London G20 demonstrations could be massive

UPDATED

Prior to the "Battle of Seattle," there was almost no mention of "anti-globalization" in the US media, while the protests are seen as having forced the media to report on why anybody would oppose the WTO.

- Wikipedia, World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 1999 protest activity

Nobody especially remembers the Seattle WTO meeting of 1999 mainly for anything that happened inside the meeting halls. If the lack of seriousness evinced by the G20 finance ministers' 14 March joint communique is any indication, happenings next week on the streets of London could well prove to be more substantive than the summit itself.

IndyMedia's 5th horseman provides a schedule of some of the demonstrations planned between March 28 and April 2 in London.

Sat 28 March - Put People First mass demonstration, 11 am, Central London
March for jobs, justics and climate ahead of the G20 Summit

Wed 1 April - Financial Fools Day street Party, Midday
converge on Bank of England, storm the banks and shut down the city!

Wed 1 April - Climate Camp, 12.30
Meet: European Climate Exchange, 62 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AW
Bring a pop-up tent if you've got one, sleeping bag, wind turbine, mobile cinema, action plans and ideas

Wed 1 April - Anti-war protest march and rally, Central London
Called by Stop the War Co-alition, CND and others

Thu 2 April - G20 Summit @ Excel Centre, Docklands, East London
- G20 Meltdown have planned a breakfast for the delegates
- Stop The War/CND have planned protest march to the Summit

Check indymedia regular for updates and further advertised events.

Jotman, in cooperation with THERELIVE.COM, will strive to publicize the work of citizen journalists who report on these events. Eyewitness blogging is an extremely important enterprise at such events. For one thing, documenting demonstrations provides a vital check on the exercise of state power. Moreover, recent events such as the Republican National Convention of 2008 attest to the fact that the mainstream media -- particularly in the US -- has ceased to serve as a reliable vehicle for disseminating accurate news about the nature of demonstrations and police activity. There-live bloggers will be in a position to provide clear windows for us onto what actually happened, acting as custodians of justice and our civil liberties.

UPDATE: Concerning the quote at the top of this page, one key difference between 1999 and 2009 is that this time, most people viewing the demonstrations on television will know exactly what the protesters are angry about. And -- as never before -- they are likely to share this outrage.