Thousands of demonstrators flocked to the streets of Germany on Thursday ahead of the G7 summit in Bavaria. The main rally took place in Munich, with participants accusing world leaders of failing to act on major global issues.
The demonstrators had a long list of complaints and demands for G7 leaders, ranging from poverty reduction to climate change and rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean.
"The G7 politics means neo-liberal economic policies, war and militarization, exploitation, poverty and hunger, environmental degradation, and [shutting out] refugees," the group Stop G7 Elmau 2015 wrote on its website.
Protesters marched through Munich while carrying signs reading: "The world is not a commodity," and "Stop TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership)."
Some wore masks depicted the faces of G7 leaders while holding an "Even it up - Time to end extreme inequality" banner.
A giant pesticide bottle was also part of the demonstration, protesting against Monsanto - the controversial agrichemical company known for its genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
On the forefront of the protesters' agenda was the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a trade deal which is currently under negotiation between Europe and the US.
Protests against the deal come as little surprise, despite it having Chancellor Angela Merkel's support. A recent survey found that around 43 percent of Germans believe the deal would be bad for the country, Deutsche Welle reported.
'Dark day for democracy': Wikileaks releases 17 docs exposing secret TiSA trade deal http://t.co/EHDsZkoXBp pic.twitter.com/yyxly6sVFb— RT (@RT_com) June 4, 2015
Comment: It's long past time school systems started taking an active role in helping feed the growing number of hungry children in America. Now if only they would stop punishing those that are taking active steps ahead of the curve, and made such a program national policy.