Posted: Thu Jul 26 2001
G8 Protesters Blame Cars/Vans For Globalization

(Genoa, Italy)
Police warned anyone with a vehicle to stay at home until the conference is over after protesters smashed and burned cars and vans all over the city.

"At some point," explains a protestor, "you just have to say 'Enough! We won't take this anymore!' All the world leaders ride in cars, and all of the richest nations are full of cars. I think the evidence speaks for itself."

The protests started out peacefully enough. Thousands of middle-income white people had gathered along the picturesque streets of Genoa with placards bearing slogans like "Let's keep cars out of Rawanda" and "Honk if you hate the globalization caused by the poliferation of affordable automobiles around the world."

Although several protesters were hospitalized due to carrying the heavy signs, the real violence started later in the day.

Around 2:00 in the afternoon, several vehicles drove through the area, where they were smashed, overturned, and set aflame. "They were taunting us with those 'cars', so we took action," say the protestors.