MOVEMENT IN DECLINE?
Reuters reporters Christopher Noble and Jon Boyle say the anti-globalization protestors are wondering why their movement isn't what it once was. It looks like what happened in the United States--a cooling of the fashion for protest, combined with a redeployment of union energies--is happening in Europe as well:
The anti-globalisation movement, a regular if uninvited guest at world economic conferences, is wondering which way to go after its disappointing show at the Group of Eight summit in Evian....
"It's problematic, disappointing, because we've done other counter-summits, in Genoa for example, where there were a lot more people," said Christal, a protester who said she was a teacher from the French city of Grenoble."
We thought (people) would turn out in huge numbers to protest this globalisation, but in fact you get the impression there are divisions everywhere," she said."
There were maybe fewer people than in Genoa...partly because the strikes against pension reforms in France limited the presence of the trade unions," said Helene Ballande of Friends of the Earth, who was in Annemasse, south of Geneva at another protest camp.