Thousands rallied in northern Japan calling for the G8 rich industrialised nations to be disbanded yesterday while in Paris, member France called for the group to grow to include major emerging states such as China and India.
In Sapporo, several thousand people protested against the annual Group of Eight summit due to take place at a luxury hotel 70 km away.
The 90-minute march by Japanese and foreign activists took place under heavy security ahead of the July 7-9 meeting at the hot spring and lake resort of Toyako.
The protesters banged drums and carried colourful banners proclaiming 'Shut Down the G8' and yelled: 'We are against a summit of rich nations'. In Paris, French President Nicolas Sarkozy called for the meeting to include China and India as well as representatives from Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, saying the world today was "multipolar".
"I think it is not reasonable to continue to meet as eight to solve the big questions of the world, forgetting China - 1.3 billion people - and not inviting India - one billion people," he told a conference of the ruling UMP party.
The G8 includes the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia.
"The truth is that if we want peace and world development, everybody needs to be invited," Sarkozy said.
"I do not accept that a continent of one billion people like Africa does not have a country to represent it at the table of world leaders."
Sarkozy has said more than once that he thinks the group should be expanded. He did not detail yesterday how the structure should be changed, however. This year's G8 host, Japan, argues that the current size works well, with other countries brought into the group for discussions on specific issues. In all, 22 leaders are attending this week's meetings in Hokkaido.
"We cherish this format for G8," a senior Japanese government official told reporters this week, adding that the G8 countries "share common values".
The G8 nations will meet eight other countries, including China, India and Brazil, in an expanded Major Economies Meeting (MEM) on Wednesday to look at long-term targets for climate change. Environmentalists are urging the G8 to set bold targets for cutting CO2 emissions by 2050 and interim goals for how to get there in order to boost momentum for UN-led talks on a new framework for after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
Those talks are set to end in Copenhagen next year.
"Countries like China and India also have to contribute to global efforts on cutting emissions, but ambitious mid-term targets by industrialsed nations are a crucial prerequisite," Kathrin Guttman, WWF International Climate Policy Coordinator, said in a statement.
"Rather than passing the buck to those countries less capable, the world's eight wealthiest nations should do what all real leaders do - move first."