The openMovements series invites leading social scientists to share their research results and perspectives on contemporary social struggles.
Germany, Hamburg on 7 July 2017. Protesters rally before summit in an art performance.On July 8, 2017, the last day of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, an estimated 76,000 people came together under the motto of ‘solidarity without borders instead of G20’ and marked the largest yet protest against G20. According to Deutsche Welle around 170 organisations had registered to participate, mainly from European and German leftist, environmentalist, peace organisations and trade unions. This mass demonstration marked an end to a week of actions ranging from a 2-day alternative summit, to various forms of protests, demonstrations and civil disobedience.
The alternative summit was modelled on the World Social Forums, with multiple plenaries and workshops during which global problems such as poverty, exploitation, oppression, war and the destruction of nature, their linkages and possible alternatives were discussed. The demonstrations included performance artists covering themselves in grey crusty clay moving silently through the city, demonstrations on boats creating a sea of banners, a G20 not welcome demonstration, and an education demonstration. Some groups embraced a number of different disruptive strategies to block access to various meeting sites. Also, some anarchist groups targeted shops, buildings and cars, leading to violent confrontation with the police.
