2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Background
The average salary in Guadeloupe, the cause of the first general strike, is lower than in Metropolitan France although the unemployment and poverty rates on both islands are twice as high. Both islands are supported by subsidies from the French government.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Background
Four French overseas territories had the highest unemployment rates in the European Union in 2007: Réunion, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and French Guiana. Guadeloupe also has the highest youth unemployment rate in the European Union, with 55.7% in the 15-to-24-years age group unemployed.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Background, Race
The structure of the economy of the French Caribbean, a legacy of the colonial era, complicated the 2009 crisis. Most of Guadeloupe's and Martinique's largest land and business assets are controlled by the "békés", the white European descendants of the islands' settlers. The békés' ancestors had been the islands' colonists and slave holders. The majority of the Guadeloupean and Martiniquean populations, who are of Black African or mixed race descent, live in relative poverty (to the békés). For example, the békés of Martinique comprise 1% of the island's 401,000 population, and control most of the island's industries.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Background, Race
The residents of both Guadeloupe and Martinique are considered to be full French citizens. The euro is the official currency on both islands. The government and the day-to-day decisions affecting both islands are made in Paris, located thousands of miles away. Working families, especially lower-income families, have complained that it is difficult to pay for basic necessities due to the high cost of living. 70% of residents in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe's largest city, currently reside in public housing.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Background, Race
The islands are also afflicted by a number of other societal problems. The homicide rate in Guadeloupe is four times higher than that of Metropolitan France. Protesters in Guadeloupe and Martinique accused the French government of ignoring their economic and political concerns in the face of the looming global financial crisis of 2008–2009.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Guadeloupe
The protests initially began in Guadeloupe on 20 January 2009. An umbrella group of approximately fifty labour union and other associations known in the local Antillean Creole as the Liyannaj Kont Pwofitasyon (LKP) called for a €200 (US$260) monthly pay increase for the island's low income workers. The protesters proposed that authorities "lower business taxes as a top up to company finances" to pay for the €200 pay raises. Employers and business leaders in Guadeloupe said that they could not afford the salary increase.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Guadeloupe
Approximately 50,000 Guadeloupeans were reported to have taken part in the demonstrations. The Liyannaj Kont Pwofitasyon (LKP), which launched the protests, is also known as the "Stand up against exploitation" in English or the "Collectif contre l'exploitation outrancière" in French.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Guadeloupe
The government of France sent the Junior Minister of Overseas France Yves Jégo to Guadeloupe to negotiate with disgruntled employees and protesters. He proposed a deal to increase the salaries of 45,000 Guadeloupean workers by about $300. Jégo triggered much criticism among Guadeloupean strikers when he suddenly returned to Paris on Monday 9 February for a crisis meeting with French Prime Minister François Fillon.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Guadeloupe
Jégo's departure for the meeting in Paris with Prime Minister Fillon and other ministers was denounced by union leaders as a sign of "contempt" for LKP and their supporters during a time of crisis. Demonstrations erupted across Guadeloupe in response to Jégo's trip to France. More than 10,000 people marched in Pointe-à-Pitre, the largest city in Guadeloupe, while an additional 1,500 protesters gathered in Basse-Terre, the capital city.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Guadeloupe
Protesters chanted, "la Gwadloup se tan nou, la Gwadloup a pa ta yo, yo peke fe sa yo vle an peyi an nou", which translates to "Guadeloupe is ours, it is not theirs, they will not do what they want in our country." Demonstrators forced the closure of local stores and businesses in those cities. However, the stores reopened as soon as the protesters passed by.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Guadeloupe
Jégo returned to Guadeloupe (and Martinique) later in the week. Guadeloupean protesters remained angered by his perceived slight. A leader of the LKP, Élie Domota, told France Inter radio that, "The mediators have nothing new to tell us. They came supposedly to bring the parties closer together but they know nothing about the situation here. We are saying that the state has to help small Guadeloupe businesses to develop, to have access to bank credits, and also to pay for our wage increases."


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Guadeloupe
Jégo's original proposal, which would have increased the salaries of at least 45,000 workers by nearly US$300 per month, quickly fell apart. The unions demanded that the government alleviate extra cost by slashing payroll taxes. The French government flatly rejected the idea of cutting payroll taxes. The LKP thus suspended negotiations with mediators on Thursday 12 February 2009.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Guadeloupe
George Pau-Langevin, a French Socialist MP who was born in Guadeloupe but represents a portion of Paris, said that Guadeloupeans were not just protesting low incomes, but also "the indecent profits of big fuel and import-export companies." Guadeloupean deputy Victorin Lurel denounced the high price of fuel on the island as a "scandal."


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Guadeloupe
The main shipping container terminal at the port in Pointe-à-Pitre was closed and barricaded by protesters. Most Guadeloupean banks, schools, and government offices remained closed throughout the duration of the strike. All of Guadeloupe's 115 gas stations were closed in response to the strike. The strikes resulted in sporadic power outages and limited running water as utility workers walked off their jobs to join the protests. Supermarkets remained closed, and food imports were halted.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Guadeloupe
The strikes hit at the height of Guadeloupe's main tourism season. Guadeloupe depends on tourists, especially from France, for a significant portion of its economic income. Several hotels closed temporarily and charter flights from France and other parts of the Caribbean were canceled. Club Méditerranée, known more widely as Club Med, closed its main hotel on Guadeloupe in late January. Thousands of French tourists canceled their vacations to Guadeloupe as a result of the strike.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Guadeloupe, Escalation
After four weeks, the general strike on Guadeloupe escalated into rioting on Monday, 16 February 2009. Protesters clashed in several municipalities across the island, including the largest city, Pointe-à-Pitre, and the northern town of Sainte-Rose.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Guadeloupe, Escalation
Guadeloupe's main airport, Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport, was closed because debris was thrown on the runway, causing American Airlines to cancel all flights. Cars and trees were set on fire in the centre of Pointe-à-Pitre. A group of about sixty protesters clashed with two squadrons of police, who responded by firing tear gas. Police arrested approximately fifty people after protesters threw stones at them as the police tried to remove makeshift barricades in Pointe-à-Pitre. Most of those who were detained were later released after large crowds gathered outside the city's main police station.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Guadeloupe, Escalation
Protesters wearing hooded sweatshirts burned pallets and trashcans to block roads around the southern town of Le Gosier. Victorin Lurel, the Socialist leader of the Regional Council of Guadeloupe, described the situation on Guadeloupe as "on the verge of revolt." French Interior Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie called for "calm, responsibility and restraint."


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Guadeloupe, Escalation
Armed "youths" manning a makeshift roadblock shot and killed a local union representative in the city of Pointe-à-Pitre just after midnight on Wednesday, 18 February 2009. The victim, Jacques Bino, a 50-year-old tax agent and union member who was returning home from protests elsewhere, was the first person killed during the strike. Bino's car was hit three times by 12-gauge Brenneke-style shotgun slugs. Several police officers were also injured in the overnight violence. Unions leading the strikes called for a deescalation of violence on the island. Elie Domota, a leader of the LKP, told protesters, "Don't put your life in danger – don't endanger the lives of others."


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Guadeloupe, Escalation
The situation across the island continued to deteriorate throughout the day on Wednesday, 18 February. The mayor of Pointe-à-Pitre, Jacques Bangou, reported that three policemen were wounded by gunfire in the Cite Henri IV section of the city. Police fired tear gas to break up rioters, but Mayor Bangou told the AFP that there were still "exchanges of gunfire" in the neighborhood. A correspondent for AFP reported hearing more "blasts" in the city just before 0400 GMT on Wednesday.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Guadeloupe, Escalation
Elsewhere, looters attacked a shopping center and ransacked a perfumery and a tire store. A number of police officers were also injured when a group of up to 100 youths "rampaged" though the commercial district of Destrelland in the town of Baie-Mahault and fired guns at police, according to Baie-Mahault's mayor, Ary Chalus.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Guadeloupe, Escalation
More than 500 French police officers arrived in Guadeloupe on 19 February in an attempt to quell the ongoing violence following Bino's death. The deployment occurred after a third straight night of violence. Dozens of police officers landed in the southern town of Sainte-Anne, Guadeloupe, where protesting youths stormed and occupied the town's city hall. Sainte-Anne Mayor Richard Yacou said that the city hall was not damaged, but nearby businesses in the town were looted and burned. Rioters also fired weapons at police and burned at least five stores and restaurants in Le Gosier. Police dismantled the barricades leading to the main airport, which allowed tourists to leave the island.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Guadeloupe, Negotiations resume
Victorin Lurel, the president of Guadeloupe's regional council, demanded that the French government stop the violence and address underlying tensions. In response to the riots, President Nicolas Sarkozy announced a meeting of the elected leaders of the French overseas territories "to respond to the anxiety, the worry and a certain form of despair of our compatriots overseas."


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Guadeloupe, Negotiations resume
On 19 February, it was reported that the French government had offered to increase low earners' income by almost €200, in line with unions' demands. Negotiations between the government and the LKP were suspended on Friday, 25 February, partially in response to the funeral of Jacques Bino over the weekend. Talks resumed the following Monday. Representatives of the LKP met with French officials and business leaders in the city of Pointe-à-Pitre. Outside hundreds of demonstrators gathered, chanting, "We're here to negotiate" and "Guadeloupe belongs to us, it's not theirs."


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Martinique
The strike spread to neighbouring Martinique beginning on 5 February 2009. Protesters paralysed Martinique's capital city, Fort-de-France. An estimated 11,000 people had taken part in the demonstrations on Martinique in the first seven days of the strike, according to the local police. Martiniquean unions disagreed with the estimates, arguing that the protesters had numbered at least 25,000 individuals. Demonstrators carried pro-trade union signs and wore red shirts, representing the official color of the local unions.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Martinique
Protesters in Martinique demanded a monthly salary increase of nearly US$580 for all workers earning minimum wage on the island. They also called for a reduction in monthly electricity and water bills for Martinique residents.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Martinique
Government and transportation leaders reportedly agreed to reduce freight costs. In response, business leaders on Martinique agreed to lower the prices of 100 basic products, including food, by 20%.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Martinique
Martiniquean residents were reportedly shopping only at small, family-run grocery stores, as most large stores remained closed during the protests. Demonstrators were reported to have stormed most major chain supermarkets and forced them to close. Gas stations, which were closed in response to the strike, were serving only medical and emergency workers.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Martinique
Colonel François-Xavier Bourges, the police chief of Martinique, said that ten people had been arrested for stealing gasoline or looting. France deployed 130 riot police from mainland France to Martinique on 12 February 2009, to "ensure that order is maintained."


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Martinique
The tourism industry on Martinique grew increasingly impatient with the strikers and the lack of basic services. Benoit Le Cesne, the president of Martinique's hotel association, expressed concern over the potential negative effects on the tourism industry, "There are basically no more supplies, neither of gas nor food, and laundry services are no longer operating. If this continues, professionals will no longer be able to guarantee services promised to tourists." Unlike in Guadeloupe, the Club Med Buccaneer's Creek resort in Martinique remained open through the strike.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Martinique
On Monday, 16 February, protesters allowed 28 of Martinique's 85 gas stations to reopen and be resupplied. Residents and tourists lined up for hours to fill their cars' gas tanks. All small businesses who had reopened over the weekend were forced to close again. Protesters also blocked industrial areas of the island and the city centre in Fort-de-France.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Martinique
On Thursday, 20 February 2009, Fort-de-France Mayor Serge Letchimy announced the cancellation of Martinique's annual four-day Carnival, citing the ongoing general strike and the death of union activist Jacques Bino on neighboring Guadeloupe. Martinican police had criticized Letchimy's decision to hold the Carnival, saying that they did not have enough time to prepare due to the strike. The Carnival would have begun on 22 February. The annual carnival usually attracts 50,000 people to Fort-de-France. It was the first time in history that the festival had been cancelled.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Martinique, Martiniquan racial tensions
The protests in Martinique began to take on racial and class undertones due to the economic stresses. The békés, descendants of French European settlers, continue to hold most of the island's industrial capacity.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Martinique, Martiniquan racial tensions
Racial tensions rose during the first week of February after an hour long documentary, entitled The last masters of Martinique (Les derniers maîtres de la Martinique in French), was broadcast on a French television channel. The premise of the documentary was that the ethnically white French community had continued to dominate Martinique's economy throughout its history. Tensions were especially inflamed when a French businessman, Alain Huygues-Despointes, was quoted as saying that historians should explore "the positive aspects of slavery" and that Martinique's mixed-race families lacked "harmony." Following those statements, Martinique's Prefect Ange Mancini, who had been renting a home from Huygues-Despointes, announced that he had terminated a lease agreement with Huygues-Despointes and had moved to a new residence. The French government announced that it would open a criminal investigation into Huygues-Despointes following his controversial remarks.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Martinique, Martiniquan racial tensions
On Friday 13 February 2009, approximately 2,000 protesters marched while chanting slogans against Martinique's béké minority. The marchers, who were predominantly of the African majority descent, chanted, "Martinique is ours, not theirs!"


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Reaction of French government
French President Nicolas Sarkozy did not mention those events in his one-hour-and-a-half television talk of 5 February 2009. He acknowledged later the grievances of the strikers in his first remarks on the crisis, "There cannot be a two-speed society in which one part gets richer while the other stagnates and depends on benefits".


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Reaction of French government
Sarkozy ordered the government on 13 February 2009 to begin a review of France's policies towards its overseas territories. Sarkozy simultaneously announced the creation of a new government council to review policy toward all French overseas territories, a promise that he had made during the presidential campaign of 2007. He called for a "distribution des richesses" (distribution of wealth) to alleviate the societal and economic ills afflicting Guadeloupe and Martinique.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Reaction of French government
French government ministers were asked to propose new long-term measures intended to modernise and stimulate the economies of both islands. Sarkozy suggested that the government may open up the islands' economies to more economic competition but did not appear strongly to support the wage increases demanded by protesters; "We should beware of false good ideas for a short-term end to the conflict".


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Reaction of French government
Sarkozy sought to reassure residents that the government was not ignoring their concerns. He said that "Guadeloupe and Martinique are part of France" and that the islands' residents "have the sentiment that they are not always heard. We should continue to fight, every day, so that the country makes a larger place for those who represent the diversity of France".


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Ending the strikes: the Jacques Bino Accord
The strikes ended on 4 March 2009, when the French government agreed to raise the salaries of the lowest paid by €200 and granted the LKP their top 20 demands. The agreement was named the "Jacques Bino Accord" to commemorate the union activist killed during the strike. According to the Australian Green Left Weekly, 30,000 people marched through the streets of Pointe-à-Pitre on 7 March to celebrate the victory.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Ending the strikes: the Jacques Bino Accord
French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited Martinique and Guadeloupe in June 2009, as part of an effort to heal the rifts caused by the strikes. While ruling out full independence, which he said was desired neither by France nor by Martinique, Sarkozy offered Martiniquans a referendum on the island's future status and degree of autonomy.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Ending the strikes: the Jacques Bino Accord
During his visit to Guadeloupe, Sarkozy likewise asserted that "Guadeloupe is French, and will remain French." LKP representatives refused to meet him. LKP calls for anti-Sarkozy demonstrations met with little response, with no more than 1,000 people attending.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Other French protests
A coalition of labour unions in Réunion, a French overseas region in the Indian Ocean located thousands of miles from Guadeloupe and Martinique, announced their own general strike scheduled for 5 March 2009, in support of the Caribbean strikes. An alliance of unions in French Guiana, which is located in South America, also threatened to strike, saying their workers suffered the same low wages and low quality of life as those in Guadeloupe and Martinique.


2009 French Caribbean general strikes, Other French protests
Martine Aubry, the leader of the French Socialist Party, warned of the risk that the protests could spread further to mainland France in an interview with Le Parisien. Following the settlement ending the strikes, trade unions in the French mainland were reported to "have rejected the idea of trying to bring about in mainland France what has happened in Guadeloupe". Far-left leader Olivier Besancenot, however, was happy to cite the strikes in Guadeloupe as an inspiration and "an example to reflect on and follow".


2009 French Figure Skating Championships
The 2009 French Figure Skating Championships took place between 19 and 21 December 2008 in Colmar. Skaters competed in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, ice dancing, and synchronized skating on the senior level. The results were one of the criteria used to choose the French teams to the 2009 World Championships and the 2009 European Championships.


2009 French Figure Skating Championships
The junior level synchronized championships were held during this competition; junior and novice level competitions for the other disciplines were held separately.


2009 French Open
The 2009 French Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 113th edition of the French Open, and the second Grand Slam event of the year. It took place at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, from May 24 through June 7, 2009.


2009 French Open
Rafael Nadal and Ana Ivanovic were the defending champions. Both failed to defend their titles, losing to Robin Söderling and Victoria Azarenka in the fourth round, respectively. Nadal's loss to Söderling was his first defeat in the tournament since debuting in 2005, and would remain his sole loss at the tournament until the 2015 French Open. Söderling proceeded to defeat Nikolay Davydenko and Fernando González on his way to the final, where he was defeated by Roger Federer.


2009 French Open
By winning the French Open, Federer equalled Pete Sampras' then-record of 14 Grand Slam titles, and completed his Career Grand Slam by winning the tournament; he had lost the previous three finals to Nadal. Svetlana Kuznetsova, the runner-up to Justine Henin-Hardenne in 2006, was the women's champion this year. She defeated World No. 1 Dinara Safina in the final, avenging a semi-final loss to the same opponent in 2008.


2009 French Open, Notable stories, Rafael Nadal record winning streak, and loss to Robin Söderling
Entering the tournament, four-time champion Rafael Nadal was unbeaten in French Open singles matches, having won every match and tournament since his debut in 2005. His victory against Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili in the second round on May 27 was his 30th consecutive win, breaking the record for the longest French Open winning streak by a man or woman, held by Chris Evert, who won 29 consecutive matches. Nadal extended the record to 31 consecutive matches by beating Lleyton Hewitt on May 29.


2009 French Open, Notable stories, Rafael Nadal record winning streak, and loss to Robin Söderling
In his fourth round match on May 31, Nadal was defeated by World No. 23 Robin Söderling in four sets, 2–6, 7–6, 4–6, 6–7. The upset result ended Nadal's French Open winning streak at 31 matches. Söderling had never previously reached the fourth round of any Grand Slam tournament, and had never previously beaten Nadal in three attempts, although he had taken him to five sets at Wimbledon in 2007. Söderling proceeded to reach the final, defeating Nikolay Davydenko in straight sets and Fernando González in five sets before losing to Roger Federer in his first Grand Slam final appearance.


2009 French Open, Notable stories, Rafael Nadal record winning streak, and loss to Robin Söderling
Of the upset result, former three-time French Open champion Mats Wilander stated that "Everybody's in a state of shock, I would think. At some point, Nadal was going to lose. But nobody expected it to happen today, and maybe not this year. Now it's a matter of: There's a tournament to be won." Nadal would begin another streak the next year, and did not lose another match at the tournament until the 2015 French Open, when he lost to Novak Djokovic.


2009 French Open, Notable stories, Maria Sharapova's comeback
After nearly a year out of the sport due to a serious shoulder injury which forced her to miss the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2008 US Open and her Australian Open title defence, Maria Sharapova, who started at World No. 53 by the time the entry list was released, then plummeted to as low as World No. 126 during her time away from the sport, entered the tournament ranked World No. 102 at the start of the tournament, and surprised many by reaching the quarter-finals, where she was defeated 6–0, 6–2 by Dominika Cibulková (Sharapova had to defend a match point at 0–6, 0–5 down). Sharapova, unseeded at a Grand Slam for the first time since 2003, had won all of her first four matches in three sets.


2009 French Open, Notable stories, Federer's Career Grand Slam
Roger Federer won the finals, against Robin Söderling to finally win the French Open tournament for the first time in his career, after he was beaten in three previous finals by Nadal. With this win, he completed his career Grand Slam, titles in all four Grand Slam tournaments in his career. He became the third male player in the Open era (after Rod Laver and Andre Agassi) and sixth male player in tennis history overall to accomplish the feat.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 1 (May 24)
Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan became the first male winner at this year's French Open. French favourites Julie Coin and Mathieu Montcourt enjoyed safe passages through to the second round, but compatriot Mathilde Johansson was unable to use the crowd's advantage, falling to Vitalia Diatchenko 2–6, 6–2, 10–8. Lleyton Hewitt came from 2 tiebreak sets down, taking a third set tiebreak and eventually the match over the 26th seeded Croat Ivo Karlović, winning 6–7(1), 6–7(4), 7–6(4), 6–4, 6–3, to cause the first upset of a seed in the tournament.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 1 (May 24)
Karlovic set the new record for the greatest number of aces in the match, serving 55, but couldn't find a way to win. French wildcard Josselin Ouanna came from two sets to one behind to defeat Marcel Granollers, 7–5, 2–6, 3–6, 7–6(2), 6–1. However, Amélie Mauresmo lost to Anna-Lena Grönefeld 6–4, 6–3, to add to her history of early-round exits at Roland Garros. However, seventh seed Gilles Simon recovered from a tight clash with Wayne Odesnik, 4–6, 7–5, 6–2, 4–6, 6–3. Former French Open champion Gastón Gaudio made a disappointing start to his grand slam comeback, losing in straight sets to Radek Štěpánek 6–3, 6–4, 6–1.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 2 (May 25)
World number one and top seed Dinara Safina thrashed British Number one Anne Keothavong, 6–0, 6–0 in the first match on Philippe Chatrier, followed by ATP World Tour Champion and four-time defending champion, top seed Rafael Nadal defeating Brazilian qualifier Marcos Daniel 7–5, 6–4, 6–3. Second seed Roger Federer followed with a comfortable victory over Alberto Martín 6–4, 6–3, 6–2. Third seed Venus Williams struggled against Bethanie Mattek-Sands, but won 6–1, 4–6, 6–2.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 2 (May 25)
French wildcard Guillaume Rufin, who turned 19 on day 3, upset Eduardo Schwank, who reached the second week last year, 6–1, 6–3, 6–3 to the delight of French fans. However, fans were disappointed to see their Nicolas Devilder fall in five sets (despite holding a two sets to love lead) to seventeenth seed Stanislas Wawrinka, 6–3, 5–7, 2–6, 6–4, 6–4. More disappointment came when Romain Jouan, another wildcard, fell 6–2, 6–4, 6–2 to sixth seed Andy Roddick.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 2 (May 25)
However, more good news for American fans followed when Fed Cup heroine Alexa Glatch stunned Flavia Pennetta 6–1, 6–1, to advance to the second round. Kateryna Bondarenko upset Patty Schnyder, and 13th seed Marion Bartoli recovered in an all-French affair to beat Pauline Parmentier 3–6, 6–1, 6–3. Two more French wild cards fell as Uzbekistan's Akgul Amanmuradova defeated Irena Pavlovic and Australian Jarmila Groth beat Kinnie Laisné. Seeds Nikolay Davydenko, Robin Söderling, and Zheng Jie also advanced. Another of the day's upsets came at the hands Colombia's Mariana Duque Mariño, who beat former Top 5 player and 26th seeded Russia's Anna Chakvetadze, winning 3–6, 6–4, 6–4.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 3 (May 26)
Serbs Jelena Janković and Novak Djoković had no problems in their first round matches, beating Petra Cetkovská and Nicolás Lapentti respectively. Serena Williams came through a tough tie – in which she squandered eight match points – against Czech Klára Zakopalová to win 6–3, 6–7(5), 6–4. All French seeds came through unscathed with victories for Marion Bartoli, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Paul-Henri Mathieu and Gaël Monfils. The United States' hopes of having a French Open champion took a big blow as James Blake and Mardy Fish both lost to Argentinian opponents.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 3 (May 26)
Fish lost to Máximo González 6–3, 1–6, 6–4, 7–6(4), and Blake, the highest seed to fall on Day 3, was beaten convincingly by Argentinian qualifier Leonardo Mayer 7–6(6), 7–5, 6–2. Number 27 seed Rainer Schüttler was comprehensively beaten by home favourite Marc Gicquel 6–0, 6–0, 6–4 and Chinese number 31 seed Peng Shuai was the only women's seed to go out, as she lost to Spain's María José Martínez Sánchez 1–6, 6–2, 6–4. There were victories for 10th seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki, former finalist Svetlana Kuznetsova, Olympic gold medallist Elena Dementieva and World No. 5 Juan Martín del Potro.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 4 (May 27)
Day 4 saw the start of the second round matches in both the men's and women's draws. The first match up on Court Philippe Chatrier was world number 3 Andy Murray, who he faced Italian world number 104 Potito Starace. Murray was made to work hard, as Starace took control of the tie and levelled the match at one set all.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 4 (May 27)
At 5–1 in the third set, Murray worked his way back to reel of 6 games in a row, and went on the win 6–3, 2–6, 7–5, 6–4. World number 1 Dinara Safina was first up on Court Suzanne Lenglen, and made light work of Vitalia Diatchenko, winning 6–1, 6–1. Defending women's champion Ana Ivanovic also won comprehensively, beating Tamarine Tanasugarn to enter the third round. French tennis fans had reason to cheer as number 15 seed Alizé Cornet resumed her match from day 3, and beat Maret Ani 6–4, 7–5 to advance to the second round.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 4 (May 27)
Another Frenchwoman, Aravane Rezaï beat Slovenian qualifier Polona Hercog to book a tie with Portuguese qualifier Michelle Larcher de Brito in the third round, who beat number 15 seed Zheng Jie earlier in the day. Unseeded Maria Sharapova faced number 11 seed Nadia Petrova in her first match against a top 20 player since her 10-month absence from the tour due to injury. A gutsy Sharapova came through with a 3 sets victory, 8–6 in the third. Gilles Simon was the only seeded Frenchman playing on day 4, and made swift work of American Robert Kendrick 7–5, 6–0, 6–1.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 4 (May 27)
Defending champion Rafael Nadal made history by becoming the first person to win 30 consecutive matches at Roland Garros by beating Teymuraz Gabashvili. French wildcard Josselin Ouanna caused perhaps the biggest upset of the day by beating number 20 seed Marat Safin in an epic five set match, in which he won the final set 10–8.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 4 (May 27)
The first matches of the doubles competition were played, with World No. 1 team Liezel Huber and Cara Black, Květa Peschke and Lisa Raymond, defending champions Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual, and Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs were amongst the first to advance to the second round of the women's doubles.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 4 (May 27)
On the men's side, defending champions Pablo Cuevas and Luis Horna, Lukáš Dlouhý and Leander Paes, Bruno Soares and Kevin Ullyett, and Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski all advanced to the second round. However, number 7 seeds Andy Ram and Max Mirnyi and number 10 seeds Marcelo Melo and André Sá suffered shock first-round defeats.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 5 (May 28)
Day 5 got off to a slow start from a French perspective, as number 13 seed and home favourite Marion Bartoli succumbed to Tathiana Garbin of Italy in straight sets on Court Philippe Chatrier. And the day got worse for France as number 21 seed Alizé Cornet could not find her way past Romanian teenager Sorana Cîrstea. However, they did have some consolation, as Virginie Razzano navigated her way past Anabel Medina Garrigues, and booked a place in the third round to play Bartoli conqueror Garbin.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 5 (May 28)
On Court Suzanne Lenglen, Serb Jelena Janković had little problem in seeing off Slovakian opponent Magdaléna Rybáriková, 6–1, 6–2. Venus Williams was made to work very hard to make the third round, as she went the distance with Lucie Šafářová, narrowly winning the final set 7–5. There were also victories for Elena Dementieva, Agnieszka Radwańska, former finalist Svetlana Kuznetsova and 2002 champion Serena Williams.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 5 (May 28)
Meanwhile, in the men's draw, Roger Federer was first up on Court Philippe Chatrier as he faced clay court specialist José Acasuso. Roger narrowly won the first set 7–6(8) in a first set tie-break, but Acasuso was not ready to falter, and came back stronger in the second set and eventually winning 7–5. Acasuso continued to put up strong resistance and took Federer to a third set tie-break, however Federer was too strong and won, from thereon Federer had little problem dispatching Acasuso winning the match 7–6(8), 5–7, 7–6(2), 6–2.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 5 (May 28)
Federer's victory set him up with a third round tie with Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu. After disappointed from the French ladies, the men did not disappoint. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gaël Monfils and Jérémy Chardy and Marc Gicquel all advanced to the third round. No seeds were knocked out, as there were victories from number 5 seed Juan Martín del Potro, Andy Roddick and Tommy Robredo, Philipp Kohlschreiber and Igor Andreev and Jürgen Melzer.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 5 (May 28)
There was only one shocking exit from the men's doubles on the day, as Jeff Coetzee and Jordan Kerr were knocked out by the hands of Jaroslav Levinský and Igor Zelenay. Bob and Mike Bryan, Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjić, Rik de Voest and Ashley Fisher, and Łukasz Kubot and Oliver Marach all secured places in the second round of the doubles.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 5 (May 28)
There no upsets in the women's doubles, as all seeds made safe progress through to the second round including Serena and Venus Williams, and Květa Peschke and Lisa Raymond.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 5 (May 28)
On day 5, the mixed doubles got under way, which saw just one upset. Nenad Zimonjić and Yan Zi fell to the hands of Bruno Soares and Alisa Kleybanova. Cara Black and Leander Paes, Lisa Raymond and Marcin Matkowski, Nadia Petrova and Max Mirnyi, and Elena Vesnina and Daniel Nestor all advanced to the second round.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 6 (May 29)
There were mixed French fortunes on Day 6. Aravane Rezaï beat Michelle Larcher de Brito to move into the fourth round. The newest French star, Josselin Ouanna, saw his run come to an end at the hands of 12th seeded Chilean Fernando González, 7–5, 6–3, 7–5. Following that, Gilles Simon, seeded 7th, suffered a collapse to 30th seed Victor Hănescu 6–4, 6–4, 6–2. Rafael Nadal, the four-time defending champion and World Number 1, looked in stellar form as he continued his undefeated run against Lleyton Hewitt, a former holder of the top ranking, 6–1, 6–3, 6–1.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 6 (May 29)
Stanislas Wawrinka was eliminated in four sets by tenth seeded Nikolay Davydenko, whilst Fernando Verdasco beat countryman Nicolás Almagro and Robin Söderling, the 23rd seed, set up a clash with Nadal by beating David Ferrer in four sets. Ágnes Szávay stunned third seed Venus Williams 6–0, 6–4, and Novak Djokovic beat Sergiy Stakhovsky. Additionally, defending champion Ana Ivanovic, Đoković's compatriot, advanced convincingly over Iveta Benešová, seeded 32nd, 6–0, 6–2. Andy Murray led Janko Tipsarević two sets to love before the Serb retired.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 8 (May 31)
Day 8 saw Rafael Nadal lose his first ever match at French Open to Swede Robin Söderling, which ended his streak of 31 wins in a row at Roland Garros. Also out was defending women's champion Ana Ivanovic. Former world number 1 Maria Sharapova continued her miraculous run by defeating Li Na 6–4, 0–6, 6–4 to reach the quarterfinals, after returning from nine months away from the game. Nikolay Davydenko beat Fernando Verdasco to advance to the quarters with Söderling. Fernando González beat Victor Hănescu in straight sets to set up a quarterfinal with number four Andy Murray, a winner over Marin Čilić in tight but straight sets. World Number 1 Dinara Safina continued her dominant run of losing just 5 games all tournament against Aravane Rezaï, winning 6–1, 6–0.


2009 French Open, Day-by-day summaries, Day 15 (June 7)
The men's singles final was briefly interrupted as Jimmy Jump carrying a FC Barcelona banner ran onto the court during the second set, running around Roger Federer and even putting a cap on him, then jumping over the net before being taken out by security. This is the first time this has ever happened at the French Open, however the occurrence did not seem to throw off Federer, as he won the set, and eventually the match. Federer also completed a career Grand Slam and tied Pete Sampras's record of 14 Grand Slam titles after winning the French Open.


2009 French Open, Finals, Men's doubles
Lukáš Dlouhý /  Leander Paes defeated  Wesley Moodie /  Dick Norman, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2


2009 French Open, Finals, Women's doubles
Anabel Medina /  Virginia Ruano Pascual defeated  Victoria Azarenka /  Elena Vesnina, 6–1, 6–1


2009 French Open, Finals, Mixed doubles
Liezel Huber /  Bob Bryan defeated  Vania King /  Marcelo Melo, 5–7, 7–6(5), 10–7


2009 French Open, Juniors, Boys' doubles
Marin Draganja /  Dino Marcan defeated  Guilherme Clezar /  Huang Liang-chi, 6–3, 6–2


2009 French Open, Juniors, Girls' doubles
Elena Bogdan /  Noppawan Lertcheewakarn defeated  Tímea Babos /  Heather Watson, 3–6, 6–3, 10–8


2009 French Open, Other events, Legends under 45 doubles
Paul Haarhuis /  Cédric Pioline defeated  Pat Cash /  Emilio Sánchez, 6–3, 6–4


2009 French Open, Other events, Legends over 45 doubles
Anders Järryd /  John McEnroe defeated  Mansour Bahrami /  Henri Leconte, 7–6(2), 6–1


2009 French Open, Other events, Wheelchair men's doubles
Stéphane Houdet /  Michaël Jeremiasz defeated  Robin Ammerlaan /  Maikel Scheffers, 6–2, 7–5


2009 French Open, Other events, Wheelchair women's doubles
Korie Homan /  Esther Vergeer defeated  Annick Sevenans /  Aniek van Koot, 6–2, 6–3


2009 French Open, Wildcard entries
Below are the lists of the wildcard awardees entering in the main draws.


2009 French Open, Protected ranking
The following players have been accepted directly into the main draw using a protected ranking:


2009 French Open, Media coverage
In the US, coverage was provided by The Tennis Channel. In France, the French Open is broadcast live by France Télévisions and Eurosport. In the UK and Republic of Ireland it is broadcast live by BBC and Eurosport, Irish viewers can also watch live on TG4. In Switzerland it is broadcast live by SF, Radiotelevisione svizzera di lingua italiana and Télévision Suisse Romande. In Serbia, it is broadcast live by RTS and Eurosport. In Sweden (Robin Söderling's home country), it is broadcast live by Eurosport and SVT also broadcast the men's final live.


2009 French Open – Boys' Doubles
Henri Kontinen and Christopher Rungkat were the defending champions, but did not compete in the Juniors this year.


2009 French Open – Boys' Doubles
Marin Draganja and Dino Marcan won in the final 6–3, 6–2, against Guilherme Clézar and Huang Liang-chi.


2009 French Open – Boys' Singles
Yang Tsung-hua was the defending champion, but did not compete in the Juniors this year.


2009 French Open – Boys' Singles
Daniel Berta won in the final 6–1, 3–6, 6–3, against Gianni Mina.


2009 French Open – Girls' Doubles
Polona Hercog and Jessica Moore were the defending champions, but did not compete in the Juniors this year.


2009 French Open – Girls' Doubles
Elena Bogdan and Noppawan Lertcheewakarn won in the final 3–6, 6–3, 10–8, against Tímea Babos and Heather Watson.


2009 French Open – Girls' Singles
Simona Halep was the defending champion, but did not compete this year.


2009 French Open – Girls' Singles
Kristina Mladenovic won the tournament, defeating Daria Gavrilova in the final 6–3, 6–2.


2009 French Open – Legends Over 45 Doubles
Anders Järryd and John McEnroe were the defending champions, and won in the final 7–6(7–2), 6–1, against Mansour Bahrami and Henri Leconte.


2009 French Open – Legends Over 45 Doubles, Draw, Group A
Standings are determined by: 1) Number of wins; 2) Number of matches; 3) In three-players-ties, percentage of sets won, or of games won; 4) Steering Committee decision.


2009 French Open – Legends Over 45 Doubles, Draw, Group B
Standings are determined by: 1) Number of wins; 2) Number of matches; 3) In three-players-ties, percentage of sets won, or of games won; 4) Steering Committee decision.


2009 French Open – Legends Under 45 Doubles
Goran Ivanišević and Michael Stich were the defending champions, but lost in the round robin.


2009 French Open – Legends Under 45 Doubles
Paul Haarhuis and Cédric Pioline won in the final 6–3, 6–4, against Pat Cash and Emilio Sánchez


2009 French Open – Legends Under 45 Doubles, Draw, Group A
Standings are determined by: 1) Number of wins; 2) Number of matches; 3) In three-players-ties, percentage of sets won, or of games won; 4) Steering Committee decision.


2009 French Open – Legends Under 45 Doubles, Draw, Group B
Standings are determined by: 1) Number of wins; 2) Number of matches; 3) In three-players-ties, percentage of sets won, or of games won; 4) Steering Committee decision.


2009 French Open – Men's Doubles
Pablo Cuevas and Luis Horna were the defending champions, but lost in the third round to Igor Kunitsyn and Dmitry Tursunov.


2009 French Open – Men's Doubles
Lukáš Dlouhý and Leander Paes won in the final 3–6, 6–3, 6–2 against Wesley Moodie and Dick Norman.


2009 French Open – Men's Singles
Roger Federer defeated Robin Söderling in the final 6–1, 7–6(7–1), 6–4 to win the Men's Singles tennis title at the 2009 French Open. It was Federer's first French Open title and 14th major title overall, completing the career Grand Slam and equaling Pete Sampras' then-record of 14 Major titles. This was also Federer's fourth consecutive French Open final, having lost the previous three to Rafael Nadal.


2009 French Open – Men's Singles
Nadal was the four-time defending champion, but he lost in the fourth round to Söderling. This marked Nadal's first defeat at the French Open, having won the title in all four of his previous appearances since debuting in 2005 and winning his first 31 matches. His loss guaranteed a first-time French Open champion. In the ten-year span from 2005 to 2014, this was the only edition of the French Open not won by Nadal.


2009 French Open – Men's Singles
Until the 2016 Wimbledon Championships, this was the last Major where Novak Djokovic failed to reach the quarterfinals. He lost to Philipp Kohlschreiber in the third round.


2009 French Open – Men's Singles
This was the last Major tournament for 2004 French Open champion and former world No. 5 Gastón Gaudio, and the last French Open for 2002 semifinalist and former world No. 1 Marat Safin.


2009 French Open – Men's Singles, Seeds
Click on the seed number of a player to go to their draw section.


2009 French Open – Men's Singles Qualifying
This article displays the qualifying draw for men's singles at the 2009 French Open.


2009 French Open – Men's singles final
The 2009 French Open Men's Singles final was the championship tennis match of the Men's Singles tournament at the 2009 French Open. It was contested by three-time finalist Roger Federer and Robin Söderling of Sweden. After years of heartbreak in Paris, Federer finally lifted the Coupe des Mousquetaires and solidified his position in the mind of many tennis observers as the greatest male player of all-time.


2009 French Open – Men's singles final
This match was historic as it was Federer's fourteenth major title, which brought him to a tie with Pete Sampras for the all-time record of Grand Slam championships. He also became only the third man in the Open Era to complete the career Grand Slam of capturing the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open championships.


2009 French Open – Men's singles final, Background
After falling to three time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten in 2004, Federer's frustration in Paris was due solely to his arch-rival Rafael Nadal. They first played in the 2005 semifinals and then again in the finals in 2006, 2007, and 2008. During this four year period Federer compiled a 23–0 record against all other players at Roland Garros and an 0–4 record against Nadal; whose high bouncing lefty forehand to Federer's one handed backhand ground him down on the dirt year after year.


2009 French Open – Men's singles final, Background
Federer entered the tournament with some momentum having defeated Nadal on clay for the first time since 2007 in the previous tournament at the Madrid Masters. However, the four-time reigning champion Nadal was a massive favorite still never having been defeated in Paris. Federer struggled through difficult matches in the early rounds, while Nadal bulldozed his way into the last 16.


2009 French Open – Men's singles final, Background
The entire complexion of the tournament changed when Nadal was blitzed off the court in four sets by a six foot, four inch Swede Robin Söderling, who took Nadal's high bouncing shots at chest height and punished them for winners. Many observers labeled this match one of the most shocking results in, not just tennis, but sports history. With Nadal's early exit, all the pressure was suddenly on Federer to capture the French Open without having to face his kryptonite on clay (this would prove to be the only year Nadal did not make the finals between 2005–2014).


2009 French Open – Men's singles final, Background
The next day Federer came out tight against German Tommy Haas and was virtually buried being down 0–2 in sets and 30–40 at 3–4 in the third set. Federer then hit an inside-out forehand on the line to save the break point and went on the complete a miraculous 5 set comeback 6–7(4–7), 5–7, 6–4, 6–0, 6–2. After dismissing Gael Monfils in the quarterfinals, Federer faced rising star Juan Martin del Potro in the semifinals.


2009 French Open – Men's singles final, Background
Federer again in trouble, losing two of the first three sets, before again bearing down to come through in another five set thriller 3–6, 7–6(7–2), 2–6, 6–1, 6–4. With this victory Federer reached his fourth consecutive final in Paris and first against someone other than Nadal. Söderling had backed up his momentous victory over Nadal with wins over Nikolay Davydenko and Fernando Gonzalez to meet Federer in the final.


2009 French Open – Men's singles final, Match details
Unlike the three previous years Federer had been in the final, the day was overcast and soggy, creating slower conditions and lower bounces. Federer started strongly capturing the first set 6–1.


2009 French Open – Men's singles final, Match details
The second set was interrupted with Söderling serving on serve in the fourth game, when a member of the crowd charged onto the court and ran towards Federer waving a flag and placing a jesters hat upon the Swiss player's head. The fan then evaded security and leapt over the net and ran towards Söderling before being tackled by a security guard and removed from the court. This was a serious violation, especially following the on-court stabbing of Monica Seles by a spectator in 1993. Following the interruption both players held serve in the set and it went to a tiebreaker. Federer then played what he later described as the greatest tiebreaker of his career, taking it by a score of 7–1.


2009 French Open – Men's singles final, Match details
The third set opened with Federer breaking the Söderling serve. Both players then held serve for the next nine games, culminating in Federer serving out the match. In the final game Federer faced a break point and said in his post match press conference that the emotions in the final game made "it almost unplayable." Directly after the conclusion of the match the rain began to pour, which meant if Söderling had broken back and forced it to a fourth set the match would have been suspended to the next day.


2009 French Open – Men's singles final, Match details
During the trophy ceremony Federer was presented with the trophy by American legend Andre Agassi who, along with Rod Laver, was the only other man in the Open Era to complete the career Grand Slam. As the Swiss national anthem played Federer was overcome with emotion after finally capturing the elusive title at Roland Garros.


2009 French Open – Men's singles final, Significance
This match was momentous in the history of tennis. After missing the chance to equal Pete Sampras' then-record of fourteen Grand Slam championships of all time when he lost to Rafael Nadal in the final of the Australian Open earlier in the year, Federer finally did so by winning the French Open for the first time. Sampras himself commented on Federer following the victory saying, "Regardless he [Federer] goes down as the greatest ever. This just confirms it." Federer also filled the only void on his resume by capturing the French Open and becoming only the third man in the Open Era to capture the career Grand Slam.


2009 French Open – Men's singles final, Significance
Many tennis analysts and commentators proclaimed Federer the greatest male player of all-time, including tennis legend John McEnroe who called the match for NBC. The call by Eurosport on match point was thus: "Federer wins the French Open for the first time in his career; and in addition must surely be regarded now as the greatest male player of all-time."


2009 French Open – Men's singles final, Significance
This tournament also transformed Söderling's career as he went from a top thirty player to a perennial top ten player, reaching a high of number 4 in the world. Söderling remained a fixture in the top ten from 2009–2011 until he was forced to stop playing, while still ranked number 5 in the world, and ultimately had to retire after contracting a serious case of mononucleosis.


2009 French Open – Mixed Doubles
In the 2009 French Open – Mixed Doubles event Victoria Azarenka and Bob Bryan were the defending champions, but Azarenka chose not to participate, and only Bryan competed in the tournament. Bryan partnered with Liezel Huber and won in the final 5–7, 7–6(7–5), 10–7, against Vania King and Marcelo Melo.


2009 French Open – Wheelchair Men's Doubles
Shingo Kunieda and Maikel Scheffers were the defending champions. They were both present but did not compete together. Kunieda partnered with Stefan Olsson, but lost in the semifinals to Robin Ammerlaan and Maikel Scheffers. Scheffers partnered with Robin Ammerlaan, but Stéphane Houdet and Michaël Jeremiasz defeated them 6–2, 7–5, in the final.


2009 French Open – Wheelchair Men's Singles
Shingo Kunieda was the defending champion, and won in the final 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, against Stéphane Houdet.


2009 French Open – Wheelchair Women's Doubles
Jiske Griffioen and Esther Vergeer were the defending champions. They were both present but did not compete together. Griffioen partnered with Florence Gravellier, but lost in the semifinals to Annick Sevenans and Aniek van Koot. Vergeer partnered with Korie Homan, and they won in the final 6–2, 6–3, against Annick Sevenans and Aniek van Koot.


2009 French Open – Wheelchair Women's Singles
Esther Vergeer was the defending champion, and won in the final 6–2, 7–5, against Korie Homan.


2009 French Open – Women's Doubles
Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual were the defending champions, and successfully defended their title, defeating Victoria Azarenka and Elena Vesnina in the final 6–1, 6–1.


2009 French Open – Women's Singles
Seventh seed Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated Dinara Safina in 74 minutes, 6–4, 6–2, to win the Women's Singles tennis title at the 2009 French Open. Kuznetsova had been runner-up to Justine Henin in the 2006 final. It was the third all-Russian final in Grand Slam history, and the first since 2004. Kuznetsova won her first Grand Slam since the 2004 US Open, where she also won in an all-Russian final over Elena Dementieva, and second overall. Safina fell to 0–3 in Grand Slam finals with the loss. The match was also the conclusion of a series of matches between them during the preceding clay court season, with Kuznetsova beating Safina to win the title in Stuttgart, and Safina avenging the loss by beating Kuznetsova in Rome.


2009 French Open – Women's Singles
Ana Ivanovic was the defending champion, but lost in the fourth round to Victoria Azarenka.


2009 French Road Cycling Cup
The 2009 French Road Cycling Cup was the eighteenth edition of the French Road Cycling Cup. The 2009 calendar saw a reduction in events from 14 to 11, with the Tour du Haut Var, the Grand Prix de Rennes and Paris–Bourges losing their places on the calendar. The defending champion was Jérôme Pineau, who won the series for Bouygues Télécom but moved on to the Belgian team Quick-Step, and so did not feature much in the series. French rider Jimmy Casper of Besson Chaussures-Sojasun won the series, having led it throughout and winning three races.


2009 French Super Series
The 2009 French Open Super Series was a top level badminton competition which was held from October 27, 2009, to November 1, 2009, in Paris, France. It was the tenth BWF Super Series competition on the 2009 BWF Super Series schedule. The total purse for the event was $200,000.


2009 French motorcycle Grand Prix
The 2009 French motorcycle Grand Prix was the fourth round of the 2009 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 15–17 May 2009 at the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans, France. Jorge Lorenzo moved one point clear at the top of world championship standings after winning the MotoGP race ahead of Marco Melandri and Dani Pedrosa.


2009 French motorcycle Grand Prix, Championship standings after the race (MotoGP)
Below are the standings for the top five riders and constructors after round four has concluded.


2009 French riots
A series of riots took place in July 2009 in France. On Bastille Day in the commune of Montreuil, an eastern suburb area of Paris, French youths set fire to 317 cars. Thirteen police officers were injured. On July 9, many youths started a protest in Firminy near Saint-Étienne, after the death of a young Algerian man, Mohamed Benmouna, in police custody. Benmouna's parents rejected the official account of suicide. Riots on Bastille day are a frequent occurrence in France as the disaffected protest high unemployment rates and failed integration policies for minorities. More than 240 people had been arrested near Paris.


2009 French riots
The injured officers suffered mainly from hearing difficulties after having been targeted by youths armed with fireworks and small-scale home-made explosives.


2009 Fresno State Bulldogs football team
The 2009 Fresno State football team represented California State University, Fresno and in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by 13th-year head coach Pat Hill. 2009 was the Bulldogs' 29th in their current home of Bulldog Stadium in Fresno, California. The Bulldogs finished the season 8–5, 6–2 in WAC play and lost to Wyoming 35–28 in two overtimes in the New Mexico Bowl.


2009 Fresno State Bulldogs football team, Game summaries, UC Davis
Ryan Colburn wins the starter role at Quarterback after a long offseason battle with Ebahn Feathers and Derek Carr.


2009 Friends Provident Trophy
The 2009 Friends Provident Trophy was an English county cricket tournament held between 19 April and 25 July 2009. The competition was won by Hampshire Hawks who beat the Sussex Sharks by 6 wickets at Lord's.


2009 Friends Provident Trophy, Format
The eighteen first-class counties, joined by the Scottish and Irish national teams were divided into four groups. Each team plays each other twice, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the quarter-final stage. Group winners gain a home draw for the quarter-final. During the group stage, teams are awarded two points for a win, one point for a tie, abandonment or a no result, with no points awarded for a defeat.


2009 Friends Provident Trophy, Format
Teams level on points at the end of the group stage were separated by most wins, followed by results between the two teams, net run rate, followed by most wickets taken per balls bowled in matches achieving a result. Teams that were victorious in the quarter-finals then proceeded to the semi-finals and winners from the semi-finals progressed to the final which was held on 25 July, at Lord's.


2009 Frome state by-election
A by-election was held for the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Frome on 17 January 2009. This was triggered by the resignation of former Premier and state Liberal MHA Rob Kerin. The seat had been retained by the Liberals at the 2006 state election on a 3.4 per cent margin, and at the 2002 state election on an 11.5 per cent margin.


2009 Frome state by-election
The writ for the by-election was issued on 28 November, with the rolls closing on 8 December. Candidate nominations closed 18 December at midday.


2009 Frome state by-election
Independent candidate Geoff Brock ended up winning the seat from the Liberals in a very close contest.


2009 Frome state by-election, Background
Kerin was first elected as the member for the new rural Port Pirie-based seat of Frome at the 1993 state election where the Liberals won government. From 1995 he held various ministries in the Brown and Olsen Liberal governments until he became Premier of South Australia in October 2001, before losing government to the Mike Rann-led Labor Party at the March 2002 state election. Kerin remained Liberal leader until after the 2006 state election when he resigned the leadership to make way for Iain Evans.


2009 Frome state by-election, Background
The state by-election was the first to be held since the 1994 Taylor by-election, when another former Premier, Lynn Arnold, retired from politics.


2009 Frome state by-election, Candidates
The Family First Party and the Australian Democrats, who ran candidates in the previous election, polling 5.2 percent and 2 percent respectively, did not nominate a candidate to contest the by-election.


2009 Frome state by-election, Issues
Of concern to the electorate was the potential closure of the Nyrstar smelter in Port Pirie due to the federal government's emissions trading scheme known as the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, however it won special exemption from the scheme on 17 December.


2009 Frome state by-election, Issues
Port Pirie Mayor and Independent candidate Geoff Brock was considered a possibility for winning the seat, with a strong local profile, and receiving preference recommendations in how-to-vote cards (HTVs) from Labor and the Nationals, whilst the Greens did not recommend preferences. Brock's own HTV recommended preferences to the Nationals, Labor, Liberal, Green, and One Nation, in that order. Independent Senator Nick Xenophon also campaigned for Brock.


2009 Frome state by-election, Results
The by-election was closely contested, with the result being uncertain for over a week. Initial reports suggested a slight swing to the Liberals on the two-party preferred count against Labor, but with Independent candidate Geoff Brock not far behind Labor. By 21 January 2009, both the ABC's Antony Green and the State Electoral Office were indicating a two percent swing against the Liberals toward Labor, but not enough to lose the seat. Liberal leader Martin Hamilton-Smith claimed victory on behalf of the party.


2009 Frome state by-election, Results
The result hinged on the performance of Brock against Labor in the competition for second place. Brock polled best in the Port Pirie area, and received enough eliminated candidate preferences to end up ahead of the Labor candidate by 30 votes.


2009 Frome state by-election, Results
Brock received 80 percent of Labor's fifth count preferences to achieve a two-candidate preferred vote of 51.72 percent (a majority of 665 votes) against the Liberals, despite a slight improvement in the Liberal primary vote since the previous count. This was announced by the Electoral Commissioner, Kay Mousley, at 8:30 pm local time on 24 January 2009, but without a formal declaration.


2009 Frome state by-election, Results
The commissioner rejected a request for a recount by Boylan, with a formal request being lodged by the Liberals, which was also rejected, after which the Liberals ruled out a possibility of taking the result to the Court of Disputed Returns. A formal declaration of the by-election outcome was made by the State Electoral Office on 29 January. The by-election saw a rare two-party swing to an incumbent government, and was the first time an opposition had lost a seat at a by-election in South Australia.


2009 Frome state by-election, Results
The result in Frome at the 2010 state election saw Brock increase his primary vote by 14.1 percent to a total of 37.7 percent and his two-candidate vote by 6.5 percent to a total of 58.2 percent. Despite a statewide swing against Labor at the election, Labor again increased its two-party vote in Frome by 1.8 percent to a total of 50.1 percent, coincidentally by 30 votes.


2009 Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series
The 2009 Fujitsu V8 Supercars Series was the tenth running of the V8 Supercar Development series. It supported the 2009 V8 Supercar Championship Series, beginning on 19 March at the Clipsal 500 and ending on 6 December at the Sydney 500 after seven rounds.


2009 Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series
With one race to spare, Jonathon Webb secured the series, in doing so becoming the first driver from MW Motorsport to win the title after having competed in the very first series for second-tier V8 Supercars. James Moffat took second place from David Russell at the final race of the series. Ford drivers filled the top seven places with Grant Denyer, Daniel Gaunt, Brad Lowe and Damian Assaillit filling those positions. The first Holden driver was Sam Walter, over 900 points behind Webb.


2009 Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series
Webb did not win a race until the fifth round of the series at Queensland Raceway, but from there won every race bar one, where he was second, an irresistible charge for the series that neither Moffat nor Russell had any answer to after the three drivers had been close for the first half of the series.


2009 Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series, Calendar
The 2009 Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series on consisted of seven rounds:


2009 Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series, Teams and drivers
The following teams and drivers have competed during the 2009 Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series.


2009 Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series, Points system
Points are awarded to any driver that completes 75% of race distance and is running on the completion of the final lap. These are the points awarded for each race.


2009 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks season
The 2009 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks season featured the Hawks quest to win their first Pacific League title since 2003. For the first time since 1994, the Hawks had a new manager in Koji Akiyama, who replaced the legendary Sadaharu Oh.


2009 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks season
SoftBank absorbed more injuries from Opening Day starter Tsuyoshi Wada, but saw the continued dominance of Toshiya Sugiuchi, and the emergence of foreign pitchers D.J. Houlton and Justin Germano, who stabilized the starting rotation. More foreign help came in the person of 201 cm-tall reliever Brian Falkenborg. Together with Rookie of the Year Tadashi Settsu and closer Takahiro Mahara, the Hawks had one of the most reliable bullpens in the league.


2009 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks season
The Hawks had one of the older offenses in the league, still anchored by Nobuhiko Matsunaka and Hiroki Kokubo. Yuya Hasegawa had a breakout season (.312, 7HR, 44RBI) after suffering injuries in the previous two seasons. Hitoshi Tamura came back in mid-May and hit .283 with 17 home runs, which helped to make up for a disappointing season from Munenori Kawasaki, who batted a career-low .259 despite career highs in games played (143) and stolen bases (44).


2009 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks season
For the second year in a row, the Hawks won the Interleague tournament. However, the team could not sustain their success as they stumbled in September, finishing 3rd and exiting in the first round of the play offs, at the hands of the rival Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.


2009 Fórmula Truck season
The 2009 Fórmula Truck season was the 14th Fórmula Truck season. It began on March 8 at Guaporé and ended on December 13 at Brasília.


2009 Fórmula Truck season, Calendar and results
All races were held in Brazil, excepting round at Autódromo Juan y Oscar Gálvez, that was held in Argentina.


2009 G20 London summit
The 2009 G20 London Summit was the second meeting of the G20 heads of government/heads of state, which was held in London on 2 April 2009 at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre to discuss financial markets and the world economy. It followed the first G20 Leaders Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy, which was held in Washington, D.C. on 14–15 November 2008. Heads of government or heads of state from the G20 attended, with some regional and international organisations also represented. Due to the extended membership, it has been referred to as the London Summit.


2009 G20 London summit
The policing tactics at the event raised some controversy, particularly over the death of Ian Tomlinson.


2009 G20 London summit
It was revealed in June 2013 that the Government Communications Headquarters, an intelligence agency of the British government, had intercepted phone calls and monitored computers used by foreign delegates at the summit. Their actions were sanctioned by the British government, and intelligence was passed to British government ministers.


2009 G20 London summit, Agenda
As hosts, the British Treasury produced an extended agenda pamphlet proposing the issues to be addressed at the London Summit. The explicit goal was "to start the process of reform so as to manage globalisation as a force for good in the medium term."


2009 G20 London summit, Preparation
Leaders of the member countries began to prepare for the London Summit months before the effective date, notably with two official meetings dedicated to that preparation, one held in Berlin, Germany, on 22 February 2009 for European leaders, and another in Horsham, Sussex, United Kingdom, on 14 March 2009 for Finance Ministers.


2009 G20 London summit, Preparation, European leaders summit
Leaders of the four European Union member countries of the G20, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy along with the two largest European non-members, Spain and the Netherlands, met in Berlin on 22 February 2009 to prepare for the London Summit and to co-ordinate their actions. The meeting was organised at the initiative of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.


2009 G20 London summit, Preparation, European leaders summit
The leaders agreed that markets, financial institutions and the wide range of financial assets they create, and hedge funds should be subject to appropriate control. In addition, they called for effective sanctions against tax havens. They also agreed to impose sanctions against countries that intend to undermine their work. Finally, they advocated the doubling of funds available to the IMF.


2009 G20 London summit, Preparation, Finance ministers summit
Finance ministers and central bankers of the G20 met in Horsham on 14 March 2009 to prepare for the London Summit. To restore global growth as quickly as possible, the participants decided to approve coordinated and decisive actions to stimulate demand and employment. They also pledged to fight against all forms of protectionism and to maintain trade and foreign investments.


2009 G20 London summit, Preparation, Finance ministers summit
The members also committed themselves to maintain the supply of credit by providing more liquidity and recapitalising the banking system, and to implement rapidly the stimulus plans. As for central bankers, they pledged to maintain low-rates policies as long as necessary. Finally, the leaders decided to help emerging and developing countries, through a strengthening of the IMF.


2009 G20 London summit, Preparation, Finance ministers summit
To strengthen the financial system, the participants proposed to regulate appropriately all important financial institutions, to register all hedge funds or their managers and to force them to provide appropriate information as to the risks they take. They proposed to implement regulation to prevent the systemic risks and to curb business cycles, including the limitation of the leverage effect, which amplifies cycles. They announced new measures to prevent and resolve crises, through the strengthening of the IMF and the FSF. They agreed to control credit-rating agencies and their compliance with the Code of Conduct of the International Organization of Securities Commissions; off-balance-sheet vehicles; credit-derivatives market; and non-cooperative territories.


2009 G20 London summit, Preparation, Gordon Brown's pre-summit meetings
In the weeks before the London Summit, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited several countries on three continents to try to secure backing for his goals at the London Summit. During the trip Brown was forced to re-clarify his position on fiscal stimulus after criticism from the Governor of the Bank of England. While speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, he was challenged by a Member of the European Parliament over his spending plans. He also visited the US, Brazil, Argentina and Chile. He strongly attacked protectionism saying "One of the messages that must come from next week's summit is that we will reject protectionist countries, we will monitor those countries and name and shame if necessary countries that are not following free trade practices".


2009 G20 London summit, Preparation, Gordon Brown's pre-summit meetings
In the weeks leading up to the London Summit, there had been a growing difference of opinions on the question of implementing further fiscal stimulus. The British and the American leaderships were in favour of another round of stimulus packages to try to stimulate the global economy, while the French and German leaderships remained strongly opposed to such measures because of the increased levels of debt which this would cause. On 26 March 2009 the Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek strongly criticised the economic expansion policies of US President Barack Obama.


2009 G20 London summit, Attendance
G20 leaders began gathering in London on 1 April 2009. Before leaving for the London Summit, French President Nicolas Sarkozy suggested that if a meaningful deal was not agreed France would walk out of the summit echoing the "empty chair" gesture of then-French President Charles de Gaulle in 1965. At a joint press conference in London, Brown and Obama said that suggestions of a rift were exaggerated. Sarkozy attended a separate press conference with Merkel in which both repeated calls for the summit to agree on more stringent regulation of financial markets and restated their firm opposition to further financial stimulus packages.


2009 G20 London summit, Attendance
On the evening of 1 April the leaders attended a reception at Buckingham Palace hosted by Elizabeth II. During a photograph she lightly rebuked the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for shouting too loudly in an effort to attract the attention of President Obama. The story was featured heavily in the Italian media, and was used by opponents to lambast Berlusconi. After the palace reception, the leaders dined at 10 Downing Street where the food was cooked by Jamie Oliver.


2009 G20 London summit, Attendance
The summit proper began on the morning of 2 April and took place at the Excel Centre in Custom House, east London.


2009 G20 London summit, Attendance, Core participants
The following participants of the London summit include the core members of the G20, which comprises 19 countries and the European Union which is represented by its two governing bodies, the European Council and the European Commission, as well as other nations and regional organisations invited to take part.


2009 G20 London summit, Security operation
The security operation, Operation Glencoe headed by Commander Bob Broadhurst, was projected to cost £7.2 million. Six police forces were used during the operation: the Metropolitan Police, the City of London Police, British Transport Police and the forces of Essex Police, Sussex Police and Bedfordshire Police. Furthermore, some units from the Ministry of Defence Police have been used. It is the highest security expenditure in British history.


2009 G20 London summit, Security operation, GCHQ interception of foreign politicians communications
In June 2013 The Guardian revealed that the intelligence agency of the British government, Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) spied on foreign politicians visiting the summit by intercepting phonecalls, emails and monitoring computers, in some cases even ongoing after the summit via keyloggers that had been installed during the summit.


2009 G20 London summit, Protests
The summit became the focus of protests from a number of disparate groups over various long standing and topical issues. These ranged from disquiet over economic policy, anger at the banking system and bankers remuneration and bonuses, the continued war on terror and concerns over climate change. Although the majority of the protests and protestors were peaceful, instances of violence and criminal damage led to the use of kettling to contain protestors.


2009 G20 London summit, Protests, Death of Ian Tomlinson
Ian Tomlinson, a newsagent in the City of London, died within a police cordon of the G20 Meltdown protest near the Bank of England. Initially the City of London Police denied that any incident with the police had occurred. However video, photographic and eyewitness evidence was published in the media, and the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) confirmed that Tomlinson had been pushed back by police officers minutes before he collapsed and died of a heart attack. Further allegations that Tomlinson had been hit with a baton were supported when additional video footage became public. The IPCC then later ordered a second post mortem and an independent criminal inquiry, with the second post mortem finding that although "there is evidence of coronary atherosclerosis" it was "unlikely to have contributed to the cause of death" and that "the cause of death was abdominal haemorrhage".


2009 G20 London summit, Outcome
The London summit was a preliminary step in the process through which the G20 evolved to become "the premier forum for discussing, planning and monitoring international economicco-operation".


2009 G20 London summit, Outcome, Financial commitments
The G20 leaders reached an agreement which, in principle, provides US$1.1 trillion to various programs designed to improve international finance, credit, trade, and overall economic stability and recovery. There was some dispute about how best to move forward. On one hand, the UK and the US wanted a large financial stimulus. On the other hand, France and Germany wanted stricter financial regulation. Programs include:


2009 G20 London summit, Outcome, Regulation
An agreement was also reached to attempt to bring wider global regulation of hedge funds and credit-rating agencies, a common approach to cleaning up bank toxic assets. The G20 leaders also agreed to establish a financial stability forum working with the IMF to ensure wider global co-operation and to provide an early-warning system for future financial crises.


2009 G20 London summit, Outcome, No green policies
Despite calls for a green new deal from Greenpeace and others and general political hype regarding environmental concerns, none of the US$1.1 trillion stimulus package was allocated for environmental investment, and no other environmental agreements were made.


2009 G20 London summit, Outcome, Decreased influence of the United States
One of the general agreements at the London Summit is that there needs to be more government regulations over businesses, and there was a perception that the US would no longer be as dominant as it has been previously. Commenting on the summit, Robert Hormats, vice-chairman of Goldman Sachs International, said "The U.S. is becoming less dominant while other nations are gaining influence."


2009 G20 London summit, Outcome, Influence of China
The influence of China was very apparent during the G20 with some commentators saying that the G20 was more like a G2.


2009 G20 London summit protests
The 2009 G20 London summit protests occurred in the days around the 2 April 2009 G20 London summit. The summit was the focus of protests from a number of groups over various long-standing and topical issues. These ranged from disquiet over economic policy, anger at the banking system and bankers' remuneration and bonuses, the continued war on terror and concerns over climate change.


2009 G20 London summit protests
Although the majority of the protests and protesters were peaceful, the threat of violence and criminal damage were used by police as a reason to detain, or "kettle", protesters as part of Operation Glencoe. A bystander, Ian Tomlinson, died shortly after being pushed to the ground by a police officer. A second post-mortem revealed that Tomlinson may have died from an abdominal haemorrhage. The inquest into Tomlinson's death found that he was unlawfully killed.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Timeline of the protests
Their 12-point economic plan for democratic governance demanded democratised financial institutions to deliver secure jobs and public services, an end to global poverty and inequality, and a green economy. The movement was initiated by the Jubilee Debt Campaign, Trade Justice Movement, British Overseas NGOs for Development and TUC.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Timeline of the protests
A peace activist climbed over the railings into the Houses of Parliament as a symbolic gesture of "power to the people". When arrested by police he explained that "This is the people's parliament, and I am one of the people".


2009 G20 London summit protests, Timeline of the protests
Around five thousand people joined the "G20 Meltdown" protest outside the Bank of England. G20 Meltdown was a radical anti-capitalist, socialist organisation conceived in Paris and formed in London in January 2009 prior to the G20 summit. As well as the protest, they organised four nearby squats. Much of the protest, which was "kettled", was peaceful although there were violent confrontations. The police used batons and dogs and at least one policeman was injured; some protesters broke into a branch of Royal Bank of Scotland and a bystander, Ian Tomlinson, died after being hit with a baton from behind by a police officer near the protest.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Timeline of the protests
About two to three thousand people joined the "Climate Camp in the City" outside European Climate Exchange on Bishopsgate, which was peaceful except for when minor scuffles occurred after riot police "kettled" the event at 7:30 pm. The street was cleared at about 2 am the following day.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Timeline of the protests
Several hundred people joined a peaceful Stop the War Coalition march from the American embassy in Grosvenor Square to Trafalgar Square which brought together protesters from the Stop the War Coalition, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, The British Muslim Initiative, and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Timeline of the protests
An "alternative G20 Summit" with speakers including Tony Benn, Ken Loach, Ken Livingstone, John McDonnell and Caroline Lucas was scheduled to take place at the University of East London which was close to the main G20 Summit venue. At the last minute the university announced that the whole university would close for the duration of the summit on safety grounds, also that Prof Chris Knight, an anthropologist at the University for 20 years, had been suspended and the alternative summit was cancelled. In the event, the summit did go ahead and was held on the lawns of the university and started an hour later than planned and an attendance of 200–300 people.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Timeline of the protests
Around 200 people gathered for a vigil outside Bank following news of Ian Tomlinson's death, and were subjected to a police "kettle" despite the vigil being peaceful. 200 anti-war protesters from the Stop the War Coalition protested at the ExCeL Centre.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Timeline of the protests
"Spiderman", the French climber Alain Robert, climbed the Lloyd's building and unfurled a banner saying "100 months to save the world" in reference to the urgency of tackling climate change.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Put People First
On 28 March 2009, 35,000 people marched through London. At a rally in Hyde Park, they were addressed by Global Call to Action Against Poverty co-chair Kumi Naidoo, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber, environmentalist Tony Juniper, activist comedian Mark Thomas, and global justice author Susan George amongst others. They heard calls for international action to deliver tax justice, trade justice and a Green New Deal in both rich and poor countries.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Put People First
The Put People First alliance of more than 160 unions, development, faith and environment groups called on the G20 leaders to recognise that "only just, fair and sustainable policies can lead the world out of recession, and that a return to 'business as usual' – with the associated poverty, inequality and climate change – is not an option".


2009 G20 London summit protests, Put People First
Christian NGOs including World Vision and Tearfund organised an ecumenical service on the day at Methodist Central Hall, overseen by the Bishop of London. Delegations joined the march from around the world, including Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Korea, USA, Australia, South Africa, Zambia, Canada and the Philippines.


2009 G20 London summit protests, G20 Meltdown
This protest took place outside the Bank of England. The aim was to "create a carnival outside the bank" and to "overthrow capitalism". Protesters referred to the day as "Financial Fools' Day", a reference to the protest taking place on April Fools' Day.


2009 G20 London summit protests, G20 Meltdown
The protest started at 11:25 as four planned marches, each led by one of the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse", converged on the Bank: the red horse against war approached from Moorgate; the green horse against climate chaos from Liverpool Street station; the silver horse against financial crimes from London Bridge and the black horse against land enclosures and borders from Cannon Street. Protesters were at the Bank of England by 11:53. Protest chants included "build a bonfire, put the bankers on the top", and some protesters shouted "jump" and "shame on you" at bankers watching from windows. The police cordoned off thousands of protesters at 12:52 and many of those within the cordon were not allowed to leave for up to seven hours. Tom Brake, a Member of Parliament and legal observer who was among those "kettled", has criticised this tactic.


2009 G20 London summit protests, G20 Meltdown
The windows of a branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland were broken by a group of protesters at 13:45, some of whom entered the building and looted office equipment and papers and threw smoke grenades, chairs and eggs There was intense media attention to this event, with a ring of photographers surrounding the people breaking the windows and David Howarth MP later commented that one of the unresolved mysteries of the day was why the moment that a masked person threw the first piece of scaffolding through the window it was observed by hundreds of photographers and film crews already in position. Four people, including a 17-year-old girl, have been charged in connection to this damage. RBS has asked for £40,000 in damages from the teenage girl, who has admitted burglary and criminal damage.


2009 G20 London summit protests, G20 Meltdown
Following the damage to the bank there were violent confrontations with the police with police using batons against the protesters while trying to push them back. Some protesters fought back, including one masked protester who hit police with a pole, resulting in one injury and a smoke or flour bomb was also thrown. A branch of HSBC also had windows smashed. A journalist reported that the police "were spat on, hit and had vile abuse screamed into their faces from inches away."


2009 G20 London summit protests, G20 Meltdown
A professional photographer saw what they described as "agents provocateurs" instigating violence. One who was throwing bottles was challenged by protesters, who accused him of being a police officer. He ran to police lines and was allowed through after showing I.D. Tom Brake MP has also said that members of the crowd told him about suspected agents provocateurs who had been encouraging the crowd to throw objects at the police. A police spokesman said that "We would never deploy officers in this way or condone such behaviour."


2009 G20 London summit protests, G20 Meltdown
Without alternative facilities, people used the entrances to Bank Underground station as a urinal, although the police said that temporary toilets and water were made available to protesters. As people were eventually allowed to leave at about 20:00, they were asked for their names and addresses, and required to have a photograph taken. They are, under the law, obliged to provide their name and address, however they did not need to provide the photograph, but those who refused were put back in the pen.


2009 G20 London summit protests, G20 Meltdown
Commander Bob Broadhurst, the officer in charge of policing the G20 protests, said that the "overall mood" of the 1 April demonstrations was good although "unfortunately small groups of protesters intent on violence mixed with the crowds of lawful demonstrators." A bystander, Ian Tomlinson, died after being pushed to the ground by a police officer.


2009 G20 London summit protests, G20 Meltdown, Squats
Protesters set up four squats as bases close to the Bank of England on 31 March. The police raided an occupied derelict pub in Shoreditch on the evening of the 31st which had been publicised as a "convergence space for protesters"; they stopped and searched people entering the building and arrested three people, one on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.


2009 G20 London summit protests, G20 Meltdown, Squats
On 1 April Payne House on Earl Street near Liverpool Street Station was promoted as venue for workshops, films and accommodation with space to house "many, many people". The venue was advertised as a drug-free and alcohol-free centre with no photography allowed without permission. Police later raided a large Victorian office building in Earl Street and another squatted building, the RampART Social Center, in Whitechapel on 2 April, detaining a total of at least 80 people and arresting four. A video of the raid allegedly shows an officer pointing a Taser at protesters who are lying on the floor, which would be against police guidelines.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Climate Camp
The "Camp in the City" () on 1 April 2009 aimed to draw attention to carbon trading, claiming that far from being a way of reducing release of climate change gasses in the atmosphere it is used as an excuse to continue doing just that. The camp took place outside the European Climate Exchange in Bishopsgate


2009 G20 London summit protests, Climate Camp
Prior to the actual camp a group of participants had played a game called "capture the flag" in the area on 27 March which was used by the protesters to familiarise themselves with the locale.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Climate Camp
Climate Camp organisers agreed to meet with police and exchange contact details shortly before the protest. The meeting was arranged by Liberal Democrat MP David Howarth, who was to mediate at the meeting which was to take place at the House of Commons. Scotland Yard confirmed that a meeting was to take place with police Commander Bob Broadhurst and Chief Superintendent Ian Thomas.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Climate Camp
The camp, which was intended to last for 24 hours, started at 12:30 pm when a camp was established in a section of Bishopsgate between Threadneedle Street and London Wall with tents set up and bunting across the road reading "Nature doesn't do bailouts". There were solar-powered sound systems, musicians and a food stall and some 1,000-plus relaxed people.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Climate Camp
The atmosphere was still relaxed at about 5 pm when police with helmets, shields and batons began to surround areas of the camp using section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Climate Camp
At about 7 pm the police stopped allowing people to enter or leave the protest. The police advanced on protesters who put their hands in the air and passively resisted while chanting "This is not a riot", a tactic that emerged over the course of a number of Camp for Climate Action gatherings. There were scuffles with the police in which several protesters were hit and kicked by the police and one policewoman needed medical attention. Within the cordon people carried on playing music and preparing food and until the police began letting people leave at about 11:30 pm and cleared the area of the last protesters at about 2 am.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Climate Camp
Organizers of the Climate Camp have released a report of the protests and the police response, "Demonstrating Respect for Rights", which includes allegations of police using violence to clear the camp after journalists had left. The camp legal team also released a video of the protests, which includes footage of a demonstrator being struck on the head by a police riot shield, and of another man being punched in the face as the crowd retreats from police.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Alternative London Summit
An "alternative G20 Summit" with speakers including Tony Benn, Ken Loach, Ken Livingstone, John McDonnell and Caroline Lucas was scheduled to take place at the University of East London, which is close to where the main G20 Summit was held.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Alternative London Summit
At the last minute the university announced that the whole university would close for the duration of the summit on safety grounds, also that Prof Chris Knight, an expert in anthropology at the University for 20 years, had been suspended for "inciting criminal action, specifically violence against policemen and women and damage to banking institutions", and that the alternative summit was cancelled. In the event, the summit did go ahead and was held on the lawns of the university and started an hour later than planned; 200–300 people attended.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Policing, Operation Glencoe
Scotland Yard officers drew up Operation Glencoe, the plan to protect the summit and prevent disorder. The overall commander (the Gold commander) was Commander Bob Broadhurst.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Policing, Operation Glencoe
Before the event Commander Simon O'Brien said that the capital would see "almost unprecedented level of activity" of protest activity with seven officially notified demonstrations and possibly many more they don't know about. Scotland Yard described the G20 policing plan as one of the largest, most challenging and complicated public order operations it has ever devised. They said that the level and style of activity on the internet suggested a re-emergence of groups with similar aims to the anti-globalisation protesters who turned to violence in 2000 and 2001.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Policing, Operation Glencoe
They said they were determined to avoid the violent scenes of the 2001 G8 in Genoa in which one protester was killed and hundreds more injured. In the days leading up to the summit, the Metropolitan police warned protest groups that the protests on 1 April would be "very violent" and that they were "up for it, and up to it" in the event of trouble.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Policing, Operation Glencoe
The police used the crowd-control tactic known as containment or the “kettle”, to hold 5,000 people inside a police cordon without food, drink or lavatory facilities. This combined with riot police pushing into crowds with shields and batons.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Policing, Operation Glencoe
Ian Tomlinson died after being shoved and struck by a police officer within a police cordon of the G20 Meltdown protest near the Bank of England. Initially, the City of London Police denied that any incident with the police had occurred, and the death was attributed to natural causes. One week, later video evidence emerged of a Metropolitan police officer pushing Tomlinson to the ground.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Policing, Operation Glencoe
Including a number of raids on squats on 2 April 2009, the police made over 100 arrests and said they had identified and would track down those who had broken the law. A teenage girl was convicted of criminal damage An estimated 5,000 people took part in the protests. The Daily Telegraph suggested that the policing of the event would turn out to have been the most expensive police operation in British history at an estimated cost of up to £8 million, or £1,600 per protester.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Policing, Operation Glencoe
One raid on a climate change group the day after the main protests was ruled to have been illegal in March 2010, the Met Commissioner said that it was unlawful to arrest and search protestors and to force them to be recorded on film. Two protesters were each awarded £3000 compensation after the Met admitted the operation was unlawful as there were no reasonable grounds for suspicion.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Policing, Response to police tactics
The police choice of "Operation Glencoe" as a codename was linked with the Glencoe Massacre. In the buildup to the protests the chairman of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Andrew Dismore, MP, said that "The police have a duty under the Human Rights Act to facilitate protest and not frustrate it. If they act in a confrontational way and use confrontation language, they will start to provoke the kind of behaviour they are seeking to prevent. There may well be a fringe element that want to incite violence. But that doesn't mean police should criminalise every protester." David Howarth, a Liberal Democrat MP, said: "I am increasingly worried that what the police are saying about the protests will end up in a self-fulfilling prophecy. By talking up the prospect of violence they [the police] will put off peaceful demonstrators and start to attract other sorts."


2009 G20 London summit protests, Policing, Response to police tactics
Jenny Jones, a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, said of reports of police brutality that "If the police were hitting people who were sitting down with their hands up, we have entered a new era of overt violent policing in Britain that will deter people from protesting and cut back our civil liberties". A police Commander said that their "tactics were proportionate and worked". Jean Lambert, MEP, of the London Green Party, wrote an open letter to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner after the event asking for an explanation of the police tactics at the climate camp.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Policing, Response to police tactics
A number of allegations of police misconduct have been reported, including by a press photographer. The IPCC has received 185 complaints relating to police actions at the demonstrations, 40 of which were ineligible and 80 of which concern violence. An officer is being investigated and has received a written warning after writing "Rob Ward can't wait to bash some long haired hippys up @ the G20" as a Facebook status update on the evening of 1 April. Liberal Democrat MP Chris Huhne has noted "the canteen culture of some parts of the Met".


2009 G20 London summit protests, Policing, Response to police tactics
The National Union of Journalists has considered taking legal action after Section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 was used against journalists covering the protests on 2 April. The City of London police asked them to leave the area at the Royal Exchange for half an hour, and threatened arrest if they refused. Section 14 is to prevent "serious public disorder, serious criminal damage or serious disruption to the life of the community".