A group of U of T students is planning a summer trip into the wild around a northern Alberta ski resort, where they plan to set up camp, lather on sunscreen and fight globalization.
The demonstration is against the Group of Eight (G8) meeting, which brings together leaders of the seven richest nations plus Russia.
“This anti-globalization movement is important, as it will get the considerations about the lack of vigilance for the environment, for labour and for cultural standards out in the open,” said U of T student Grace Kaiser, who attended a recent meeting of the campus group RiseUp!, which is organizing the U of T contingent.
RiseUp! showed a video documentary of last year’s G8 demonstrations in Genoa, where more than 150,000 protested and one protester was shot dead by paramilitary police.
The documentary focused on the wide range of people from around the world at the demonstration and the issue of violence and vandalization at these events. After the video, attendees discussed it’s relation to Kananaskis.
“I want to go so that I can support everyone. I want to feel like I’m doing my part—by doing, it makes you feel like you’re doing something, like you are part of a global voice,” said U of T student Lisa Aldridge.
Fear was an undercurrent in the room, with much talk of how the new anti-terrorism bill could be used to suppress demonstrators’ rights.
“All we can do is proceed forward with this,” said Michelle Robidoux. “We will never get nearly as much people as were received in Genoa, but we need to pass this torch. A better world is coming.”
