G20

Melbourne has been hosting the G20 - an international gathering of financial ministers and central bankders from the EU and 19 other large economic players including the emerging economies of Brazil and India. To my limited understanding the countries involved talk, among other things, about trade agreements, climate change, and preventing financial disasters such as the Asian Crisis of 1997. And when there are international gatherings of leaders, there are the poor middle class socialists fighting against the machine:

Protesters have breached barricades outside the G20 summit venue, overturning up to 200 water-filled plastic barriers in the first direct test of police security measures.

Scuffles broke out as police prevented protesters entering a McDonald's restaurant and mounted police have formed a line between marchers and a Nike store at the corner of Bourke and Swanston streets.

Up to 200 masked protesters in white protective suits attacked barricades in Collins St, outside the Grand Hyatt, venue of the global economic summit. While a small group occupied the intersection, the larger group ran west along Collins St and north into Russell, overturning and dismantling barriers.

Mounted police in riot gear, their horses fitted with perspex face masks and shin protectors, formed a line to block Collins St west of Russell St as police battled to reerect the barriers.

And uniformed police have formed a "human wall" in front of the Nike store at the corner of Bourke and Swanston streets.

And now, of course, with these displays of protest and violence, the finacial ministers will look outside their windows and say, "Hey, did you know there are problems in the world? Shit. Let's try to fix them. Oh wait, why are we here again..." Do they really think the representative of, say, India would neglect to mention there are millions of his people starving.

What would destroy more lives? A multi-national corporation running a factory in a third world country or that country's economy collapsing? Is a financial minister going to listen to a bunch of angry anti-establishment protestors?

Finally, note how Peter Costello's brother Tim has distanced his admirable "Make Poverty History" campaign away from the protestors. No doubt head-cracking will ensue.

Update:

Paul Holman, operations manager for the Metropolitan Ambulance Service, said today the protests were by far the worst he had seen in 30 years.

"It was abhorrent. Just disgusting. It is not behaviour our society is used to," Mr Holman said.

"I have no problems with people demonstrating. I have problems with people taking over the streets," he said.

Mr Holman, who has worked at numerous major rallies in Melbourne, including the World Economic Forum protests of 2000, said yesterday's protesters were highly organised and the most violent.

I thought these people were all peace and love. Wonder why no one take them seriously .