Peoples Victory in Germany at G8 Summit

In early June 2007, the heads of the world’s richest nations, the Group of 8 (G8), held a summit in the old resort town of Heiligendamm, Germany. The leaders hid behind a fence topped by razor and barbed wire with their only access into meetings either by helicopter or boat, as over 10,000 protesters blockaded all main roads and train tracks into Heiligendamm.  The fence cost over 12.4 million euros and millions more were spent for security. 

Prior to the G8 summit three protest camps (Rostock, Reddelich, and Wichmannsdorf) were set up to plan for activities leading up to the summit and the blockades. People, mainly from Europe, came to discuss and search for solutions to many issues, with an emphasis on climate change, poverty, AIDS, and war. Although the G8 discussed some of the same issues, the solutions they devised, as always, were based on how to maintain the status quo for the rich countries, while the approach promoted by the majority of those who came to protest were for a different way forward that would promote true positive change. 

On the first day of actions an estimated 80,000 people marched through Rostock to rally at the waterfront where police provoked the crowd in an effort to discredit the protesters  by making it appear to the media that the protesters were violent. Although there were skirmishes, police told reporters that hundreds of police were injured with many hospitalized in violent protests. The next day there were reports that only a few police required hospitalization. 

Throughout the week protesters showed tremendous restraint in dealing with police provocation. 

The protest camps and blockades were very spirited and positive and functioned with mutual aid and support to successfully disrupt the G8 and keep the “so called” leaders of “democracy” hunkered down in their fenced-in compound, guarded by thousands of police, water cannons, and helicopters. 

All in all, estimates run from 500 to 1,000 protesters arrested.