This week, world leaders are gathering in Hamburg, Germany for the G20 summit, where they face internal tensions and massive protests. Here’s what we’re reading to learn more.
Beneath dramatic G20 clashes, a deep demand for a better world, by Jessica Corbett via Common Dreams
“Ahead of this week's mass demonstrations, the NoG20 International Coordination said in a statement: ‘The politics of neoliberalism and war is decided in the heart of our cities, closed off to citizens, protected by a militarized police force and backed up by the suspension of political rights. This shutting-down of democracy has one purpose only: to defend the indefensible. Our demonstrations speak for and of a different world.’”
A big international meeting is exposing a Trump-sized rift between the US and its allies, by Zack Beauchamp via Vox
“Big gatherings of world leaders tend to be heavily scripted affairs. Top advisers from each country hammer out agreements in advance so their bosses can sign bland communiques and pose for warm, if artificial, group photos.
Friday’s G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, is going to be very, very different. President Trump is the least popular American leader in decades, and is at odds with the heads of almost every other G20 country on issues ranging from climate change to the future of NATO to the challenge posed by Vladimir Putin’s Russia.”
Are protests enough to bring down the G20?, by Srecko Horvat via Al Jazeera
“Even if protests or a mass uprising are able to overthrow a political system that is imposing austerity and wars, the real question is what do you do the day after? How do you run the economy and organise daily life? Our action at the G20, therefore, should not be only about disobedience. It should also be about proposing a viable alternative for the day after.”
'Welcome to hell': G20 protests in Hamburg – in pictures, by Natasha Rees-Bloor via The Guardian
“German police used water cannon and pepper spray to disperse anti-capitalist protesters after clashes broke out in Hamburg just as world leaders started to arrive in the country’s second city for the G20 summit.”
Dystopian Nightmare: Eyewitness decries police repression at G20 summit as 100,000 take to streets, via Democracy Now
"What We're Reading" is a weekly feature on AFSC’s News and Commentary blog, where we share a curated collection of recent articles on timely issues. "What We're Reading" is meant to spark discussion, debate, and knowledge sharing, and the articles we highlight do not necessarily reflect the official organizational positions of AFSC. We encourage you to tell us what you're reading on these issues in the comments below.