A chara, – The announcement of the G8 summit in Fermanagh (Home News, November 21st) should be a cause for concern for citizens of this country, particularly in relation to their right to protest as over the past decade these summits have become the occasions for the police and other security forces to indulge in carnivals of repression.
This can be seen in figures compiled by the G8 and G20 Research Groups at the University of Toronto which show costs of “securing” G8 summits rising from $40 million for Italy in 2001 to $309.4 million for Canada in 2010. These are obscene sums to contemplate in times of government austerity and cutbacks.
There is a local aspect to this issue as well given the dismal history of the PSNI’s predecessor in dealing with democratic dissent. It is essential that the democratic leadership of the Northern Ireland Assembly ensures that the mission of the PSNI while policing the summit is to facilitate, not frustrate, protest. – Is mise,