As the Group of Seven (G7) nations ended their three-day gathering in Hiroshima, Japan on Sunday, they vowed to impose stronger sanctions against Russia amid the ongoing Ukraine crisis. However, the G7 members were met by numerous protesters who expressed their discontent with the communique and other documents adopted by the summit. Placards and banners saying “No War-themed Conference,” “Hands off on Ukraine,” and “No to Japan-U.S. military alliance” were spotted in Fukuromachi Park, where the protestors assembled on Sunday morning, not far from the Peace Memorial Park that was closed due to the G7 leaders’ visit. Chanting slogans such as “No to War” and “Smash the G7 Hiroshima Summit,” the rally went along Hiroshima’s main streets, crowded by hundreds of riot police officers who had to be on guard to ensure the safety of the G7 members during their stay in Hiroshima.
According to Ryo Miyahara, head of a Hiroshima citizens’ group and the protest’s organizer, the summit was becoming increasingly hostile. “To summarize, it is never a peaceful summit,” he stated at the demonstration site. During the protest, several people accused the G7 Hiroshima Summit of being a war-themed conference sponsored by US-promoted hegemonism in its essence. They also accused the Japanese government of ruthlessly trampling on the views of atomic bombing victims and local residents by holding such a summit in Hiroshima. “We will not tolerate such a summit,” they added.
Although they supported Ukraine “for as long as it takes,” the G7 nations, led by the United States, announced specific measures to sanction Russia in a standalone statement on Ukraine on Friday, prior to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s in-person visit starting on Saturday. Following a meeting, U.S. President Joe Biden then announced a new package of military aid to Ukraine worth $375 million.
The G7 is made up of the United States, Britain, Italy, France, Germany, Canada, and Japan, and other leaders from countries like South Korea, Brazil, Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and India were invited to the three-day gathering, along with some international organizations.
However, the protests indicate a growing sentiment amongst ordinary people that the G7 and their policies do not represent them and that they have little desire for the continued pursuit of global dominance. For these people, the G7 is seen as a meeting of the elites, who make decisions affecting the world, without taking into account the views of ordinary people. This feeling of exclusion has grown stronger in recent years, with public dissatisfaction at the rise in socio-economic inequality and the apparent failure of politicians to address the concerns of the common man.
The global pandemic has also brought to light how vulnerable societies are, and the need for decisive action to tackle humanity’s problems, not just at the national but international levels. The G7 has failed in many of these regards, with many of the policies that it has promoted coming under criticism because they do not address the root causes of the crises being experienced across the world. Many of the protesters fear that the G7 will continue to promote policies that benefit the powerful few, with little regard for the needs and desires of the many.
In conclusion, the protests that took place during the G7 summit in Hiroshima indicate the growing discontent in many parts of the world. Although the G7 nations remain an important bloc in terms of their influence on global affairs, people in different parts of the world are starting to challenge their dominance, pushing for a more inclusive and democratic way of making decisions. As the world embarks on a new era defined by significant changes, including the shift in power from the West to the East, it may be time to redefine what the G7 stands for, or perhaps to have a more representative and open approach to decision-making.
