- Title: UNITED KINGDOM: Protesters hold peaceful anti-G8 rally in Belfast
- Date: 15th June 2013
- Summary: BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 15, 2013) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS WALKING WHILE HOLDING BANNER READING (ENGLISH) "NO TO AUSTERITY" DURING ANTI-G8 MARCH POLICE WATCHING MARCH PROTESTERS WALKING WHILE HOLDING BANNER READING "YOUNG WORKERS FIGHTING BACK" PROTESTERS CHANTING WHILE HOLDING ANTI-G8 BANNER DRUMMERS ON STILTS WALKING DOWN STREET DRUMMERS WEARING PURPLE MARCHING DOWN STREET BYSTANDERS WATCHING AS PROTESTERS MARCH DOWN STREET CHANTING POLICE STANDING IN A LINE VARIOUS OF POLICE WATCHING AS PROTESTERS MARCH VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MAKING THEIR WAY TOWARDS CITY HALL DRUMMERS ON STILTS AND PROTESTERS MAKING THEIR WAY TOWARDS CITY HALL MARCHERS WAVING FLAGS AS THEY MARCH VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS GATHERING AT CITY HALL (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTESTER, JOSEPH STEYNES, SAYING: "Increasingly I see everyday poverty, more and more poverty. How come, you know, they think it's a fairer society to bail out these people - the richest in society, all at the expense of ordinary working people. It's not fair." (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTESTER, NIALL MORTON, SAYING: "All we see is austerity, austerity, austerity, nothing else. Working class people have been put into all sorts of deprivations and bankers being bailed out." VARIOUS OF BRITISH FLAG FLYING OVER CITY HALL SMALL GROUP OF LOYALIST PROTESTERS WITH UNION FLAG AT SIDE OF RALLY WITH LARGE LINE OF POLICE SEPARATING THEM FROM RALLY LARGE LINE OF POLICE WOMAN HOLDING SIGN READING (ENGLISH) "PROTECT MY IDENTITY AND MY CULTURE" PROTESTERS HOLDING UNION FLAGS POLICE LINE IN FRONT OF LOYALIST PROTESTERS PROTESTERS SINGING AND HOLDING FLAGS LINE OF POLICE STANDING AT PROTEST VARIOUS OF RALLY IN FRONT OF CITY HALL
- Embargoed: 30th June 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAA2BFJXM3LTA36DORHVFPDUKAB
- Story Text: More than 1,000 trade unionists, environmentalists and anti-poverty campaigners marched peacefully through the streets of Belfast on Saturday (June 15), with police outnumbering demonstrators amid fears of violence.
The protesters, highlighting issues ranging from unemployment and anti-fracking to world hunger, paraded along the short route in a colourful display, despite the pouring rain and cold weather.
Some 3,600 police have been sent from the British mainland to reinforce 4,400 from Northern Ireland in order to help secure the two-day G8 Leaders Summit which begins on Monday (June 17). It is being held in a remote luxury gold resort in Loch Erne, close to Enniskillen, 80 miles (130 kilometres) west of Belfast.
The Belfast march is the main set piece protest event of the G8.
Many are angry at what they see as an elite club of the world's richest nations, acting for the interests of big business while ordinary people are suffering.
"Increasingly I see everyday poverty, more and more poverty. How come, you know, they think it's a fairer society to bail out these people - the richest in society, all at the expense of working people. It's not fair," said protester Joseph Steynes.
"All we see is austerity, austerity, austerity, nothing else. Working class people being out into all sorts of deprivations and bankers being bailed out," added another protester, Niall Morton.
The next major protest is planned for Monday, the first day of G8 meetings, when activists plan to march to the boundary fence of the security zone outside the hotel near Enniskillen.
On the sidelines of Saturday's rally outside City Hall, a small group of loyalist protesters waved Union flags and sang Rule Britannia. They are angry that the Union flag is now only flown on official buildings in Northern Ireland on set days, rather than year round.
On Saturday the Union flag was flying over City Hall to mark the Queen's official birthday.
Lines of armed police prevented the loyalist protest from joining the main anti-G8 rally.
Northern Ireland police regularly deal with sectarian rioting involving Catholic youths, who want Northern Ireland to unite with the Republic of Ireland to the south, and Protestants who want to remain part of the United Kingdom.
The meeting will bring together the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States, as well as senior European Union officials.
At least 100 armoured jeeps were parked in side streets along the protest route and officers took photographs and videos of the protesters. Police formed a human chain outside a city centre McDonalds, whose restaurants have been attacked at previous G8 meetings. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
