Tens of thousands of protesters have taken over the streets of Genoa, Italy as the Group of 8 industrial nationsbegin their annual meeting today.

G-8 leaders are meeting to discuss the economic slump that has brought economic growth in much of the world to ahalt. But aides to the Presidents and Prime Ministers of the world’s richest countries say they are unlikely topay attention to calls from poorer nations for new initiatives on debt relief or development.

One Malaysian newspaper, commenting on the meeting, denounced the neo-liberal policies of the G8 as a “peacefulslaughter” of poorer countries and condemned their “reluctance to pursue equitable and responsible globalsolutions” to economic and social problems.

It might be easier for leaders of the world’s richest nations to hear the voices of the poor if they weren’t beingkept out by the 20 foot high iron barriers that surround the old city where the meeting is taking place. Nearly20,000 heavily armed police are patrolling the city, large parts of which have been completely shut down, whileMissile launchers ring Genoa’s airport.

Yesterday an estimated 30,000 people marched peacefully through the streets of Genoa calling for open borders forimmigrants and carrying signs that read “no nations, no borders” and “the world is not for sale, throw the bankersin jail.”

Guests:

• Laurent Jesozer, with Attac-France.
• Megan, of Globalize Resistance in Britain.

Related links:

• Attac-France
• Globalize Resistance