One of the more striking images to emerge from the weekend of violence associated with the G8 summit in Genoa was of a young man laying a wreath at the spot where 23-year-old protester, Carlo Giuliani, lost his life. The mourner wore a tee shirt upon which a message was emblazoned. It did not enjoin the workers of the world to unite nor did it condemn the perceived evils of capitalism and globalisation. It bore instead, the two globally recognised words: "Versace Couture."
In these days, when image appears to count far more than substance, many well-known "labels" were worn by the demonstrators. Anti-globalisation protesters will not like it, but there is some evidence that it may have become fashionable, even chic, to embark on the type of destructive activity witnessed at major politico-economic events in recent years.
The death of Carlo Giuliani came about at the hands of frightened young conscripts of the Carabinieri, an armed paramilitary gendarmerie closer in training and equipment to the army than to the regular Italian police. The provision of live ammunition to quasi-soldiers functioning as law-enforcement officers dealing with demonstrators, however violent, is not only morally questionable, it is also extremely unwise with regard to its possible political consequences. It was clear from the violence in Gothenburg that an extremely tense and violent situation would arise in Genoa.
To put a loaded gun in the hands of a raw conscript and send him into the sharp end of the street violence smacks of carelessness, lack of planning and irresponsible behaviour at a high level. The attitude of Italy's right-wing prime minister, Mr Silvio Berlusconi, may be gleaned from comments in his family-owned newspaper Il Giornale of Milan. It accused a succession of centre-left European governments of breeding a "generation of genetically modified youngsters."
As for the summit itself, very little seems to have been achieved. The most significant political outcome appears to have been progress in discussions between Presidents Bush and Putin towards resolving their differences on the question of a US ballistic missile defence system. But this progress was made at a bilateral meeting that was not part of the summit.
The main area of agreement among the Group of Eight was that a "strong, dynamic, open and growing global economy" was the best means to eliminate poverty - especially in Africa - and that relief from the debt which has crippled so many Third-World countries was "only one of the steps needed to stimulate faster growth." Such advice from rich countries, some of which gained their wealth from the plunder of Africa's resources, betrays a lack of sensitivity that may engender a hostile response in that continent. No progress appears to have been made on differences over the Kyoto protocol on climate change, while there was general agreement that G8 summits in future may be held in smaller, remoter and more defensible locations. Not a great weekend's work.