Posted
on
Thursday, July 09, 2009
by New Kid
daily mail uk
George Clooney adds a touch of Hollywood glamour to G8 as he and First Wives Club tour earthquake-hit L'Aquila
By Nick Pisa and Mail Foreign Service
Last updated at 4:56 PM on 09th July 2009
Hollywood heart throb George Clooney and fellow actor Bill Murray added a touch of showbiz to the G8 summit today when they visited the earthquake ravaged region of L'Aquila.
The Ocean's Eleven star and Ghostbusters actor arrived by helicopter at L'Aquila after flying down from Clooney's villa at Lake Como in northern Italy, where he spends his summers.
Accompanied by local officials they visited the camp at St Eusanio Forconese near L'Aquila where they were given a superstar welcome by people living there.
Actors George Clooney and Bill Murray tour earthquake damage on the sidelines of a G8 summit this afternoon
Actors George Clooney and Bill Murray tour earthquake damage on the sidelines of a G8 summit this afternoon
Clooney is mobbed by residents in St Eusanio, near L'Aquila
Clooney is mobbed by residents in St Eusanio, near L'Aquila
Clooney and Murray posed for photographs, shook hands and listened as people described how they had lost their homes and the efforts being made to rehouse them.
Clooney said:'It seems very important to focus attention on an area so ravaged by the earthquake and if my presence gets media attention I'm happy.
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'These guys want to go home. I live in California and I am used to earthquakes.
'It's important that the world leaders gathered here do more for Africa, because so far they haven't always done what they should have done.'
The Hollywood star is known for his campaigns for Darfur and has also joined other celebrities in pressing the G8 to keep aid pledges made at Gleneagles in 2005.
Michelle Obama
Filippa Reinfeldt
U.S First Lady Michelle Obama and Filippa Reinfeldt, wife of Sweden's Prime Minister, tour the earthquake-hit city
Earlier in the day, G8 wives Sarah Brown and Michelle Obama also toured the devastated city.
The ladies including Sarah Brown and Michelle Obama were taken to an exhibition centre at the police barracks hosting the G8 summit, where a simulator has been set up in a courtyard.
The PM's wife and the U.S First Lady spoke to families left thousands homeless following the quake.
The wives of European Commission President Jose' Manuel Durao Barroso, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and South African President Jacob Zuma all volunteered to climb onto the simulator in turn.
The first ladies were said to be 'a bit dizzy' after their experience.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown's wife Sarah and U.S First Lady Michelle Obama
Prime Minister Gordon Brown's wife Sarah and Mrs Obama see the damage caused to the town of L'Aquila during the G8 Summit in Italy
Sarah Brown and Michelle Obama
The two wives looked pensive as they toured the damaged city
The group toured L'Aquila's historic centre, devastated in the April 6 quake that left 300 dead and 50,000 homeless.
Mrs Obama expressed her emotion at seeing the earthquake-ravaged city of L'Aquila and reiterated her husband Barack's pledge to help the residents.
Dressed in a yellow and white outfit and with her hair tied up, the US first lady, said:'I'm very moved. I and my husband have been very struck by what we're seeing and we'll try to do everything possible to support you.'
Yesterday President Obama had told local officials: ' have followed your tragedy from the first moment. I assure you that the United States stands ready to help Italy.'
The first ladies were accompanied by former topless model turned Equal Opportunities minister Mara Carfagna and Education Minister Mariastella Gelmini.
But their visit is sure to be upstaged by French president Nicolas Sarkozy's wife Carla Bruni and Hollywood actor George Clooney who are also due to tour the area later today.
Ms Bruni-Sarkozy skipped yesterday's events in Rome in what was widely seen as a snub to Mr Berlusconi, with whom she has previously clashed with.
Thousands of people evacuated after the April quake - which measured 6.3 on the Richter scale are still living in tents while work continues on making their homes safe.
No sign of the damage can be seen from behind the high walls of the Finance Ministry Police complex outside L'Aquila where G8 leaders, including Gordon Brown, are meeting.
But houses with collapsing walls and piles of crumbling masonry show the impact of the quake are visible just miles away.
Leaders of the world's richest nations meet against a backdrop of L'Aquila
Leaders of the world's richest nations meet against a backdrop of L'Aquila while the G8 wives toured the remains of the city
Mrs Brown, pictured with other G8 wives
Mrs Brown, pictured with other G8 wives, later had a private audience with the Pope yesterday in Rome
And inside the summit venue, walls are decorated with pre-quake pictures of some of the beautiful Renaissance buildings damaged.
Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi switched the venue of this week's summit from Sardinia to L'Aquila to show solidarity with victims of the quake.
But there have been complaints that resources have been lavished on preparing the military barracks-style venue to receive the world leaders at a time when people remain homeless.
Mrs Brown had a private audience with the Pope yesterday, then visited the Sant'Egidio Community in Rome to learn about their work fighting HIV/Aids in Africa.
Writing on her blog last night, she spoke of the 'poignant' moment on arriving at the community's headquarters in an ancient monastery.
The Prime Minister's wife was shown a tiny iron turnstile set into the wall, where poor and unmarried women used to abandon new-born babies.
http://clooneygazette.canalblog.com/
(rant time...turn away now if you think George is the best thing since sliced bread)
Oh George,
'It's important that the world leaders gathered here do more for Africa, because so far they haven't always done what they should have done'.
He is amazing, swans around in lake Como for a 3mth summer party and then takes a day off to shake some hands and tell world leaders they don’t really care about Africa and should be making more of an effort there. If he personally feels so passionately about it how about spending a month of the summer helping out in a refugee camp like Mia Farrow, sans publicity.
'It seems very important to focus attention on an area so ravaged by the earthquake and if my presence gets media attention I'm happy'.
If this is not just a sound bite and he’s sincere about wanting to draw attention to their plight why not actually spending a few weeks helping out in the A’quila tent city over the summer, that would really get the worlds attention. Oops, sorry you he has guests arriving at his Villa, more important by far.
'These guys want to go home. I live in California and I am used to earthquakes'
Yes George and your house collapsed and members of your family and many close friends died and you lost your business and livelihood and because you have nowhere else to go you have to live in a tent with 3 other families, you are just so in touch with these people.
George the academy award nominated ‘writer’ must have had weeks to think up something to say and that’s the best he could come up with, how about something like
“I am so saddened by their circumstances, I really feel for them and will do everything I can to help’ instead he say ‘I live in California and am use to earthquakes’ that must have been just exactly what the people of A’quila were waiting to hear.
Talk is cheap, 'doing something about the problem' seems to be Georges media mantra....I’m sorry but in my book doing something means actually rolling up your sleeves and pitching in not just talking about the problem then telling someone else they should be rolling up their sleeves, there are families all over Italy and on lake Como who have taken total strangers from A’quila in to their homes to live until the city is rebuilt.
George has that huge factory area behind his villa with a kitchen, shower room and at least 2 large sitting room areas which is totally unused for 9mths of the year, if I had his resources a family would be living there now and asked not to speak of it until they got back home. That’s what I call 'DOING'.
(rant done....for today)
@Em
SMACK DAB ON THE NOSE! I believe this was a publicity stunt for brand Clooney. C'mon, now! The G8 Summit in the same country! Of course, the First Wives Club would visit a disaster area...it's what they do! So, it would be a no brainer to assume there would be media present for the duration. Why not go low key if he "just cared?" Why not go to Africa on his downtime if he "just cared?"
I'm calling it! and I'm all in!
[probably mixed gambling terms but you get the picture!]
Nothing further to add to this other than: well said, Em.
Em, you expressed all that I was thinking as I read this article.
Well done.
I agree with you Emerald, and the other thing that's bothered me is that all of this seems like a PR push for the Fox film. Clearly, Murray is in town to screen these 'clips' of the film. He may really be friends with George, but this theater opening and the clip screening were planned in advance. There's an article by a CBS reporter called Allen Pizzey who covered George and Bill's appearance, and he refers to this as a 'publicity stunt.' It sounds like he thinks it's a good publicity stunt but a publicity stunt nonetheless.
The timing and circumstances surrounding this just smacks of a photo opportunity. I guess at least he made some of the locals there happy?
Like I said in a thread way way back...
I think George & Carla Bruni would make a good match.(hehe)
Carla. European, slut of a lady, star-fucker, skank.
George. European wannabe, slut of a man, star, skank lover.
Just picturing the two of them together, conjures up images of high voltage sparks. Whooo!
Sarkozy better watch his back. Cause I wont. I'll be too busy pointing George in Carla's direction. Yes, I'm a dirty wench of a homewrecker. LOL
Still have you seen the video of the picture sent out about Obama? The picture makes it look like he's checking out some gal's ass. But when you look at the video he's just watching his step and then helping someone behind him step down. But then the put a circle around Sarkozy who is obviously checking out the girl, so much so that he leans so far backward I'm surprised he didn't fall on his ass!
Obama Sarkozy Video
Lorna,
I saw it on AOL, and could clearly see he was looking down, watching his step.
Obama is under too much pressure to be checking out some young girl's ass. Plus, why would he, after Michelle's 'bootilicious' posterior. :}
Lorna and Still, I saw it in the Style section this morning and I thought they were looking at the woman because she was barefoot.