The slogan on Randy Steinhauer's T-shirt seemed to sum up the feelings of more than 100 anti-G-8 activists who gathered at an Edmonton hotel Saturday. "Global Corporate Rule: The New Fascism."
The activists were taking part in a day of workshops and lectures organized by the Canadian Auto Workers union on the upcoming G-8 meeting in Kananaskis, June 26-27.
"It would be great if we could actually disrupt it so much we'd shut it down," said Steinhauer, who plans to take part in protests during the meeting. "We want to show them that people are really upset and unhappy."
A handbill distributed at the session said "the G-8 is undemocratic and exclusive, making decisions behind closed doors that affect people around the world."
The day's sessions were focused on the G-8 meeting, but also levelled a more general attack on free trade and international business.
The participants in one Saturday morning session, called Wheelin' and Dealin', sat at round tables in a conference room at the Crowne Plaza and discussed international agreements and entities, including the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation, the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas and the International Monetary Fund, which are more commonly known as APEC, FTAA and IMF.
Participants were asked to think of different words for the letters in each acronym. For APEC, they came up with Association for Peppering Engaged Citizens, which produced a lot of applause and laughter.
Tom Marois, a master's student in political science at the University of Alberta, said he attended because he felt a responsibility to get involved in the anti-globalization movement.
"It's less for protesting and more for solidarity," Marois said. "It's showing solidarity against the idea that all problems can somehow be solved through market globalization."
The overarching message of the sessions was that free trade agreements and international organizations such as the World Bank and the IMF are in place to benefit big business and elites, leaving people to the whims of the globalized market.
"It sounds cliched, but the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer," said Fiona Cavanagh.
While much of the organized anti-G-8 protesting will take place in Calgary, a group of Edmonton activists is planning a "community solidarity march" on June 26.
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