Come to Kananaskis
STOP THE G8
Scott Harris was in Toronto recently to speak at several events organized by the Toronto Mobilization for Global Justice to launch and build mobilizations against the G8 who will be meeting in Kananaskis, Alberta June 26 — 27. Harris is active in both the Edmonton and Alberta anti-G8 organizing committees and is also a Council of Canadians board member. He spoke with Socialist Worker's ERIN GEORGE about the state of organizing against the G8 in Alberta.
There has been some debate in activist circles about whether or not to go to Kananaskis to challenge the G8 summit, I understand this debate has also happened in Alberta, what was the outcome?
We’ve come to the same resolution that has been arrived at here: we have to keep it open and allow people to plug in where they feel comfortable. We’re organizing to oppose the G8 in Kananaskis and we’re inviting people to come if they have the resources and think that is the strategy to employ.
We’re really happy that people are organizing locally and regionally in solidarity with us and we think there will be solidarity actions happening around the world, so we really encourage it.
Who’s involved in organizing against the G8 in Alberta?
Organized labour in Alberta is really involved, specifically the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers union and the Alberta Federation of Labour and local affiliates. There are groups like Sierra Youth coalition, Council of Canadians chapters as well as. And coordinating committees against the G8 have sprung up across the province; these are mostly collections of grassroots activists and direct action groups.
What events are being planned to challenge the G8 when they met in Kananaskis June 26-27?
Everything is starting on summer solstice Friday, June 21.
G6B The People’s Summit: G8 Counter Conference will be held at the University of Calgary June 21 — 25.
A Family March Against the G8 will be held Sunday, June 23 in Calgary.
A Western Critical Mass is being planned. Activists from Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Regina will cycle to Alberta and converge on the Solidarity Village.
The Solidarity Village is being organized by grassroots activists — the Calgary and Edmonton G8 organizing committees, and Alberta labour, specifically the Alberta Federation of Labour and the Communications, Energy and Paperwokers union are the two big drivers.
We’re creating a space for music, art, drama, workshops and trainings; creating a culture of resistance to prepare people for the demonstrations against the G8. We want to create a space were people can bring their local struggles, learn from one another and go back to their communities and make their local struggles stronger.
The Solidarity Village will be a stark contrast to the G8, which is exclusive, only 350 people can attend and it’s under lock and key, there’s going to be over 4,000 police and military protecting them. We want to show what our alternative is, something that is very festive and inclusive.
That’s what we are trying to build and we encourage people to come and participate in whatever way they want to, everyone can contribute their skills to this community.
All we’re doing in Alberta is creating the framework for people to plug into it. We’re really counting on people to come to Alberta and bring the diversity of their struggles and their experiences and sharing with one another in a really open space.
There’s also a website (g8.activist.ca) and listserves that people can get hooked into.
Do Alberta activists know that people across North America, in Europe, especially Italy, and even at the World Social Forum are organizing against the G8 summit in Kananaskis?
I don’t think there is a real understanding in Alberta yet of how significant an event the G8 summit is for people around the world, for people in Italy — for obvious reasons (police brutality and the murder of Carlo Giuliani), and for people across Canada.
I’ll definitely be sharing the excitement I felt here in Toronto around organizing to go to Kananaskis with people back in Alberta.
We’re far from the Golden Triangle — Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal — and we’re a small community so it’s great that people are coming to Kananaskis. As we continue to communicate I think anti-G8 activism will really build and we’ll have something great in June.