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Barricading the G8 in Germany international |
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feature
 Sunday June 17, 2007 18:52 by Starstuck - WSM - Lucy Parsons - personal capacity
 An Irish anarchist reports from the front line and the cells
A member of the WSM travelled to last week's protests against the G8 in Heilegendamm, Germany. He reports on the actions that were taken and then on his arrest and mistreatment. The Build-Up - 2nd June 2007We travelled to Rostock on one of the 30 buses going from Hamburg. When we arrived the city was awash with people and also a gargantuan police presence. We made our way to the starting point of the rally in which the anarchist block was due to march, the second rally being composed more so of NGOs and political parties. After an hour or so of boring speeches and the monotone gloom of David Rovics, the march set off. A pretty impressive black bloc had formed at the rear-centre composed of AntiFa, anarchist groups and of course the Autonomous movement people. Black clad protesters are a much more eclectic bunch politically, this is worth remembering. As the march weaved its way through the elegant city of Rostock, the Black Block seemed to swell considerably as it followed the sounds of the AntiFa sound system. My estimation is approximate, but I would guess it comprised of at least 6-7000 people. After an hour of marching and chanting, news filtered through that the other rally (which we were to meet at the Harbour) had been attacked by police using pepper spray, tear gas and of the course the ever-useful baton. Plumes of tear gas could be seen from afar and our march became agitated as it seemed the police had halted its progress at the front to prevent us reaching the Harbour and our fellow protesters. There were shouts to get into line among the black bloc as it seemed that we would have to fight our way through to the others.We were a tad anxious as the situation appeared to be deteriorating fast, but were bolstered by the apparent confidence and steel-eyed determination that surrounded us. Soon, however,the march proceeded and the threat appeared to have abated. We made it to the harbour where the rumours of police violence were substantiated with injured demonstrators being attended to. The police then attempted to arrest people for covering their faces (this is an offence in Germany) and the crowd scattered somewhat into side streets as people fought back against the police repression.The scene escalated quickly as police snatch squads moved in at the sides of the black bloc with some force. However they were met with fearsome resistance, the like of which I have never before witnessed. Stones, bottles and other projectiles were used to give them a hostile welcome and hold them off as other protesters escaped to safety.It seemed as if police efforts to attack the march and arrest hundreds of anarchists and AntiFa had backfired as they were peppered from all sides by angry demonstrators and they had to beat a hasty retreat after a few minutes. [continued below ...] This went on for quite some time around the harbour area and surrounding streets and can be seen and described better by pictures and video as I want to move on to the other events of the week. For video and images see http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/05/371754.html We went back to camp Rostock (one of the three superb G8-specific camps) that evening and digested the days events. 100 arrested, many injured and 400 cops getting treatment (no sympathy there). It was now clear to us that the German police were well-armed, well-protected, well-trained and brutal when they chose to be.There had also emerged a tendency to attack the less militant areas of demonstrations, a tactic which backfired on them big-time both that day and the following day in the German press. It was now also clear to us that the militant groups involved in this G8 were more than a match for their state-sponsored nemeses, should the situation so merit. 3rd - 5th June On Sunday we attended an agriculture-reform march in Rostock. Again hugely well attended, the police did everything they could to incite the marchers.This pattern continued the following day at the Migrants-rights/Freedom-of-Movement rally using the same tactics as Sunday but with added severity. Following a successful march to an emigrant "processing centre" we departed to return to the city centre en bloc.The police constantly stopped the march, then let it proceed, then stopping it again and making demands regarding the clothing of the protesters. First no hoods (even though it was raining), then no hats, then no sunglasses. One protester took the initiative and stripped totally naked with an inscription on his back reading "I am a well behaved protester. " The fashion-related demands were clearly aimed at exposing the huge anarchist and black bloc presence to scrutiny, possibly because of Saturday's roasting. Very few complied with the outlandish demands, and eventually the march proceeded, moving just 1.5km in four hours! The demonstrators all but ignored the police attempts to incite them to militant resistance, everyone knowing that Wednesday (the opening day of the G8) was fast approaching and that our numbers and energy would be better spent then. We moved to Camp Reddilich that evening as it was more suited to our political and organisational methods.Tuesday was spent moving from meeting to meeting, developing a clear and effective plan for the blockades due to begin in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Affinity groups were formed and ours nestled itself into the "English-speaking bloc" which was comprised of 60-70 people from England, Scandinavia, Ireland and Germany. After a long, long day, our last meeting concluded at 1.30am and we hit the hay with an early start and the G8 to block only a few hours away. At about 3.30am,the camp siren sounded,along with youthful voices screaming that the camp was being attacked by police.The 6-7000 residents arose to a vision of frenzied activity. Myself and others gathered at our barrio's still-lit campfire and exchanged stories of a similar event in Stirling (G8 2005) which had amounted to nothing.This turned out to be the case again here,with the police merely increasing their numbers 500m from the front gate on a public highway. A lesson yet again to be learnt for future such events. The Blockades At 10am, a bleary-eyed bunch of us departed through the rapeseed fields at the rear of the camp area (which provided excellent cover). We had supplies sufficient to last us for 36 hours in the event of a long-haul outdoor stay. Our plan was to breach the Red Zone through the many forests of the region and create barricades on as many roads as we could. Each affinity group (5-15 people) nominated a delegate to the "spokes council" which would meet at strategic points on our route to maintain the decentralised democratic structure of the group. After about 2 hours of trekking through thick forest and dense rapeseed fields we reached our first road-target. Scouts went ahead to scope it out and reported back to the spokes-council delegates who had been chatting with their affinity groups. The signal was given and we ran onto the road,directing traffic away at either end and setting up two impressive barricades in the centre using logs, branches, dead trees and other natural supplies form the forest floor. With this complete we disappeared into the forest on the other side and began making our way to the next target using compasses and maps. This was the group's strategy, to build barricades up and down a road and then disappear as quickly as possible to avoid police detection of our whereabouts from land-level and from above (where helicopters roamed the sky continuously). We continued in this manner for several hours pushing further and further into the Red Zone and avoiding police detection using natures cover and a sequence of call-out codes. One larger road was blockaded with the assistance of the "Tool Team" who felled huge Sycamore trees (a pest species apparently) from the banks, making particularly impassable barricades. As we walked further down this road to build another, 3 BMW police cars (upper-echelon police types) sped by and people initially panicked. However, seconds later, they were calmed and we built a second barricade, trapping the 3 cars in between the two barriers. This was to prevent them from following us but we knew now that our invisibility had been compromised and that we had to tread more carefully from here on in. At about 4pm, we came across a tourist map at the edge of one of the forests with a "You are Here" guide which had been conveniently altered to indicate police/G8 details by a past passer-by.We were now at the village of Wittingbeck with no further forest cover available for 2km. A spokes council was held after which about a third of the group decided to turn back and the rest to continue towards Heilegendamm. It had been an hour and a half since we had encountered the BMW police cars and no adverse attention had come our way since then, possibly due to the obtuse and unpredictable direction of our chosen route. On we went, passing slowly through the village, attempting to remain as inconspicuous as possible.Suddenly a number of police vans appeared to our right up an alley-way. They backed up immediately upon seeing us,seemingly afraid. We seized the initiative building a barricade of concrete blocks, wooden planks and bricks in front of them, trapping them up the alleyway. Some people fled once they saw the vans and our numbers had again been reduced, now down to about 30. We were then "bolstered" by the appearance form a side street of a group of black-clad individuals armed with iron bars and bags of bricks.Our attempts to remain inconspicuous in the bustling village had clearly been compromised and seconds later, a PLATOON of police, presumably alerted by their now-trapped colleagues, appeared around the corner and it was all over. As the vans sped toward us, our black-clad comrades who I think but am not 100 percent sure were Greek hurled bricks and stones and swung their iron bars at the windows of the vans as they passed. Most of the group thought it better to flee into an adjoining field (with large agitated horses galloping crazily around).The numbers of police that appeared were overwhelming. Myself and two comrades tried to remain calm and continued walking as if nothing had happened (we were dressed in a"non-threatening" way at this point). However, this approach proved to be to no avail as we were stopped, screamed at in German, pushed around, cuffed and taken away.The same fate befell our comrades in the field minutes later as they were surrounded on all sides by hundreds of riot police The Imprisonment Initially handcuffed, we were then constrained using cable-ties as more and more arrests were made and the police were running low on the luxury version. We were made sit on the grass for almost an hour in the baking heat with no communication with anyone permitted. At 6pm we were loaded onto several police jail buses and pushed around forcefully if any delay resulted as a result of instructions given only in German. We were transported to the temporary detention centre (DC) in Rostock, a journey of 25 km or so, which curiously took two hours! Slacking off, methinks! Upon our arrival we were "processed" (personal data taken) and then one by one placed in large white cages (5m x 3m x 3m), with open sides but a white sheet shielding one cage from the next to prevent easy communication among inmates (who I shall here after refer to as "comrades"). More and more comrades arrived until each cage had about 15 inhabitants. The cages were empty of supplies with nothing to sleep on except the concrete floor. Introductions were exchanged and the atmosphere was comradely, if very fatigued. The cages were gender-divided with the female cages protesting the loudest and most continuously for basic rights - food, water, telephone call, lawyer and doctor. These protests were almost completely ignored with food (one slice of bread) and water being the only ones granted,and even at this, only occasionally. Wednesday Night At 11pm, I was brought to see the "Richter" (police judge) who following a review of the circumstances of my arrest stated that I would be in custody until Saturday at noon. No private space was given to my lawyer and I to speak, a clear breach of the law and my basic riights. A phone call, etc. had still not been granted. The Richter guaranteed in front of my lawyer and translator that I would get my phone call immediately. This promise did not materialise for a further 15 hours. During the night, any attempts at sleep were made even more impossible by the constant and meaningless moving of comrades from one cage to the next. I, myself, was moved three times and this was typical. Each of the three times I had all but breached the discomfort barrier and had dropped off to sleep.Mental exhaustion was clearly what they were going for, its purpose clearly to weaken comrades physically and mentally for the upcoming interrogations etc. I continuously demanded my phone call, demands which were ignored with impudence. Screams of the females were audible at various times from various points and levels in the building, an unnerving feeling to say the least. At 5.30am, I was called from my cage. Weary of being incessantly moved and hearing stories of others having been fingerprinted, I refused to move unless the reason for so doing was given. No reason was forthcoming and after my refusal and my comrades solidarity the opfficer left and promptly returned with two armed cops who removed me forcefully. The law in Germany states that you are not obliged to give fingerprints but that you are not permitted to resist with force if an attempt is made to extract them from you.Three men held me as one cop pressed each of my fingers onto the prints sheet. A thoroughly disempowering experience and one that would have been much more traumatic had I not been half-asleep the entire time from exhaustion. Thursday The hours dragged by, still with no telephone call granted and the heat in the cages grew immense. At about 2.30pm, myself and a comrade from Brighton upon receiving information from an English Lawyer (via a mobile we had smuggled in) demanded that we see a high-ranking officer. We had been informed that our detention was illegal as non-German, E.U citizens and that after our data had been taken and confirmed, we were entitled to release. Once this was communicated to him, we were immediately granted our phone calls and I phoned the legal team and the Irish consulate, explaining the legal situation and conditions to both. The consulate agreed to help, however I would like to emphasise that despite their kind words on the phone to me, they were NO help at all and merely sent me a list of English-speaking lawyers in Germany, despite the fact I had told them clearly I had a competent lawyer. Following the phone call, I returned to my cage but within 5 minutes was on the move again, this time to court in Rostock to hear the appeal I had lodged the previous night to the decision of the Richter. The four "reasons", (not even charges against me) for keeping me in effective preventative custody were:
Thus, the Richter had deemed that to prevent me committing these or further offences in the future 4 days, I had to be detained until Saturday I was brought to the Rostock city court building where we waited outside in the hallway for quite some time. During this time, the accompanying police officers attempted to pry information from me. I told them I would not answer any questions without my lawyer present and following that replied "Keine Commenta" to every question. They used predictable techniques such as telling me 'You willing be staying in Germany now for 10 months" and then saying that IF I just told them what happened they might be able to help me to avoid this. This continued for about 30 minutes until the judges appeared in the corridor at which point the police fell silent. I was given 10 minutes to discuss matters with my young lawyer. We then made our case to the hearing about why my detention until Saturday was illegal. Together we described accurately the conditions, the fact that none of the charges can be evidenced in any way by the police and also that no telephone call was granted for 15 hours despite the Richter's guarantee that it would in front of both lawyer and translator (who affirmed this promise in court). The court seemed impressed and the police lawyer said very little throughout except that police resources were under much strain. I felt quietly confident at this point. The court said they would retire for one hour to consider its decision and asked would I like to stay to hear it, to which of course I replied that I would. However the police insisted that I must return to the detention centre and that they would inform me when the court rang with the decision. I suspected foul play immediately. When I arrived back in the D.C I was placed in solitary confinement away from all the other comrades in a cell with four white walls, a toilet and nothing else. I heard nothing for about 6 hours except the occasional sobbing and sometimes hysterical screaming of one of the other comrades who had suffered the same fate as I.The white walls and boredom get to you after a while. At about 10pm, I was joined by a German comrade, who had also been in solitary and man,we were glad to see and talk to one another. It is indescribable how bored you get on your own and how priceless it is to have another human introduced to your environment, even after such a short while alone. Following a long chat with each other, we drifted off to sleep on our concrete beds until we were rudely awoken at 3.30am. We were being transported to Butzau prison, over 100km and a world away and despite my protests (through German with the aid of my comrade) about receiving my court decision before I left, I was bundled into the back of a van and whisked away. We arrived at the prison at about 5am and were "processed" along with some German and French comrades. After processing we were led to our cells which were in complete disrepair with little obvious improvements since the prisons construction in 1835. However, thankfully, there was an actual bed, a luxury not to be found in Rostock and we slept like babies for hours and hours. All day Friday was spent in the cell, with no time given for walkabout or fresh air. The wing we were in had been reserved for anti-G8 protesters only, to keep us away from the large fascist prison population, or rather them away from us. My cell comrade Gerome was released Friday evening along with some of the other Irish arrestees, but they had one more battle to face as a standoff between them and a local bunch of fascists which had gathered ensued before the police arrived to ensure their safe passage out of there. After much sleeping and chatting with my French comrade Jeremie about everything under the sun that I could manage with my limited French and he with his similarly limited English, I was released at noon Saturday with Jeremie departing a few hours earlier. I was greeted by friendly lefties outside including my friend Sean who had gotten out the previous night, as well as by food, water and a car to get the fuck out of there. I missed two flights out of Germany and ended up leaving on Monday. It was all worth it. Fuck the G8! |
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Comments (23 of 23)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23Cheers for the report back, fuck the G8!
80,000 at a demo on the 2nd and barricades in hte German countryside on the morning of the summit opening.
Road barricade,hundreds of these were built all around the Heilingedamm area
Part of the Anarchist Block ,2nd oF June
Rostock,2nd June
Demo Pic
Fighting back against police aggression
Videos available foir viewing on youtube
The Reiddilich camp,one of three excellent camps for the G8
Getting closer to the security fence
Star Wars,and they were ALL this well armed and brutal
Reaching the fence and avoiding detection,snippy snippy
Thats really gonne help the average joe.
Openly confronting ceremonies that promote a notion that globalised capitalism is the 'way the truth and the light' helps me immensely, and i consider myself the average Joe.
I think your missing the point. No one's arguing that it's wrong to protest and stand up for what you believe in, but what exactly does rioting and causing damage to public buildings achieve?
G8 activists Find What They Are Looking For as Bono Runs to Stand Still
During the recent G8 summit in Germany a group of Australian activists present for the protests had the fortune to come across Bono. Unhappy with his meagre demands of the G8, at his willingness to sit down at the table with war criminals such as George Bush and Tony Blair to ask for a few scraps for Africa, at the credibility he gave to these illegitimate institutions and his use of the issues to further his thirst for power, the activists thought they'd have a few words.
check it out at
http://www.engagemedia.org/Members/skipbloc/videos/bono.../view
Cases
Ministry of Justice: 8 persons have been sentenced to between 6 and 10 months in prison in fast track processes. Charges are attempted and
actual assault with severe breach of the peace. 2 of these persons have been released on parole. These two convictions are already final. 2 persons are remanded in custody awaiting trial. In 120 cases judges ordered long term detention on the basis of people being considered 'dangerous'. These persons were all released at the end of the G8
Summit. In the period from June 2nd 2007 and June 10th 2007 in connection with the G8 Summit a total of 103 persons (90 men and 13women) were taken into correctional facilities, of these, 92 persons
received security and order rulings and 11 arrest warrants. The youngest person was 16, the oldest 41. Amongst these there were 41 foreigners,
40% of the total. Nationalities were the following: Belgian 2, British 8, Estonian 2, French 2, Irish 4, Italian 1, Canadian 1, Dutch 1, Polish
1, Russian 1, Swedish 14, Swiss 1, Spanish 2, US American 1, German 62.
Sources: Camp AG, Streetmedics, Infopoints, Indymedia Ticker, lawyers,
police, eye-witnesses, press, pressgroups, Linkspartei Bad Doberan,
Committee for Basic Rights and Democracy, own reports etc.
Confirmed reports of state violence against activists
*Tuesday, 29th May*
Afternoon: A convoy on its way to the Wichmannsdorf camp is stopped by
the Police and searched. On the B105 near the town of Teschow a Police
unit from Lower Saxony stops the group and announces that the personal
details of all persons will be checked and the vehicles searched. In the
first instance, the officers from Hannover try to proceed without
providing a reason, only after insistent questioning do they state that
the trailers the group has with them are carrying bikes assumed to be
stolen. The group's lawyer Soenke Hibrans from Berlin comments that, "to
investigate suspected bicycle theft with road closures is anything but
an appropriate Police measure. This was an unlawful harassment."
-----
*Wednesday, 30th May*
On Wednesday and Thursday mobilising rallies take place at a number of
Rostock schools. On Wednesday morning and at midday a sound system
vehicle visits various schools and flyers are distributed to the pupils
to inform them about events during the protest week. At the second stop,
two plain clothes Police officers inform a Police unit from Rhineland
Palatinate, on standby in Schifferstadt, of the initiative. With five
vans and 35 persons the Police stop the people in the sound system
vehicle as well as one other car. Their personal details are checked,
people and vehicles are filmed and the rally is effectively stopped. The
organisers of the rally are held until after it was supposed to start.
The rally is intentionally prevented without any reason given, even when
explicitly asked for. On Thursday the school tour is continued, and
between 7am and 8am, after the first stop at a Rostock grammar school, a
totally different type of encounter happens. Whilst the mobilisation
crew is on a break, the gentlemen for the Protection of the
Constitution, probably Bavarian, are found tampering with the sound
system vehicle. When one of them is asked what they are doing, he seems
jumpy. He shouts out, 'don't touch me!' and after a short car chase
disappears with his colleague in a BMW with a Wuerzburg number plate.
The cliched appearance of these two figures is evident: moustache,
checked shirt, aged between 40 and 50 and relatively inconspicuous.
-----
*Saturday, 2nd June*
Around 3pm: Police provoke confrontation. The protest march from
"Schutower Kreuz" reaches Rostock Harbour, participants listen to a
speech about Police violence in Brazil. In the background riot Police
from Thueringen prepare to attack the demonstration. In this visibly
relaxed atmosphere two plain clothes Police officers position themselves
next to two masked demonstrators. All of a sudden, the Police officers
throw one of the masked individuals to the ground to arrest them. Other
participants gather around to demand that the Police stop with this
provocation. Immediately a standby Police unit arrives and pushes the
witnesses who have gathered in solidarity, as well as other bystanders,
to the side. The situation leads to hours of fighting with the Police.
After an accident on the motorway near Rostock, Police and hospital
staff refuse to provide medical assistance. A car with French activists
collides with another car. Police arriving on the scene of the accident
do not help properly and are much more interested in people's luggage.
When the injured persons try to get help at Rostock hospital, staff
there doubt they had a car accident and accuse them of having obtained
their injuries during confrontations with the Police at Rostock Harbour.
Around 8pm, B105: A group of 30 cyclists are returning to Camp Reddelich
from Rostock. Police vans drive alongside the convoy, open the doors and
grab a cyclists, beating him with batons. Pepper spray is sprayed
directly in cyclists' faces. Some of the participants suffer severe
shock, some have severe irritations.
-----
*Sunday, 3rd June*
The Police spread false information that members of the Rebel Clown Army
used "unknown chemical fluids" on Police officers. 8 Police officers are
supposedly being treated in hospital. This accusation is taken up by the
press and disseminated. Despite the fact this information is unfounded
and absurd, it is at no point renounced.
Kavala announces that 1000 persons were injured on the 2nd June.
According to Kavala, of this number 430 are Police officers, many of
them severely. Hospitals report 2 Police officers with broken bones. No
Police officer is kept in hospital. An overwhelming amount of injuries,
both on the side of Police and demonstrators, is to be attributed to eye
infections due to tear gas or substances that were added to the water in
water cannons.
Police brutality of Bavarian Special Forces during arrests: "As I was
pushed into the car, I was told that I should 'shut up, otherwise there
would be trouble' and that they were 'fed up with stone throwers like
me'. On the way to the Police base, I was massively pressured to 'admit
everything' because they were 'going to get us all anyway'. I was
kicked, beaten, shouted at and threatened: 'when we get there we will
take you off the list and drive with you into the woods, nobody will
notice'. All in all the whole incident took 4 1/2 hours, until I was
released without charge."
11.15pm on the way to the Rostock Camp: Police vans suddenly stop next
to people who had attended the concert and were returning to the camp.
Officers jump out of the vans and start beating people up. One person is
injured and has to be taken to hospital.
-----
*Monday, 4th June*
Media witch hunt:
"Bild" newspaper headlines with the question, "Do you want deaths?" The
article reports how the Police trade union wish to get permission to use
of live ammunition on demonstrators.
Frank Jansen states in the "Tagesspiegel" that on June 2nd,
demonstrators had thrown pieces of fruit with razor blades in it. The
article refers to a "security expert" who is not mentioned by name.
11am, Opening rally of the migration demonstration at Rostock
Lichtenhagen: Severe Police aggression. Repeatedly people are snatched
out of the demo, there is permanent filming. There is no apparent
escalation on the side of the demonstrators.
11.40 am, Rostock: A Cameroonian demonstrator is severely injured, his
nose is presumably broken and he has to be taken to hospital.
Report on escalations on behalf of the Police by the Committee for Basic
Rights:
On Monday, June 4th when the registered demonstration with a few
thousand participants arrives in the town centre from the refugee camp,
they are met by an armada of Police in full riot gear, along with five
water canons. For over an hour the protest march is not allowed to
begin. Information or even reasons for the delay are virtually
non-existent and when given, contradictory. None of the justifications
would withstand verification - at one time 500 participants still need
to be searched, at another time there is a supposed threat from outside
the demo. Suddenly Police claim there are 1000 "violent Autonomen"
inside the peaceful demonstration. Nevertheless, the demonstrators
ensure that the situation remains relaxed by communicating information
and providing entertainment. After over an hour of waiting the protest
march is allowed to move forward at least some of the way. Due to the
fact that the rest of the route towards the centre of town is prohibited
by the Police, the demonstration has to be terminated by the organisers.
The Police justify the route cancellation with the argument that the
number of demonstrators is higher than had been registered. The supposed
10.000 participants - in this case an exaggeration on the side of the
Police due to their interests at that moment - are too many to be
allowed to enter the centre of town. To the press it is reiterated that
there are a large number of "violent Autonomen" in the rally. These did
not make themselves known and continued not to do so. Nonetheless, in
spite of all the Police threats regarding searches and arrests, a
spontaneous demonstration formed, which, without a single incident being
reported, marched without further troubles to the planned closing rally
at Rostock Harbour.
-----
*Tuesday, 5th June*
12pm: The organisation "Jewish Voice" cancels its planned commemoration
at the Fence because of the unacceptable conditions placed on the event.
Already two months ago the organisation "Jewish Voice for a Just Peace
in the Near East", together with "Israelis against the G8", had
registered a commemoration at the Fence for the victims of the
occupation of West Jordan and Gaza Strip that began 40 years ago. The
Higher Administrative Court Greifswald had decided that 24 hours before
the commemoration event, the names of the participants had to be made
public. A maximum of 15 persons would be allowed to participate. "Such
conditions are unacceptable", one of the organisers states.
4.15pm: Illegally and without witnesses, the Dutch "Media Bus" is
searched on the way to a registered rally at the military airport
Rostock Laage. A 100 troop strong Police unit from Goeppingen stops the
mobile editorial office on a parking lot close to Ziesendorf near
Schwaan and encircles the vehicle. The journalists have to get out of
the bus one by one and have all of their luggage, as well as the shoes
they are wearing, searched. Their personal details are recorded. For
protection, the journalists film the incident, yet this documentation
from outside of the Police encirclement which took place until 5.40pm,
is banned. This measure is decided by the officers Hensel and Schobel,
more information could only be obtained directly from Kavala. The Police
press office could only state by telephone that if one had been affected
by these measures then one could send an email to them to complain. A
Police spokesperson at the rally in Laage later commented that these
measures were "perfectly normal - of course basic rights and freedom of
the press are restricted in this state of emergency".
Afternoon, rally at the military airport Rostock Laage: People's right
to assemble is inhibited by delays at the Police office in Rostock and
the fact that the Administrative Court had not processed the urgent
appeal lodged against the prohibition of rally points. Road closures,
check points and restricted parking inhibit access to the rally. The
designation of a "prohibited zone" by Police forces is revoked by lead
officer Schultz who declares it a mistake. Despite the decision by the
Higher Administrative Court that the "visibility of the event must not
be prevented through Police vehicles or other Police measures", huge
Police lorries are positioned on the Parkstrasse in the direction of the
airport so as to intercept visibility from and to the airport. Despite
the intervention of officer Schulz, this situation is not remedied until
President Bush had arrived and left again by helicopter. The sound
system vehicle that is supposed to lead a convoy back to Rostock safely
was only permitted to use the roundabout (situated 100m from the
airport) that leads to the road to Rostock hours after the event had
finished. Furthermore, after the end of the assembly, it is announced
that a bus full of people wanting to attend the rally had been stopped
and led onto a motorway parking lot to be held there for a number of
hours. After Police searches only find a gas mask and two walkie
talkies, all people on the bus are photographed one by one and their ID
cards collected.
Afternoon, A19: Police attempt to record the personal details of a
child. During a stop and search incident, Police are not embarrassed to
try and take the personal details of a one and a half year old child.
The child was travelling with the Action Coalition against
Militarisation, War and Torture in a shuttle bus towards Rostock Laage
when the bus was stopped by about 20 Police vans on the A19. The
officers recorded the personal details of everyone, including the child,
and searched the bus for hours and took pictures. Due to the fact that
they could not find anything, they confiscated some scarfs and two pairs
of gloves. Following this all of the activists were taken into detention
with the accusation that they had "masked themselves in the bus". They
were brought to the mass detention centre at Industriestrasse (Rostock).
There they were held for a number of hours and their personal details
recorded again. The mother of the one and half year old child was
repeatedly asked to hold her child's face into the camera. After they
were unable to take the picture, the Police let mother and child go
around midnight, as the first of the group to be released. Both received
an injunction for Rostock and Bad Doberan until June 9th.
Afternoon, beach promenade Kuehlungsborn: A couple is stopped and
searched by the Police. A full body search is undertaken. The man had to
undress to his underwear in front of all the passers-by. This situation
is embarrassing and undignified. Amidst this, he is forced to pull his
vest over his head (to mask his face). The whole incident is filmed.
Passers-by are shocked.
Emergency Legal Team: Evermore globalisation critics are receiving
injunctions since the beginning of the G8 Summit protests. On the 5th
June alone, the legal team notes around 100 injunctions. Reasons for
these are often spurious, for example when at stop and search exercises
at stations or arbitrary roads people are found to have sun glasses,
scarfs or handkerchiefs with them. Even lawyers accompanying
demonstrators receive verbal injunctions. Some injunctions also include
the area of Rostock Harbour, so that people cannot even attend the
cultural events taking place there.
Legal Team on the mass detentions on Tuesday: 21 persons, of which 4 are
internationals, are taken into detention on Tuesday. Overwhelmingly, the
reason for this is that they are masked (with scarfs and sunglasses).
Two minors are among those detained. In the area around the protests at
the military airport at Rostock Laage 70 persons in two buses (one from
Bremen and one from the Netherlands) are detained without any
justification. A bus from Greece with 27 Greeks and 13 Italians are
temporarily taken into detention. Later they are allowed to travel to
Rostock with Police accompaniment. In Heiligendamm local people film
events from their homes. Police clearly feel threatened and try to stop
them. The intervention of a lawyer is required to revoke the prohibition
on filming.
-----
*Wednesday, 6th June*
2am to 4.30 am, Camp Rostock: Police searches and arrests Camp
protection group. The security crew in Camp Rostock were checked and
searched for a number of hours with two people being taken into
preventative detention. Pretext for this was "imminent danger" and "drug
control". All nine persons were photographed whereby they were forced to
mask their faces. The Police claimed that they were planning to commit
criminal offences with the walkie talkies they had with them. The walkie
talkies that were being used to protect the camp, were confiscated.
11 am, Karlsruhe: Federal Court confirms total ban of the Starmarch.
Whilst Police and administrative courts are accused of declaring a
demonstration ban to "protect the sensibilities of state guests", the
prohibition is upheld with the justification that the events of the 2nd
and 4th June show a large potential for violence on behalf of demonstrators.
12pm, near Admannshagen, Hohe Steinbeck: About 2000 people are attacked
by Police with water canons and tear gas. The Police does not
communicate with the organisers or with the lawyers.
3pm: Mass detention centre Industriestrasse (Rostock- Schmarl). Lawyers
demonstrate against the untenable conditions in the mass detention
centres with the slogan "for fair trials and free access to detainees".
Daytime, Camp Rostock: "As 'Rabbit' (Name of the Camp Rostock protection
group) I was an eye witness to the following event on June 6th: About
60m from the main entrance of the Rostock Camp (Schlachthofstrasse) a
blue Mercedes van stops. 6 men aged between 35 and 45 years are sat
inside. They are all wearing inconspicuous clothes, jeans, t-shirts,
denim jackets. The men make their way to the main entrance, hiding their
cameras. Suspicious, I walk towards the men who hesitate for a moment
and then quickly return to their van. In the meantime other
demonstrators notice the exposed plain clothes police officers who drive
away very quickly, hiding their faces".
Afternoon: Berlin doctor is arrested: "Plain clothes police officers
claim I led demonstrators through police barriers. Even if I had done
this, it would not be a criminal offence. But the officers state that
this is a severe breach of the peace and order uniformed colleagues to
arrest me. This is unbelievable. I was on duty and was providing medical
support to people. At the time I was arrested I was on my way to a place
near Bad Doberan to help a journalist who was having trouble breathing,
presumably an asthma attack. I was not able to reach this person".
Rostock mass detention centres (Ulmen and Industriestrasse): The
lawyers' use of a room ("lawyers room") is revoked. A "Stern" magazine
reporter is taken into detention with the accusation of being a ringleader.
6pm East Gate: Two groups of plain clothes police officers incite
demonstrators to violent acts against the police. One group consists of
3 men and one woman, the other consists of 4 men. All are wearing
clothes in the alleged "Autonomen style" (black hoodies and trowsers,
baseball hats, sun glasses etc.). Already at this point they are
recognized as police officers by other demonstrators. After this, the
two groups split. The four men remain near the Gate and the other group
with the woman move away from the Fence. With exclamations such as,
"Let's go, attack the Police!" they tried to animate others to join
them. Their calls are accompanied by someone throwing a stone at the
police lines.
6.20 pm Boergerende: Police beat up demonstrators sat in the first rows.
6.35, Hinter Bollhagen: Police beat people sitting in the road. One
water canon is deployed.
7pm, Hinter Bollhagen: A doctor notices that demonstrators are at risk
of hypothermia and orders blankets with the disaster control services.
Police prevents the provision of blankets.
7.15 pm, Hinter Bollhagen: Police use batons and pepper spray.
7.25pm, Boergerende: Police use batons.
7.30pm, Bad Doberan Camp Infopoint: A one-hundred troop strong Police
unit arrives. One of the organizers is punched in the face. He falls to
his knees and is searched as he holds his hands up. The inexplicable and
brutal event is documented with photographs. Numerous journalist from
the hotel across the road are able to prevent further violence with
their presence.
7.30pm Bad Doberan: A massive contingent of Police in riot gear
encircles the "Amsterdamer Media Bus" of the Initiative Dissent
Netherlands. The bus serves as a mobile editorial office for media
activists, as well as being a deposit space for camera equipment. At the
time of the encirclement there are 7 laptops on the desks. In a
skirmish, bystanders are pushed away from the bus by Police whilst the
bus is searched by 6 police officers. One journalist who is present
(Hans C. from the Centre des Medias Alternatives in Brussels) is
arrested: "I had the impression that the officers were very tense. I was
really scared that I would be beaten up if I made the smallest of
movements". The driver of the media bus is forced by the Police to drive
the bus to the mass detention centre at the Industriestrasse in Rostock.
The reason given by the Police officer in charge is that the media bus
may be running a pirate radio station. Furthermore the Police claimed
not to recognize the Dutch MOT license, thus confiscating the bus. Later
on, Police told the lawyer assigned to the incident that the media bus
was being accused of coordinating the "black bloc". According to
information in the local Bad Doberan newspaper "Stadtanzeiger am
Samstag", the Police press office of the "BAO Kavala" is not been in a
position to even provide an incident in Bad Doberan for the time of day
associated with the accusation, which is why the press office would not
comment. The driver and the arrested journalist are kept in detention
over night and are only released the next morning. After an intervention
by the Dutch Journalist Association (NJV) and the German Journalist
Association (DJV) the media bus is released on the afternoon of June 7th.
Police declare that they will cut off supplies at the blockades. Water
and food provisions will no longer be allowed through. Also, the request
made to disaster control services to provide blankets to people to
prevent hypothermia would not be allowed. Disaster control services also
refuse to assist blockaders. A Police officer at the Blockade in
Rethwisch comments: "It does not fit into my understanding of democracy
that criminal offenders should be provided with food and water".
8.30 pm, Camp Rostock: Police attempt to search the camp with 500 Police
troops. There is no search warrant, only a request which states that
Nazis are assumed to be in the Camp. Lawyers and members of the Rostock
town administration are able to prevent the unlawful search. Thousands
of people in the camp panic, in fear of Police violence.
10.30pm, Blockade Rostock Laage: 2 lawyers who are present are not let
through and receive injunctions, as well as being threatened with arrest.
10.55pm, Blockade Boergerende: Police try to intimidate people through
filming and an aggressive presence.
-----
*Thursday, 7th of June*
6.40 am: 2 journalists are detained after the Police stamp their press
cards "not valid".
Around 1pm, Rostock: Two "fingers" of the blockaders that started from
the camp in Rostock are attacked by the Police while crossing a street.
Several protestors are injured due to the use of water canons filled
with a mix of water and tear gas, as well as the use of pepper spray and
truncheons.
1pm, Hinter Bollhagen: Police start to beat up 2 500 protestors and uses
pepper spray and water canons. Protestors try to protect themselves with
umbrellas and banners. During the water canon attack 5 protestors are
injured heavily and have to be brought to hospital, amongst whom is a
photographer of dpa. 1 person suffers a severe eye injury, another
person suffers a tear in their eardrum. Cause in both situation: direct
hit by the sharp jet of the water canon. The police acts extremely brutally.
Media witch hunt: The local news channel MVregio claims the Police has
indications that violent protestors are armed with potatoes prepared
with spikes.
2pm: Police again attack clearly designated lawyers of the Legal Team.
Half a dozen Police officers surround a protestor who holds onto a lamp
pole and cries out for help. The lawyer of the Legal Team asks the man
if he needs the help of a lawyer, which he confirms. When the lawyer
asks for his name, a Police officer holds the protestor's mouth closed,
while at least 6 policemen grab him, throw him onto the floor and tie
him. At the same time, the lawyer is separated from his client, grabbed
from behind and taken away by at least 2 policemen. The Police officer
is repeatedly asked for his number, he gives the evidently false
response "4711".
Afternoon: A boat of the Maritime Police force hits and runs over two
dingy boots of the environmental organization Greenpeace. Greenpeace
complains about unusual levels of Police brutality and lack of
competence. "We have offered the police a dingy boat training - how to
push aside a boat without endangering people's lives", says Smid. The
protest is not negligent and could not have been confused with a
terrorist attack, since the Maritime Police were informed in advance.
5.45 pm, West Gate: The press is requested by Police to "leave the site
for their own safety". They have "exactly one opportunity to leave the
Police cordon and cross the street, after which they will not have
another chance to exit". This request is repeated, but one of the
photographers who stays with the protestors is later injured by water
canons. The excessive use of water canons - nine of which are deployed
in total - leads to several injured activists who have to be carried
away by the emergency services.
Legal Team:
500 detentions on June 7th, reasons: "G8 protestors" carrying sun
glasses and scarfs. Massive attacks by Police. A journalist whose
accreditation was taken away 10 days previously (and who got it back
through a legal procedure) is so severely attacked that he ends up in
hospital with breathing problems. There are many reports of threats by
Police forces.
Bavarian Police officers threaten people in a car. Police say things
like, "We can also do other things, do you want to die?" Water canon
deployments that take place at Hinter Bollhagen, where people are
directly targeted by the canons, are unlawful because there is no prior
warning to disperse the assembly. Many are injured.
Severe criticism of G8 "prison cages". Lights are kept on day and night.
There is only very little to eat and drink. According to lawyers the
conditions in the detention centres are 'scandalous". Lawyer Gisela
Dapprich from Duesseldorf working for the Republican Association of
Lawyers (RAV) assists numerous protestors. In each of the 25 m2 cages
around 20 G8 opponents are held. A camera films them constantly.
Overwhelmingly, the detainees are innocent. A pair of sunglasses, a cap
or hooded clothing was enough to lead to detention. There are also
"severe delays" in the processing of detainees. As one G8 critic drives
past the mass detention centre and takes a photograph, he is immediately
grabbed by Police and taken into detention (dpa).
Afternoon: After the human rights abuse of holding people in cages at
the mass detention centres is made public, lawyers attempt to get
Members of Parliament involved. In the afternoon of Thursday, June 7th,
the Member of the European Parliament Tobias Pflueger, who has visited
many prisons in the past, is told by the Rostock Court, who is
responsible for deciding on demonstrators' detentions, that he cannot
view the cages in the mass detention centres as the decision does not
fall within the Court's remit. After waiting outside the detention
centre for some time, a representative of Kavala explains that he cannot
give permission either. Mr Pflueger should enquire elsewhere. The
telephone number that Mr Pflueger and the assigned lawyer are given is
that of the Kavala press office, who also state that they have no power
to take the decision to allow them to view the detention centre. After
further interventions, the head officer of Kavala, Mr Laum, telephones
Mr Pflueger to let him know that he is not allowed to view the detention
centre because he has no legal right to do so and no lawful interest on
behalf of Mr Pflueger to undertake this visit can be established. Mr
Schultz, the assigned lawyer, manages to arrange a visit in the end.
However, this visit has to take place in the visitors' room and not
directly at the cages where detainees are being held.
-----
*Friday, 8th June*
Afternoon, Kuehlungsborn: A group of bathers swims to the beach of the
press centre. There they are held up by security. Others are dragged out
of the water by security forces. All are taken into detention by the Police.
From the report of the Committee for Basic Rights and Democracy: Police
- together with the Federal Office for the Prevention of Crime and the
Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution - are increasingly
conducting their own politics which is alarming with respect to the
Constitution, guaranteed basic rights and democracy. Through
misinformation and unlawful activities they are manipulating a situation
in which they can act within their self-created "state of emergency"
according to their own unchecked criteria - for example allowing some
sit down blockades or dispersing assemblies with violent water canons
without previous communication. The control over the executive use of
violence on behalf of the Police risks derailing in such exceptional
circumstances. Precondition for this is a public relations campaign
headed by Police and secret services in which claims are made without
the provision of necessary evidence. Furthermore, after the
confrontations on Saturday, June 2nd 2007, there was first talk of 10
severely injured Police officers, which after consultation of Federal
Law, had to be renounced, given that according to official criteria,
only two officers were severely injured, both of whom were treated in
hospital as outpatients.
This type of publicity creates a certain mood within the Police force
which leads to heightened willingness to violence, as observed in many
conversations with Police officers. Moreover, it is actually the public
who are misled, when for example claims are made that in the "Flight and
Migration" demonstration there supposedly were "violent Autonomen".
Also, the claim that the Clown Army used acid in their water pistols had
to be rejected through research. In actual fact, what happened was that
rather than a large amount of Police officers, merely 2 Police officers
had suffered an allergic reaction from the soapy water in the pistols,
used to make bubbles. This misinformation given to the public shows a
non-communication with demonstrators who were for the most part not
informed of the demands and of Police measures. Instead, demonstrators
were met with wordless acts of violence of which they never knew when
and how these would be deployed. Whoever asks blockaders to clear the
streets in order to let the Police vans stuck in the blockade out
(Thursday, June 7th 2007, on a road leading from the West Gate to
Steffenshagen) - with the words, "stay calm, we are not planning any
measures against you in this moment" - only to then use the cooperative
response of the protesters to clear the roads with armoured vehicles,
should not be surprised if young people learn never to trust Police.
-----
*Furthermore*
In the whole of Rostock, particularly at the train station, people were
taken into detention for having pen knives, scarfs or even G8 critical
literature on them. Police forces behaved incredibly brutally when
people were taken into detention. People who were injured were refused
medical attention and brought directly to the mass detention centres. In
one case, Police stormed a tram standing at a station. They beat up
everyone inside wearing black clothing and then left the tram again
immediately. Activists participating in actions were threatened. For
example at the demonstration on June 4th, demonstrators were told, "We
will take revenge for Saturday if you continue to demonstrate here", "Do
you want to die?" The 23rd Unit of the Bavarian Police were noticed for
being particularly aggressive.
Participants of the Wichmannsdorf Camp complained that many of them
received injunctions from the Police. This meant that they could not go
shopping in Kuehlungsborn at all or only at specific times. In the first
days, everyone entering the camp was filmed and their personal details
recorded. Police also carried machine guns.
Injunctions: Many people who received injunctions had their letters
marked with "abstained from appeal" or "lawful hearing accorded". No
such instructions were given in any of these cases.
A number of persons were arrested because they were carrying a banner
with the slogan, "Free All Prisoners!" as they passed by a prison on
their way to a demonstration. The Police judged this as incitement to
actively help people break out of prison.
Two people were taken into detention at Kuehlungsborn beach as they
played about in the sand near the Fence. Police accused demonstrators of
trying to dig a tunnel.
According to lawyers there was an overwhelming use of violence during
arrests, particularly on behalf of the Berlin Police. Lawyers were also
pushed around and insulted. One colleague who had questioned a Police
officer very harshly in a previous court case was threatened during a
demonstration. She was told that they knew her name and that she lived
in Potsdam.
During police transportation there were further abuses, as one victim
describes.
"The police took off the handcuffs cutting into my hands so that they
could take off my rucksack, threatening to beat me if I moved. To
underline their point, one of the police officers rammed my head against
the cell wall. After the police finally left me and other detainees in
the cell, we were told not to speak or else he would ensure that we
"would never be able to speak again".
"In one case a police unit stormed a tram as it stopped, police beat up
everyone dressed in black and then left the tram again immediately", the
legal investigation board wrote on June 4th.
During one police check one woman was grabbed in the crotch whilst
officers made leery noises. Also near Wichmannsdorf camp demonstrators
were sexually harassed. On a parking lot near the camp on June 5th, a
group of women had to undress in front of all the police officers present.
At the fifth police check point on the way to the airport a
demonstrator's car was tampered with by the police. All of a sudden the
fuel injection pump was missing and the vehicle would no longer start as
the group of demonstrators was encircled by grinning police officers.
-----
*Balance of the Street Medics*
* Heavy bruising due to the use of batons
* Heavy muscle strains (arms twisted by Police)
* Lacerations due to punches and baton hits
* Massive skin and eye irritations through tear gas and pepper spray
(these type of injuries can be life threatening, especially for asthma
sufferers and people with allergies; furthermore there is a huge danger
for eyes)
* Constrictions due to handcuffing
* Wrist and shoulder injuries (particularly through brutal treatment in
transport)
* Many traumatized due to Police brutality, both experienced and
witnessed (particularly people who participated in the blockades)
-----
*Balance of the 'Security Forces'*
* "Kavala": In total 17 800 Police officers on duty
* 87 registered assemblies with a G8 related theme, thereof 77 were
allowed to take place (4 of which had to be decided by the Higher
Administrative Courts and received conditions)
* Until June 8th 2007 (3pm), 1 057 persons had been detained
* 140 people in long term detention (decided by the court)
* Apparently 45 Police helmets and 300 Police armaments damaged
Ministry for Home Affairs: At the borders of countries which are part of
the Schengen agreement around 850 000 people were checked. 155 of these
were not allowed to enter Germany and 57 with outstanding arrest
warrants were arrested. During more intensive checks at the external
borders of the Schengen area, 401 people were not allowed to enter Germany
National Police, Section Rostock: 67 persons were prohibited from
entering the Rostock area, "as officers state, these were Danes, Swedes,
Finns, British, Icelanders, people from Norway and Poland. Supposedly,
they were potentially 'violent'" (dpa).
"a group of Australian activists"
Is there any more information about these? As in, is there _any_ reason we should watch a video of a bunch of unamed people chanting slogans at Bono and making assertions such that global GCAP campaign, a coalition of 1900 organizations, is merely an affiliate of Bono?
Sorry, but teenage antics like this are precisely the reason most people don't take such protests seriously.
What a story... mad shit
Did you travel as a 'delegate' of WSM or as an individual activist?
The headline writes in large bold writing WSM however, It would appear that you went as an individual, no doubt WSM will piggy back on your experience as another marketing plot to show that they are doing stuff as an organisation when they clearly are not.....
think you'll find that the article above has per cap in its titles.
As for starstruck trying to use his/or hers membership of WSM as a marketing ploy, id find that a bit bizzare.
I don't think WSM organised a bus or even a crew to go over, neither did anyone else as far as i know.
the fact is that most if not all members of WSM partake in actions, or work within campaigns or other radical projects without the nod from 'the organisation'.
Its how anarchists work and act
oh an i doubt starstruck was running round trying to collect email addresses either!!!
Hi Bob C,
You said: "no doubt WSM will piggy back on your experience as another marketing plot to show that they are doing stuff as an organisation when they clearly are not"
Could you point out some of these 'marketing ploys'? Might be more useful to actually have a discussion about it instead of just bitching. If you don't want to post them here you could contact me at jackwhite at riseup dot net. I won't be holding my breath or anything though...
I must have been dreaming then when I saw wsm pictures from rossport all those times or carrying their terence wheelock banner in an inner city march last week. The evidence is right here on this site, sure most of the people involved in the irish dissent network went on to join wsm if im not mistaken.
Some people involved in Dissent did join the wsm, but it certainly wasn't everyone. (It wasn't even most of them)
Am I right in thinking that 'ditch hurler' would prefer that pictures weren't put up by those present at protests, be they in Rossport or for the Terence Wheelock campaign?
As for any pictures from Rossport on this site, I would be extremely surprised if any of them had a WSM banner in them, or even a red and black flag.
As for the recent report on the Justice for Terence Wheelock campaign protest written by a comrade, the "offending" picture of the WSM banner at that march was placed down in the comments rather that prominently in the main article. And should it not be present in the comments? Were we not present?
Thankfully, many people provide content to this site highlighting the campaigns they're involved in and feel passionately about. If 'ditch hurler' has a problem with the 'subliminal messages' emanating from reports posted by members of the WSM, then I suggest s/he get out there and take the photos and write the reports before we get a chance!
great article. clear and interesting to read.
thanks for sharing your experience.
Though 'national' leaders are but the tail of the snake, its is important to show those behind the scenes that there is a world of people outside plush buraucratic offices, that their world and ours are deeply effecting each other.
All such gatherings are more and more being defended by men who look incresingly like storm-troops. Perhaps if government was not so corrupt and warlike, then protest would be far smaller.
One day the Iraq war will end. And Irish shame will be attached to it, for its displaying support by giving Americans a pat on the back as they fly into a genocidal nation, a genocide caused by western lies..
Early this morning homes of left wing activists were raided once again in accordance with the German'terror' section 129a.
Several apartments were attacked early this morning by a Berlin police squadron and masked SWAT officers.
The officers acted quite violently told eyewitnesses .
The Federal Office of Prosecution(German:BAW) claim the raids are in accordance with section 129a and those carried out last thursday in Hamburg and schleswig Holstein.
An omininous nameless 'terrorist unit' with an anti militaristic background is being sought-it supposedly caried out arson attacks against german military vehicles in the northern germany two years ago.
In reality of course the BAW's aim is to criminalise and weaken the left which has been strngthened by protests against the G8 summit.
Since the 'Radikal' raids ten years ago there hasnt been so many attacks by the state against the left wing movement.
After years of preoccupation with alleged Islamists the radical and militant left now appear to be heavily manhunted by state powers.
It is important that these attacks are reponded to.
To show general solidarity with those affected there will be a spontaneous demonstration at Kottbusser Tor, Berlin,tonight @ 9pm.
I'm not an anarchist and WSM don't need me to stick up for them but the facts on the above three events must be mentioned to the above detractors of the WSM.
G8 .... The only information on the G8 protest/action I saw or heard in the run up to the event was disseminated by a WSM member. The author of this article is a member of WSM so why shouldn't he state this.
Terence Wheelock ..... The last word on this issue should go to Lawrence Wheelock who when introducing the WSM speaker at the protest outside the Garda station stated "WSM have been very supportive of the campaign from the very beginning" this accolade was not given to any of the other group representatives nuff said .
Rossport ... Aswell as having members living on the solidarity camp in Rossport WSM have maintained a very active presence in Dublin shell to sea since the beginning.
Applause to Starstruck for being one of the few Irish lefties present to voice dissent at the G8 and for writing this excellent account.
Applause to WSM and all the other groups for getting involved and working together on all these campaigns.
Slightly OT, but no T to attach it to, so I'm attaching it here:
The EU leaders, still in a daze about why the citizenry dont trust politicians in Europe, are going ahead with implementing the rejected constitution ANYWAY.
And they wonder why people are becoming disaffected?
LOL
Thread on IMC-DE about black bloc and different struggles around Europe
A. Anti. Anti Capitalista!
http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/184984.shtml
.While not all participants experiences were good they were not all bad either.
Made my way without event to heiligendam east gate Wednesday. Not through thick forest or dense rapeseed but via taxi.
Endless meetings, waking up knackered ,walking for hours is not for me.
I arrived listening to the latest news reports while the driver kindly charged my phone battery.When we finally spotted a by police checkpoint (I experienced none before having been up and down the road from 1.30 am tues) the driver finally dropped me off up an adjoining path were I came out behind the checkpoint , 2 klm from heligendam main gates.
Nothing like a bit of local knowledge well worth 10 euros .
At this point I took a detour into the woods and soon came across a black bloc contingent who were resting in makeshift hammocks made from what had once been the outer fence. I continued on in the shade of the trees following the route of the road, helicopters howling overhead and sirens in the distance which had become a constant soundtrack over the preceding days.
Then there I was at Heiligendam main gates.
And there were the cops…lot`s of them.
150 meters or so before the gate was a blockade consisting of 3 hundred or so activists chilling out in the face of huge military/police presence, resting in the shade of the trees which lined the country road. Food water being freely passed about.And the odd beer…a very positive atmosphere.
The cops standing in full riot gear in the blistering heat,one almost passes out on the train tracks. An announcement comes across the sound system “there is now a hole in the main fence” this is greeted by whistles and shouts of approval.
The police eventually give instruction to the crowd to disperse or face force .The blockade stays put with people pulling out blue plastic ground sheets as there only protection against the watercannon
.People who had been standing sit down facing cops and link arms.
The blockade had been in place a number of hours at this stage. Some felt not as content to sit on the road or train tracks while others turned their attention to the helicopter pads just meters behind the inner fence and just over a couple of hundred meters away across a field from the main east gate protected by hundreds of riot police armored vehicles at least 2 water cannon and a tank .
As nine helicopters prepared to take off a number of people spontaneously moved towards this area.As the choppers lifted off the fence was approached and torn down ...
Millions spent and yet the police with all their armour, batons, tear gas and guns weighing them down couldn’t keep up as the individuals/group responsible for this security breach as they skipped off through the poppies .
The riot police finally arrive to where the fence had once been paused for a few moments .Then accompanied by heckles and slow hand claps the cops withdrew.
no arrests made of any involved in the fence destruction
Back to the road and the day was winding up with some comments from the sound system
“a wonderful blockade” all present agreed.
I left happier that those bypassing the road blockades by air were a little less comfortable then they may have been .
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