Workers Solidarity Movement

Monday's Anti-G8 march and rally through Enniskillen should undoubtedly be viewed as a huge success by everyone who attended it. Giving the fact of how the media, both the press and television, has played a full role in subjecting the population to weeks of sensationalist scare stories, it was a surprise that anyone even left their homes on Monday as the G8 leaders flew into Fortress Fermanagh.

Of course we have come to expect this as previous summits have staged similar scare stories. There was no end to the wild accusations, supposedly there had been thousands of “anarchist extremists” hell-bent on causing violence on the day however this can only be viewed as part and parcel of the state sponsored hysteria programme. Choreographed Government spin in their attempt to justify the millions spent in what has been one of the largest ever security operations the state has undertaken here.

A jovial PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggot wasn't long in getting front of the cameras just as the six-mile security fence, that encircled the Lough Erne resort, was being dismantled to proclaim that the G8 summit in Enniskillen was "the most peaceful and secure" in history. Policing the entire two-day circus has been estimated to have cost £60 million which included a deployment of four thousand seven hundred PSNI officers, along with 3,600 from other UK forces, not to mention sixteen judges put on stand-by and the construction of a temporary 'custody centre' to deal with up to 260 possible prisoners. Clearly designed to further intimate anyone planning on traveling to protest and voice their opposition to the representatives of big business and imperialism.

On the day, for those who did manage to travel to Enniskillen, by coach, car or by boat were stopped on entering the 'militarised zone' by teams of 'Police Laison' officers who handed out information flyers declaring protesters should 'Stay Safe - Stay Peaceful - Stay Lawful'. In all, it is thought that several thousand people mobilsed successfully to show their opposition to the summit from all corners of the country, which included trade unionists, environmental and anti-capitalist activists who formed part of the main contingent raising issues from Anti-Fracking, to workers rights and world hunger.

At the Lough Erne resort to hear a number of speeches celebrated what was a positive and successful march and rally, with Irish anarchist organisations from the Workers Solidarity Movement and the Belfast Solidarity Federation making up the anarchist contingent who condemned the entire G8 farce and the hysterical smoke screen thrown up around any opposition to it wasting millions on security alone while millions around the world continue to face the hardship of mass unemployment, poverty and hunger, war and environmental destruction.

WORDS: Sean Dubh