Dublin Alternative G8

dublin | anti-capitalism | event notice Thursday March 07, 2013 22:22 by Anti G8

Dublin Alternative G8

Dear Comrades and Friends

The 2013 G8 Summit is to be held in Fermanagh, Ireland on 17th-18th June.

As in every year in the recent past, anti-globalisation and anti-capitalist activists will gather to demonstrate against this gathering of the leaders of the most powerful countries.

The British government holds the presidency of G8 in 2013. With the arrogance that only an imperialist power could be capable of, the British government has decided to hold the summit in one of its colonies. The hope is that by holding the summit in Fermanagh in Ireland, that activists will be deterred from organising a counter summit within proximity of global leaders. Last year's summit in Chicago had to move location at the last minute because of the real threat of people power disrupting the summit. Large scale protests have accompanied G8 summits in every location they have been held in, with atlernative summits arranged in nearby population centres.

The Dublin Alternative G8 Committee invites all those who wish to protest against this G8 summit and who can travel to Ireland to come to Dublin. In the days leading up to the protest and over the days of the summit itself, there will be a wide range of events happening across Dublin and indeed around Ireland, showing Irish resistance to the imperialist and capitalist agenda.

As Ireland's capital city, Dublin offers the infrastructure to facilitate the arrival and accommodation of the large numbers of activists expected from Britain, other European countries and from across the world. With the influx of international activists a wide range of protests, seminars and other events will be organised, sharing international perspectives and building important links of solidarity. Together we hope to build an Alternative Summit to show that workers can organise across international boundaries and take on the G8.

Fermanagh is only 2 hours travelling time from Dublin by road. Protests will focus on the summit itself and also on the agenda of austerity which is being waged by the EU and IMF in Ireland, and across Europe. Ireland holds the EU presidency at the time of the G8 summmit, with the headquarters of the presidency based in Dublin Castle, which for centuries beforehand was the seat of colonial power in Ireland but which will in June become the focus for sustained demonstrations.

2013 also marks the centenary of the 1913 Dublin Lockout, one of the most significant industrial actions in European history and out of which arose Ireland's army of the working class, the Irish Citizens Army. As well as organising information events about the lockout, International and Irish workers will organise together to recreate the atmosphere of the Lockout and to let the G8, EU and IMF know that they are not welcome in Ireland.

Dublin Alternative G8 is a non-partisan political project. We invite groups across the political spectrum to organise events as part of the counter summit and will help provide support and co-ordination for events. We welcome assistance from any individuals or groups interested in helping with the organisation or with ideas for creative events. In particular we would ask those who can offer accommodation for visiting activists to contact the committee.

We call on as many international groups and activists as possible to participate in the counter summit, or to send delegates or speakers. For those groups intending to travel to Ireland please contact the committee for details of events planned and for any assistance you may require.

A public meeting for those interested will be organised on Wednesday 13th March at 7.30pm at the Pearse Centre, 27 Pearse Street, Dublin 2.

To contact the committee e-mail [email protected] or phone 085 2310663