Summer of discontent?

8 Apr, 2009 - Lloyds

There are growing signs that deteriorating socio-economic conditions in the west could lead to more widespread acts of civil unrest and that some countries could be facing a summer of discontent.

Ian Mansfield, counter terrorism security advisor at the City of London police, says that the profile of the typical protester is changing.

“Middle-class individuals who wouldn't previously have considered joining demonstrations may now seek to vent their anger through protests this year,” he says. “So now we're seeing disgruntled savers, for example, as well as the anarchists.”

Mansfield says that banks have become possible targets. So too have other financial institutions and the headquarters of multinational companies which could be blamed for the financial crisis.

Activists are increasingly intent on coming on to the streets to create public disorder, Mansfield says, and businesses run the risk of disruption and malicious damage as well as possible reputational damage.

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Surge in single issue direct action

Pepe Egger also expects to see an increase in the number of protests over specific corporate actions.

He points to the recent strike by workers at the Lindsey Oil refinery in the UK over the use of foreign workers. The strike ended when the employer promised 102 new jobs to British workers in addition to those given to Italian labourers.

“There will be more actions like this as a reaction to perceived injustices, against the background of some companies and financial institutions being bailed out by government,” Egger says.

Elsewhere in Europe, there were four arson attacks on closed branches of Swedish supermarkets Willys, Ica Maxi and Tempo in Södertälje, near Stockholm in February. Three supermarkets were completely destroyed and one damaged in the attacks which Swedish authorities blamed on Global Intifada, an anti-capitalist left-wing group.

In France, a clandestine organisation calling itself CRAV claimed responsibility for burning down a major Languedoc winery, perceived to be an enemy of hard pressed small independent vineyards.

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