- Title: Activists urge action from world leaders ahead of G7 summit
- Date: 25th May 2017
- Summary: TAORMINA, ITALY (MAY 25, 2017) (REUTERS) VIEW OF ISOLA BELLA ISLAND SECURITY BOAT AT SEA TRAVELLING PAST FISHING BOATS GREENPEACE ACTIVISTS PREPARING TO UNFURL BANNER ALONGSIDE BRIDGE POLICE ON JET SKIS ACTIVISTS UNFURLING BANNER READING (English): "CLIMATE JUSTICE NOW" (SOUNDBITE) (English) GREENPEACE ITALY REPRESENTATIVE FOR ENERGY AND CLIMATE, LUCA IACOBONI, SAYING: "We are demanding climate justice and we are urging G7 countries to ramp up their action to prevent catastrophic climate change. G7 leaders who will meet tomorrow, here in Taormina, must send a strong signal to President (Donald) Trump, because it is not acceptable for him to not respect America's climate commitment." POLICE STANDING NEXT TO ACTIVISTS HOLDING BANNERS ON A BRIDGE SECURITY VESSELS POLICE JET SKIS AT BAY GIARDINI NAXOS, ITALY (MAY 25, 2017) (REUTERS) WORLD VISION REPRESENTATIVE, CHRIS DERKSEN HIEBERT, WALKING ALONG PATHWAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) WORLD VISION REPRESENTATIVE, CHRIS DERKSEN HIEBERT, SAYING: "What we are seeing just across the sea, right across the Mediterranean - we've got the worst humanitarian crisis going on in the world. We have got 20 million people who are at risk of famine in just four countries - in Somalia, in South Sudan, in Nigeria and in Yemen. And we need this G7 to respond to that crisis." TAORMINA, ITALY (MAY 25, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SECURITY AT SEA VARIOUS OF ARMY OFFICERS ON PATROL GIARDINI NAXOS, ITALY (MAY 25, 2017) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) WORLD VISION REPRESENTATIVE, CHRIS DERKSEN HIEBERT, SAYING: "World Vision is concerned that the G7 has been telling us that 'don't expect much from us, we are just coming here to meet, to get to know each other'. So yes, we are concerned that his year, more than other years, will not amount to anything. Again this is not acceptable." BEACH AND G7 SUMMIT MEDIA CENTRE WITH SECURITY SOLDIER WITH GUN STANDING NEXT TO PARASOL VARIOUS OF ACTIVISTS JOINING FLASH MOB SHOUTING (Italian): "G7 open your ears!" COASTGUARD OFFICERS ON VESSEL LOOKING ON ACTIVISTS SHOUTING AND HOLDING BANNER READING (Italian): "G7 OPEN YOUR EARS" (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTION AID ITALY REPRESENTATIVE, LUCA DE FRAIA, SAYING: "We have at least three major issues. We need to reverse the language, the messages and the initiatives on migration. We need a different approach, not just based on security, on security approaches. The second issue is food security, hunger. Hunger is still to be totally eradicated and we need new and fresh resources to address that. And the third big area is women empowerment because that issue is still on the table." POLICE PATROLLING ON JET SKIS WOMAN SUNBATHING, POLICE ON JET SKIS WOMAN ACTIVIST LOOKING AT HELICOPTER FLYING OVER BEACH HELICOPTER FLYING OVER BEACH ACTIVIST SHOUTING (English): "G7 open your ears!" AND SCREAMING
- Embargoed: 8th June 2017 14:02
- Keywords: climate change famine world leaders meeting G7 summit action aid organisations activists NGOs
- Location: TAORMINA AND GIARDINI NAXOS, ITALY
- City: TAORMINA AND GIARDINI NAXOS, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Topics: G7,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016IC5LJB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Non-governmental organisations on Thursday (May 25) called on G7 leaders to make concrete commitments in fighting humanitarian crises and climate change at the Taormina summit on Friday (May 26).
Italy will host the G7 summit on the cliffs of eastern Sicily where leaders from Italy, United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France and Canada will concentrate on Europe's migrant crisis and seek ways of developing Africa's economy to hold back the human tide.
Activists from environment group Greenpeace unfurled a huge banner alongside a bridge close to the summit venue on Thursday calling for climate justice. The Greenpeace spokesperson said world nations must convince U.S. President Donald Trump to honour the Paris climate deal.
Trump has said he will decide after the G7 summit whether the United States will remain part of the Paris Agreement which seeks to move the world away from fossil fuel use this century.
Children's charity World Vision representative Chris Derksen Hiebert said there was wide concern that this year's summit would "not amount to anything". The charity that works to protect children's health in poor countries across the world said more was needed to be done to tackle famine.
In Giardini Naxos, a seaside resort some 13 kilometres (8 miles) away from Taormina, over 100 activists from non-governmental organisations staged a flash mob, telling the leaders to open their ears and hear their messages.
Many of the G7 leaders including Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will arrive for the summit on Thursday (May 25) evening. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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