The G-20 Summit

[PWNED]

I'm not sure if any of the non-Australian members have heard of this but the G-20 summit is on this weekend and things are not going too well at all. For those who don't know, this is what G-20 is all about:
[I]
The G-20 is an informal forum which promotes an open and constructive dialogue between finance ministers and central bank governors from systemically significant industrial and emerging market economies. Representing around two-thirds of the world?s population and 85 per cent of world gross domestic product, the G-20 is uniquely placed to tackle issues of significance for the international economy and monetary system.[/I]

Well, We are having slight problems in Melbourne right now (Where hte forum is held this year) as there have been a nasty riot in the city today. A handful of protestors were arrested and a dozen or so Police officers were injuired, with one officer being hospitalised. There is still another day of the summit which has buggered me up as i've cancelled my trip into the city for this Gaming Exhibition that I've been planning to go to for weeks.


And honestly, the blame can be fully pinned on this anti-globalisation group (Don't know it's name) that has gone on the record and said they just wanted to cause violence. It's giving us Melbournians a bad name and I am pissed off big time.


What are the thoughts of my fellow members?

[James]

[font=arial]I am a Melbournian myself and I remember the last time a summit like this was held (not sure if it was G-20 or a different one), but that was absolutely horrific. Several police had bones broken and one even had a bucket of urine thrown over them - it was digusting. And the group who started the violence had the gall to blame the police. I think they exercised a lot of restraint, given the circumstances.

In that case (and probably in this case too), the group who really began getting violent wasn't actually Australian (though it no doubt had Australian members). I think the group is called S11 or something...they're an international protest group who travel the world looking for certain summits (like G-20) to crash. Unfortunately they seem to like riling the police up, which often ends in people getting hurt.

I don't think it tarnishes the image of Melbourne though; these people attend such events everywhere they are held in the world. There isn't much that can be done about it, other than trying to arrest those involved.[/font]