G20 - is it relevant?

Large-scale violence and protests have marked the beginning of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany.

In the ensuing clashes between 12,000 masked protestors and law enforcement agents, at least 74 police officers were injured as a result.

Background

International summits have served as the hub for large demonstrations over the years. G20 is no different in thsi regard. During the 2009 G20 Summit, a number of protests took place that highlighted issues like climate change, economy and the war on terror. While most of the protests were peaceful, the police detained and “kettled” the protestors.  

A year later, at the G20 Summit in Toronto, riots damaged local businesses. Though the protests were largely peaceful, a certain group resorted to vandalism.  In 2017, scuffles broke out between protestors and the law enforcement agents at the G7 Summit in Italy. This resulted in tear gas being fired at the protests.

Analysis

It is quite normal that a conclave of the wealthiest and most powerful nations attracts its fair share of protests. Many use this as a platform to flag concerns regarding climate change, inequitable distribution of income that they believe is consequential to globalization. The presence of global press is a stimulus for galvanizing such protests.

In Hamburg, the protests were orchestrated against capitalism. In clashes that broke out, 74 police officers suffered minor injuries. The protest organizers have said that a fair number of protestors have also been injured the scuffle but the number has not been released.

Assessment

Our assessment is that the protestors believe that it is the tepid reactions by leaders of G20 and those representing the free world that is the cause of the current problems that the world faces including terrorism, refugee crisis, wars, climate change etc. The larger concern is that globalization has meant that wealth is now more concentrated on the top 2 percentile of the world. There seems to be an obsession with capitalism.