A Federal Judge in Pittsburgh ruled last week that six peace and justice groups can protest at this week’s G-20 summit of the industrialized world’s leading Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors.
Acting on a lawsuit brought by the Center for Constitutional Rights and the Pennsylvania ACLU, the Judge said that one of the groups, Code Pink, will be allowed to use Point State Park, centrally located in downtown Pittsburgh, for several days preceding the G-20, where it has created a Women’s Tent City to educate people about the policies of the G20 and their relationship to the suffering of women and children as refugees and victims of war. The city also granted permits for a march and rally by the G6 Billion group; for another march by the group Bail Out the People; and for permits for a group of artists to use a city park.
Estimates from organizers vary widely but numerous other antiwar, environmental and anti-poverty groups plan to demonstrate this Thursday and Friday in Pittsburgh to coincide with the meetings. In response, the city, after losing its law suits, has brought in approximately 4,000 extra police for the summit.
Organizers are going to great lengths to ensure non-violent protests. The Pittsburgh G20 Resistance Project (PGRP) has created accounts on the micro-blogging platform Twitter and a website where activists can find information on everything from where to get a meal to how many people have been arrested.
In this video Howard Zinn explains why the protests are so important.
The expected protests in the streets will match what should be a contentious summit amid major differences between the United States and European Union over the global economic slowdown, bankers’ pay and climate change.
You can find a rough schedule of events taking place in Pittsburgh over the next few days here.
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