G7 leaders failed to address climate and inequality say protesters

Record ID: 1428650

  • Title: G7 leaders failed to address climate and inequality say protesters
  • Date: 26th August 2019
  • Summary: BIARRITZ, FRANCE (AUGUST 26, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF G7 COUNTER-SUMMIT PROTESTERS MARCHING POLICE IN STREET POLICE / PROTESTERS GATHERED POLICE VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CONDUCTING SIT-IN POLICE / PROTESTERS SEATED ON GROUND, CLAPPING PROTESTERS SEATED ON GROUND PROTEST BANNER READING (French): "G7 CRIMINAL" PROTESTERS SPOKESMAN AND SPOKESWOMEN ON PODIUM PROTESTER HOLDING SIGN (SOUNDBITE) (French) ALTERNATIVES G7 SPOKESWOMAN, AURELIE TROUVE, SAYING: "(French President) Emmanuel Macron has dared to say the following phrase during the G7 (summit): 'We have to answer the call of the ocean and the forests that are burning. We are Amazonian.' It's this leader, a true pyromaniac of the planet, who claims to want to stop the fires that they themselves provoked. The massive extraction of fossil fuels, deforestation, agro-industry, pollution of all natural aspects - multinational companies are mainly responsible for this ecological disaster and the G7 pyromaniacs support them." NEWS BRIEFING IN PROGRESS JOURNALISTS FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (French) ALTERNATIVES G7 SPOKESWOMAN, AURELIE TROUVE, SAYING: "The very conservative Boris Johnson is about to sign a very big trade agreement with (United States President) Donald Trump, bigger than what we have ever seen. These two defenders of the 'business as usual' philosophy are about to put in place a dramatic trade deal that would aggravate inequalities and the ecological disaster. And they're not the only ones. The seven G7 leaders are champions of free-trade agreements signed by dozens (of multinationals). We propose the abolition of these agreements, which are destroying the climate, jobs, democracy and people's sovereignty - starting with the CETA and Mercosur." PHOTOGRAPHERS SOUNDBITE) (French) ALTERNATIVES G7 SPOKESWOMAN, AURELIE TROUVE, SAYING: "In the face of social dumping and tax evasion, Emmanuel Macron claimed with regard to the 'GAFA' tax, 'We don't wish to keep our tax, it is very imperfect.' Well, this tax is flawed, it's even completely insufficient. But Emmanuel Macron simply suggests to slash it, to slash what little we have left. He bows down then in the face of Donald Trump to calm down tensions surrounding this tax that has been adopted in France. We are proposing a unitary taxation of multinationals based on their actual activities and an efficient taxation of financial transactions. All these measures could be in place as soon as tomorrow in each of the G7 countries, they (the leaders) just lack the political initiative." PROTESTERS GATHERED NEWS BRIEFING IN PROGRESS PROTEST SIGN
  • Embargoed: 9th September 2019 15:54
  • Keywords: G7 summit G7 counter-summit opponents closing news conference protests
  • Location: BIARRITZ, FRANCE
  • City: BIARRITZ, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Topics: G7,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001ATUV5MV
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: G7 leaders have failed to provide concrete solutions to climate change and global inequalities, anti-G7 summit protesters said on Monday as the three-day meeting of the leaders of the world's most industrialised countries came to a close.
    Alternatives G7 spokeswoman Aurelie Trouve said French President Emmanuel Macron, the summit's host, had not done enough to address climate change, as fires that are raging on in the Amazon continue.
    Trouve called him a "pyromaniac" and criticised his lack of reining in of the multinational companies that she says have been destroying the planet.
    Protesters also bashed a trade deal about to be signed by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and United States President Donald Trump, saying that the agreement would further inequalities in favour of business giants.
    They asked leasers to combat social dumping and tax evasion.
    "All these measure could be in place as soon as tomorrow in each of the G7 countries, they (the leaders) just lack the political initiative," Trouve said.
    (Production: Ardee Napolitano)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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