A-Infos (en) Britain, Media: Anarchists Turn on Charm to Woo Scots

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ANARCHISTS are planning to use a variety of tactics to win over
Scots to their cause during the G8 summit in Gleneagles this summer.
In the face of what they label "anti-anarchist hysteria",
they aim to launch a charm offensive to counteract their
reputation as violent protesters, hoping that organising
positive, community based events will help them to attract
positive attention to their cause.
The Dissent network has this week been holding its Festival
of Dissent planning event in Lanarkshire. One project being
planned was Cre8 Summat, a project that aims to help
communities across Scotland. Similar projects in the US
proved a great success during the last G8 summit in
Savannah, Georgia.

Dissent say that the American projects "saw crews of
anarchists armed with hammers and crowbars engaged in
cleaning and repairing housing".

The Cre8 organisers wish to do the same, saying: "We have a
strength and depth of skills and imagination within our
movement to do some really good stuff and to start to build
the world we want."

They hope that the projects organised by Cre8 will "provide
a field of activity for people who may not be attracted by
confrontational actions or passive mass demonstrations.

This will bring anti G8 protest from the abstract global
level to the local and tangible."

Suggestions for suitable projects range from housing repair
operations in Edinburgh to helping with conservation
projects in Perthshire.

The only prerequisite is that "projects should work directly
with communities already suffering from corporate
globalisation".

Edinburgh Council leader Donald Anderson faced criticism
last week when he said demonstrations should have a feel of
Fringe Festival events.

The Cre8 project is one of a number of peaceful protest
initiatives currently being organised for this year's G8
summit in Gleneagles.

Tayside Police's chief constable, John Vine, said "Peaceful
protest is a right that I strongly support . . . I am always
delighted when a protest group gives a commitment to
non-violent peaceful protest."


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