WE WERE an odd bunch, standing on the fringes of the ring of steel, peering over the fluorescent yellow shoulders of the Metropolitan Police, trying to catch a glimpse of a world leader or two as they set about creating the greatest bank overdraft of all time.
This was G20 Part II, and those who’d missed Wednesday’s mass protest at the Bank of England were taking their chance to be heard. About 400 people were shepherded (or “kettled” in modern police parlance) into a bit of pavement several streets away from the Excel Centre in the soulless docklands area to the east of the city.
It’s a peculiar choice of venue: the Excel Centre usually holds trade conferences and seminars. Ironically, next week’s programme of events includes the UK Millionaire Mind Intensive “Live” seminar by bestselling author and multimillionaire T Harv Eker. “If you want more out of life,” says Harv in the promotional literature, “more wealth and happiness, take action now.”
Gordon Brown might think about extending his stay.
But today, the Excel is the centre of the world, and the early birds among us claimed they’d spotted Barack Obama as he sped by in a motorcade as dawn was breaking, in time for the summit’s 7am start.
The early murk was punctured by flashing lights and high-speed limousines. Each country attending the event brought with it a delegation of officials, finance ministers and policy wonks, and each had to run the gauntlet of security checks at the perimeter of the secure zone, or ring of steel, as the Met’s spin department was calling it.
By mid-morning the clouds over Canary Wharf lifted to reveal that most potent symbol of capitalism, taunting the No Logo lobby as they walked from the train station to their dead end.
The banners and placards told their own story: “Abolish All Nukes Now”, “Gordon is a Moron”, “Join the EU-wide class struggle”, “We won’t pay for their crisis”, and “The World is Free but Are We?”
Virginia Underwood, a student at University College London, carried a “Capitalism is not working” poster. “These people are here because they believe the system we have doesn’t work anymore and we need it to change,” she said. “I’m not very hopeful but they must start listening. Nationalisation of the car and bank industry means that the public benefits from their profits, not just the small group of already wealthy people who created this problem in the first place.”
The most organised and eloquent group was a delegation protesting about human rights abuses in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. “There is genocide in our region, and the European governments and Barack Obama are turning a blind eye to it. We’re here because the media is ignoring our plight,” said Abdul Ahmed, his voice barely audible above the drums and whistles.
He’d come to the right place. Rarely have so many journalists gathered in such a confined space with so many causes to catch their attention. It was a day of media speed dating, so much so that by mid-afternoon the man selling copies of the Socialist Worker had had enough: “I’m not doing anymore interviews,” he flounced, with more than a hint of Elton John. “I’ve been doing them all morning and I’ve got nothing more to say.”
It wasn’t just the newspaper reporters and television crews who were getting the story out there. “That’s good,” said a woman peace protester as she ended a phone call, “I’m going to Twitter that.”
People with mobile phones and handheld cameras stood around, patiently waiting for something exciting to upload to YouTube.
But the crowd weren’t playing along, and for their part the police looked on amiably at the loud but peaceful demonstrations. They could be excused a few yawns. “If we’re a bit crabby today,” said one officer, “it’s because we were up for a 5am start.”
All leave had been cancelled for the two-day event and those who call for a more visible police force had their wish and then some. In all, 4,700 officers had been deployed, according to Scotland Yard, running up a bill of £7.2 million.
