Protesters decry G7 elitism, demand equity as pandemic persists

Amy Woodburn began to sing after protesters finished marching and sat in front of her band in Gyllyngvase Beach in the southwestern British seaside resort of Cornwall on Friday afternoon, reported Xinhua.

The song "Pretty Lies" penned by the 42-year-old Cornish woman instantly struck a chord with her audience.

As the three-day Group of Seven (G7) summit kicked off in Cornwall, protesters took to the streets in multiple areas to express their discontent over the "rich countries club" -- its empty promises as well as its role in perpetuating the disparity between the rich and the poor -- when a pandemic-hit world makes a stronger case for global cooperation, inclusion and sharing.

Cornwall, known as "a land of haves and have-nots," is one of the poorest regions in Britain and Europe. Behind the facade of its beautiful beaches lies unanswered destitution and deprivation.

The lavish G7 summit is an "ugly contrast" to the daily reality in poverty-hit Cornwall, said Unite, a trade union that represents workers in Britain and Ireland, this week.

That ugly contrast is illustrative of the world's problems today, as poor countries live in desperation while rich countries don't do enough to help. The global access to COVID-19 vaccines and the climate crisis are two issues brought up the most by the protesters.

The G7 countries have reserved more than a third of the world's vaccine supply, despite making up only 13 percent of the global population. Canada, Britain and the United States have had enough doses to vaccinate their entire populations multiple times over.

Even though Britain and the United States have made promises to share doses, they are yet to make good on them. Experts worry it may be too late for the world when the rich countries finally honor their pledges.

The protesters were not satisfied with how the G7 countries are tackling the deepening climate crisis, either.