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CNN Live At Daybreak
Protesters Demonstrate at G-8
Aired June 02, 2003 - 05:07 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: When the G-8 leaders meet, you can bet protesters would not be far away. This year, about 25,000 demonstrators showed up.
Our Jim Bittermann takes us to the front lines.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In dramatic, if brief, confrontations, demonstrators against the G-8 summit clashed with police in a dozen widely separated locations, stretching nearly half way around the Alpine lake where the world leaders are meeting. But as spectacular as some of the battles were, in every case the police quickly took control using varying combinations of tear gas, water cannon and plastic bullets.
In the process, at least two service stations and a supermarket were looted and one demonstrator was critically injured in a fall. The largest demonstration was the official one, with groups campaigning on global issues like AIDS and clean water, and strictly local ones, like a better deal for French schoolteachers.
Two sets of marchers left from Switzerland and France, aiming to meet at the border no matter what authorities tried to do to stop them. But hours before, the border crossing had been abandoned by police and customs agents. So, when the two sets of marchers arrived, they had complete charge of the international border station for several hours.
(on camera): The police strategy was quite clearly to avoid confrontation where possible, so long as the demonstrators remained peaceful and far from the G-8 summit's site. Those people who did try to reach the town of Evian where the leaders are meeting were quite forcibly turned away.
(voice-over): And although the protests never got closer than 30 kilometers, or 18 miles, to the world leaders, the marchers, young and old, were confident their message was getting across.
HANNI ROSENBERG, PROTESTER: Just look at this wonderful demonstration. Everybody waiting to change the world completely -- no more wars, no more Bush, no more Blair, peace, socialism. Wonderful.
AUSTON BURNET, PROTESTER: That's what we have to do, make people realize that they are the power, not these big wigs and so forth and so on. What's Bush ever done for anybody except make a lot of money? BITTERMANN: While it's unlikely the G-8 leaders saw much of the protests, it is true that some of the demonstrators' causes have made it inside the summit. The leaders are discussing how to fight AIDS and provide the world with cleaner water and some of the protesters' other causes. And, on the summit's opening day, the leaders of the eight developed countries invited their counterparts from 11 less developed nations to participate. Some might not care to admit the habitual anti-G-8 demonstrations have changed things, but there are differences at the summit this year and some clearly reflect the protesters' agenda.
Jim Bittermann, CNN, Anmas, France.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And just click onto our Web site for a complete look at the G-8 summit. You know the address, cnn.com, AOL keyword: CNN.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired June 2, 2003 - 05:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: When the G-8 leaders meet, you can bet protesters would not be far away. This year, about 25,000 demonstrators showed up.
Our Jim Bittermann takes us to the front lines.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In dramatic, if brief, confrontations, demonstrators against the G-8 summit clashed with police in a dozen widely separated locations, stretching nearly half way around the Alpine lake where the world leaders are meeting. But as spectacular as some of the battles were, in every case the police quickly took control using varying combinations of tear gas, water cannon and plastic bullets.
In the process, at least two service stations and a supermarket were looted and one demonstrator was critically injured in a fall. The largest demonstration was the official one, with groups campaigning on global issues like AIDS and clean water, and strictly local ones, like a better deal for French schoolteachers.
Two sets of marchers left from Switzerland and France, aiming to meet at the border no matter what authorities tried to do to stop them. But hours before, the border crossing had been abandoned by police and customs agents. So, when the two sets of marchers arrived, they had complete charge of the international border station for several hours.
(on camera): The police strategy was quite clearly to avoid confrontation where possible, so long as the demonstrators remained peaceful and far from the G-8 summit's site. Those people who did try to reach the town of Evian where the leaders are meeting were quite forcibly turned away.
(voice-over): And although the protests never got closer than 30 kilometers, or 18 miles, to the world leaders, the marchers, young and old, were confident their message was getting across.
HANNI ROSENBERG, PROTESTER: Just look at this wonderful demonstration. Everybody waiting to change the world completely -- no more wars, no more Bush, no more Blair, peace, socialism. Wonderful.
AUSTON BURNET, PROTESTER: That's what we have to do, make people realize that they are the power, not these big wigs and so forth and so on. What's Bush ever done for anybody except make a lot of money? BITTERMANN: While it's unlikely the G-8 leaders saw much of the protests, it is true that some of the demonstrators' causes have made it inside the summit. The leaders are discussing how to fight AIDS and provide the world with cleaner water and some of the protesters' other causes. And, on the summit's opening day, the leaders of the eight developed countries invited their counterparts from 11 less developed nations to participate. Some might not care to admit the habitual anti-G-8 demonstrations have changed things, but there are differences at the summit this year and some clearly reflect the protesters' agenda.
Jim Bittermann, CNN, Anmas, France.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And just click onto our Web site for a complete look at the G-8 summit. You know the address, cnn.com, AOL keyword: CNN.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
