G8 Protest – Demonstrate at the G8 – Make capitalism history

G8 Protest: Demonstrate at the G8

Make capitalism history

Make Poverty History: G8 ProtestThe
millions of people who were moved by a sense of international solidarity
to give money to the tsunami appeal are acting again. This time,
however, they are not only donating money – they are demonstrating.

Hannah Sell

Already three million have pledged support for Make Poverty History
and it is expected that a quarter of a million or more of them will
demonstrate on the eve of the G8 meeting in Edinburgh on 2 July. Many
will stay to participate in demonstrations throughout the week.

Everyone is supporting Make Poverty History – celebrities, churches,
charities, national newspapers, school and colleges; politicians from
Gordon Brown to Michael Howard. Of course, in reality New Labour and the
Tories before them have failed to even increase aid to the UN target of
0.7% of national income.

Big business politicians

Both parties champion the policies of privatisation that are driving
millions into poverty worldwide. But it is not the empty phrases of the
big business politicians that is most significant about this campaign
for socialists – it is the fact that they believe pledging to abolish
world poverty will make them popular.

The mainstream politicians are being forced to respond to a deeply
felt mood – shown by the anti-war movement and the tsunami appeal.
Working-class people in Britain today are more internationalist than
ever before.

It is crucial that the Socialist Party mobilise for this
demonstration. In doing so we will meet tens of thousands of trade
unionists, students and school students who have pledged to make poverty
history and are looking for a means to achieve their goal. The ideas
they are looking for are the ideas of socialism – we have to make sure
they find them.