The annual conference of the Group of Seven largest economies is scheduled to take place in the Bavarian Alps of Germany, and over 4,000 protesters have assembled in Munich.
A/P MUNICH — As the G-7’s top economic powers prepared to meet annually in Germany, which is the group’s rotating president this year, the Bavarian Alps, about 4,000 demonstrators gathered in Munich.
The low attendance at Munich’s Theresienwiese park disappointed organizers, who had wanted to mobilize up to 20,000 demonstrators, according to German news agency DPA.
One of the protest’s organizers, Uwe Hiksch, speculated that potential participants could feel it unacceptable to oppose the richest democracies in the world when Russia is waging war in Ukraine.
Hirsch told DPA, “We get the impression that a lot of people are disturbed by the war in Ukraine.
When the G-7 met at the same location in Bavaria seven years ago, 35,000 people took part in protests.
On Saturday afternoon, the G-7 leaders—from the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan—are anticipated to begin arriving in Germany. On the summit’s agenda are topics including the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, climate change, energy, and an impending food security catastrophe.
In a video podcast released on Saturday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz referred to growing costs for food, fuel, and other necessities as “Russia’s cruel conflict against Ukraine is also having an impact here.”
15 anti-globalization organizations, including the WWF and the global Attac network, urged people to take part in protests in advance of this weekend’s conference.
They called for the phase-out of fossil fuels, the preservation of the variety of animals and plants, social fairness, and a more aggressive campaign against hunger.
Kilian Wolter from the environmental organization Greenpeace stated, “My requests for the G-7 are that they have a clear commitment to the energy transition, that is, the exit from fossil fuels, all types of fossil fuels, by 2035 at the latest, so we can stop subsidizing wars and conflicts.
Earlier on Saturday, during a different demonstration calling for greater global equality.
Oversized heads of the G-7 presidents were worn by Oxfam members who fight poverty.
Tobias Hauschild, a spokeswoman for Oxfam, told The Associated Press that “we need to take immediate, decisive action to address the many problems of our time. “This means that the G-7 must act right away. Hunger, inequality, and poverty must be combated.
Around 18,000 police officers are stationed all around the protests and summit location.
The G-7 leaders will examine the current state of affairs brought on by the conflict in Ukraine, according to Scholz, “while simultaneously ensuring that we end manmade climate change.”
On Saturday night, the leaders were scheduled to be greeted by the chancellor at the Elmau resort outside Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
From Sunday through Tuesday, Elmau, in Bavaria, will host the actual G-7 conference. Following the meeting, the annual summit of the NATO alliance, which is taking place in Madrid on Wednesday and Thursday, will bring together the leaders of the 30 member nations.
Philipp Jenne and Pietro De Cristofaro contributed from Munich, while Grieshaber reported from Berlin.
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