Last week, campaigners from numerous organisations brought their grievances about the human rights abuses of G4S directly to their annual general meeting.
Inside the AGM, as the Chairman, John Connolly, was reading his statement, activists who, had entered the meeting as shareholders, interrupted, set off horns, unfurled a ‘Stop G4S’ banner while chanting ‘Who killed Jimmy Mubenga? G4S did! G4S did!’ As hapless G4S ‘security’ guards bundled some of the protestors out, others began reading prepared statements. But eventually the meeting was brought back to order.
Protest inside the G4S AGM (6 June 2013)
The assembled board were left unnerved and extremely uncomfortable following the protests and Connolly was forced to apologise for the disruptions (and presumably for failing to secure his own AGM!) However the barrage continued in the form of questions from shareholders.
Questioning the board
Executive Director Ashley Lamanza (the new Nick Buckles) and John Connolly were forced to defend the company’s activities in Palestine and repeatedly said that they were content that the company complied with international human rights law.
Other questions followed on G4S’ other activities. How much had the UK Border Agency/Home Office fined the firm for the death of Jimmy Mubenga? Why asked a woman was G4S recently awarded a contract to run two sexual assault referral centres in the west Midlands? Would the board publish figures on the number of people who die in G4S custody or care and the measures the firm would take to reduce such deaths? Does the company pay the UK Living Wage rate to all UK employees and has it ensured on-site contractors also received the UK Living Wage?
Why were people there?
The protest was organised by the Stop G4S coalition in conjunction with numerous organisations, NGOs, trade unions, charities and faith groups and campaigning organisations. A number put out statements:
John Snowdon (Stop G4S): ‘G4S has failed to prevent its staff abusing and using extreme violence against migrants. It is unbelievable that G4S is still allowed to run two migrant detention centres.’
Diana Neslen (Stop G4S): ‘G4S has manoeuvred itself into a pole position to profit from the coalition government’s plans to destroy public services. The government’s wholesale privatisation of public services is already proving disastrous. Its willingness to hand control of public services to a company that has shown such disregard for human rights is terrifying.’
Related links
Stop G4S story: ‘G4S feel the heat at AGM’
War on Want film on the protest
Read an IRR News story: ‘Jimmy Mubenga: a day in the life of an inquest‘
Electronic Intifada story: ‘Palestine solidarity activists take over G4S meeting, catch occupation profiteer by surprise‘