant.

And stormy scenes are expected between Russia and the United States, which are backing different horses in Syria’s bloody civil war.

Progressive groups in Ireland are organising a Fairer World Festival this weekend as a contrast to the secretive summit being held behind steel barricades and razor wire.

Marchers will meet today at noon in Customs House Square, Belfast, for a march to City Hall where a rally will be held.

It’s backed by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions as well as the Communist Party, women’s rights groups, Amnesty International and Friends of the Earth.

Communist Party of Ireland chairwoman Lynda Walker told the Star that Northern Ireland “doesn’t want the G8.

“We’re 15 years into a tenuous peace process and British Prime Minister David Cameron is forcing us to host this capitalist circus.

“It’s bound to be provocative and will inflame sectarian tensions. It’s all right for Cameron – he doesn’t care who gets hurt.

“But we in Northern Ireland have had enough of violence.”

Cameron’s G8 house of cards: here.

Related articles

• Marchers in Belfast, Northern Ireland, protest against G8 policies ahead of summit (sott.net)
• G8 Summit: Major Police Operation Under Way (news.sky.com)
• G8 in Ireland, police state ‘security’ (dearkitty1.wordpress.com)
• Thousands due at G8 events in Belfast and Fermanagh – BBC News (bbc.co.uk)
• Northern Ireland locked down for G8 summit (wsws.org)