Globalise Resistance

Globalise Resistance (GR) is a British anti-capitalist activist group. The group was established after the emergence of the anti-globalisation movement and sought to bring together a broad array of organisations opposed to neo-liberal capitalism and corporate power.

The group has organised conferences on the issues of the movement and organised transport to demonstrations at international summits. In 2001, for instance, GR organised a train for those wishing to participate in protests in Genoa. This was banned for a time by the French government, but ultimately reinstated, through threats of strike action by French railway workers and complaints from leading figures in the Genoa Social Forum who were organising the protests.

On its website, the group explains "We believe the broader the movement and the more inclusive it is, the greater its chances of success. We seek to increase the involvement of Trade Unions and to increase collaboration between different strands of the movement, including environmentalists, NGOs, progressive faith groups and other campaigning organisations." Their emphasis on the radical possibilities of younger anti-capitalist activists joining with trade unions (as in the teamster/turtle kids alliance that shut down the WTO in Seattle in 1999) is demonstrated by their co-organising for actions such as the protests held in support of cleaners at Canary Wharf during the European Social Forum in London in 2004.

GR has been heavily involved in the three European Social Forums. Through involvement in the ESF process GR was key to getting the call for the largest global day of protest against the impending Iraq war on February 15 2003 [http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=3323] . Critics have argued that this is a way for members of the Socialist Workers' Party to participate in the organisation of the events from which political parties are banned.

Although founded in response to the burdgeoning anti-capitalist movement, GR has also engaged with other issues. It opposed the wars against Afghanistan and Iraq and was heavily involved in protests against the visit of the president of the United States George W. Bush on 21st November 2003.

Globalise Resistance Scotland were heavily involved in the G8 Alternatives coalition, one of the groups organising protests in Scotland against the G8 in 2005.

Since the G8 Globalise Resistance has been involved in direct action to attempt to shut down the WTO in Hong Kong alongside Korean sister group 'All Together', worked alongside anti-corporate campaigners in Russia on issues such as environment pollution and the unaccoutable wealth of Russia's oligarchs and through membership of the committees for the campaign against Climate Change and No2ID helped build respectively the global demonstrations against Climate Change in December 2005, and the ongoing campaign against ID cards in the UK.

Recently, the organisation was represented at the World Social Forums held in Nairobi, Kenya. They participated in a slum march in Kibera the largest slum district on the outskirts of Nairobi, where people live in appaling conditions. However South African and Kenyan shack dwellers vigorously opposed this march on the grounds that it had been organised by the Northern NGO left without consultation with the people of Kibera. [http://www.abahlali.org]

Criticisms of Globalise Resistance

Globalise Resistance has been criticised by many in the anarchist/autonomist direct action movement. For example, SchNEWS, with contributions from Earth First! and Reclaim the Streets, produced a [http://www.schnews.org.uk/monopresist/monopoliseresistance/index.htm pamphlet] titled 'Monopolise Resistance' in which they described Globalise Resistance as a front group for the Socialist Workers Party.

External links

* [http://www.resist.org.uk/ Globalise Resistance web site]
* [http://www.grscotland.net/ Globalise Resistance Scotland web site]