Not entirely true. If the G8 folks really wanted to avoid "collateral damage" they'd hold their meetings in Switzerland or maybe Finland.
"Collateral damage" occurs in any battle. If you hold the battle in Switzerland the "collateral damage" would simply include a higher "loss of human life" content. (forshadowing of the coming WTO summit in Qatar?) The real issue is the fact that the battle takes place. Protestors don't gather and put their personal well-being at risk for no reason. In the case of those protesting in Genoa, the reasons are varied but centered around a single point: globalization and big government has not helped the people. Money doesn't matter; government doesn't matter; people do matter. The people have not been helped by the forces of globalization. The people have not been helped by the World Bank, IMF, G8. That is, the people that populate the cities and farm the countryside. The elite few % of the people who control the world, via government and corporations, exploit the rest of the world for their benefit. G8 is just one of their tools. They are helped by the World Bank. They are the ones being opposed by the protestors. They will be made accountable for their actions--these battles will not end. Revolutions and Civil Wars have occurred regularly for hundreds of years over this very issue. This war has simply escalated to the scale that is has because the enemy has escalated to the scale that it has. It takes tens of thousands or protestors to get a message out against a global governmental organization. Contrary to the statements made by current "world leaders", this is democracy in action.