Are we ready for G20?

A phenomenon is developing, encouraged by the ‘power to the people’ awakening across the Middle East, fuelled by harsh austerity measures enforced to counteract a damaged world economy, and entwined with unemployment, fear and anger. The mix is potentially explosive, and it could erupt on our doorstep.

To control the anxiety, there are certain things we do know about the upcoming summit. The centre of Cannes will be in lockdown and no one will be allowed in unless they are carrying a badge. A protest will take place in Nice on 1st November, starting in Place Garibaldi. According to protest group ‘Globalise Resistance’ this will be the biggest of the G20 demonstrations. Another march will be staged in Cap d’Ail on the Monaco border in protest of tax havens. Petrol stations in Cannes and Nice will be closed, and local hospitals have cancelled non-urgent surgery in preparation for a possible influx of patients.

It is also clear who will lead the protests - Occupy France, the national branch of the international organisation that has managed to rally incredible support for its (largely non-violent) protests since their first occupation began in Wall Street. We can also be sure that Black Bloc will make its mark this November - the anarchist group accused of hijacking ‘Occupy Rome’ and perpetrating the shocking violence at the Toronto G20 summit last year. People will also march under the banners of Globalise Resistance and People First, Not Finance.

But other details are still unclear. Despite contacting a number of different protest groups under a decoy, The Riviera Times has been unable to gather any more information. They either don’t know if there will be other protests, or are remaining tight-lipped. Therefore, many questions remain: with Cannes centre under lock down, where will the Cannes protests be? Are there more protests planned for Nice apart from the publicised 1st November march (two days before the actual summit)? And will we see a repeat of the violent 2000 summit protests in Nice?

Avenue Jean-Médecin in Nice is likely to bear the brunt of disruptions, however there seems to be little concern among retailers. One jewellery shop owner told The Riviera Times that they’re actually confident their business will not be affected by the protests: “I am not worried about the G20 violence. My shop will remain closed on 1st November like any other public holiday. I have no real worries that it will be broken into.” Alain Afflelou, an optician, added, “Yes, it (violence) happened in 2000, and of course it is scary, but it will not affect our opening hours.” This was the general attitude among Jean Médecin retailers, and the head of security for the Alpes-Maritimes, Jean-Michel Drevet, has also expressed little concern that the demonstrations will have a major impact, saying, “The protest plans are still being discussed. Nothing is definite as of yet.”

Still, around 12,000 police will be called in to control the protests, with aerial surveillance and hundreds of CCTVs also operating. In an effort to stop protesters filing in from the east, the France-Italy border will be tightening security as early as Monday 24th October, clamping down on passport checks. Transport links to the Côte d’Azur will also be limited, flights disrupted, and heavy goods vehicles banned from the A8 motorway between Cannes and Nice airport.

As to how far the protesters will go, and where they will go, we can only wait and see.

Cassandra Tanti and Louise Kirby