g20voice

Liveblogging the G20

1:55:28 PM: The lunch break is over and the briefing session has, presumably, resumed, but those acquainted with ITQ and her allergy to sitting inside when there are events to be liveblogged has joined a small G20Voice breakaway sect, and is now playing hookey in The City, which is where The Protests are supposed to happen (or Happen). We’re a miscreant band of rebels from the G20Voice briefing, some of whom are dutifully photoblogging the annoyingly controlled chaos that is not so much breaking loose as politely introducing itself through the winding streets of the financial sector. It’s definitely a bigger and more diverse crowd than you’d find on the Hill at any given rally, but not exactly the blood in the streets that was billed. Has anyone coined the phrase “protest porn”? Because I think the leadup to this definitely applies. Anyway, we’ve now wandered off in search of a wily band of climate change protesters, which is also giving ITQ a rather unique introduction to London. Forget Big Ben – what does that sign say, and why is it upside down?

12:05:46 PM: Oh my. I’m — not sure what I’ve gotten myself into. Or rather, what we’ve all collectively gotten me into. I do hate ending sentences with a preposition, but I haven’t slept since yesterday morning, so cut me some slack. Anyway, after an adventurous wander through the ultrahigh security zone that is Westminster, I’ve made it to the briefing, just in time for the tail end of a presentation by Save The Children, which is quite insistent that we – the G20Voice bloggers – make sure that the leaders meeting tomorrow are reminded that the economic crisis isn’t the only one. I think that pretty much sums it up; as I’ve already noted, I was a bit late. Aside: Even for an O-Day survivor, it’s quite surreal outside this oasis of earnest, well-meaning calm that is the Methodist Central Hall. Everywhere you look, there are police – bobbies, I guess, but it feels so pretentious to call them that – strolling in pairs, huddled in clumps, standing at tube stations, alone but steadfast and waving at the people in the trains going by. Oh, and being accosted by rapidly-approaching-frazzled Canadian journalists asking timidly for directions, of course. Unfortunately, most of them weren’t able to help because, as the first one so besieged explained, they’ve been brought in from all over the country, so in most cases, aren’t any more well versed in Londonian urban geography than I am. Okay, so this event – the prebriefing – has, while I was typing the above missive, now transformed from presentation to roundtable. Well, it’s in the process of transforming; it’s a very consensus-keen group, so the question of whether to break off into table-sized chats or hold a room-wide plenary is being debated, in the politest possible sense of the word. Right now, however, someone whose name I didn’t so much miss as was never given at all – at least, not while I’ve been here – is waxing angrily eloquent about Germany, and its resistence to adopt the proposed financial regulatory system proposed by the other European countries. It’s an “overarching denial”, apparently. Anyway, the moderator throws it to the floor, and the guy sitting next to me eagerly seizes the microphone to agree with him: if there is insufficient stimulus for developing countries, the future is bleak for dealing with IMF loans and — saving the children. Oh, and apparently this session is being livestreamed – so if anyone out there is watching, you may get to see me — or at least the top of my head, bent as it is over this BlackBerry. I don’t think anyone in this room disagrees with the main point — that tomorrow’s meeting has to deal with the issues facing the developing world. “It’s going to be a mess,” another speaker predicts. Not sure if he means the conference or, you know, civilization as we know it. “We need signposts at this summit.”

Of course, it was within two stations of her ultimate destination, and technically, she did it twice, but still.

Oh my goodness, you guys! I’m going to London! Today, even! I fly out from lovely YOW this afternoon, and should be landing at Heathrow at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning, whereupon I will likely immediately get hopelessly lost. (Just playing the odds here, people.)

Hey, remember that whole send-ITQ-to-the-G20 campaign that Colleague Wells started  a few weeks back? Well, the results are in — and all I can say is: Wow.