G8 news

Why I'm going to the G8

Interview with Nele Verschelden,     a 21-year-old student social worker, Antwerp

Why are you going to protest at the G8 summit?

When I heard for the first time that there were going to be protests at the G8 summit in Scotland, I immediately decided that I wanted to go. The G8, the club of the 7 richest countries and Russia, are planning discussions concerning climate change and the African continent .

But their policies are not in the interest of the majority of the population. They are incapable of finding a solution for the horrors of the African continent and for the rising number of ecological disasters.

Bush and Blair will be at the G8. What are their answers concerning the problems in Africa? Their rhetoric on debt cancellation is only meant to divert attention from their imperialist war in Iraq and their neo-liberal policies.

What do you want to do on the protests?

We will protest massively against their presence, just like we did in Genoa and Evian. Millions of young people and workers want the living conditions of the neo-colonial world to improve. In the meantime we’ll discuss further the crisis of capitalism and the necessity of a socialist alternative.

What do you expect of an international protest?

A week of intense action and reflection. International pro-tests with socialists from Europe have a huge impact. It makes being part of an international organisation more visible and concrete. It will undoubtedly be a very educational and motivating experience for the future.