Protesters target Gap labor policy on eve of G-8 summit

Japan Policy & Politics, July 1, 2002

CALGARY, Canada, June 26 Kyodo

Antiglobalization activists rallied Tuesday in Calgary against multinational corporations like Gap Inc. on the eve of a two-day summit of the Group of Eight (G-8) major powers at the Rocky Mountain resort of Kananaskis.

In front of a downtown Calgary Gap store, about 100 demonstrators protested the clothing retailer's labor and environmental policies, chanting ''Boycott Gap'' and ''Save redwoods. Stop sweatshops.''

The protesters accuse Gap of buying clothing from sweatshops in developing countries and the family that controls the company of destroying a redwood forest in California.

It was one of several nonviolent demonstrations in this southern Alberta city ahead of the annual G-8 summit in Kananaskis, about 90 kilometers from Calgary.

Last summer, Canada selected the remote mountain resort as the G-8 meeting venue after massive antiglobalization demonstrations marred last year's G-8 summit in Genoa, Italy, where police killed one activist during a protest.

Access to this year's venue site is being strictly restricted to fend off protesters and to prevent a terrorist attack following the Sept. 11 suicide attacks on the U.S.

As one of the major issues at this year's summit, the leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States are scheduled to discuss ways of strengthening assistance to Africa.

Near the international media center set up in downtown Calgary as the base for thousands of journalists covering the meeting, people wearing masks with the eight leaders' portraits appealed to passersby for the need to boost aid to African countries.