The G8/G20 summits ended on Sunday, June 27 with the world focused on the standoff between protesters and police in Toronto. On the other side of the fence, the meetings themselves ended with world leaders largely ignoring international outrage about the impacts of fossil fuels, global climate change and global poverty.
Thousands of people gathered in Toronto, and 2 million people worldwide signed a petition calling for leaders to Invest in the Future Now, by tackling climate change, fighting poverty and shifting to a low carbon economy. They demanded action and for the G8/G20 leaders to live up to their commitments.
Read More
Tens of thousands of people gathered to peacefully march and demonstrate. But sadly, it does not look as though that is what will be remembered of Saturday's "People First: We Deserve Better" G20 Rally and March in Toronto. Instead, the images and media coverage of the very small percentage of protesters who chose to use violence and cause destruction will be the images spread across the world in the coming days and weeks.
But that is not what I will remember and that is not what I will write about here.
I will remember the people coming together in the pouring rain under umbrellas, ponchos and raincoats at Queen's Park. I will remember the hundreds of men, women and children wishing for a free Tibet. I will remember the women holding banners plastered with the pictures of Iranian women's rights activists, and demanding their release. I will remember the sea of green hard hats representing a desire for a green economy in Canada and around the world. And I will remember the 10 grandmothers that I marched with, hoping for a better future for their children and grandchildren.
Read More
