London is bracing itself for the G20 protests with warnings from one of the organizers that there could be "real bankers hanging from lamp posts". Regardless of the hyperbole, it's another sign of how polarized the world has become in the wake of the financial meltdown with anti-capitalists, environmentalists, radical academics and resurgent anarchists preparing themselves for massive protests. Bankers are being urged to disguise themselves to avoid the protesters. There could be no shortage of executives in casual fitting wandering the streets of London doing their best to fit in with the crowd.
Bloomberg reports that all police leave has been cancelled and business is being urged to beef up security for the protests which will culminate next Wednesday, April 1 which has been called "Financial Fools Day".
Leaders of the G20 Meltdown group include a professor and a former soft porn model turned journalist. More details in the Telegraph.
It will be fascinating to see the tactics the protesters will use next week. The Times reports that protesters plan to use Twitter and text message alerts to stay one step ahead of the cops. Police, for their part, aren't giving much away apart from letting the world know they'll be out in force and they'll also be employing technology.
The G20 countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the US and the EU.
What exactly the G20 remains to be seen. There's a lot at stake here. That includes Gordon Brown whose popularity ratings are slipping as Britain heads towards an election next year.
But in the meantime, the protests will shed light on how divided the world has become over the last 18 months. Those issues are not going to go away.
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