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CNN Live Today

G8 Summit Set to Begin in Canada

Aired June 25, 2002 - 12:38   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In a couple of hours, President Bush will leave hot, smoky Arizona for warm, clear Canada. He is heading to a remote town outside Calgary, Alberta, where the Group of Eight is holding its annual summit.

CNN's Rusty Dornin is already there.

Rusty, a nice switch of scenery for you.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It is beautiful here in Calgary.

President Bush will be arriving in a few hours, along with Prime Minister Koizumi of Japan. They will meet with the Canadian prime minister, Jean Chretien. Now, Chretien has remained determined to keep this summit on line, to talk about development in Africa. Now, President Bush, the White House this morning saying they don't want the Middle East peace plan to overshadow this summit, but that he has received positive response from some of the G8 participants, even though it is not on the agenda.

Now, speaking of agendas, there are a few folks here who are pretty angry about being kept so far away from the summit. The protesters and most of the world's press are being kept here in Calgary, 60 miles from Kananaskis. And some of these protesters say they remain determined to be heard.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Costumes and confrontations, they jammed the streets of Genoa. One protester was killed. The clashes made headlines around the world. Now, 60 miles from Calgary, Canada, far from the chanting crowds, will be a different G8 Summit, tough to penetrate, tough to even get across the border.

MARY BULL, ACTIVIST: They still haven't changed their exploitative policies.

DORNIN: One activist determined to cross that border: Mary Bull, atop a redwood stump in San Francisco.

She protests global commercialization and deforestation by the clothing chain The Gap.

BULL: They are destroying 235,000 acres of our redwood forests.

DORNIN: Then it's home to pack for Calgary. Forget the jeans and T-shirt. Instead, Bull dons her Armani suit.

BULL: I'm wearing it because I'm trying to make crossing the border easier. I'm trying to not look suspicious. We heard recently there have been many hassles at the border.

DORNIN: Canadian customs on the lookout for signs of trouble -- pepper spray, handcuffs, ski masks: paraphernalia that could deny an activist entry. Bull leaves her protester props behind in favor of some yuppie ones.

BULL: Just part of my disguise, I'm bringing traveler's checks. Activists don't carry traveler's checks.

My little alarm clock. We have to get up early for some of these marches.

DORNIN: Marches that Bull says will expose what she and other activists see as the purpose of this G8 Summit.

BULL: How to globalize Africa, how to open it up so that corporations can come in and reap as much profit as possible. That's the way we view it.

DORNIN: A view Mary Bull and others hope won't be overshadowed this time by violence.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DORNIN: Now, despite her Armani suit, Bull did tell me this morning that she was detained at Canadian Immigration and Customs for several hours. However, she is planning to join a demonstration that is going to take place in a couple of hours, actually a naked demonstration in front of the Gap, entitled, "Wear anything but Gap." And there will be a protest planned for later tonight.

It remains to be seen how tough security will be. No permits have been issued for any kind of demonstrations here in Calgary. So, all of them will be illegal. Now, there are some 4,000 police here and 6,000 soldiers providing security for this summit -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Rusty Dornin, I guess I don't dare ask what kind of suit you are wearing.

(LAUGHTER)

DORNIN: Definitely not Armani.

PHILLIPS: Yes, I hear you. OK. I'll check in with you later, Rusty. Thanks so much.

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