From ldxar1 at tesco.net Sat Jun 2 10:52:16 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2007 18:52:16 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] CHINA: Massive protest over chemical plant Message-ID: <040101c7a53e$c34dce00$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.chinapost.com.tw/asiapacific/111282.htm Thousands protest chemical plant 2007/6/2 BEIJING, Reuters & AP Thousands of protesters wearing gas masks and holding banners marched through a city in southeast China on Friday, demanding the government scrap, not just put off, plans to build a chemical plant, witnesses said. The protest in Xiamen, a port city of about 1.5 million people, swelled to 20,000 at its peak, one witness told Reuters, prompting the government to block mobile phone text messages to stop residents from joining the demonstrations. Local authorities in the wealthy eastern province of Fujian announced Wednesday they were suspending construction of the plant after residents sent nearly 1 million text messages in protest, state media reported. The US$1.4 billion (euro1.04 billion) facility would produce paraxylene, which is used to make plastics, polyester and film, and can damage the central nervous system or even cause death. The plant was due to be located 16 kilometers (10 miles) from the center of Xiamen, a center for Taiwanese and Hong Kong investment. The nearest homes were some 1,500 meters (one mile) away, according to news reports. Angry locals had denounced the project as an "atomic bomb" threatening the seaside environment, and they claimed to have circulated nearly a million mobile phone text messages urging families and friends to protest against the plant. "On my way to work today, I saw a lot of people marching on the main streets, holding banners and some wearing gas masks," a computer engineer surnamed Huang told Reuters. "One of the banners said 'don't suspend, cancel the plant'," he said. "If the project goes ahead, it will damage the environment and a lot of people's health as it is close to the city center." Protesters marched to the city government offices on Friday morning and demanded the resignation of the Communist Party Secretary of Xiamen, He Lifeng, the first witness said, adding that the demonstrations, initiated by students at Xiamen University, were peaceful. China's leaders have promised to clean up skies and water degraded by decades of unchecked growth, and environmental agencies are increasingly vocal about officials who push industrial projects without assessing the impact. But many local governments remain eager to boost employment and revenues even if the environment suffers. Huang said he and some friends and neighbors had all received text messages urging citizens to join the protest. Debate over the plant began to grow during the annual session of China's parliament in March, before public opposition built up through the Internet. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: p7a-1.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 13852 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Sun Jun 3 01:34:49 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2007 09:34:49 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] INDIA: Cop post burnt as group demands scheduled status Message-ID: <018901c7a5ba$0dbdef80$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/0602/breaking14.htm Police post burnt in India caste riot Protesters from an ethnic Indian group demanding special government privileges blocked roads and damaged railway tracks today, stranding thousands in a fifth day of protests that has killed 23 people. Violence erupted across north and western India after ethnic Gujjars began demanding they be declared a Scheduled Tribe (ST) which entitles them to government job and college quotas. The demand has been opposed by Meenas, a tribal group, who fear they will lose their own quota slice, leading to violent clashes between the two communities. A mob torched a police post in the western state of Rajasthan, popular with foreign tourists, where the protesters had also blocked several key roads, officials said in the state capital Jaipur. Gujjar protesters removed a portion of railway tracks in the northern Uttar Pradesh state, throwing train services out of gear. "Services of about 25 trains have been affected," B.P. Pandey, a railway official, said in New Delhi. "Our engineers have reached the spot, but the agitators are not allowing them to restore the tracks." Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appealed for calm in Rajasthan and neighbouring Haryana state, urging people to desist from violence. In the past two decades, more castes and communities under Hinduism's ancient hierarchy have been demanding special quotas to garner government jobs and college places through affirmative action programmes. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Sun Jun 3 01:37:41 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2007 09:37:41 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] US: Prison uprising at Ullin jail Message-ID: <019101c7a5ba$74182cf0$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.southernillinoisan.com/articles/2007/06/02/afternoon_evening/doc4661c3380ff79082001805.txt Ullin jail riot under investigation By Ashley Wiehle, The Southern The Tri-County Justice and Detention Center had a riot that resulted in a fire being lit within the facility on Friday. PAMELA KAY SCHMALENBERGER / THE SOUTHERN ULLIN - Pulaski County State's Attorney Grayson Gile will weigh in on whether to press charges following a riot involving nearly 50 inmates of the Tri-County Justice and Detention Center in Ullin on Friday evening. The Illinois State Police responded around 8:30 p.m. Friday to a call that 46 inmates had barricaded themselves inside a housing area and began setting fire to mattresses and books. When police and Pulaski County Sheriff Randy Kern, warden of the Tri-County Correctional Center, arrived, inmates refused orders to peacefully exit the burning area. Officers, with the aid of 18 local agencies including fire and ambulance services, began firing tear gas projectiles into the facility around just after 9 p.m. Inmates began to slowly exit the building. Each was decontaminated, taken into custody and individually secured in a separate area of the facility. The last inmate was decontaminated and locked down at 9:20 p.m. Friday. Kern said he believed there was no chance of an additional riot, because all inmates had been locked up individually. No inmates or officers were injured in the riot, Kern said. A 226-bed facility that opened in July 2004, the Tri-County Justice and Detention Center is owned by the GEO Group, headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla. Officials at Tri-County Justice and Detention Center said on Saturday afternoon there was a strict "no comment" policy from local affiliates of the GEO Group and that all comment must come from the Florida headquarters. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: doc4661c3380ff79082001805.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 7578 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: advertising_head.gif Type: image/gif Size: 1139 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: advertising_foot.gif Type: image/gif Size: 1186 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Sat Jun 2 10:23:06 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2007 18:23:06 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] INDONESIA: Villagers resist army land grab - 5 massacred Message-ID: <03d401c7a53a$b095ec10$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.worldnewsaustralia.com.au/region.php?id=137407®ion=2 Five killed in Java land riot 31.5.2007. 14:37:40 A violent protest over a plot of land has led to the shooting deaths of five people on Java at the hands of Indonesian marines. The victims were trying to stop the marines from turning the 3,600-hectare plot of land into a location for military training, officials said. Nine other villagers were wounded in the clash in Pasuruan in East Java, police said. A marine spokesman said soldiers had not violated procedures. He said the marines tried negotiating with the villagers but, when that failed, they fired warning shots. Then the villagers "turned more cruel" and stabbed a marine. The condition of the injured marine was not immediately clear. Marine Commander Fafzen Noerdin said there would be an investigation into the incident. "We are investigating this. If the shootings did take place, there is no excuse for it. We will definitely uphold the law," Mr Noerdin said. An eyewitness told El Shinta radio that the incident involved about 40 marines and 150 villagers. The witness, identified by the single name Solihin, said the marines said 'whoever tries to stop us will be shot,' as they fired at the villagers. The land dispute dated back to the 1960s, according to the deputy district chief. Indonesian security forces are notoriously ill disciplined and are often accused of shooting or beating up unarmed protesters. Land disputes are common in Indonesia due to weak property laws, forged documents and corruption. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-05/31/content_6182258.htm Indonesia marines regret shooting of civilian www.chinaview.cn 2007-05-31 20:59:09 Adjust font size: JAKARTA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian military expressed regret Thursday over Wednesday's shooting of civilians by marine in Pasuruan of East Java province, which killed five people and wounded scores others. Indonesian marines shot the villagers who were protesting over land ownership. At a press conference held at the military headquarters here, military commander Air Marshal Djoko Suyanto admitted that the shooting were excessive acts against civilian and expressed a full regret. He said that the settlement through investigation and legal process would be the right solution to the dispute between the marine and residents. "The armed forces regrets and expresses condolences on the accidents, in which, if I am not mistaken, five people were killed," he said. The air marshal, however, defended that it was impossible that the marine officers shot directly at the crowd, saying that the bullets hit the residents were ricochet shots. "Once again, I will stress that it was impossible that was deliberately conducted by officers to directly shoot the people. But the fact is there were death. I instructed an immediate settlement of the land dispute," he said. The commander said the human right commission is welcomed to take part in the investigation. Marine officers started shooting after villagers from Pasuruan in east Java gathered to rally against the development of land at the center of a bitter court dispute with the navy. Editor: Song Shutao http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/indonesian-marines-fired-at-protesters-probe/2007/06/02/1180205578477.html Indonesian marines fired at protesters: probe a.. b.. Email c.. Print d.. Normal font e.. Large font Jakarta June 3, 2007 AN INDEPENDENT investigation has found Indonesian marines fired directly at protesters in the incident this week that left four people dead, an official said on Friday. The findings from a government watchdog contradict a statement from the navy that the marines only fired into the air and onto the ground to scare armed protesters who were threatening them. One senior naval official suggested the bullets ricocheted off the rocky ground, killing the protesters. The National Commission on Human Rights said preliminary findings from its team of investigators found marines took aim at the villagers rallying over land ownership outside Pasuruan on the main island of Java. "Our preliminary findings reveal there were serious human rights violations in this incident," commission head Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara said. "We found that navy officers not only fired into the air and into the ground but also directly shot at civilians," he told ElShinta radio. "Based on evidence at the shooting area and from witnesses, we concluded that the military chief's statement that marines fired into the air and into the ground was untrue." The chief of the military has apologised for the incident on Wednesday in which four people, including a pregnant woman, were killed and a three-year-old boy was injured, among others. They were protesting the development of land of about 3000 hectares recently reclaimed by the navy in East Java. The firing started after the crowd became angry and started throwing stones at the marines who were trying to disperse them, some witnesses said. The commission will hand its final report to the attorney general's office for possible action. A navy commander reiterated that the military was treating the incident seriously, and those responsible would be punished. "The investigation has already started," Colonel Toto Budi Susanto told ElShinta radio. "The 13 navy members have been questioned and will be brought to a military court." But the director of local rights group KONTRAS, Usman Hamid, said the marines should be charged and tried in the civil court system to ensure accountability. He warned that the military had long failed to properly punish its soldiers for human rights violations. "A military court mechanism won't bring justice as the violators can only be sacked from the military as a maximum penalty," Mr Hamid said. Residents are often embroiled in property disputes with the Indonesian military, which owns vast tracts of sometimes dormant land, although disputes rarely lead to such deadly violence. The navy originally owned the land outside Pasuruan but neglected it for many years, allowing residents to build on and farm the area, the East Java provincial government's website said. The navy reclaimed ownership several years ago, forcing some residents off the site, prompting them to take the matter to court. The residents say they have lodged an appeal. AFP http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20070602.A05&irec=4 Marines named suspects shooting ID Nugroho and Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya, Jakarta Thirteen marines have been named suspects in Wednesday's deadly shooting in Pasuruan regency, East Java, the Navy said Friday. The head of the military police at the Navy's Eastern Fleet, Col. Totok Budi Santoso, said the 13 marines were suspects in the shooting deaths of four residents of Alas Tlogo in Grati subdistrict, not five as originally announced by the regency administration. "After questioning them, we have named them as suspects," Totok told journalists. He said all 13 were in military police detention. "We will continue questioning the marines, as well as the victims and residents who witnessed the incident," he said. The shooting was triggered by a protest over a disputed plot of land claimed by both the villagers and the Navy. The dispute has been taken to the courts, with the Pasuruan District Court ruling in the Navy's favor. Residents have appealed the ruling and a decision is still pending. Wednesday's shooting was immediately condemned by human rights groups and a number of lawmakers. The Surabaya Legal Aid Institute, which is assisting residents in the land dispute, has demanded the Navy be transparent in investigating the shooting. Athoillah of the institute said the results of its own preliminary investigation into the shooting had uncovered some discrepancies in the Navy's version of events. He disputed the Navy's claim the residents were responsible for the incident by attacking the marines with rocks. Athoillah also said there was some forensic evidence to indicate the marines fired directly into the crowd of protesting villagers. The military says it has launched its own investigation into the shooting. Indonesian Military head Air Chief Marshal Djoko Suyanto has also said the commander of the unit whose members were involved in the shooting has been replaced. Lawmakers Djoko Susilo and Effendy Choirie of the defense and foreign affairs commission at the House of Representatives demanded a thorough investigation and for any marines found guilty in the incident to be brought to justice. "The Navy is a command-based force, so you can say the shooting was ordered by the chief of the Eastern Fleet Command, and therefore the Navy chief should be held responsible for the incident," Djoko told The Jakarta Post here on Thursday. Effendy urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to set up a presidential fact-finding team to investigate the incident and bring those responsible to military court. "Victims and their families and all the people living on the disputed land are seeking justice from the Navy, which has illegally appropriated their land and shot the people," he said. Effendy, former chairman of the House working commission that dealt with land disputes involving residents and the military, said the disputed land was part of some 10,000 hectares of land appropriated by the Navy through intimidation in the 1960s. "Local farmers were forced to abandon the land supposedly for an airport project, barracks and training center, but in fact the land was used for a sugar plantation managed by PT Grati Bhakti Plantation and PT Radjawali. "They (the residents) finally demanded the Navy return the land after learning they had been deceived, but the land was handed over to a private company for rent," Effendy said. People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Hidayat Nurwahid said it was sadly ironic that weapons and bullets purchased using taxpayer money had been "returned" to the people in this bloody shooting. Kusnanto Anggoro, a military analyst at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said the shooting was not surprising since the military has yet to change its mindset from time of the authoritarian Soeharto regime. He and Effendy said that like other state institutions, the military had no authority to own land and that all disputed land should be returned to the people. http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20070602. at 02&irec=1 Pasuruan residents pick up the pieces after shooting Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Pasuruan Unfinished grated cassava sits outside a small mosque in a green aluminum bowl. A military police line blocks off entrance to the area. The mosque is a silent witness to the killing of Dewi Khodijah, 25, who died outside her nearby home after being shot in the head by marines. Dewi, who was four months pregnant, leaves behind a 3-year-old son, Lukman, and a husband, Wahid, 32. Her father, Juma'atun, 48, has left everything as it was at the time of her death, including the grated cassava and the bowl, in Wednesday's shooting in Telogo hamlet in Alas Tlogo village, Grati subdistrict, Pasuruan regency, East Java. The shooting by marines, triggered by a protest over disputed land, left four residents dead, not five as originally claimed by the Pasuruan regency administration. Juma'atun said his eldest daughter was making cassava crackers for the family when she was killed. "She rarely made cassava crackers, but that day she wanted to make it for the whole family," said neighbor Sanimah, a childhood friend of Dewi's. She recalled seeing several soldiers sitting near Dewi, who later told Sanimah the soldiers were advising her not to join protesters. Dewi followed the advice, staying at home and cooking. But still a bullet found her. Juma'atun said he was not angry with the marine who shot his daughter. "I just want to see the man who shot my daughter. I just want to ask him why he did it. How can they shoot people who gave them coffee and food anytime they dropped by? "I'm not upset because my daughter will stay dead. I won't ask for compensation either because my daughter will remain dead. I just want to ask him why." He said he would not move away from the place he has called home for more than 30 years. But he hopes the Navy will return the disputed land to residents, to help improve their welfare. Ownership of land has been taken to the courts. The Pasuruan District Court ruled in favor of the Navy, but residents have appealed and a decision is pending. A meeting between dozens of residents and the commander of the Navy's Eastern Fleet, Rear Admiral Moekhlas Sidiq, on Thursday night did not produce any significant results. The two sides did agree to meet again Monday. Five residents who spoke during Thursday's meeting asked that the land be returned to residents. The meeting was attended by East Java Governor Imam Utomo, Brawijaya Military Commander Maj. Gen. Syamsul Mappareppa and East Java Police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Sugiono. "The land was never purchased. The land was taken by force by the Navy. My father is still alive. He's 85. He was forced to give up the land. There were no witness to the purchase," resident Solihin said. Another resident, Bunasin, also questioned the land deal, saying villagers still had their land ownership documents. Alas Tlogo village head Imam Subnadi also said residents had their land ownership documents and the Navy never legally purchased the land. http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20070602170356&irec=1 House to summon military chief over shooting incident SURABAYA (Antara): The House of Representatives will summon Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Marshal Djoko Suyanto and Navy (TNI-AL) Chief Admiral Slamet Soebijanto for clarifications on the shooting incident of locals during a clash between the Navy members and farmers in Pasuruan, East Java on May 30, 2007. "We have visited the location of the shooting incident and our colleagues have returned to Jakarta because we are planning to invite the TNI commander and Navy chief over the incident," Effendy Choirie, a member of the Commission I of the the House said on Saturday. Choirie, who is also a member of the National Awakening Party Faction (PKB) at the House said that legislators would also take the opportunity of the hearing with the TNI and TNI-AL chiefs to settle land disputes between the TNI and local residents existing in the country. "In East Java alone, there are 25 cases of land dispute between the TNI and the local people. In Jakarta it reaches hundreds of thousands of hectares. Therefore, all this must be settled because the root of the problem originates from this," the legislator said. He said that the House will also invite the executives of the National Land Agency and ask them to investigate land dispute cases. The House will also invite representatives of residents claiming the disputed lands throughout the country. The House, he said, will recommend that marine personnel involved in the shooting of residents that left four farmers dead in Pasuruan be taken to the human rights court, as their action constituted a gross human rights violation where children and an expectant mother became victims. (***) http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/s1939104.htm Funerals held for villagers killed by Indonesian marines Hundreds of villagers have attended the funerals of four people who were killed when Indonesian marines fired on protesters. The bodies were carried through the streets of a hamlet outside Pasuruan on the main island of Java before being buried at the local cemetery. The military apologised for the shootings on Wednesday. The shootings happened when the marines clashed with villagers rallying against the development of land owned by the navy. Witnesses in the village say the marines opened fire without provocation, but the military says they had been threatened by the crowd which started to pelt them with stones. The military has promised a full investigation into the shootings. http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20070531. at 01&irec=0 Marines kill five in land dispute Wahyoe Boediwardhana and ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Pasuruan, Surabaya A protest over a disputed plot of land in Pasuruan regency, East Java, turned deadly Wednesday after marines shot and killed five people. The Navy defended the shooting, saying soldiers followed standard procedures for dealing with a violent protest. Human rights groups have condemned the incident, calling for a thorough investigation by the police and the National Commission on Human Rights. "My soldiers did not want to become victims like in Papua. They just wanted to scare the protesters and make them stop," the marine commander at the Navy's Eastern Fleet in Surabaya, Maj. Gen. Safzen Nurdin, told a press conference. He was referring to an anti-Freeport protest in Papua that ended with protesters killing several security officials. Safzen said his soldiers fired warning shots before being "forced" to open fire on protesters. "On behalf of the Navy, we express our deepest apologies over the incident," he said, promising to investigate the shooting. The incident occurred in Telogo hamlet, Alas Telogo village, in Grati subdistrict, Lekok district. It was triggered by a protest involving some 300 villagers angry over the construction of a Navy office on about 3,600 hectares of disputed land. The dispute between residents and the Navy dates back several years, when residents from the subdistrict's 14 villages formally rejected plans by the Navy to turn the land into a location for military training. Villagers took the case to court but lost. The case is currently in the appeal process. Wednesday's protest began peacefully but turned violent when protesters began pelting stones at construction workers. Navy personnel intervened, attempting to disperse the residents. As residents continued throwing stones, according to the Navy, marines fired warning shots in an attempt to disperse the protesters. When that failed, they opened fire on the crowd. Five residents died at the scene. Among the dead was a woman who was four months pregnant, identified as Dewi Khodijah, and a 27-year-old woman, Mistin, and her 3-year-old son, Khoirul. At least seven others were injured in the shooting. The dead and the injured were taken to Syaiful Anwar Hospital in nearby Malang city. Following the shooting residents blocked Pasuruan highway, which connects Surabaya-Banyuwangi-Bali, with trees and burning tires. The blockade caused massive traffic jams before the road was cleared at around 8 p.m. A witness, Ruba'i, said residents were angry after workers from the Navy's cooperative unit began building an office on the disputed land, which villagers had planted with vegetable gardens. "The residents at first didn't dare protest, but then the situation heated up and (Navy personnel) opened fire, causing people to start picking up stones and throwing them. But then they (the marines) attacked the residents and chased them into their homes," he told journalists. He said Dewi Khodijah was standing behind her house when she was shot in the head, and that Mistin, carrying her son Khoirul, was attempting to flee the clash when she was shot in the chest. The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence condemned the shooting. It urged the case be tried in criminal court, saying a military court might cover up the shooting and protect the marines. "The military should respect the ongoing legal process of the land dispute and wait until a final verdict comes out. This incident is evidence of the military's old paradigm, which views the people as enemies," commission director Usman Hamid said. -- Tony Hotland contributed to this story from Jakarta. http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20070529232020&irec=0 Protest over marines' shooting turns violent YOGYAKARTA (Antara): Tens of people staged a rally outside the office of Yogyakarta naval base on Friday to protest against the shooting of four civilians in a clash with marines in Pasuruan district, East Java, on Wednesday. The protest turned violent as the demonstrators forced themselves into the naval base compounds. A number of police and naval personnel were deployed to prevent the demonstrators from occupying the office. The demonstrators who claimed to be members of the People's Anti Violence Solidarity (Sorak) pressed for a thorough investigation into the incident and settlement of all land disputes related to the public interests in various parts of the country. The incident occurred when some 300 villagers staged a rally to protest against the construction of a Navy office on about 3,600 hectares of disputed land in Telogo hamlet, Pasuruan.(***) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: space.gif Type: image/gif Size: 54 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: xiao.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 8399 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: da.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 8522 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Sat Jun 2 13:22:48 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2007 21:22:48 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Redfern uprising - reflections Message-ID: <04c701c7a553$cb264520$0202a8c0@andy1> Tuesday, 15 May 2007 http://uriohau.blogspot.com/2007/05/critical-media-analysis-of-redfern-riot.html A Critical Media Analysis of the Redfern Riot Memorial service for TJ Hickey in Sydney by Andy Gargett 'Our wealth and lifestyle, the much touted "Aussie way of life" have all been achieved as a direct consequence of Aboriginal dispossession'.[1] The Aussie notion of 'fair go' and our love of the underdog, indicate the extreme hypocrisy of the exclusion of Indigeneity in the production of 'Australian identity'. How can a country extol the notion of a 'fair go' yet historically and currently, systematically discriminate against its first peoples? How can it cheer for the underdog, yet allow the plight of its Indigenous people fall, all too often, on deaf ears? How? Exclusion. Marginalisation. Denial. It is imperative to assess the continuing role that the criminalisation of Indigenous Australians has in the construction of Australian identity and on the collective suffering of Indigenous communities today. Media representations play a crucial role in the production of public attitudes, particularly in relation to images of deviance.[2] The mass overrepresentation in the justice system and the third-world living conditions experienced by Indigenous communities are usually portrayed as a result of Indigenous incompetence/deviance. The criminalisation discourse excludes the role of white Australia in the criminalisation of Indigenous peoples.[3] Given Aboriginal overrepresentation in the criminal justice system, an examination of the media representations of Indigenous identity is particularly pertinent. The 'Redfern riot' has been used as the focus for analysis of media representations as it has crystallised current attitudes and the power of the media in perpetuating a colonial mindset. The riot between Indigenous youths and the police on 15 February 2004 was sparked by the death of Indigenous teenager TJ Hickey, who fell off his bike and was impaled on a fence. The Indigenous community believed this occurred whilst the police were chasing him. Redfern, an inner Sydney suburb, has a strong Indigenous community and identity primarily situated around the Block.[4] The focus on Redfern was justified by a number of considerations. The riot was seen as a crisis point in Indigenous relations with police, and with non-Indigenous Australians at large. There has been a long history of struggle in Redfern between Kooris and the police; this incident is part of a continuing cycle of interaction and tension. This tragic event was also heavily reported and commented on, thus providing a suitable vehicle to deconstruct media discourses. Redfern is arguably the 'black heart' of Australia with a strong political, spiritual and cultural significance to Indigenous people from all of NSW and across Australia.[5] Redfern is the birthplace of many Indigenous organisations and activism from the 1970s. As a 'white' person, I feel I am implicated by my very being within the continued unequal distribution of power between non-Indigenous and Indigenous Australians. Self-reflection, consultation and a critical mindset were vital to ensuring my research project did not perpetuate the violence of exclusion and appropriation of Indigenous voice. As an academic I am in a position of authority. I am powerfully positioned to resist and provide resistance against the continuing drone of colonialism that pervades dominant discourses in society. From my position of resistance, I do not hope to speak for Indigenous Australia but to destabilise the taken-for-granted; to clear a domain for Indigenous public self-articulation. Throughout the media coverage of Redfern, I examine how it portrays Aboriginality as a threat by linking Aboriginal people to crime. To avoid this, they say salvation is required, and appears to be attainable only through sporting prowess. Finally I examine the operation of victimisation. The image of the victim is mobilised in a number of ways to consecrate stories of Aboriginality that marginalise the Aboriginal voice. Victim status is only afforded to groups accepted by the dominant discourses of society,[6] and the police, not Aboriginal people, are accepted as victims. The Criminal Crime is central to the constructions of identity. To be criminal is to be outside the moral community of the state, and therefore an enemy.[7] Media discourse has a tendency to link crime and race. Representations of the riot applied this operation with vigour. These media representations of the Indigenous criminal perpetuate negative, stereotyped opinions within mainstream Australia.[8] Continually throughout the media coverage Aboriginality is painted as criminal; as 'hopelessness, [as] depression, drug and alcohol addiction, and a life of petty criminality'.[9] TJ's Walgett hometown is used as an example of the links between Aboriginality and crime. Throughout the discourse, TJ is constructed as the typical criminal Indigenous youth, yet 'his criminal history was relatively light, at least by Walgett standards... [an area with a crime rate] 2 ? times the state average'. The image of complete crime is created: outnumbered, 'the non-Indigenous locals, the 40 per cent minority',[10] are under siege by criminal Aboriginal people, out of control. The extraordinarily high crime rate is implicitly because of the town's predominate Aboriginality. The media produce the Indigenous body as criminal. Indigeneity itself becomes crime. Similarly, Redfern is a symbol of Indigeneity and crime. The problems of drugs, alcohol, domestic violence, sexual assault and chronic medical problems continue to rise among Redfern's urban Aboriginal population and there is little hope they can be contained...[11] The two terms become interchangeable: Indigenous people as criminal. Criminalisation as discourse controls representations of Indigeneity amongst the Australian population. It controls what is acceptable to think. Marginalised is an Indigenous voice that challenges society's power relations which continue to subordinate the Indigenous population. The discourse of criminalisation is control, it reproduces Indigenous subordination. The criminalised body of the Indigenous person becomes an object of fear and thus a controlling agent is required, paving the way for law and order policies. '[Y]ou will hear story after story about the Aboriginal kids being out of control'.[12] The creation of fear demands a response to 'restore control'. The continual portrayal of Indigeneity as criminal is explicit. It reduces the riot to acts of criminality, rather than acts of desperation or frustration. It reinforces the either/or logic that places Indigeneity outside legitimacy and into the world of deviance. It washes away the links between colonial legacies and Indigenous crime. It removes context and diversity from the issue, resulting in what Indigenous Senator Aden Ridgeway predicted: No doubt people will over-simplify the images and the reports they have seen. Many will be quick to point the finger of blame at Aboriginal youth.[13] The Salvation of Sport[14] Sport is created as the Indigenous saviour from crime. Media representations encourage the belief that to be Indigenous and non-criminal is the exception. To be a success is a rarity, and generally based on Indigenous sporting prowess. It is only through sport that Indigenous culture is readily accepted by mainstream culture: Aboriginal Australians are the most gifted athletes on this earth. Therein lies their chance of survival and advancement.[15] The underlying assumption is that freakish physical attributes are the only salvageable traits worth adopting into mainstream society from an ancient race. Survival and advancement means assimilation into mainstream culture and sport is the vehicle to accommodate this assimilation. Other Indigenous attributes are placed counter-posed to the mainstream. The richness and diversity of Indigenous culture is written only as an explicit challenge and threat as it is uniformly written as deviance. TJ is constructed as the typical Indigenous youth, a 'happy-go-lucky boy who played football with quicksilver bare feet... Then he entered his teens -- and things began to change. The football cut out'.[16] Without sport, deviance and dysfunction is the inevitable result. Indicated by the example above, TJ is explicitly and continually linked to criminality. Front Line Human Targets The media creation of the police as worthy victims strengthens the link between Indigeneity and crime. The construction of the Aboriginal criminal necessitates police presence in Redfern: [T]he policing of the area is not overtly racist or heavy-handed. The blatant dealing, the public drunkenness, the routine thievery, would not be tolerated anywhere else in Sydney.[17] The 'criminality' of Redfern is used to exonerate police and white roles in the riot and in Indigenous deviance. TJ is portrayed as a criminal in hiding: he 'would have been fully aware he was wanted... He kept low in Sydney, enmeshed in the netherworld of the Block in Redfern'.[18] This while denying claims that TJ Hickey was being unreasonably chased at the time of his death. The loaded language of 'netherworld' operates here to make the distinction between the criminal and non-criminal. It creates Indigenous people as criminal and the police as non-criminal; hence the police over-presence in Redfern was justified. Justified police presence removes any 'residual doubt'[19] over police involvement in the death of TJ Hickey, thereby absolving the police of involvement in the riot. The riot is represented as borne out of an Indigenous perception that Hickey was being unreasonably harassed. The denial of this claim serves to marginalise the view that Hickey's death was the culmination of crisis and tension between police and the Indigenous community. The police are constructed as neutral characters in the lead up to the riot; simply doing their job. During the riot this neutrality is replaced with victimisation - police sacrifice their well-being to return order to the streets. In the face of this pervasive construction of neutrality and justification, Indigenous claims of police racism and over-policing are muted. Gail Hickey, TJ's mother, describes police as 'nasty... They treat our kids like dogs';[20] yet such quotes are left in the margins. They are never supported or backed up with evidence. Further, these comments are often situated near the end of an article. The structure of the newspaper operates here to marginalise Indigenous voice. The layout of the newspaper compels the reader to a 'readily accessible conclusion' at a glance;[21] therefore, a waning of the readers' attention as an article progresses is foreseeable. My analysis revealed that when Indigenous views were included, they were generally placed towards the end of the article. With no support, no evidence, and relegated to the end of articles this Indigenous protest, although technically voiced, is actually muzzled. Police malpractice is written out of media representations. Birch's analysis of the riot indicated that: [N]o members of the NSW police force have been cited for provocation or violence despite witnesses stating that the police had not only incited the initial confrontation but had themselves acted violently.[22] The silencing of criticism of police action, and the complete omission of eyewitness accounts of police inciting violence and violent behaviour is crucial to the 'us versus them' construction that shaped media representations. Silenced is the voice that speaks of historical and continuing systematic over-policing and harassment of Indigenous communities by the police. Marginalised are articulations of police violence, and the Indigenous voice that all too well remembers that the police did the dirty work of 'the heads' (the government).[23] Denied is the extensive history of institutionalised police violence against Indigenous people and communities. Without an understanding of Indigenous mistrust and angst towards the police, the police do become victims and Indigenous people do become threats. Indigeneity is demonised while the police are championed. The policing of Indigenous communities is represented as justified; their resultant victimisation constructs them as the bastions of order - they suppressed a 'riot, in which 40 police officers were injured in a sustained assault from hordes of Aborigines'.[24] The thin blue line protects social order and stability against the threat of these 'Aboriginal hordes'. The dichotomies of order/disorder, civilisation/barbarism, us/them are manifested continuously. A process that simultaneously marginalises the Indigenous cry of pain whilst further cementing the naturalness of police neutrality and justified presence in Redfern, and Indigenous communities throughout Australia. The enactment of these dichotomies ultimately leads to the mutually exclusive distinction between those who feel police action was justified and those who contextualise the riot by listening to an Indigenous point of view. This contextualisation is constructed as making excuses. As a child, I'd always fear. 'get down in the car, jungais [police] coming.' I'd always fear, jungais were like the 'douligar', a fear that was always built in us.[25] The Indigenous discourse that speaks of historical fear and mistrust is written out of the public psyche simply as a 'myth', or worse, a 'luxurious falsehood'.[26] The implication is that the solution to prevent another 'Redfern riot' is to deny Indigenous historical fear. One cannot sympathise with the Indigenous perspective without simultaneously administering blame to the police. It is constructed as anti-police, as disorder, as barbaric and most of all as one of them. Conclusion The violence of colonialism is repeated over and over again as the media continue to write Indigeneity as deviant. This power helps construct a public psyche that 'condone[s] an endemic system of violence perpetuated against Indigenous people that inevitably produces a violent response when no other defence is available'.[27] This violent response to violence, as manifested in the Redfern riot, can be commonly witnessed through Indigenous dysfunction, alienation, substance abuse and crime throughout Australia. Public discourses such as the media ensure that this violent cry for help is constructed as Indigenous deviance, due to an innate criminality. The driving purpose of this work has been to debunk the perceived naturalness of these representations. My analysis of the metaphor has shown that threats and victimisation work together to exclude Indigeneity from the production of Australian monoculturalism. If mainstream society's inherent whiteness is challenged by the cultural power of Indigeneity then it is written as threat. If Indigeneity is constructed as threat, it can be legitimately marginalised. The police, representing and protecting the white mainstream, are constructed as victims of Indigenous violence, silencing mainstream's involvement in the production of an Indigenous underclass. White as victim means white as innocent. Whiteness, the mainstream, is pardoned from involvement in the production of Aboriginal fear, mistrust, unemployment, substance abuse, welfare dependency and criminalisation. Therefore, the perpetrators become the Indigenous people. Their deviance is inherent and unquestionable; their status as victims, impossible. The future of representing Indigenous and Australian identities is uncertain. I have struggled against the monologue of exclusion and subordination. Whilst we as a nation are stuck in a monologue, at 'best' we will be apathetic to Indigenous concerns, vulnerability and marginalisation. At 'worst' negative representations will invoke fear and hatred. The denial that paints injustices against Indigenous communities as a thing of the past, that removes their influence from the lives of Indigenous Australians in the present (and future), is evidence of our complicity in a system that perpetuates racial discrimination. The implications of this paper lie at the very heart of generating national identities: Sooner or later, any society that would like to know itself as 'post-colonial' must confront an inevitable question: how to live with collective memories of theft and murder?[28] The media discourse stuck in the monologue addresses this question through acts of blaming, constructions of threat and a washing of hands. Andy Gargett has recently completed an Honours Degree in Criminology at Melbourne University. [1] Bruce Elder, Blood on the Wattle: Massacres and Maltreatment of Aboriginal Australians Since 1788, (2003), viii. [2] Howard Sercombe, 'Youth Crime and the economy of news production' in Judith Bessant and Richard Hil (eds) Youth, Crime & the Media (1997) 43. [3] Aileen Moreton-Robinson, 'Witnessing Whiteness in the Wake of Wik' (1998) 17 Social Alternatives 11. [4] The colloquial name for a residential block in Redfern bounded by Louis, Vine, Everleigh and Caroline Streets. The Block is owned by the Aboriginal Housing Company. [5] NSW Legislative Council Standing Committee on Social Issues, Parliament of NSW, Inquiry into Issues Relating to Redfern and Waterloo: Interim Report (2004) 3.2. [6] Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky, Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media (2002). [7] Chris Cunneen, Conflict, Politics and Crime: Aboriginal Communities and the Police (2001). [8] Sercombe, above n 2. [9] Tim Priest, 'Stop the Social Engineering and Empower Sydney Police' The Australian (Sydney), 18 February 2004, 13. [10] Jamie Walker, 'TJ's Life Played Out in the "Dead Zone"', The Australian (Sydney) 21 February 2004, 1. [11] Priest above n 9. [12] Walker above n 10. [13] Aden Ridgeway, 'Boiling Point After a Decade of Tension', The Australian (Sydney), 18 February 2004, 13. [14] The prevalence of Indigenous art and music in the mainstream indicates that this too can provide 'salvation'. The focus of this analysis however was how sport provides salvation, as that was the recurring theme throughout my data. [15] Priest above n 9. [16] Walker above n 10. [17] John Stapleton, 'Hope the True Victim on Redfern's Streets', The Australian (Sydney), 21 February 2004, 22. [18] Walker above n 10. [19] Martin Chulov, 'Key Image Gave Police Charge of Redfern Story' The Australian (Sydney), 26 February 2004, 19. [20] Martin Daly, 'Eruption Was A Long Time Coming' The Age (Melbourne), 21 February 2004, 3. [21] Alison Young, Femininity in Dissent (1990) 121. [22] Tony Birch '"Who Gives A Fuck About White Society Anymore?": A Response to the Redfern Riot' (2004) 175 Overland, 18, 18. [23] Martin Flanagan, 'Fear And Loathing From Tampa To Redfern', The Age (Melbourne), 1 March 2004, 2. [24] Steve Barrett, 'Riot Controllers "put lives at risk"', The Australian (Sydney), 17 March 2004, 5. [25] Sarah James, Interview with a Koorie (Victoria) in Koories and Jungais: A Study of Aboriginal and Police Relations (2000), 16. [26] Andrew Bolt, 'Why I Won't Change' Herald Sun (Melbourne), 25 February 2004, 21. [27] Birch, above n 22. [28] Ross Gibson quoted in Maria Tumarkin, 'First as a Tragedy, Second as a Farce: Traumascapes, Memory and the Curse of Indifference', (2004) 175 Overland, 22, 25. Posted by Ana at 21:48 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: p16.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 38100 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Sun Jun 3 00:41:13 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2007 08:41:13 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] GERMANY: Rostock G8 protests - police routed after large rally Message-ID: <003901c7a5b2$920c7480$0202a8c0@andy1> NOTE: As usual, despite the media rhetoric, it is clear that police aggression forced a response from the more militant among the protesters, as the protest had been peaceful as long as police stayed "in the background" (as if the ban on protests in Heiligendamm was not enough of a provocation!). Police appear to have been routed for long periods before the arrival of reinforcements. 2/6/2007 5:26:43 PM ( Source: Reuters) Protesters and police clash after Rostock anti-G8 demo By Tom Armitage ROSTOCK, Germany (Reuters) - German police clashed with hundreds of protesters in the port of Rostock on Saturday following a much larger peaceful demonstration against next week's Group of Eight summit in a nearby Baltic resort. About 2,000 protesters, identified by police as violent activists, threw bottles, sticks and stones at riot police, who tried to disperse the crowd in the harbour area with water cannons and tear gas. Reuters witnesses saw dozens of arrests but police declined to comment on numbers. The violence, which left 146 police officers injured, followed a series of marches through the city in which police said about 25,000 people took part, far fewer than the 100,000 predicted by organisers, who said 80,000 people were present. "There was a massive outbreak against police officers. Stones were thrown and they used sticks too," said a police spokeswoman. She could not confirm how many were detained. Earlier, a diverse group of protesters marched through an overcast Rostock with banners with slogans ranging from "Stop Privatisation!", to "World Peace Now!" and "Water Is A Human Right!". Many wore face masks of U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Both will join German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other G8 leaders in Heiligendamm, around 25 km (16 miles) west of Rostock, next week for talks that will touch on climate change and African poverty. Individuals in one group were dressed as medieval kings. "We are trying to show the similarities between the kings of the dark ages and how the Group of Eight behave today," said Sigurd Jakobsen, a Danish student who sailed to Rostock on a boat from Copenhagen. Church groups, environmental activists, cultural societies and feminists all took part in the demonstrations, joining traditional anti-G8 protesters who say globalisation and capitalism perpetuate poverty in the developing world. FAR-RIGHT ARRESTS Most of the peaceful protesters dispersed quickly as a hard core of troublemakers, dressed in black from head to toe, started throwing sticks and stones at police late in the afternoon. Shopkeepers in the main commercial district of Rostock have taken precautions against vandalism by boarding up storefronts. Activists blamed police for using heavy-handed tactics which provoked the protesters. Demonstration organiser, Werner Raetz, had warned earlier that stringent checks could anger protesters. "What we do fear is the police's actions in the next few days could anger people to the extent that they do things which are not planned," he said before the demonstration. A 12-km fence has been built around the resort and around 16,000 police officers are on duty this week, Germany's biggest security operation since after World War Two. About 140 supporters of the far-right National Democrats (NPD) gathered at the landmark Brandenburg Gate in central Berlin after authorities refused permission for a demonstration to go ahead in the northern city of Schwerin. Police said they arrested about 13 people in Berlin and about 150 more in Schwerin. Protesters are expected to block roads leading to Heiligendamm during the summit. They may also disrupt the arrival of some delegates with their plan to blockade the nearby military airport at Rostock-Laage early next week. (Additional reporting by Sabine Siebold and Madeline Chambers in Berlin) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6714429.stm Riots break out at German rally The authorities had warned of the threat of attack by far-left groups Protesters have clashed with police at a largely peaceful anti-globalisation rally in the German city of Rostock. Rocks, bottles and sticks have been hurled at riot police, who are using tear gas and batons charges to try to disperse the hundreds of rioters. However, the violence only involves a small portion of the estimated 30,000 people police say had joined the rally. They are protesting against next week's G8 summit of leading industrial nations in Heiligendamm, 25km (16 miles) away. More than 160 groups of anti-globalisation activists, left-wing groups, students and anarchists had been taking part in the march. Protest in pictures Organisers had predicted that 100,000 people would be joining the protest, and though the police estimates of 30,000 are much lower, the BBC's Tristana Moore in Rostock says many more people are still arriving in the city by bus and train. Police say that at least 146 officers have been hurt in the fighting. Masked protesters have broken up paving stones to use as projectiles and overturned and torched several vehicles, spreading a pall of black smoke over the area. "The police were attacked massively from the violent protesters. They threw bottles, fire crackers, rocks and Molotov cocktails," police spokesman Frank Scheulen told the Associated Press. Riot police have responded with tear gas and water cannon in an effort to drive them back. Our correspondent says that although police have been involved in running charges with protesters they are isolated incidents on the fringes of the rally, involving just a fraction of those in attendance. The majority of demonstrators have already passed through the city centre and are gathered near the harbour to enjoy a pop concert, our correspondent says. The challenge for the police now is to contain the violence and ensure it does not reach that concert area, she adds. Organisers at the concert have been making announcements urging people to stay where they are and not venture over to the part of town where the violence is taking place, but, according to our correspondent, many have been leaving to do just that. Here to stay The German authorities had warned in advance that there were serious concerns that far-left groups were planning violent attacks. The authorities said they would react quickly to any trouble and had deployed at least 13,000 police onto the streets. Thousands attend UK protest Some shops had boarded up their windows as a precautionary measure. Many of the protesters have travelled to Rostock from all over Europe and the majority have made camp by the harbour saying that they will stay put until the G8 summit, which runs from 6-8 June. The activist have pitched their tents in a large field where the main entrance bears the words: "No police and no neo-Nazis." "It's very important people all over the world come and protest against the politics of G8, which actually refer to all people of the world, although they are driven from the high elite in the G8 countries," said one protester. "They actually use citizens of the world and the environment of the world as their playground to achieve more money and power." http://www.eux.tv/article.aspx?articleId=9122 Sunday, June 03, 2007 at 07:25 Subject: /G8-Diplomacy/Demos/ Rostock quiet after anti-G8 rally turns violent - 500 injured Eds: Starts new cycle Rostock, Germany (dpa) - German police Sunday counted 433 injured officers and around 60 demonstrators seeking hospital treatment, following an anti-G8 rally in the northern city of Rostock that erupted into a full-scale riot. Police said 30 of the officers had suffered serious injuries including broken bones, as around 2,000 violent protestors among the estimated 30,000 at the rally tore up paving stones to hurl at police and threw petrol bombs. The organizers put the number participating in the rally, under the slogan, "Another World is Possible," at 80,000. The protest was aimed at the G8 summit scheduled to begin Wednesday at the resort of Heiligendamm some 25 kilometres away. Both police and organizers said an unprovoked attack on a police vehicle had sparked the violence, but the organizers were critical of subsequent police tactics. "The police did not contribute to de-escalation," said Monty Schaedel, spokesman for the Rostock Action Alliance. He called the police response "clumsy and unprofessional." The ancient Hanseatic port enjoyed a relatively peaceful night after police re-established order at around nightfall, bringing in reinforcements. Several cars were overturned and burnt out, and shop windows were smashed during Saturday's protest. Lorenz Caffier, interior minister for the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, condemned the violence. "The image of thousands of peaceful demonstrations was destroyed by 2,000 vicious thugs from the violent political subculture," he said. Police were reported to have arrested some 100 demonstrators, holding most of them only until the violence had passed. Rostock was hosting another political protest linked to the G8 Sunday, with a rally against gene technology and a march to a local gene research institute. http://origin.mercurynews.com/sports/ci_6045775 G-8 protesters clash with German police By DAVID RISING Associated Press Writer Article Launched: 06/02/2007 02:07:17 AM PDT Click photo to enlarge A hooded demonstrators throws a stone towards German police officers... (AP Photo/Michael Probst) ? ? ? 1 ? 2 ? 3 ? 4 ? 5 ? ? ROSTOCK, Germany- Protesters with black hoods and bandanas covering their faces showered police with rocks and beer bottles Saturday, before the heavily armored officers drove them back with water cannon and tear gas during a rally against an upcoming Group of Eight summit. Black smoke from burning cars mingled with the sting of tear gas in the harbor-front area of the northern German town of Rostock, where tens of thousands of people had marched peacefully to a concluding rally. The clashes broke out among hundreds of stone-throwing demonstrators and police on the edges of the crowd as the event neared its end. Some 146 police were hurt, 25 of them seriously. Police said they made 17 arrests. It was an unruly start to a week of rallies and other expected protests against the three-day G-8 summit beginning Wednesday in the fenced-off coastal resort of Heiligendamm, 14 miles from Rostock. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will host the leaders of Britain, France, Japan, Italy, Russia, Canada and the U.S. for discussions on global warming, aid to Africa and the global economy. The summit, like past ones, is attracting protesters opposed to capitalism, globalization, the war in Iraq and the G-8 itself. Police have surrounded the summit site with a seven-mile-long fence topped with barbed wire, and closed the surrounding waters and -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- airspace, fearing terrorism or disorderly protests like the ones that marred at 2001 summit in Genoa, Italy, where police and protesters clashed for days and one demonstrator was killed. Protests near the fence have been banned. In Rostock, the officially permitted demonstration began peacefully Saturday with two groups of marchers gathering at the waterfront. Clashes broke out near the end of the scheduled four-hour rally, as some people pried up paving stones and broke them into smaller pieces. Eventually, five large green police trucks with twin water cannons mounted on top moved in to blast the rioters. A police car was destroyed and several parked cars burned, spreading black smoke over the area. Protesters also torched a large blue recycling bin. Police spokesman Frank Scheulen estimated the number of violence-minded demonstrators at about 2,000. Police put the size of the demonstration at 25,000, while organizers said it was 80,000. Werner Raetz, an anti-globalization activist with Attac, one of the organizing groups, distanced himself from the violence: "There is no justification for these attacks." As for the demonstrations planned over the next few days, Raetz said both sides should try to get the "emotional situation" under control. There are several camps in the area for protesters, and marches and other events are planned. Some protesters say they intend to try to block roads leading to the summit site. Peter Mueller, who was among the demonstrators, had tears streaming from bloodshot eyes after the tear gas was released. "As long as the police were in the background it was OK, but as soon as one took a step closer, it went out of control," he said. He shrugged. "What can you do? So ends the peaceful protest." The protest was organized by several dozen groups under the motto "another world is possible." "The world shaped by the dominance of the G-8 is a world of war, hunger, social divisions, environmental destruction and barriers against migrants and refugees," organizers said in leaflets handed out on the streets. On their Web site, organizers emphasized that they wanted a peaceful protest. "There is no reason to be afraid to come to the big demonstration in Rostock," they said. "We do not expect major problems with the police." Anti-globalization protests have plagued similar summits in recent years, especially meetings of the World Trade Organization. In 1999, 50,000 protesters shut down WTO sessions in Seattle as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets. There were some 600 arrests and $3 million in property damage. At subsequent WTO meetings in Cancun, Mexico, and Hong Kong, smaller protests also disrupted meetings. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C06%5C03%5Cstory_3-6-2007_pg4_4 Protesters clash with police at anti-G8 demonstration ROSTOCK: Several hundred protestors taking part in a demonstration against next week's G8 summit hurled Molotov cocktails, bottles and fireworks at police here on Saturday. The stone-throwing demonstrators, many wearing black masks and hoods, appeared to be from far-left groups, AFP reporters at the scene said. A police spokesman said: "They were definitely seeking a confrontation with the police." Police brought the situation in Rostock, a northeastern port near the G8 venue of Heiligendamm, under control. Eyewitnesses said some demonstrators appeared to have been injured in the clashes. Earlier Tens of thousands of protestors marched through this northeastern German port to show their opposition to next week's G8 summit of the world's wealthiest nations. Fears of unrest were heightened when demonstrators at a meeting of European and Asian foreign ministers in the northern city of Hamburg this week clashed with police who used tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd. The atmosphere in Rostock as the protests started was calm and good-natured, according to police and AFP reporters at the scene. Protestors carried banners reading: "G8- terrorism, war, climate killer" and "No dialogue with capitalism". Dirk Mirow, a 37-year-old German taking part in the demonstration, said he was hoping the summit would achieve a major breakthrough on capping greenhouse gases. "I am here to protest for the climate because I have a two-year-old daughter and I'm wondering what sort of world we are creating for her," he said. Militant protestors have threatened to block roads around Rostock airport from Wednesday to prevent the leaders and their delegations from reaching the summit venue. The German authorities have mounted an extensive security operation, with up to 16,000 police on duty. They fear the protests will be hijacked by militants bent on causing violence and are determined to avoid repeat of the bloody scenes at past G8 meetings, most notably in the Italian city of Genoa in 2001 when a demonstrator was shot dead by police during riots. A planned march of Germany's biggest neo-Nazi group to coincide with the Rostock demonstration was banned by a court on Saturday because of the risk of violence. A court in Greifswald said the risks of violence posed by the anti-immigration National Democratic Party (NPD) "could not be managed because of the substantial deployment of security forces for the G8 summit." A party spokesman said that instead of marching through the eastern city of Schwerin, its members would try to join the Rostock protest. Police said 25,000 people were taking part in the protest, far fewer than the 100,000 predicted by the organisers, a collection of anti-globalisation and anti-poverty campaigners. The Rostock demonstration kicks off a week of protests against the three-day summit of the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States, which starts on Wednesday. Afp http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10658862 G-8 Protests in Germany Turn Violent; Police Hurt from The Associated Press Enlarge A hooded demonstrators throws a stone towards German police officers during clashes after a protest march of tens of thousands of people against the upcoming G8 summit in downtown Rostock, northeastern Germany, Saturday, June 2, 2007. The demonstration turned violent when some of the protesters clashed with police officers, throwing stones and flagpoles at officers, a spokeswoman said. Associated Press ? 2007 Enlarge Hooded demonstrators run away from German riot police during clashes after a protest march of tens of thousands of people against the upcoming G8 Summit in Heiligendamm in downtown Rostock, northeastern Germany, Saturday, June 2, 2007. The demonstration turned violent when some of the protesters clashed with police officers, throwing stones and flagpoles at officers, a spokeswoman said. Associated Press ? 2007 Enlarge German riot police clashes with demonstrators in the northern German city of Rostock on Saturday, June 2, 2007. The demonstration by some tens of thousands of people against the upcoming G-8 summit turned violent when some of the protesters clashed with police officers, throwing stones and flagpoles at officers, a spokeswoman said. Associated Press ? 2007 ROSTOCK, Germany June 2, 2007, 3:23 p.m. ET ? Masked demonstrators showered police with grapefruit-sized rocks and beer bottles, then were driven back with water cannon and tear gas during a protest march Saturday against the upcoming Group of Eight summit in Germany. The clashes left smoke from burning cars and the sting of tear gas drifting through the harborfront area in the north German port of Rostock. Some 146 police were hurt, 18 of them seriously. Radicals "are smashing everything in their way to pieces," said Karsten Wolff, a police spokesman. There were no immediate numbers for arrests. The officially permitted march preceded a three-day summit beginning Wednesday in the seaside resort of Heiligendamm, where German Chancellor Angela Merkel hosts the leaders of the other G-8 nations - Britain, France, Japan, Italy, Russia, Canada and the United States. The leaders are expected to discuss measures against global warming, the fight against AIDS and poverty in Africa, and the world economy. As in previous years, the summit drew protesters of various stripes opposed to globalization, capitalism and the G-8 itself. Most marchers were peaceful, but others pried up paving stones and broke them into chunks before charging police. Officers in helmets and full body armor fell back, then charged the demonstrators. Five large green police trucks with twin water cannons mounted on top blasted groups of rioters. A police car was destroyed and several parked cars burned, spreading black smoke over the area. Protesters torched a large blue recycling bin. Police spokesman Frank Scheulen estimated the number of violence-minded demonstrators at about 2,000. Police put the size of the demonstration at 25,000, while organizers said it was 80,000. Peter Mueller, who was among the demonstrators, had tears streaming from bloodshot eyes after the tear gas was released. "As long as the police were in the background it was OK, but as soon as one took a step closer, it went out of control," he said. He shrugged. "What can you do? So ends the peaceful protest." At one point, a line of police marched through a harborside street to scatter demonstrators, and were pelted with stones from behind. One of the organizers pleaded for calm from a loudspeaker. "The police are heading back so we can hold our protest in peace, that is what we want," he said. The march began without violence, and most of the demonstrators remained peaceful, gathering to listen to speeches from a stage in a large square near the waterfront. But some taunted members of the 13,000-strong police detachment from around Germany, and several hundred wore bandanas across their faces with sweat shirt hoods pulled down low to obscure their identities. The protesters from around Europe and the world gathered at two locations early in the day for rallies, then marched in two groups along three-mile routes to converge on the harbor for the main demonstration. Police lined the path through the city, and helicopters flew overhead. Most shops and cafes were shuttered. The protest was organized by several dozen groups under the motto "another world is possible." "The world shaped by the dominance of the G-8 is a world of war, hunger, social divisions, environmental destruction and barriers against migrants and refugees," organizers said in leaflets handed out on the streets. "We want to protest against this and show the alternatives." Dozens of different groups, including communists, anarchists and environmentalists, were taking part and messages were mixed: Some urged action from the G-8 countries in the fight against HIV/AIDS, African poverty and climate change, while others questioned the legitimacy of the G-8 meeting itself. Kay Stenzel woke at 3 a.m. to drive in from the eastern city of Bautzen with four friends to voice their discontent with the G-8 leaders. "They want to impose their wills upon the poor nations," he said, waving a red flag emblazoned with a black cat - an animal he chose because it was "unruly." On their Web site, organizers emphasized that they wanted a peaceful protest. "There is no reason to be afraid to come to the big demonstration in Rostock," they said. "We do not expect major problems with the police." http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/06/02/international/i071217D44.DTL Crowd, Police Clash at Protest of G-8 By DAVID RISING, Associated Press Writer Saturday, June 2, 2007 ? Printable Version ? Email This Article del.icio.us Digg Technorati Reddit Slashdot Fark Newsvine Google Bookmarks Georgia (default) Verdana Times New Roman Arial (06-02) 08:38 PDT ROSTOCK, Germany (AP) -- Masked demonstrators hurled stones and flagpoles at police during a demonstration Saturday by tens of thousands of people against the upcoming Group of Eight summit in Germany, engulfing the harbor of this northern port city in chaos. Officers in helmets and body armor at one point briefly retreated before a hail of stones, while other officers chased down fleeing protesters at the rally in Rostock in northern Germany. Police marched in a line through a harborside street to scatter demonstrators, and were pelted with stones from behind. One of the organizers pleaded for calm from a loudspeaker: "The police are heading back so we can hold our protest in peace, that is what we want." Cordula Feitchinger, a police spokeswoman, said one officer was slightly injured. She had no immediate total for arrests. "There are massive assaults on police officers at the city's harbor right now," police spokeswoman Cordula Feichtinger said. "The situation is currently very chaotic and we have to get it under control before I can tell you how many people have been arrested." Feichtinger said one police officer was slightly injured but remained on duty. The officially permitted march took place before the three-day summit beginning Wednesday where German Chancellor Angela Merkel hosts the leaders of the other G-8 nations - Britain, France, Japan, Italy, Russia, Canada and the United States. The leaders are expected to discuss measures against global warming, the fight against AIDS and poverty in Africa, and the world economy. Earlier, a group of protesters attacked the hotel where an American delegation was supposed to stay during the G-8 summit this week, and some demonstrators also battered police cars with rocks, bottles and paint bombs, authorities said. Police put the size of the demonstration at 25,000; organizers said it was 80,000. The march began without violence, and most of the demonstrators remained peaceful. But some demonstrators taunted members of the 13,000-strong police detachment from around Germany, and several hundred wore bandanas across their faces with sweat shirt hoods pulled down low to obscure their identities. They pulled up paving stones to hurl at police. The protesters from around Europe and the world gathered at two locations early in the day for rallies, then marched in two groups along three-mile routes to converge on the harbor for the main demonstration - the biggest so far against the June 6-8 summit in the northern resort town of Heiligendamm. Police with body armor and riot helmets lined the path through the city, and helicopters swirled overhead. The protest was organized by several dozen groups under the motto "another world is possible." "The world shaped by the dominance of the G-8 is a world of war, hunger, social divisions, environmental destruction and barriers against migrants and refugees," organizers said in leaflets handed out on the streets. "We want to protest against this and show the alternatives." Dozens of different groups, including communists, anarchists and environmentalists, were taking part and messages were mixed: Some urged action from the G-8 countries in the fight against HIV/AIDS, African poverty and climate change, while others questioned the legitimacy of the existence of the G-8 itself. Kay Stenzel woke at 3 a.m. to drive in from the eastern city of Bautzen with four friends to voice their discontent with the G-8 leaders. "They want to impose their wills upon the poor nations," he said, waving a red flag emblazoned with a black cat - an animal he chose because it was "unruly." On their Web site, organizers emphasized that they wanted a peaceful protest. They added, however: "This may be different with the actions following later in the week of protest." http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/4857374.html June 2, 2007, 10:48PM G-8 Protesters Clash With German Police By DAVID RISING Associated Press Writer ? 2007 The Associated Press TOOLS Email Get section feed Print Subscribe NOW Comments Recommend ROSTOCK, Germany - Protesters with black hoods and bandanas covering their faces showered police with rocks and beer bottles Saturday, before the heavily armored officers drove them back with water cannon and tear gas during a rally against an upcoming Group of Eight summit. Black smoke from burning cars mingled with the sting of tear gas in the harbor-front area of the northern German town of Rostock, where tens of thousands of people had marched peacefully to a concluding rally. The clashes broke out among hundreds of stone-throwing demonstrators and police on the edges of the crowd as the event neared its end. Some 146 police were hurt, 25 of them seriously. Police said they made 17 arrests. It was an unruly start to a week of rallies and other expected protests against the three-day G-8 summit beginning Wednesday in the fenced-off coastal resort of Heiligendamm, 14 miles from Rostock. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will host the leaders of Britain, France, Japan, Italy, Russia, Canada and the U.S. for discussions on global warming, aid to Africa and the global economy. The summit, like past ones, is attracting protesters opposed to capitalism, globalization, the war in Iraq and the G-8 itself. Police have surrounded the summit site with a seven-mile-long fence topped with barbed wire, and closed the surrounding waters and airspace, fearing terrorism or disorderly protests like the ones that marred at 2001 summit in Genoa, Italy, where police and protesters clashed for days and one demonstrator was killed. Protests near the fence have been banned. In Rostock, the officially permitted demonstration began peacefully Saturday with two groups of marchers gathering at the waterfront. Clashes broke out near the end of the scheduled four-hour rally, as some people pried up paving stones and broke them into smaller pieces. Eventually, five large green police trucks with twin water cannons mounted on top moved in to blast the rioters. A police car was destroyed and several parked cars burned, spreading black smoke over the area. Protesters also torched a large blue recycling bin. Police spokesman Frank Scheulen estimated the number of violence-minded demonstrators at about 2,000. Police put the size of the demonstration at 25,000, while organizers said it was 80,000. Werner Raetz, an anti-globalization activist with Attac, one of the organizing groups, distanced himself from the violence: "There is no justification for these attacks." As for the demonstrations planned over the next few days, Raetz said both sides should try to get the "emotional situation" under control. There are several camps in the area for protesters, and marches and other events are planned. Some protesters say they intend to try to block roads leading to the summit site. Peter Mueller, who was among the demonstrators, had tears streaming from bloodshot eyes after the tear gas was released. "As long as the police were in the background it was OK, but as soon as one took a step closer, it went out of control," he said. He shrugged. "What can you do? So ends the peaceful protest." The protest was organized by several dozen groups under the motto "another world is possible." "The world shaped by the dominance of the G-8 is a world of war, hunger, social divisions, environmental destruction and barriers against migrants and refugees," organizers said in leaflets handed out on the streets. On their Web site, organizers emphasized that they wanted a peaceful protest. "There is no reason to be afraid to come to the big demonstration in Rostock," they said. "We do not expect major problems with the police." Anti-globalization protests have plagued similar summits in recent years, especially meetings of the World Trade Organization. In 1999, 50,000 protesters shut down WTO sessions in Seattle as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets. There were some 600 arrests and $3 million in property damage. At subsequent WTO meetings in Cancun, Mexico, and Hong Kong, smaller protests also disrupted meetings. http://www.eitb24.com/new/en/B24_51462/world-news/GERMANY-Violent-clashes-at-Rostock-anti-G8-demo/ Violent clashes at Rostock anti-G8 demo 06/02/2007 A group of around 500 demonstrators set upon police near the harbour after a series of marches through the city in which police said 25,000 people took part. Organisers said that 80,000 people were present. Related news Tens of thousands to demonstrate against G8 summit Related galleries Violent clashes at Rostock anti-G8 demo Protesters threw stones and bottles and attacked police officers with sticks in the German port of Rostock on Saturday after a largely peaceful demonstration against next week's Group of Eight summit. A group of around 500 demonstrators set upon police near the harbour after a series of marches through the city in which police said 25,000 people took part. Police officers used tear gas and arrested a number of people, Reuters witnesses said. "There was a massive outbreak against police officers. Stones were thrown and they used sticks too," said a police spokeswoman. She could not confirm how many were detained. Details of injuries were sketchy but one police officer suffered a broken arm. Organisers said that 80,000 people were present. Demonstrators gathered in the Baltic port city to protest against the G8 summit in Heiligendamm on June 6-8, where Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel will host world leaders for talks on climate change and African poverty. Earlier, a diverse group of protesters marched through Rostock on a cold, overcast day to the harbour where they were gathering for speeches and a music concert later in the day. Their anti-G8 slogans ranged from "Stop Privatisation!", to "World Peace Now!" and "Water Is A Human Right!". Many wore face masks of U.S. President George W. Bush andRussian President Vladimir Putin. Both will be guests of Merkel in nearby Heiligendamm, around 25 km west of Rostock. Individuals in one group were dressed as medieval kings. "We are trying to show the similarities between the kings of the dark ages and how the Group of Eight behave today," said Sigurd Jakobsen, a Danish student who sailed to Rostock on a boat from Copenhagen. Ships decked out with Greenpeace banners sat in the harbour and floats drove through the streets, including one with a giant inflatable pill calling for medicines for all and another featuring models of starving children. Church groups, environmental activists, cultural societies and feminists all took part in the demonstrations, joining traditional anti-G8 protesters who say globalisation and capitalism perpetuate poverty in the developing world. http://servihoo.com/channels/kinews/afp_details.php?id=163781&CategoryID=47 Violent clashes at G8 demo in Germany [03 Jun 2007] ROSTOCK, Germany (AFP) More than 140 police were injured in violent clashes with Molotov cocktail-throwing protestors here on Saturday at a demonstration ahead of next week's G8 summit. Riots broke out as tens of thousands of people marched through this northeastern German port, 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the Baltic resort of Heiligendamm, where the leaders of the world's richest nations will begin a three-day meeting on Wednesday. Several hundred demonstrators from a group of about 2,000 wearing black masks and hoods hurled Molotov cocktails, stones and bottles at police and several cars were set on fire or overturned. Police used water cannons in an attempt to disperse the troublemakers, who were believed to be from a far-left group. Some 25 police had serious injuries, a spokeswoman said, while 78 protesters had been arrested. A total of 146 officers were hurt, according to the spokeswoman. It remained unclear at 2000 GMT how many protesters were injured. The violence only involved a small percentage of the 20,000 people that took part in the march, according to police figures. The organisers of the march -- a collection of anti-globalisation and anti-poverty groups -- claimed 80,000 people had taken part. Police put the figure at 30,000. Werner Ratz of the ATTAC anti-globalisation organisation said clashes began when the group of violent protesters threw rocks at a police vehicle with an officer inside. Police then sent in two anti-riot squads to rescue the officer, which led to clashes, he said. "There is no justification for such violence against people and we formally distance ourselves from it," Ratz said. The clashes bore out fears expressed by German authorities that left-wing militants would cause unrest during protests against the summit. Another organiser of peaceful protesters lamented that it could be difficult to restore calm. "Unfortunately, it is more difficult to calm the situation than it is to enflame it," Manfred Stenner said. Demonstrations at past G8 summits have been scarred by violence, most notoriously in the Italian city of Genoa in 2001 when a demonstrator was shot dead by police during riots. The Rostock march was the biggest event of a week of demonstrations against the meeting of the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States. The march had begun in a peaceful atmosphere. Protestors carried banners reading: "G8 = terrorism, war, climate killer" and "Make Capitalism History." Others called for the world's most industialised nations to fulfill their pledges to increase aid to Africa. Dirk Mirow, a 37-year-old German taking part in the march, said he was hoping the summit would achieve a major breakthrough on capping greenhouse gases. "I am here to protest for the climate because I have a two-year-old daughter and I'm wondering what sort of world we are creating for her," he said. More protests are planned in the coming days, with militants threatening to block roads around Rostock airport from Wednesday to prevent the leaders and their delegations from reaching the summit venue. German authorities have mounted an extensive security operation, with up to 16,000 police on duty. A planned march of Germany's biggest neo-Nazi group to coincide with the Rostock demonstration was banned by a court on Saturday because of the risk of violence. As is now customary for G8 summits, the luxury beachfront hotel on the Baltic coast where US President George W. Bush and his counterparts will hold talks is surrounded by a heavily guarded fence topped with barbed wire. An underwater barrier has been erected to prevent ships approaching the hotel. Climate change and aid to Africa are expected to be the main themes of the meeting. http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20070602105433899 Saturday, June 02 2007 @ 11:53 PM PDT Violence at G8 protest in Germany Saturday, June 02 2007 @ 10:54 AM PDT Contributed by: Anonymous Views: 144 Clashes have left at least 150 police officers injured after thousands of people marched through the northern German port city of Rostock on Saturday to protest against the forthcoming Group of Eight meeting of industrialised powers. The summit will be hosted by Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, in Heiligendamm, 25km west of Rostock. Some covered their heads and faces with black hoods, sunglasses and scarves, while others chanted protest slogans through megaphones, blowing whistles and waving flags. Groups of protesters attacked police cars with rocks, bottles and paint bombs, authorities said. They said a hotel where a US delegation is supposed to stay during the G8 summit was also attacked. Rocks and broken beer bottles lay on the ground in front of a bank building where protesters smashed half a dozen windows. Most stores along the route had boarded up there windows before the protests - with the exception of sausage stands and other fast food restaurants. Riot police deployed Around 13,000 police were on hand, and authorities said about 30,000 protesters had come for the daylong demonstration under the motto "another world is possible". Riot police had been deployed in advance and officers videotaped the demonstration. Police helicopters hovered overhead as demonstrators marched behind a truck blowing out soap bubbles and carrying a rock band that played anti-globalisation songs like "Block G8". Dozens of different groups, including communists, anarchists and environmentalists, took part and messages were mixed: Some urged action from the G8 countries in the fight against HIV/Aids, African poverty and climate change, while others questioned the legitimacy of the existence of the G8 itself. "The world shaped by the dominance of the G8 is a world of war, hunger, social divisions, environmental destruction and barriers against migrants and refugees," organisers said in leaflets handed out on the streets. "We want to protest against this and show the alternatives." High alert A 12km security fence has been built around the resort where for the June 6-8 talks about climate change, aid and financial markets. Eager to avert the violence that has accompanied past G8 summits, German leaders have issued pleas for peaceful demonstrations. In 2001, a demonstrator was shot by police at a G8 meeting in Genoa. Since then, G8 summits have been surrounded by heavy security. About 16,000 police officers are on duty in the week leading up to the meeting, Germany's biggest security operation since after World War II. Roadblocks expected Protesters are expected to block roads leading to the leaders' summit. They may also disrupt the arrival of delegates with their plan to blockade the nearby military airport at Rostock-Laage early next week. Trouble may also flare after authorities refused permission for a demonstration by the far-right National Democrats (NPD) to go ahead in nearby Schwerin. Organisers of the main anti-G8 demonstrations expressed concern that protesters who had planned to take part in the Schwerin rally might descend on Rostock instead. http://www.echoroukonline.com/english/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=6426 G8: violent day in Germany on Saturday, June 02 @ 19:00:00 CDT Germany which used to be a calm country used to discipline has been struck by violent protests when German police clashed with hundreds of protesters in the port of Rostock yesterday following a much larger peaceful demonstration against next week's Group of Eight summit in a nearby Baltic resort. About 2,000 protesters, identified by police as violent activists, threw bottles, sticks and stones at riot police, who tried to disperse the crowd in the harbour area with water cannons and tear gas. The violence, which left 146 police officers injured, followed a series of marches through the city in which police said about 25,000 people took part, far fewer than the 100,000 predicted by organizers, who said 80,000 people were present. "There was a massive outbreak against police officers. Stones were thrown and they used sticks too," said a police spokeswoman. She could not confirm how many were detained. Earlier, a diverse group of protesters marched through an overcast Rostock with banners with slogans ranging from "Stop Privatization!", to "World Peace Now!" and "Water Is A Human Right!". Many wore face masks of U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Both will join German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other G8 leaders in Heiligendamm, around 25 km (16 miles) west of Rostock, next week for talks that will touch on climate change and African poverty. Reuters/Newsroom http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372159.html Pictures of Rostock Demo and Convergence Centre ab | 02.06.2007 19:47 | G8 Germany 2007 | Globalisation | Social Struggles | Scotland | World Short report since the arrival. We arrived at midnight yesterday (well Friday) and after a pleasant arrival at the Independent Media Centre in pretty central located Friedrichstrasse we went to the convergence centre in Evershagen to crash out for the night. It was pretty crowded and hard to find a space to put down our sleeping bags. We woke up early in the morning - at about 7 am - and were shocked to find the police already totally blocking access to the city centre but for pedestrians and cyclists. After we made our way to the campsite, we were pleasantly surprised with the camp, which is also at least today in danger of being overcrowded and is very well situated in walking distance of a train station and the city centre and the IMC and not too far from the convergence centre. There is no running water, though, but otherwise it is a nice place to hang out at and people have spared no efforts to make it as comfy and friendly and welcoming as possible. It is also a self-organised space, too. We pitched our tent up and went to the mass demonstration. The whole trainstation was overcrowded, because the idiot of an architect put only very small doors into the brandnew building. There were huge masses of people and some nice talks and speeches from the stage, most of them in German though, but they stressed the feeling of unity amongst the protesters who the interior minister had tried to seperate into non-violent and violent, but the liberals and everybody worked hard and really well together to put a stop to his intentions of getting the different groups conveniently fighting each other instead of focussing on the issues and the US government climate bullshit. Luckily enough the activist scene here in Germany is too clever and too well educated to fall into this trap. Anyways lots of groups with lots of tactics and approaches. We were hanging out a little bit at the anticapitalist block, which had the best music. But then the cops narrowed the route down to one lane and so we got hold up a little bit and somehow ended up far behind at the attac block, and then apparantly at the harbour there was something happening but dont ask me what when and why, but found myself at one time in between police and stonethrowing protesters. Luckily someone pulled me in a bush and the tree protected us from any stones, but we did a quick run out of it during some break. We had some food then, the price of which was quite affordable, and listened a bit to the music, which was interrupted from time to time to try to get police and stone-throwing protesters agreeing to a peace treaty. We went off then after meeting some friends and socialising to go in search for a nice toilet and missed the rest of the afternoon entertainment. Unfortunately my camera is not that suitable for fast actions, because the shutter takes about several seconds before actually taking the picture, so I gave documenting the rest of the rally a miss. ab http://de.indymedia.org/ticker/en/ 03.06.2007 a.. 01:50: Rostock: After being kettled for a short while, people have been released and are heading back home. b.. 01:35: Rostock: Cops are chasing people down the streets. They have also broken into the place where the music was coming from, Anker. They are trying to shove people to Doberaner Platz at the end of the road. c.. 01:15: Rostock: A Reclaim The Streets party in Doberaner Str., which was so far going nicely, is being violently repressed by police at the moment. 5 police units in riot gear arrived and stopped the party very violently for no apparent reason, beating the 500 or so party goers with batons. 02.06.2007 a.. 21:50: Camp Rostock: Police are said to be retreating now. b.. 21:15: Camp Rostock: About 30-40 cops, 4 or 5 water cannons and one sweeping tank outside the camp, but no violent confrontations at the moment. c.. 20:45: Camp Rostock: About 200 people from Camp Rostock wanted to go and hold a solidarity protest at the prison where the people who were arrested earlier today are held. However, they were confronted with police and water cannons a few hundred meters outside the camp. d.. 20:00: Rostock: According to the Legal Teams, at least 100 were detained on the Rostock demo today. e.. 20:00: Schwerin: According to the Legal Teams, as of 6:00pm over100 nicked at the Schwerin central train station were still detained without being charged. More recent reports, however, say most of them have been released now. f.. 19:35: The concert organisers want to continue with the concert anyway. The situation is calm now. g.. 19:20: Irie R?volt?s are playing now. People are dancing the police out of the place. h.. 18:45: The concert is interrupted again. i.. 18:40: The concert resumes. A lot of arrests and water cannons in action. j.. 18:25: A cloud of tear gas could still be seen in the harbour area. Two water cannons are still there but not in action. Snatch squads are trying single out people from the crowd or leaving groups to arrest them. Accesses and exits from the harbour area are only from the front and back, but not the lanes to the city centre any more. k.. 18:15: The situation calms down somewhat. There are bigger groups of people in front of the stage and towards the Speicher. In between, police and water cannons. All roads to the city centre are closed in both directions. Polices forces from several federal states as well as the federal police are involved. l.. 18:05: The concert has stopped. m.. 18:00: Police are using 5 water cannons in the festival area, and three additional ones in the streets, to extinguish on a burning car and burning barricades (made of garbage containers). A bigger group of people is being pushed away in the direction of the Speicher. The concert on the stage goes on an audience of several thousands. n.. 17:45: Rostock: The demo organisers say some 80.000 people took part in the international demo today. o.. 17:30: A water cannon and tear gas are being used by cops against the remaining demonstrators at the only exit from the rally area, so people are not able to leave although the speeches and music have stopped. p.. 17:30: Snatch squads in black gear with dogs were seen in Rostock shopping centre following a group of demonstrators who dispersed into the inner city. A 'check point' and stop-and-searches on Rosa Luxemburg St. and other main streets. q.. 16:40: Police are withdrawing from the harbour area and water cannons are being taken away too. r.. 16:15: Some 20 cops were seen at the Bramow train station, near Camp Rostock, and more police cars driving in that direction, presumably to conduct controls or arrest demonstrators coming back from the Rostock demo. s.. 16:10: Rostock: Riot police units have charged into the crowd near the stage again and are now surrounded by people. Sticks and stones are been thrown at them. t.. 15:40: Rostock: The situation seems to be calming down a little. There was an announcement from the stage that the music will be stopped until the police retreat and police have allegedly said they will. u.. 15:30: Rostock: Police have retreated to the edge of the harbour along the trees line, but are still 'charging' into the crowd every now and then on that side of the demo. Several more people have been arrested and more injuries. v.. 15:20: Rostock: An ambulance was seen taking someone with injuries. Several injuries have been reported but no details yet. It is not only the so-called Black Bloc that is being attacked but also other 'normal' protesters. w.. 15:10: Rostock: A group of 40-50 riot cops, who had charged into the demonstrators, were surrounded by people putting their hands up peacefully, while pushing towards them, until they drove them out of the crowd, but then the cops turned around and started hitting with their batons again. This hands-up pushing was repeated again a while later. x.. 15:00: Rostock: Confrontations have kicked off on the Rostock march as it arrived in Am Strande street by the Harbour, where the concert is supposed to be held. Blocs of riot police rushed into the crowd for no apparent reason and split the mass into two parts, hitting people randomly. Some demonstrators reacted back by throwing stick and stones. At least 5 injuries and over 10 arrests have been witnessed so far. y.. 14:15: Schwerin: The first bus of people who were arrested at the central train station has arrived at a 'detention place' in Graf-Yorck Street. The second bus, which has 6-7 minors aboard, has just left the station. z.. 13:45: Rostock: Demonstrators at the Rostock central station are still preparing to march and will continue to do so for at least another 20 minutes. There are about 40 big puppets and two samba bands at the front of the march. A black bloc of several thousand people are on the march too. It was announced from the rally stage a while ago that Nazis are heading towards Rostock but not to worry. aa.. 13:15: Rostock: The big demo has started to march from the Rostock central train station. ab.. 13:05: Shwerin: The 150 or so Antifa activists penned in at the Schwerin train station are all being arrested right now. So far 30-40 have been put on a green police coach as well as a public transport bus commandeered by police. There are approximately 100 left in the pen in the process of being arrested and their personal details taken. Legal observers are also trying to get people's names through the windows. While being walked to the buses through a corridor formed by police vans, arrestees are being interviewed by mainstream media. ac.. 12:30: Rostock: The demo coordination group said that all buses carrying protesters have arrived in Rostock without any police controls. ad.. 12:20: The National Democratic Party (neo-Nazis) are demonstrating at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. There are some 200 Nazis in G?strow. Another 5 buses of Nazis are on their way to Berlin. ae.. 11:50: Schwerin: Police have cleared the square outside the train station and cordoned it off. A water canon has been brought in. Antifas are still inside the pen and it looks like they might be arrested soon (police have put helmets on etc.). There are some legal observers and mainstream media. af.. 11:00: Some 100 Antifa activists are penned in by police at the main train station, while a helicopter is hovering overhead. The city looks deserted and there are anti-Nazi signs (a Swastika in a red rubbish bin) all over the place. ag.. 10:50: Schwerin: Cars driving into the city are being stopped by police and people asked whether they are going to the demonstration. There are some 100 Antifa activists at the central train station at the moment waiting for the court decision. ah.. 09:00: Bombodrom: The Bombodrom action has successfully finished this morning. Everyone has now left the 'settlement' area and most people headed back to Rostock. No repression by military police was reported. ai.. 09:00: The Nazi demonstration and the antifascist counter-demonstrations today in Schwerin have been banned again. People turning up for the latter are being turned away by police at the starting point and handed legal warnings that they would be arrested if they returned. Police have also set up check points outside Schwerin to prevent cars from driving into the city. There are, however, two other registered rallies organised by other parties in other parts of the city and people can go there. A Supreme Court decision is expected at around 10am today. aj.. 02:00: There will be a new radio frequency in and around Rostock during the next days on 87.9 MHz. ak.. 01:15: On Friday evening, police forces were spotted behind Evershagen and also in Bad Doberan welding shut pothole lids. al.. 01:10: Around 10 cops in riot gear rode on along the last train from Schwerin and controlled the identification papers of some of the 50 passengers throughout the trip. At the Rostock train station they were controlled by other cops again and, in some cases, backpacks were also searched. The personal data of the people checked was sent by radio to the police headquarters. The train eventually arrived at 1:05am. 01.06.2007 a.. 23:55: Camp Rostock: Internet (wireless) connection is up and running since 18:30 all over the camp. Cables are being set up at the moment. The Indymedia tent should be ready tomorrow. b.. 23:40: Camp Reddelich: The Internet connection is working now and a public access tent with 10 computers has been set up. Computers are being used heavily by campers just a few minutes after they went online. There is also a public wireless network and the telephone is working too. Radio and video activists have already started action. c.. 21:30: One of two buses coming form the Netherlands was pulled over by the police soon after crossing the border at around 14.00. In total, 4 cops came on board the bus and two searched through everyone's bags. They also took the passports and ID's of all passengers and scanned them in. They looked through all other bags stored in the bus but didn't search too closely. People were asked whether they had any banners or signs on them as well as where they were going to. Later on in the evening, the other (media) bus was pulled over between Reddelich and Rostock and was searched and prevented from going any further. d.. 18:30: Many shops in Rostock have boarded up their fronts for fear of 'vandalism' after the police advised them to do so [pics]. e.. 18:15: From now till 10pm, there will be an info point at the southern exit of the Rostock central station. There will also be a 'registered rally' some 300m to the south of station. They have a tent and people can get hot drinks there up till tomorrow evening. f.. 18:10: The cops have stopped being aggressive and retreated so the setting up of the info point is resumed. g.. 18:00: The police hinders the setting up of the info point on E. Schlesinger St. (to the south of Rostock central station), a previously approved 'long-term rally'. The organisers are negotiating with the police at the moment. h.. 17:15: The Bike Caravans against the G8, from the East and West, have all arrived in Bombodrom to join the anti-militarism action. They will continue towards Rostock tomorrow, then some will head towards Heiligendamm. i.. 16:30: Bombodrom: A second 'settlement' has been set up, with some 100 people. The first has over 500. Both are around a conning tower. There is no immediate military police presence and normal cops are not allowed there as it is a military site. People are setting up tents now and there is a plenary meeting soon. j.. 15:30: Police are reportedly controlling cars on the B105 road entering Rostock from the East, just before the city highway. k.. 15:20: Approximately 250 people have started to 'settle' in the Bombodrom area. The second demo is still on its way. A conning tower is being painted with pink and pink pyramids are being deposited (background: this happened once before and the army hates pink so much that they destroyed it when they couldn't get the paint off). Many banners can be seen, the atmosphere is relaxed, and the Clowns Army are watching over the pyramids. l.. 14:30: Police are randomly checking rucksacks at Rostock train station. m.. 13:00: The anti-militarism actions in Bombodrom have just started. Around 13:00 the rally in Schweinrich began with some 500 people. Another rally is taking place in Neu-Lutherow. At approximately 14:30pm people from both places will join to march to the Bombodrom area to 'settle' there. At the moment a group called 'Lebenslaute' are playing classical music in Schweinrich. Some 60 people use classical music to do actions (they have marched and trampled across a GMO field in the past). Their slogan today is "G Major Not G8". n.. 11:00: For the second time in two weeks, the Kavala (a special police coordination unit during the G8 protests) did not turn up for a scheduled meeting with the Camps organising group. Another attempt to talk to the police failed this morning. The meeting was supposed to discuss the police behaviour in relation to hindering the setting up efforts. Two weeks ago, the Kavala did not turn up for another scheduled meeting. A Camps spokesperson considered this a "sabotage of their efforts to negotiate with the police". "In such conditions, negotiations don't make any sense," he added. The setting up of the camps is being subjected to ongoing controls. The camps working group blamed police for this and considered it "an escalation by the police." It is also becoming clear that the three camp sites will not be sufficient for the protesters expected to come. o.. 09:00: The Federal Police have agreed on a "compromise" to have only two 'communication managers' in plain cloths on each of Attac's special trains carrying protesters to Rostock on June 2nd. Previously, the condition was to have 15 cops on each train. 31.05.2007 a.. 20:30: The highest court in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has overruled the previous court decision and decided that a general demonstration ban on June 7th did not violate the constitutional rights of protesters. A general injunction over a 40 square kilometre area had been designated by police as a demonstration-free zone due to a "state of emergency". So the so-called Star March on June 7th , which was intending to go all the way to the Kempinski hotel, will now be confined to the B105 road. [press release (de)] b.. 18:00: The Nazi demo and the anti-fascist counter-demo, planned for June 2nd in Shwerin, have been allowed by a court to take place, after having been banned by the police. The Nazi demo now has a new route in the southern part of the city but they have also registered another demonstration in Ludwigslust (30km south of Schwerin). c.. 18:00: The Federal Police is planning to have 15 cops on each of the 3 Attac trains carrying demonstrators to Rostock. Attac and the coalition organising the international demo in Rostock on June 2nd are currently 'protesting' against this. [press release (de)] d.. 13:00: After a counter-recruitment protest was announced and publicised, the army has cancelled a planned recruitment event at the Job Centre in Rostock today. e.. 11:00: Activists from the German Peace Society - United War Opponents did a banner-drop this morning at the Rostock offices of EADS, a large European company that manufactures military aircraft and weapons. The action, which lasted for about an hour (10-11am), was against armament and arms exports. [report (de) | pics] 30.05.2007 a.. 12:15: Four Robin Wood activists 'blocked' two roads leading to Heiligendamm, in Bad Doberan and Hinter Bollhagen, around mid-day to protest against the G8 protest bans. The environmental activists hang two huge banners about the general ban across the roads using 'rope bridges' (press release). 29.05.2007 a.. 23:00: A caravan carrying equipment and stuff from Wendland to build the Wichmannsdorf camp was stopped around 4:30 today by 100 or so policemen who were apparently waiting for them some 5km before Neubukow. After the 14 trucks refused to be searched without being given a convincing reason, police said they were looking for stolen bikes, so they went through all the bikes the caravan was carrying, which had been donated to them, checking their registration numbers. 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Name: clip_image041.gif Type: image/gif Size: 5737 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: clip_image042.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 53547 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Sun Jun 3 00:41:30 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2007 08:41:30 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] GERMANY: Hamburg G8/ASEM protests Message-ID: <004901c7a5b2$9ffb3270$0202a8c0@andy1> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6699907.stm Hamburg police battle protesters Police reinforcements were deployed to block the protesters German police have clashed with hundreds of anti-globalisation demonstrators in the northern city of Hamburg, arresting 21 people. Police used water cannon and baton charges against protesters, who pelted them with bottles and stones. The violence followed a march by about 4,000 activists angered by what they saw as excessive security for a meeting of EU and Asian foreign ministers. Germany is also tightening security ahead of next week's G8 summit. A fence has been erected around the German Baltic Sea resort of Heiligendamm, where the summit will take place on 6-8 June. Protests will be banned from the area of the barrier. http://de.indymedia.org/2007/05/178713.shtml Report from Germany #1 Annie Nimmety (repost) 27.05.2007 13:00 Story from Hamburg As my plane landed in Hamburg a lightning bolt almost hit it. I was looking out the window and saw the bolt streak down barely 300 feet from the plane. I landed without being blown to pieces, which was nice. However, I sincerely hope it is not an omen. Never having been to Germany, Hamburg appeared to me as an anarchist paradise. Political graffiti was everywhere. You can identify people like you by sight. And the Rote Flora, the convergence center for Hamburg, is incredible. An old theatre from the 1800's, it is now a political center/squat with dozens of rooms all for specific things. There also a bike shop. Take the best community bike shop in the US and amplify it 100% and you will understand. Which brings me to the Critical Mass. At first I was bummed, not having a bike. But then I learned of the bike shop and was given one of dozens and dozens of bikes. It worked too. So off I was. European cities were not built around the automobile, as ours were, mostly, thus allowing us to evade the cops ("bullen" in German, or bull) and ride for longer. There well over 200 of us, probably more. Every time I looked backwards I could not see the end. We were pursued by a dozen green vans. When they thought they had us, black and green clad cops streamed out of the vans. But we always got away, thanks to the sidestreets. The filming on the part of the cops is a lot more intense than it is in the states and it is big concern for the people in Hamburg, now that they are being called terrorists by their government, just as we will be soon. We rode for over an hour, causing joyous mischief in our wake, mischief I cannot recount because my memory is real bad. When I got back and returned the bicycle I was dead. I hadnt slept in a couple of days. The people at the convergence center got me a place to stay which I cannot go into detail about, although I would like to. But its really great. As I passed out I heard those wonderful European sirens. The next day, it turned out that after the St. Pauli football game there was a riot. Things were thrown, the bullen let loose the water from their cannons and there was a standoff near the Rote Flora. I wish I could have been there, but right now, typing as Peaches plays on the stereo, I am grateful for my sleep. Today there is a demonstration against the EU's desire to privatize education so Europe can have an education system as good as ours where we have to pay to work in an office or work in a kitchen with a degree in philosophy. On Monday the EU is having its Asia summit and things will get really crazy. When I can I'll get as much information out as possible.Until then, remind your friends that something is about to happen in Germany. Their biggest weapon is the suppresion of information and they use it well. The only way to counter it is to spread it all ourselves. Perhaps what is happening here can give you some form of hope. It is giving me hope. http://de.indymedia.org/2007/05/178714.shtml Report from Germany #2 Annie Nimmety (repost) 27.05.2007 13:02 Another story from Hamburg Hello, There was a student demonstration today, protesting the EU's desire to privatize education. We all met at one of the university plazas and waited until we had enough people. On the way there I felt my weak American heart sink at the sight of 25 police vans waiting outside the university. When we marched out of there we only got a few hundred feet into the city before we were stopped. The police were saying that the permitted student march could not proceed because there were people against the G8 amongst the crowd.Eventually the let us go but we had to change our route. Soon the black clad police faded into green clad riot police with their cute little white helmets. They boxed us in completely all the way into the inner city. We passed through big commercial areas, a van with a diesel generator, speakers and mixing board spewing out energy all the while. When we got to the inner city, where most of the tourists and monied types and big banks and shopping centers are, we found barricades and water cannons all around us. The green riot police joined up with the olive(?) colored police with shields and together they stopped us in the middle of a busy shopping area. After they let us continue we found water cannons and riot tanks blocking every side street we might want to head down. Two people were arrested for no reason. Otherwise it was calm. However, it revealed, to me at least, what we are going to be up against on Monday. They dont want an incident downtown where all the nice, decent people will be shopping. The German media reported that there will be snipers on the rooftops when the EU ASEM summit takes place in order to "protect the delegates". I'll try and get people out here to send video and their accounts to the US. PS. Last night's riot, from the accounts I have heard, was unprovoked. Not that it really matters. A blast of water to the face is still a blast of water to the face. http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/05/371759.html ASEM Demo In Hamburg - First Reports And live Ticker (i)port | 28.05.2007 13:01 | G8 Germany 2007 Today is the day of the international demonstration against the ASEM summit in Hamburg. After a wide international Mobilisation and Court Appeals against the route and the organisers the demonstration starts fom Millerntorplatz , moves on along Reeperbahn, St. Pauli Fischmarkt, Hafenstra?e, Baumwall to the R?dingsmarkt. The police protects the city centre with massive presence, media reports that appr. 4000-5000 police are in Hamburg today. Radio FSK ASEM Demo Hamburg May 28 2007 - Part 1 - application/ogg 1.2M en Live-Ticker at: http://de.indymedia.org/2007/05/178833.shtml a first radio interview about the demostration (when it startet) from radio FSK (independent radio in Hamburg): (i)port a.. Download this article in pdf format b.. Email this article to someone; c.. Submit an addition or make a quick comment on this article Additions Radio Part 2 28.05.2007 13:49 ASEM Demo Hamburg May 28 2007 FSK Radio report Part 2 - application/ogg 673K Short addition from the ASEM Demo from radio FSK Hamburg: (i)port -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- another update 28.05.2007 15:02 ASEM Demo Hamburg May 28 2007 FSK Radio report Part 3 - application/ogg 801K another update by radio FSK (16h Hamburg time) (i)port -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- and another addition 28.05.2007 15:39 ASEM Demo Hamburg May 28 2007 FSK Radio report Part 3 - application/ogg 433K ASEM Demo Hamburg May 28 2007 FSK Radio report Part 4 - application/ogg 494K two other updates (i)port -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- update 28.05.2007 16:06 ASEM Demo Hamburg May 28 2007 FSK Radio report Part 6 - application/ogg 521K update 17h (Hamburg time) (i)port -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- update 28.05.2007 16:37 ASEM Demo Hamburg May 28 2007 FSK Radio report Part 7 - application/ogg 856K update 17.30h (Hamburg time) (i)port -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pictures at mainstream media 28.05.2007 17:40 http://www1.ndr.de/nachrichten/asem/asembilder2_org-grossdemo2_p-16.html myself -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- pics 29.05.2007 11:51 .barricades were built. riots. 150 police men in mediacal treatment because of their own tear gas. d http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/05/371798.html Riots at EU/Asia economic meeting anonauton | 28.05.2007 21:19 | G8 Germany 2007 | Analysis | Globalisation | Social Struggles | Scotland | World We declare war on the leaders of the world... Rioting took place on the chaotic streets of Hamburg as the EU and Asian leaders met. After the official demonstration was over the real action started as the Black Bloc took on the cops. Bottles, paint bombs, bangers and fireworks were hurled at police lines. The bridge we stood on shook as we danced. Many people left the enclosure of the police only to then form a bloc enclosing them from behind. Having flanked them we then had an open reign on the rest of the streets. Riot vans rushed in to collect the cops and rocks and debris were hurled at them breaking windows. One van was raided by the anarchists and riot shields and some police uniforms were taken to use later as disguises. Hundreds of black bloc then reclaimed the streets and started barricading them to slow the response. Armed with mollies, fire extinguishers and rocks gangs roamed the streets, trying to avoid getting cut off and trying to find the rest. People naturally headed towards the Rota Flora G8 convergence center. Cops locked down the whole area around steinshanze with riot cops and water cannons. There is still a general chaos on the streets on Hamburg and more reports will surely come. We have erupted and Heiligendamm dam is our next target. Those who were able to march against corporate globalization today managed to because people in the black bloc forced themselves through the police lines. Expressing an opinion out loud nowadays means we have to battle with the state apparatus simply for that expression to exist. That message of resistance must thus be embodied in physical action and confrontation otherwise it shall be crushed. We all desire peace so we must fight the warmongers and murderers who perpetuate the greatest violence and those who work for them. We must fight for a liberation where we no longer tolerate injustice, but fight it and all those who defend it. Being weak means they are more likely to oppress us, when we show force we show them what we are capable of and show them their limitations. For those who still denounce violence, get out of your seat of privilege and feel the cries of those who cannot fight and fight for them. Otherwise shut up and get out of the way and come back when you are serious about really changing things.We are taking this world back and there ain't nothing you can do about it. We declare war on the leaders of the world... A war against G8 A war against borders A war against enclosure A war against domestication A war against exploitation A war against hierarchy A war against empire A war against capitalism A war against the state A war against war Get your ass over to Germany. The biggest anti-G8 mobilization yet is going to shut these fuckers down. anonauton http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/05/371873.html Prelude to the G8: Tearing it up in Hamburg Anti-G8 Action Faction | 29.05.2007 15:10 | G8 Germany 2007 | Globalisation On their way to block the G8 summit in Heiligendamm, anti-capitalists from all over Germany and the world stop in Hamburg to confront the Asian-European Meeting (ASEM). By the Anti-G8 Action Faction HatetheG8.blogspot.com May 28th 2007 Finally, something was happening. We were on the move again. It's been a while and we're a bit out of shape, but it's all coming back now. After linking arms in flanks for five hours straight in a huge, permitted march, we were getting antsy. As the first major demonstration in the lead up to the G8 summit in Heiligendamm, everyone wanted to start it off right. The city of Hamburg needed to send a message to the world that they have the "violent demonstrators" under total control. The cops must maintain discipline and it will all go smoothly. The protestors wanted to tear the city apart, to show the G8 leaders that they are not welcome here, and anyone who tries to host them will have to pay. With a thousand black clad anarchists in the front and thousands of others behind, the tension was thick. Screaming "fight the system, fight the state, fight capitalism, fight G8," the demonstrators were not willing to comprise either their vision or momentum. But who would provoke who first? Would the cops use the water canons? Would the anarchists break through the lines and go off the script? Will the G8 2007 be the opening salvo of a new cycle of struggle against capital, perhaps the final one given the scope of the current ecological crisis? For two years the German autonomous movement in general and the Dissent Network in particular has organized across the world, from the USA to Turkey, for this coming week of action. The stakes have never been higher: until now the "War on Terror" has cast a pall over the movement, yet in Germany we anarchists and autonomists could again re-seize the stage of history by scoring a decisive victory against capital. Move swiftly. Stop. Fight a bit. Grab something. Then Run. Turn around. Watch out for the Snatch Squad. Which ones are they? Wearing all black with red diamonds on their back. Shit, there they are. They're gonna try and grab us. Move! But who are those ones? Don't worry, it's just the green team. Green team? Yeah, green uniforms, they're like the national guard. They won't arrest you, they'll just tussle a bit. And them? Who? The darker green and dark blue. Oh them, well, they're here to stop you. Be careful. The modern incarnation of the autonomous movement is distinctly anarchist, mostly young, and quite, quite punk. Even though the movement had been ebbing over the last few years, it appears the arrival of the G8 in Germany, combined with the police raids in early May on anti-G8 centers of activity, have united the often divided and self-critical Autonomen. To the chagrin of the police, the raids also backfired in the popular press, and now it appears that most of the media, and even much of the public, are on the side of the dissidents. Furthermore, in "Red Hamburg," the home of insurrections, pirates, and a famous anti-fascist football league, it is often hard to tell the locals from the Black Bloc while in the streets. Shhhhhhh. What? Be quiet, they're looking for us. OK, hold it . . . hold it . . . NOW! The police are nervous, very nervous. And rightfully so! For months, the cars of the officials have been burned, and now internationals are streaming into the well-run convergence center in Hamburg, the former theatre "Rote Flora" that has been squatted for nearly two decades. The dynamic of the police is Freudian to say the least: the police would like nothing better than to release their inner fascist and ruthlessly clear the streets of all protesters. Due to such factors as public opinion and their brutality backfiring on them in the courts, they simply cannot just beat the protesters without pretext. So, instead, the officers express their frustration with an anal-retentive attention to detail about the smallest of the rules regarding banner size, demonstrators masking-up, and so on; they often stop demonstrations for up to thirty minutes or more for the most minor of infraction of the "rules." The bridge was a trap and everyone knew it. That's exactly where they wanted us to end up and there we were. Yeah some fireworks were shot off, rocks thrown, and a couple arrests, but come on, it was their turf. We had no chance. They've surrounded the Rote Flora. What? The convergence center, you know, that huge squat. Are they going in? Not likely, I think they'll get a beating if they try. Barricades are going up, let's get behind them. The water canons are coming out. Well, move. Down this alley way! Ok. Wait, are we all together? This leads almost any march or demonstration to be an exercise in frustration, a chess game where both sides try to bend, but not break, the rules through a strict process of negotiation. Or at least until breaking the rules is advantageous. While marching, German anarchists more or less engage with the police in careful negotiations until the permitted demonstration gets as close to the desired location as possible (such as a financial district, a fascist demonstration, or in this case the EU-ASEM Summit meeting in the town hall), and then, all bets are off. The demonstration will then generally be aggressive towards police lines, attempting to wreck havoc by escaping off the official route as a bloc, or break into small affinity groups to build barricades and attack police cars. There is also an apparent tradition of regrouping the night of the action for even more fun in the streets. I think I'm trapped. Don't panic. Look around. They're gonna do a mass arrest. Ok, black-clad cops over there. Try this. Nope, green cops. Damn, turn around. Fuck, the blue ones. Ok. Surrounded. Where's my group? Doesn't matter, I need to find a way out. Option 1: join the bloc and fight your way out. How many of us are there? Not enough. Option 2: act stupid and sneak by. Let's see if that works. Police tactics in Germany seem to be a combination of psychological warfare and shows of overwhelming force, with the emphasis on "show," for they seem unable to act unless provoked and do not generally mass arrest protesters, but just surround the march on all sides to maintain "order." Police can be divided into distinct groups. First, there are the local and federal police, who wear blue and green. Within this group there are inexperienced "barrack-based" police who can be identified by an "A" on their helmets. However, the real reason to be worried is the intensive surveillance done by the police (although unlike the UK, there are few CCTVs anywhere), who send undercovers to demonstrations to identify those who have broken laws, and have uniformed cameramen directly outside to tape protestors and identify them (using rather clever techniques like identifying Black Bloc members by their shoes). There is also a special police snatch-squad unit, dressed all in black like stormtroopers, who will quickly and brutally move in and make arrests like sharks. However bad this sounds, it is important to note that the procedure German police use in crowd control is actually quite predictable, and as long as one stays in tight groups, one is unlikely to be snatched. The German police are far from invincible despite their pretensions, and a victory over them should be possible. Close, too close. I know. We were gonna go back and get you. What? That's insane, they would've grabbed you too. Hey look, they're sending in more. Did they declare a state of emergency? I heard that too. Shit, there's waves and waves of them. Back to the Flora? No, its' not safe. Ok, then, disappear. A massive thousand person Black Bloc at ASEM, cop cars destroyed, a skirmish in front of the convergence center - not bad for a day?s work. Now, there are many debates over what exactly to do over the next few days. The demonstrations are so decentralized and yet actively planned, that it is hard for even the German anarchists to predict where the sites of intense struggle will be: there are convergences in three cities, an anti-fascist counter-protest against a thousand fascists in the streets AND a huge rally in Rostock against the G8 on the same day, decentralized blockades of roads and airport blockades, as well as countless marches and demonstrations near Heiligdamm and in Rostock. Regardless of the particulars, the energy amongst anarchists in Europe has been built to a frenzied height, and if one thing can be assured over the next week- there will be a reckoning. Thousands of us in the march. Hundreds rampaging in the streets. About eighty-five arrested. Not bad for a start. Nope, not bad at all. Anti-G8 Action Faction Homepage: http://hatetheg8.blogspot.com/ http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fde.indymedia.org%2F2007%2F05%2F178912.shtml&langpair=de%7Cen&hl=en&safe=off&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools Rear spar: ASEM protests Nikolaus 28.05.2007 18:22 topics: G8 G8 holy dam 28.05.07: ASEM protests in rear spar Around 13Uhr those starts internationally demonstration against the ASEM and the lining up G8 summit. The demo was terminated prematurely against approx. 16:30 clock by the organizers. In the connection it came to isolated outer walking 28.05.07: ASEM protests in rear spar - warming up for the G8-Gipfel (Sch?uble) Around 13Uhr those started internationally demonstration against the ASEM and the lining up G8 summit in Hamburg pc. Pauli. Altogether joined approx. 4000 to 6000 humans the strong demonstration course. Stopped in the process the course several times for police-tactical and other reasons, nevertheless ran the meeting up to individual flares peacefully. Hamburg-typically the whole demonstration course was accompanied by solid police force in order/including. At the R?dingsmarkt the demonstration was explained after the conclusion demonstration terminated by the organizers with reference to the substantial handicap by the police for. The participants were requested by the police to depart toward Miller gate individually. After approximately 45 minutes followed most participants of this request, collected themselves however in loose groups on the east west road. The accomodating, empty Polizeifahrzeuge were isolated attacked. The police reacted somewhat headlessly, partially drove the vehicles without Besatungen in the circle. The quantity induced itself in the Laufschritt toward holy spirit field, team Green has trouble to mount the correct vehicles and could on approx. 1000 meters of distance not in the Laufschritt at the groups of fragments to-remain in such a way. At the Miller gate place it came to an unmethodical WaWe employment, which endangered however only normal traffic. The activists scattered itself toward digging quarters. In consequences of "warming up" the police was still another half hour later busily to lead their vehicles by the developed traffic chaos. In the eyes of the viewer warming up for the G8 summit, expected by Sch?uble, was a point victory for the activists. As already the bicycle action showed to 26.5. in rear spar also the today's day, the team Green substantial logistic problems gets, if humans move fast and freely. In this sense: 2:0! http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fde.indymedia.org%2F2007%2F05%2F178982.shtml&langpair=de%7Cen&hl=en&safe=off&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools Events to the Asem summit Photo collection 29.05.2007 00:16 Approximately ten days before the G8-Gipfel in holy dam supplied themselves after dissolution of a demonstration of hundreds demonstrators violent arguments with that to Hamburg police with. After first peaceful protests of approximately 4000 demonstrators against the ASEM Aussenministertreffen barricades burned on Monday evening in the digging quarter of the Hanseatic city, after the organizers the elevator for terminated avowed due to police provocations. With the political discussions for the prelude of the meeting of the external politicians of the 27 European Union states and 16 asiatic countries China rejected according to the western demands certainly more climatic protection politely however. The protests against the ASEM meeting (Asia Europe Meeting) had been announced before as a kind general sample for holy dam. After wild pursuits by task forces of the police some demonstrators were driven in the Karoviertel, water throwers chase to demonstrators. After some brutal arrests, partially under exclusion of the press the situation escalates. The arresting now breach of the peace, attacks on policemen or the production of Molotov Cocktails (alleged at a gas station) are accused. 35 further persons were taken in safekeeping. With the arguments according to police data one civil servant and two demonstrators were hurt. Over one hundred arrests the fact-finding committee announces. A car with conference participants was allegedly blocked after rumors. According to press flew color bags, Rauchbomben and tracer ammunition. The European Union bites meanwhile with its calls after more climatic protection in China further on granite. The Chinese minister of foreign affairs Yang Jiechi put the responsibility clearly into western hand. "Permitting it me to point out that the present conditions of the climatic change are not to due to the developing countries and what they did, said "he after a discussion with Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs Frank-Walter stone Meier, European Union chief diplomat Javier Solana and EU-Aussenkommissarin Benita Ferrero Waldner. The fight of the climatic change is one of the main topics that Hamburg ASEM conference. Stone Meier stressed, it acts thereby over "a range, with we unquestionably within common responsibility stands ". The European Union hopes that there can a communication in December with the UN-climate conference on Bali over the follow-up regulation 2012 of running out Kyoto minutes be, thus stone Meier. The European Union ministers of foreign affairs are according to data of diplomats of the opinion that with a subsequent agreement China does not only have to be arranged to the reduction that greenhouse gases. Also India, which was represented for the first time as a member 1996 created ASEM, must do more. Peking and new Delhi, whose restaurant economics and energy consumption grow particularly strongly, are afraid however that their development is restrained by environmental protection editions. With the G8-Gipfeltreffen in holy dam the European Union wants to obligate also the USA, which had not ratified the Kyoto agreement, to obligatory climatic goals. This is so far strictly rejected by Washington. The ASEM Ministers wanted to speak also about the situation in the Iraq, Afghanistan and on the Korean peninsula. The European Union wanted to affirm the demand after abolition of the only on weekend extended house arrest of the Burmese opposition guide Aung San Suu Kyi. Stone Meier had emphasized the agreement with China in many international conflicts after the discussion with Yang. In the atomic controversy with Iran is one itself united that the pressure to Teheran are increased and an in any case diplomatic solution be found must. "Military solutions must separate here. " http://de.indymedia.org/2007/05/178833.shtml Ticker-HH 28.05.07 english 28.05.2007 12:51 Themen: G8 G8 Heiligendamm Globalisierung Today is the day of the international demonstration against the ASEM summit in Hamburg. After a wide international Mobilisation and Court Appeals against the route and the organisers the demonstration starts fom Millerntorplatz , moves on along Reeperbahn, St. Pauli Fischmarkt, Hafenstra?e, Baumwall to the R?dingsmarkt. The police protects the city centre with massive presence, media reports that appr. 4000-5000 police are in Hamburg today. size=2 width="100%" align=center> 00:30 Some people sitting in the Prison "Stresemannstra?e" are getting freed, also people who were captured in front of the convergence-center. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23:53 From more than 90 people were arrested today, only 5 released people are yet known. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23:08 Some people got into police-controls on their way home in Sternschanze. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21:50 A public bus was seen at the gas-station Max Brauer Allee. There were at least 20 arrested people in it and lots of cops around. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21:26 86 arrested people are confirmed for this day. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21:25 Uhr An arrested woman was brought to hospital. She had been punched in the stomach. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20:40 Uhr Two more arrested at Neuer Pferdemarkt. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20:38 Uhr Two more arrested people confirmed at Neuer Pferdemarkt. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20:30 situation escalates again in Sternschanze. At the end of Schulterblatt towards Neuer Pferdemarkt bottles were thrown, the police sent more troops and they force the activists to go to the Schulterblatt. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20:25 2 people get arrested at station Dammtor on their way to their train, who were walking in a group of 25 people. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20:08 medics report a wounded person (cutted) at Schanzenstra?e. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20:05 Schulterblatt, the street in front of the convergence-center, is free of police -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19:49 FSK-radio says that there is a small group at pferdemarkt surrounded by the police, but the people still can leave. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19:30 30 arrested are known yet. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19:29 situation at S-Sternschanze had gone out of control. A group of 100 people is moving towards "Neuer Kamp" (Feldstra?e). The situation at Schanzenburg hasnt calmed down very much, because now the police is throwing water into the backyards. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19:15 the police has left the Schanzenburg, but is now hunting people down the Susannenstra?e with 2 watercannons and riot-police. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19:13 bottles were thrown out of the Susannenstra?e. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19:11 200 people next to S-Bahn Sternschanze are surrounded, three watercannons in front, the police had made their 3rd awarning to move away and end the demonstration but the people are surrounded. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19:07 in the florapark behind the convergence-center there are still some special riot police. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19:00 Uhr The police has surrounded a group of protestors in the backyards of a house called Schanzenburg. Police closed Stresemannstra?e from Neuer Pferdemarkt to Holstenstra?e. The frontdoor of the convergence-center is opened again, there is no more police right next to the Convergence Center. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18:55 In Lippmannstra?e reports of several arrests. Police stops and checks identity of people around Rote Flora. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18:46 a car with deligates was stopped by appr. eight activists in city centre (Bergstr/M?nckebergstr). One person got arrested for making photografs of the police. city centre is quiet now, situation around Rote Flora is still not relaxed. 18:00 police uses water cannons at the Rote Flora -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17:54 In front of the Flora people are moving fences on the street, a fire is burning. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17:53 The Rote Flora (Convergence Centre) closes its doors because of the massiv police presence in the area -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17:47 Ca. 300-400 cops at Neuer Pferdemarkt with water cannons & tanks -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17:40 Another arrest near station Reeperbahn. Infront of the Rote Flora 200 people gather. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17:37 11 police cars at Pferdemarkt, cops walk towards Rote Flora. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17:18 Most people move towards Karolinenviertel. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17:15 Fsk: the demonstration is scattered between St.Pauli und Sternschanze, the police as well, which moved more forces into the area because of the confusing situation. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17:06 between Ludwig-Erhardt-Stra?e and Millerntor a new demonstartion is formed, cars are demaged, traffic signs destroyed. one policeman drew a gun. people are on the way to Sternschanze. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16:48 FSK reports that most of the people are moving towards Millerntorplatz now. Some incidents between police and smaller groups were reported from Ludwig-Erhardt-Stra?e. In direction harbour people are able to move freely. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16:43 The demonstration is partly penned and it is hard to leave. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16:34 The police provocates and tries to force people to leave the demonstration into a specific direction which is not possible (because of police lines) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16:20 the organisers of the demo declared the end of it because of constant poliuce provocation. there was another smoke bomb and radio FSK reports that the demo is penned. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16:02 demonstration is at R?dingsmarkt -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15:35 police briefly penned some people at the end of the demonstration. nobody arrested. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15:30 Uhr the demonstration is split up into two parts. the front part is at the Baumwall allready while the other is at the Cap San Diego (a ship in Hamburg harbour). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15:05 the demonstration moves on towards R?dingsmarkt. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14:45 The demonstration arrives at Landungsbr?cken (St.Pauli) and makes an interim stop for speaches. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14:19 after a smoke bomb was thrown the demonstration is still in front of the squatted Hafenstrasse-buildings. seperate sources speak of 6000 people. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14:13 the demonstration is in the Hafenstra?e. Police walks in front and at the sides of it in 3-4 rows. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14:02 one arrest is reported. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13.53 police stops the demo again. radio reporter reports that some riot cops who followed the demo hit demonstrators. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13:35 demonstration stops around Talstrasse. Police has water cannons placed at the end of Reeperbahn. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13:10: the demonstration is about to start. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13:05: so far around 4.000 protesters at the demonstration. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12:55: demonstration hasn't started yet, mood is good, colorful protesters, speeches are being held. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12:24: solicitors confirm that the people who got banned from the city centre after yesterday's Reclaim The Street Party can join the demonstration. http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/05/28/18422079.php Hamburg protest against ASEM and the G8 by tristan Monday May 28th, 2007 12:01 PM 5,000 people march in Hamburg against the ASEM and G8 640_100_7109.jpg original image ( 816x624) Energy to protest the G8 (June 6-8 summit) grows with preparatory march in Hamburg. Today there was a large march Against the European Union economics ministers and Asian economics ministers from ASEM. Their summit is today and tomorrow. The march gathered at 12:00 and police were all around. The march was permitted and had been organized by the Autonomen or radical "black block" style activists. There had been good work with other groups and thousands of other people came. When the route was all settled with police the march started. Sound vans made constant announcements and kept us informed about what was happening. They also played music to get us pumped up. The march had 4,000-6,000 participants and there were up to 5,000 cops. So the odds were not good of getting away with much. The march was surrounded on all side by a wall at least two thick of riot police. Dozens of water cannon tanks and armored personnel carries with bulldozer blades stood by. The march was led by a "black block" of over 1,000. In Germany it is illegal to cover your face but everyone dressed in black with hoods, hats and sunglasses. Police controlled the rate of the march but the marchers jumped and ran for bits and had fun. Several times flares or fireworks were shot up. At one point police tried to squeeze the march and were resisted. They peppersprayed the crowd on a street called Peper-something. The march continued and was stopped by water cannons in the road several times but then went on again. There were also stops for speeches. The organizers finally decided to end the march early as a protest of police tactics. There had been arrests and other harassment. The march began to disperse but cops blocked the street. People tried to break through then eventually sat in the street. Others left through spaces at the sides. Several more arrests were made. Many people headed back to the Rota Flora social center. Eventually hundreds outside built barricades. Hundreds of cops came and this led to several hours of minor barricades and some thrown objects and cops blocking streets. The police blasted with their water cannon tanks. By 8:00 the situation was calm again it seems. Indymedia timeline: http://de.indymedia.org/2007/05/178833.shtml mainstream German news with pictures: http://www1.ndr.de/nachrichten/asem/asembilder2_org-asemindex2.html http://de.indymedia.org/2007/05/179084.shtml Police Repression at ASEM Protest in Hamburg imc-g8 29.05.2007 13:29 Themen: G8 Heiligendamm Globalisierung At least 5,000 people gathered on the streets of Hamburg on Monday, 28 May, to protest against the 7th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). There was a massive police presence (almost outnumbered protesters!) and the march was surrounded by thick riot police lines. The procession was repeatedly stopped and provoked by cops, while snatch squads and other units tried to penetrate the mass. Water cannons, pepper spray, kicks and punches were used repeatedly. So the organisers eventually decided to call the demonstration off and participants then dispersed in small groups. A large part of the demonstration, however, was 'kettled' by police while others were 'hunted down' as they headed back to the Rota Flora social centre. At least 86 people were arrested, some still detained. Complete Timeline (de) | Reports: 1 | 2 | Pics: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Audio Following mass mobilisation and a court appeal regarding the legality and route of the demo, anti-capitalist protesters from all over the world, on their way to the G8, stopped in Hamburg to protest against the 7th Asia-Europe Meeting, an inter-regional forum consisting of the European Commission and the 27 members of the EU and the 14 members of the ASEAN Plus Three regional grouping. The the so-called 'three pillars' of the ASEM are: political dialogue; security and economy; and education and culture. The demonstration started around mid-day at Millerntorplatz , moved on along Reeperbahn, St. Pauli Fischmarkt, Hafenstra?e, Baumwall to the R?dingsmarkt. Reports estimated that between 4 and 6 thousand people took part, with over 1,000 "black bloc" anarchists leading the march. Following the High Court appeal against the police changing the route of the march, the registered route was partly approved. Yet, the demonstration was 'accompanied' by a large police cordon. The police presence was so large that cops almost outnumbered protesters. The the procession was repeatedly stopped and provoked by police for no reason. Snatch squads and other units tried to penetrate the mass but were resisted by Black Bloc linking arms. Cops also used pepper spray, and later water cannons, to stop the march, as well as attacking people with kicks and punches. According to the Media G8way press group, a correspondent of free radio station Kombinat Hamburg was punched in the face. One demonstrator was told that the reason for the assault on him was because "he took a photo of a police officer." A few people were reportedly arrested while, in response, fireworks were shot several times. Throughout the march, 'sound vans' made announcements to keep people informed about what was happening, while also playing enthusiastic music to 'pump up' protesters. There were also occasional stops for speeches. Fed up with continuous provocation by cops and the altered route along empty streets, the demo organisers finally decided to end the march early as a "protest against police tactics". People began to disperse in small groups but police blocked the street. People tried to break through, then eventually sat in middle of the street. Others fled through gaps in the police 'kettle'. Several more arrests were made. Many people headed back to the Rota Flora social centre. Eventually, hundreds built barricades outside. Hundreds of cops came too and this led to several hours of minor confrontation and some thrown objects and cops blocking streets. The police blasted with their water cannon tanks. By 8pm the situation was 'calm' again. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: clip_image003.gif Type: image/gif Size: 43 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: clip_image005.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 24341 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: clip_image007.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 12201 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: clip_image012.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 3997 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Sun Jun 3 00:43:11 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2007 08:43:11 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] G8 protests - Antifa mobilisation in Schwerin; protests in Sweden, Russia Message-ID: <005601c7a5b2$d9254a90$0202a8c0@andy1> http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/180061.shtml Nazi Demos and Counter Actions in Schwerin (((i))) 02.06.2007 22:07 Themen: Antifa G8 G8 Heiligendamm After the ban on both the NPD march and the Antifascist counter-demo in Schwerin, around 150 Antifascists were held in police custody. 41 Nazi buses traveled from Schwerin to Rostock. There were small Nazi marches in several German towns. The Higher Administrative Court of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern confirmed today a demonstration ban on both the NPD and the Antifascist federation's events. The court had agreed with the argument of Schwerin's Mayor, that violent confrontations were feared if the demonstrations took place. The court decision came at 10am, as Nazis and around 150 Antifascists had already gathered in the city. The police enforced the demonstration ban partly with "Platzverweisen" (banning entry into a space), as well as denying people access to streets leading to the meeting point. After the court decision, the Antifascists assembled at the main train station were surrounded by Police. At 1pm, the first 40 people were taken into police custody. At 3pm individuals tried to break out of the police ring. The arrested people were taken to the prisoner collection point at Graf-Yorck-Stra?e in Schwerin. After the demonstration ban, 41 Buses with Nazis made their way from Schwerin to Rostock. They were stopped by many police buses just before they reached the city and turned around. At 12pm there was a NPD demonstration at the Brandenburger Tor in Berlin. A local radio station reported around 140 participants. There were also demonstrations in further German towns, including Dortmund, Potsdamm, L?neburg (1 | 2) and Greifswald. Update:According to the Legal Teams, as of 6:00pm over 100 arrested at the Schwerin main train station were still detained without being charged. More recent reports, however, say most of them have been released now. http://de.indymedia.org/2007/05/177887.shtml Malm?, SE: Street party against the G8 Malm?bor mot G8 21.05.2007 00:02 Themen: G8 Saturday, May 19 three hundred young people took over the centrally located spot Triangeln and placed a great party right in front of shopping avenues and luxurious hotels. Hip hop acts with local bands from Roseng?rd (a part of the city which has the most poor of which the big share are immigrants) was mixed with mobilising speeches about the G8-meeting. Participants from Mexico, Germany, and the USA, who stopped in Malm? on their way to Rostock, used the microphone to announce why everyone should go to Germany in the beginning of june to block the meeting. - We will celebrate that we are many that say no to the destructive politics that the G8 stand for. With the party as our menas we can spread the word and become many who will go to Germany in thebeginning of June. Many of us will block the meeting with our own bodies, it is legitimate to resist this inhuman system and we have succeeded earlier, says Alex from the party organising group Malm?bor mot G8 (Malm?residents against the G8). - It is now obvious for the whole world that the G8 has lsot all it?s legitimacy. Vi start something new as we demand a world where peace is the prevailing and where there is room for everyone. Vi have a vision of a world that is ecologically sustainable and where the workers can work in their own interest, not to create profit for a small elite, says Gunilla from Malm?bor mot G8. The party started around seven in the evening, with spontaneous soccer and street art, but it really took another turn when the darkness fell as the heavy techno beats made everyone dance. On another part of the party films were shown for the crowd, that told stories about the struggle in Christiania in Copenhagen, on the other side of the bridge. During the evening the party got more and more a great mix of m?llev?ngen (a central place for the leftwing people) residents and people from roseng?rd. The suburbian conflicts moved into the city centre: banners, speakers, and rappers took up the police violence in the city. Inspired by france, there were banners saying "Police everywhere, justice nowhere" (Poliser ?verallt, r?ttvisa ingenstans; police partout, justice null part) and as well"every state is a police state" could be seen on banners hanging down from the shopping street. But thepolice was hardly seen. Despite the huge police mobilisation, they stayed hidden several blocks away and avoided harassing the people for the whole of the night. The party was ended at 23 0?clock and the participants made it?s way to m?llev?ngstorget, where the film group continued to show movies outdoors until late in the night. Malm?bor mot G8 can be contacted at malmobormotg8 at gmail.com http://de.indymedia.org/2007/05/177897.shtml http://de.indymedia.org/2007/05/177897.shtmlSummit "Russia - EU" in Samara hesheit 21.05.2007 10:17 Themen: G8 G8 Heiligendamm Repression Weltweit The repressions against "Intergalactic Libertarian Forum" and other opposition actions which took place during the Summit "Russia - the European Union" on 16-18 of May in Samara (Russia). The madness has begun with numerous arests, kidnappings and activists' attacks, also the activity of the public center was blocked up and the Monday number of "Novaja gazeta" wasn't published at all. From the beginning of May in Samara region the repressions against the opposition movements has begun because of the approach of the Summit "Russia - the European Union". On May, 10 the police organised a search in the public center. In this center the Coordinating Committee of the libertarian forum was based. Some indispensable gadgets, perfomances attributes and computers with very necessary information inside were taken away. Coordinators of the Forum planned to held discussions and working groups in different rooms of the center. The main forum events were planed here (3 days discussion and 3 doc cinema presentations). So the Forum preparation was practically stopped.In the evening 2 journalists from "RIO" TV which had some video materials and witnesses' interviews were arrested by police and transported to the police departement to have a conversation without reasons explaining.The next day the building of the public center has been closed by the local authorities. Searches and the prohibition to enter the building blocked up the work of the public center and several human rights and ecological NGOs.Although the repressions were aimed at the Libertarian Forum, the activity of 8 organisations was absolutely blocked for indefinite time! "Human rights defence project" "Antimilitar project and anticonscription project " "B-63"-a group supporting local scientific library, a movement against the commersalization of the culture ( http://community.livejournal.com/bibliosave ) "Diversija"-youth cinemaclub, taking place once a week and having some popularity between students and other people( http://www.diversija.narod.ru ) Cultural center "Duplo"( http://www.duplo.narod.ru ) ?ssosiation for the protection of the rights of the voters "VOICE" Project "Maintenance of the freedom of speech and freedom of assembly The center is keeping closed till now after the end of the Sammit. The sequestration in the cented was realized by the local mayor (Victor Tarhov) in person. He arrived in the center and also personally prohibited using of cinema hall and of the first floor areas. A drive for the public center's liberation was launched by activists. You can join the drive and send a petition to the mayor: http://community.livejournal.com/samara_ru/1464190.html#cutid1 At the same time many activists and organisators of the "March of opposition" in Samara, Saratov, Moscow, Nijnij Novgorod were arresated and outlawed; the activity was almost paralysed (in spite of the official permission to held the action at the same time as the Summit. The permission was obtained just after the interference of Angela Merkel in the "democratic freedoms" of our country). You can go through activists' repressions here: http://community.livejournal.com/legal_team/116783.html On 14 May, at 23.30 one of the social and human rights activists, member of "Intergalactic Libertarian Forum", Alexandr Lashmankin was attacked in the entrance of his house and was violently beated with the help of fungo sticks.All day long he was followed by numerous cars and some suspicious men,which were not hiding at all. 2 telephones were taken away (one of them is Forum contact telephone. One of the "unknown" attakers said : "And now give me your second contact phone"), some money and Forum posters. Sergej Shimvolos and his assistant (Human rights assotiation of Nijnij Novgorod and Moscow - Helsinki group) were also pursued permanently without any trial to hide. They were arrived specially to follow Samara May event and to help repressions victims. They were arrested at the rail-station just after their arrival in Samara, but delivered after an hour, also 4 times police has revised documents suspecting something criminal. Inspite activists' attacks, menaces and searches the "Intergalactic Libertarian Forum" (nothing in common with the "March of opposition") took place in the streets of Samara. Some hours before the party Alexandr Lashmankin was arrested in the street and was setted free only after the end of event.He had megaphone, leaflets and permission to held the action. Peaceful(!) Forum discussions (WTO,corporative values and human rights, civil society, etc) were blocked by 3 police buses, so the participants were forced to hold a short street action: http://ru.indymedia.org/newswire/display/16536/index.php On Monday, 21 May, a conference about results of political repressions and turned out actions will take place in Samara, Venceka 38 at 11-00. For more information: "Intergalactic Libertarian Forum" site: http://samara-may.livejournal.com Legal support: http://community.livejournal.com/legal_team/ Development of events: http://ru.indymedia.org/feature/display/13296/index.php http://samara-may.livejournal.com/ Please write a petition for the public center's liberation and contact us: samaramay07 at rambler.ru Contact phone 89159564488 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: clip_image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 28600 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: clip_image002.gif Type: image/gif Size: 80 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: clip_image003.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 22194 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: clip_image004.gif Type: image/gif Size: 73 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Sat Jun 2 13:07:11 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2007 21:07:11 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] FRANCE: Article on banlieue revolts Message-ID: <047301c7a551$9c670640$0202a8c0@andy1> Grassroots Political Militants: Banlieusards and Politics Editorial content | Articles http://www.metamute.org/en/Grassroots-political-militants-Banlieusards-and-politics Submitted by mute on Wednesday, 30 May, 2007 - 13:34 ByEmilio Quadrelli French cities burst back into flames after President Sarkozy's election on a 'clean the scum off the streets with a high-pressure hose' ticket. It won't be the last time, as long as the factors necessitating the mass revolt of November 2005 remain in place, in France and elsewhere. This text, based on Emilio Quadrelli's interviews in the Paris banlieues during and after the 2005 events, overthrows the whole spectrum of slurs against the racialised, pathologised racaille. The myth of an all-boy riot is trashed by female combatant leaders, and leftist commonplaces incur special scorn, above all those about the inarticulate cry for help of the 'socially excluded' Go home, white boy, we don't need you - Henry Hampton and Steve Fayer, Voice of Freedom INCIPIT. THINGS AND WORDS* 25 October 2005, Argenteuil, Department Seine-Saint-Denis, early evening. Interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy, visiting the banlieue, speaks frankly: 'You can't stand this scum any longer? Don't worry, we'll get rid of it soon'. The promise is directed towards the 'French' minority in the 'working-class neighbourhoods' who are forced against their will to live with the racaille.[1] 27 October, Clichy-Sous-Bois, the sun has just gone down. Ten or so youths - black/blanc/beur [translator's note: these three terms are used in this linguistic combination, and without gender variation, in the original Italian text] - have just finished playing football and are getting ready to go home. Perhaps to shorten the journey, they cut across the ground away from the streets. On the way they find a building site and they cross it. Someone, probably one of the many spies in the pay of the police, notices them and doesn't waste any time rushing to the telephone and sounding the alarm. A generic alarm: 'a group of kids inside a building site', nothing more, but enough to alert a police patrol of two officers. Before leaving the car, the pair call for reinforcements. A few minutes later another three patrol cars have joined the first one. The number of police increases to 11. Now the hunt can begin. When they see the police the youths know immediately what they're up against. They have done nothing, it's true, but the police don't need any reason for a typical ratissage.[2] If they're stopped, the best they can hope for is to be held face down on the ground, searched, identified and then perhaps released, but it could also turn out worse. In that case a trip to the station is almost certain, and once inside anything can happen. An everyday scenario in the banlieues, and the only solution, as ever, is run man run. For six of them the flight is short. They are caught and surrounded and taken into custody by some of the police. The other officers resume the hunt. Three of the prey have escaped. Muttin Altun, 17, of Turkish background, Zyed Benna, 17, the son of Tunisians, and Bouna Traor?, 15, from Mali, have slipped through their fingers and are still running. The three cross a small wood at the end of which they find quite a high wall, three metres. They don't lose heart, they climb it. They find themselves inside one of the French electricity company's small substations. It seems like almost enough. It's darker now; if they can just find a good hiding place for a while, then with the help of the night it should be easy enough to stay out of the police's clutches. Anyway they haven't done anything. There's no reason not to expect that in a short time the hunt will be abandoned. The only problem is finding a space that can keep them out of sight of the officers, who still haven't given up yet. Perhaps the three fugitives feel lucky because the space is right there, just within reach. Without thinking too much about it, in a moment they reach it. It's the end of them. The three don't know that the space that could hide them from the policemen's eyes conceals a big electric transformer. The shock hits them. Bouna and Zyed die instantly, while Muttin, severely injured, survives and manages to call for help. Sarkozy has kept his word. Clichy, 29 October. Thousands of youths attend the funeral of Bouna and Zyed. Most wear a t-shirt saying 'dead for nothing'. The revolt begins shortly afterwards. The first signs come at Clichy-sous-Bois near the funeral of the two boys. For the people of the banlieues there is nothing accidental about the deaths, it is a double murder deliberately carried out by the police force. Furthermore, the episode is neither casual nor exceptional. The names of Bouna and Zyed do no more than lengthen the list of bodies which for many people goes back to October 17 1961, when the corpses of over 200 Algerians tortured and massacred by the security forces were thrown into the Seine. They had taken part in a demonstration against the curfew imposed on all Arabs by the Paris police department[3], and the response of the R?publique had not been slow in coming.[4] Clearly Sarkozy has invented nothing new, and in the maintenance of public order he can boast some illustrious precedents, starting with Maurice Papon, Paris police chief at the time of the massacre. Papon's zeal for obedience to the law and the maintenance of order was not lacking a few years earlier either. During the Nazi occupation, he was responsible for the mass arrest of thousands of Jews and their deportation to the death camps. Governments change but in the end police forces stay the same.[5] The inhabitants of the banlieues seem well aware of this. Within a few hours, in a single body, the black areas of the Northern belt of the Paris periphery join together with the insurgents of Clichy-sous-Bois. In quick succession, Le Courneuve, Le Blanc Mesnil, Argenteuil, Aulnay-sous-Bois and Montfermeil begin to burn. It is only the beginning. Rouen, Dijon, Lille, Lyon, Toulouse, Strasbourg and to a lesser degree Marseille soon also join in. A sound of another age seems to be echoed in another form: Ce n'est qu'un debut, continuons le combat, although, in comparison, May '68 will look like so much mischief dreamed up by over-exuberant students. For more than 20 days, no French periphery sleeps tranquilly. [translator's note: periferia is sometimes translated into English as 'suburbs'. 'Periphery' is preferred here because 'suburbs' in the English-speaking world carries an economic-social-cultural connotation at the utmost remove from the life of the banlieue, to the extent that stereotypically 'banlieue'-type phenomena are sometimes designated 'inner city' or 'urban' (as in 'blight'). Using 'periphery' also emphasises the social as well as geographical nature of the banlieue's distance from the world of the 'citizens' or 'entrepreneurial individuals'.] Thousands of fires are started, hundreds are injured, one person dies, and the number of stop-and-searches and arrests is unknown. November 9, 2005. A curfew is applied in 25 French D?partements, with everything that entails: searches of any building at any time without a warrant; a ban on meetings, demonstrations and assemblies, no freedom of movement for all those who might impede the action of public officials. The scenario recalls 1955 and the Algerian war.[6] It does not seem excessive to make the connection, because if the French hot autumn was not a war it was certainly no mere skirmish. Yet no-one had seen the slightest sign of what lay beneath the surface in the peripheries of French cities and to a lesser extent those peripheries in certain other parts of Europe. What happened last autumn in the French peripheries was quickly dismissed as an apolitical event of which the dynamics should be sought variously in resurgent community sectarianism, in ethnic-religious-cultural identification, in criminality, or in the senseless and desperate gestures of victims of the social exclusion, urban decay and socio-cultural privation typical of metropolitan peripheries. These versions deprived the events of all political significance. My work in the field during a series of stays in the French capital, one in the midst of the ?meutes, would seem to reveal something different.[7] GRASSROOTS POLITICAL MILITANTS/INHABITANTS OF THE PERIPHERIES The phrase 'grassroots political militants' became well-known through the work of Italian sociologist Danilo Montaldi.[8] In order to avoid any misunderstanding, therefore, some clarification is needed. Montaldi essentially described the tension and sometimes the significant conflict between centre and periphery, but our case is far from his world. For Montaldi the terms 'centre' and 'periphery' indicate the conflictual relation within parties and political movements, between the leaders and insiders on one hand, and on the other the countless ground-level activists who act without hope of career or prestige. The periphery, for Montaldi, is the ideal space to re/discover the dispersed party which is present in all his works, and which exercises on the centre a constant critical function and sometimes more. However, despite their perpetual tension, relations between the centre and the periphery always exist within a single world in Montaldi. Through their almost always dramatic stories, his 'grassroots political militants' represent the true, 'raw' soul of the 'class', to the point that his discourse often seems to abandon the spaces proper to politics to enter areas closer to the world of morality.[9] In our case the scenario is completely different, and if a 'spiritual father' must be sought we should probably look to Fanon, whose analytical grid can be applied both to the contradiction between the grassroots political militants and the various political specialists, and to the radical break between the citizens of the urban centres and the faceless masses of the peripheries.[10] This scenario is far from Montaldi, whose historical-political framework is entirely internal to the inclusive model of the nation-state.[11] Between the inhabitants of the centre (the little Paris for example) and the periphery (the big Paris), there exists a gap that has little or nothing to do with the traditional conflict and/or opposition that has served as our social backdrop, or at least did so for a long time. Essentially this centre/periphery conflict did no more than lend to the vocabulary of 'urbanism' the opposition between working class areas on one side and bourgeois residential zones on the other. This opposition accompanies the entire history of the last century.[12] The two hostile worlds shared a fundamental political language; they battled each other through and by virtue of a reciprocal recognition. There is no trace of any of this in the 'French events'. Hence the return to a Fanonian discourse, which notwithstanding all its complications and caveats, seems the most appropriate way to try to describe not only the asymmetrical power relation[13] between centre and periphery, but also the appearance and characteristics of a political discourse which seems closer to the world of the Algerian war[14] than to conventional social models, even those in which emnity assumed its most tragic forms.[15] This text seeks to address the return of a discourse which seems close in many ways to the 'colonial world'.[16] The text includes extracts from interviews[17] with social actors who have played some kind of 'leading' role in the movement of the banlieuesards, and who, beyond metaphor, embody the three colours 'black, blanc, beur', the combination which participated in the French events. There is also an interview with a young 'white' intellectual, whose viewpoint seems best to embody the distance separating the inhabitants of the 'little Paris' from that of the 'working class areas', plus the 'viewpoint' of a blanc banlieue resident and street social worker, who sharply analyses the contradictions which emerged between the banlieuesards and many of the students involved in the anti-CPE movement in spring 2006. The texts which follow are far from representative of the 'average point of view' of the inhabitants of the banlieues; to pretend otherwise would not only be scientifically dishonest but also ingenuous. In fact the social actors who play a large part in the text are black political militants.[18] However this choice turns out to be less eccentric than it might appear at first. If the 'narrating voices' are 'militant voices' this does not mean their position and their point of view are external or extraneous to feeling which is widespread in black neighbourhoods. Rather they amount to a telling synthesis, and can justly be regarded as the range of views most commonly present within the social worlds considered. It is easy to see that their version of the ?meutes is not only far removed from that accepted in 'legitimate society', which would be of limited interest in itself: it also provides an explanation which seems difficult not to classify as 'political'.[19] Ultimately, if the 'banlieue case' were nothing more than the latest periodical and endemic explosion of the 'ghetto', it would not demand sustained attention. The history of cities and metropolitan centres is full of riots of various intensity and varying degrees of radicalism: certainly not events to be underestimated, but once the noise of the barricades is extinguished, interest in them can tranquilly be confined to sectors of the human and social sciences such as the sociology of deviance, urban sociology, criminology and cultural anthropology.[20] The 'banlieue case', by contrast, seems to represent something different. If, as appears obvious even from superficial attention to the French presidential contest, the election will to a large extent be fought around the banlieue, something significantly different from the usual metropolitan riot of the 'French autumn' must have been set in motion, to the point that the censorship initially applied to it eventually had to be withdrawn.[21] For various ultimately converging reasons, much of the truth of the origin of the French conflagrations was conveniently hidden at the moment they appeared. It was hidden by the government, which in reality, thanks to the information obtained through the security forces, soon had a substantially realistic picture of the context in which the events were determined, but for obvious reasons preferred not to reveal it.[22] The media were largely unaware of the truth at the time, reduced to reliance on government bulletins.[23] Many intellectuals ignored the truth or interpreted it badly, simply because it was not known to them.[24] In some way they all eventually backed up power's version of truth. The ?meutes have been read as a phenomenon substantially lacking in political and social content, in terms starting from the triad fundamentalism / community sectarianism / identity and soon arriving at the pairing criminality / desperation. This was supposed to be most apparent in the very way the revolt manifested itself: indistinct and indiscriminate, a destructive luddite force that sometimes recalled the disturbing, incoherent and irrational action of the open crowd.[25] Indiscriminate fires served as evidence of this. In the end, when some sort of reasoning about the events was attempted, debate in legitimate society centred on whether or not there existed a crisis of the 'French model' of inclusion, and a comparison with the 'anglo-saxon model'.[26] This debate seemed to leave the inhabitants of the 'working class areas' wholly indifferent: their testimony emphasised quite different things, confirming more than ever Gramsci's statement that the real country does not correspond to the legal country. Bearing in mind all the limitations of empirical research, the data gathered on the ground tells quite a different story. It seems worthwhile to start listening to the words of those who, in various roles, were able to observe the events close-up. THE DISCURSIVE ORDER The journey in the banlieue begins with M.B., a no longer young black woman, politically active in the banlieues for some time.[27] The first things that need to be mentioned are the objectives central to the revolt. There was not a trace of these in the various media. What was shown, I would emphasise, was the irrational aspect of the revolt. But in fact it wasn't that way. There has been much talk of cars burned as if this had been the only target, but in reality the main targets were other things, the police and the police stations obviously, and a little bit was said about this, in part because when they started talking about criminal command [of the riots], which didn't exist, talk of an attack on police stations could have supported that thesis. But it was not only the police who came under attack. Temporary work agencies and 'state community centres' were attacked and destroyed no less than the police stations. There was no trace of this in the press or on television, or, when it was mentioned, it was shown simply as a secondary effect. When there's an explosion, everything around gets blown up too, that's what I mean by a secondary effect. But the temp agencies and the community centres were not burned by chance, they were deliberately attacked no more and no less than the police stations. Everybody knows what temp agencies are. They regulate access to the labour market on a temporary basis and on conditions that favour companies. They are also organisations of blackmail and social control by police and unions, because if you're someone who organises the struggle and the conflict in the workplace or in any case someone who steps out of line, you're thrown out, and you can be sure it will be very hard for you to get another contract. You end up among the undesirables and you don't work again. The agencies are the main weapons used by capitalism to make workers harmless. Apart from the agencies there were also quite a few businesses, ones that use illegal or semi-forced labour exclusively, that went up in flames. There are quite a few of these which mostly exploit female labour, through piece-work done on domestic premises. Or, in other not infrequent cases, adapting for work warehouses and basements where women work almost under concentration camp conditions, with no safety, no ventilation, with shifts of never less than 10 hours, under the control of physically violent and arrogant bosses. Some groups of women, and I can guarantee this because I organised some of them, settled our accounts with our bosses and guardians while the battle was going on in the streets. When it was impossible to attack the warehouses, we went for their cars and homes. Some ca?ds met with accidents.[28] This should give at least a bit of a different picture of the revolt and of the role women played in it, which was in no way subordinate or even invisible. But this is not what seems to me to need emphasising most. It seems more important to speak of the silence which there has been on this, starting from the left parties and movements. At the centre of the revolt, or among its most important targets, was the critique of the capitalist organisation of labour, and this passed completely unobserved, which is very telling [...] It shows, for example, that work is a completely different thing for one part of society than it is for the other. It's a question of two worlds that speak different languages, where for one there are opportunities and possibilities while for the other there is a rigid subordination, domination and blackmail. [...] But it's not something new that happened yesterday. To understand this it's enough to see what has happened [in the past] during marches and demonstrations. The left-wing movements - and this is quite striking when you think that it's even more true in the youth movements - don't want to be contaminated by the young banlieuesards, they do everything to keep them out, and in some cases have worked together with the police to keep them from acting in the centre of Paris. Without seeking overly complicated explanations, I believe the origin of the problem should be sought in the social background of the two groups. The youth of the left movements are mostly students, whereas the others are workers, thieves, robbers, and, as there's no reason to hide it, also small-scale drug dealers. This, you'll say, is nothing new, and that's true. Those who, like me, have a long history of political militancy know very well that things have always been this way, but this is not the point. [...] The real issue today is that the world has changed radically in its material and structural basis, with important repercussions. It's as if there existed two worlds, inhabited by different species. And these two worlds, as far as I can see, are no longer simply separated by different positions in the social hierarchy within a single social model; now they belong to two different realities, coloured black and white. Perhaps it's for this reason that the critique of the capitalist organisation of work is extraneous to much of the left, because, in the end, it's a white organisation, therefore it's also theirs. [...] Explaining the attacks on the 'state community centres' seems very important to me because it clarifies - yet again, it might be said - our point of view on these events. A story that wasn't born yesterday but goes back in time. This is also a way of responding to all those, regardless of ideology and politics, who live in Paris and think, when everything's fine, that here in the peripheries the one thing we want is to be integrated by them. We are not included in the Republic and we don't even want to be, this is not our problem. A lack of interest, or to be clearer, a refusal which, among other things, was not born last autumn but has origins long ago, going back to the Mitterand era and the birth of SOS Racisme.[29] [...] Yes, because precisely then many things were understood and marked out which have continued over time, leading to an irreconcilable break. On one hand there's the path that leads to the institutions, on the other, the way to the streets. These two paths cannot coexist. What did those associated with SOS Racisme want to do? To pile up mountains of francs, because Mitterand wasn't worried about the expense. For many, especially for the blacks who joined the project, it was a good opportunity for individual emancipation. [...] They were included, even if not at a very high level, in some organisation, project or similar bullshit, and they went around like the flower of the Republic. The noble savage offered a chance by white civilisation, all that, because those were the stakes, giving up political and organisational autonomy, to put it simply giving up being class-for-itself. On the other side there were the others, us. For us the problem is not to be integrated into the Republic, becoming the good servants of the white boss. We are the Arabs, the blacks and, as has been seen recently, the bad whites - because a lot of whites in the banlieues have been active in no small way in the riots - dangerous because we want to cut the throat of the white boss and his domination, just like we did when we were under colonial domination, from which in some ways we have never emerged. The rupture between us and our leaders, who rushed frantically to sell themselves out to the whites, is something that should be properly noted. [...] We don't want them to tell us what we should be, we want to be us, not what they would like. On this point you can see clearly that there can be no mediation. [...] >From our point of view, then, the 'state community centres' are no more than another face of domination, not a vehicle for emancipation. As anyone with the least experience will immediately see, they are the other face of the police, with whom, although in Paris everyone avoids saying so, they co-operate and collaborate. Attacking the police stations and sparing the 'centres' would have been a pure contradiction. [M.B.] The temp agencies and 'state community centres' were strategic targets on which the practical critique of the banlieue inhabitants was concentrated. As the 'militant' quoted above explained, this was no improvisation, it was the product of a discourse with a significant hold and legitimacy in the black areas, and in a certain way it entailed a model of 'urban guerilla' activity capable of attacking these targets. It is important here to observe the type of 'military model' used in the course of the revolt and the way the relation to the security forces was handled.[30] All this leads to one point: how are the police perceived by the people of the banlieues? This aspect allows something significant to be said about the banlieue and its relation to legitimate and respectable society. We discuss this in the following interview with J.B., a 29 year-old beur, a precarious worker and an active participant, neither more nor less than others, in the ?meutes. The police are the enemy, full stop. And this is not just because, obviously, you find them against you when you act but they're against you always. It's not a political question but one of everyday life. The deaths of Bouna and Zyed, which, as you know, were not an exception but the latest in a long series of murders, normal one might say, committed by the police in the banlieues, didn't happen as the next consequence of some rebellion. They were the consequence of what, for us, is normal routine. The police are in the habit of stopping you with no reason, searching you, insulting you, beating you, simply because you are you and they are them. For us it's normal to find your doorway covered in cops like in an American TV show; they go inside, hold you face down on the ground and throw everything around. You are an enemy for the simple fact of existing. You don't have to do anything to be guilty, you are the guilt. So for us the problem of the police is not to do with some particular events, it's always a problem. If it can even be a problem when you're at home, imagine what it means to go out in the street. Every time you go out and walk around, a problem can start. [...] Perhaps some people need to be reminded or don't even know that the BAC, the Brigades Anticriminalit?, operate in the banlieue.[31] These special units were created just for us. They act like an expeditionary force in enemy territory. The Brigades are the exact nexus between army and police, and they represent on a local level the instruments used by the West in its foreign policy. In relation to the banlieues they apply, in full continuity, the same logic now amply tested on the external periphery. Within the metropolis, we are the equivalent of rogue states. In any case that's what Sarkozy said quite frankly. It's a wide-ranging discourse that can't be resolved right here. But it has to be kept in mind, otherwise it becomes difficult to answer your questions. [...] To understand the dimensions of the conflict within our areas you have to make an imaginative effort and enter into the colonial reality. This is necessary in order to understand the guerrilla model used, which is very different from the one commonly known and practised by the various left movements, especially in the past. These movements fight by putting into the field an opposing army which clashes frontally with the police. Of course, within this schema there were variants, adjustments, but the essence was the same. In particular there was the idea of the military corps, the combat force which carried out the strictly military tasks, and then the rest of the militants who were something like the equivalent of the civilian population. The division between combatants and non-combatants was quite clear. Within the various organisations the combat force formed a structure autonomous from the political section. A miniature version of the traditional division between the military and the political. There were the politicians, the military and then all the others who represented the population. [...] In the banlieues the guerrilla warfare took completely different forms. Partisan action, rather than the army - regular or otherwise - was the operational model. Small groups moved, struck, dispersed and regrouped to reappear soon afterwards somewhere else. The effective number of guerrillas is limited, although not to be underestimated, and at first that might seem to suggest isolation from the population. But in fact if the number of guerrillas is limited it's for exactly the opposite reason. In the guerrilla war that developed in the banlieues, the entire population, apart from spies and pimps, had a combatant role. [...] In any case, this is a new phenomenon only up to a certain point because if you look closely it does no more than bring the model of the colonial wars into the present. In these wars the population never played the role of civilians, it was never a hypothetical neutral party; it was always in the front line. [...] There is no room for neutrality round here. Anyway the police make this logic standard practice, with no need for an emergency situation. They never acted differently. They never arrested the people materially responsible for the actions, they just took whoever they could get their hands on. They followed the logic of the ratissage, but that was nothing new for us.[32] This is something we've grown used to, and it didn't make any particular impression on anyone. In reality, rather than arresting the guilty they got thousands of people deported: they did what they do every day, but on a larger scale. [...] Answering this question gives me another opportunity to refute some myths about the banlieues that have spread like weeds. The most obvious and common is the one that presents the banlieues as places without a social life. We're [presented as] pure nullity: when we do express ourselves in some way the most we can do is create chaos. But in a reality like that the existence of a network of spies and informers becomes incomprehensible. How and why spy on nullity? Why organise a network of informers inside places that don't exist? In reality things are very different, and in the banlieues the network of spies and informers is something the police take great care of. This in itself should already make the theorists of nullity - or perhaps even worse, of the presocial dimension we live in - think again. Obviously, if they spy on us it's for a reason. If nothing else, this acknowledges one thing: that we exist. And this first acknowledgement inevitably leads to another. If the spies are identified it means that within out territories there must exist a more or less organised social model in which thousands of threads can be followed in an investigation leading to the identification and the unmasking of the network sold to the enemy. [...] When I talk about spies I don't mean the small-time informers known to everybody, who sometimes give the police something in order to protect their own little operations. What they're up to is well-known already and anyway they're not in a position to do much harm. They can grass someone up, like they've been grassed up themselves other times, but only for matters of petty crime which in the end are marginal aspects of our lives. No, I'm not talking about them. I'm referring to those who act as informers in the most complete anonymity and without attracting the least suspicion. These people don't reveal themselves, they have to be driven out into the open. Exposing them means setting up an organised network, there are no alternatives. [...] And it's clear that in the course of the events these people were targeted, and it doesn't strike me as an exaggeration to say that the majority of the internal victims attacked by the demonstrators were part of the network of spies working for the police. [...] You can see then, that what you have to take seriously is that we always live like we're at war. (J.B.) It is in the context of this scenario that, particularly for groups coming from a background of colonialism and decolonisation, the return to these histories takes a central role in their reflections on the present. Almost paradoxically, at the moment when the rhetoric of global capitalism and the pens?e unique[33] seem to have homogenised and made uniform the 'cultural cages' through which individuals perceive their existence in the world[34], among the wretched of the metropoli there appears a discursive order which, starting by revisiting their own historical/political experiences, not only criticises the present but also attacks key passages in world history and Western culture.[35] This critique is directed towards all the viewpoints from which the same (i.e. 'we') has looked at, classified and ordered the other (them).[36] This is explained with considerable insight by O.S., a 'black thug' who is, however, a cultivated Saint-Denis University graduate in social sciences. After dissecting certain aporias usually ignored by humanism[37] his interview concentrates on the memories and the practices of decolonisation, showing how even within the same hypothetical field - the historical/political world of the left - 'whites' and 'blacks' end up producing two narrative orders which are different or even opposed. At the core of the question, for the 'whites', history, including that of struggles and revolutions, is a 'history of the whites', because it does no more than trace, by virtue of its objective superiority, the path which the other must necessarily follow. A difference of 'power' at the limit of 'naturalism', which today, with all due qualification, we find applied precisely to the wretched of the metropoli. The existence of a history and a memory of blacks and whites can be seen clearly looking at the historical consciousness of left militants. It's quite easy to find experts on the Russian revolution, the failed revolution in Germany, the Spanish civil war, but as far as Vietnam or Algeria are concerned, you'll find almost nothing, as these struggles are always considered interesting only for the repercussions they might have had on Western countries, not in themselves. This is an old vice in the West that goes back to humanism. While Man appears inside the West, Non-man takes shape outside its borders. Examined closely, the whole history of colonialism first then imperialism afterwards is founded on this gap between the human and the inhuman worlds, at least according to Western thought and above all practice. [...] Over the course of the centuries this logic may have softened a bit, but it has never really been abandoned. In some way we are always the non-human that appears before you. To understand this it's enough to look at how whites generally react to massacres, torture and violations of various kinds. [...] This was even seen recently with the torture in Iraq and the use of chemical weapons in Fallujah, to cite episodes well-known to everyone. What really shocked Western consciences? The fate of the tortured or of those burned alive? Absolutely not. What caused concern and was criticised was something else: the negative repercussions these events as forms of barbarism could have on Western civilisation. The problem, then, is not what happens to others, who must be others for a reason, but the losses and costs that Western society ends up paying when practising methods which, it's easy to see reading between the lines, don't belong to it officially, and bring it to resemble non-Western barbarians. [...] If whites kill blacks the real problem is not the skin of the black but the repercussions, on various levels, of the killings for the whites. You find this mental colonialism, with various intonations, in all white environments, regardless of ideological and political allegiance. [...] If you ask a politically committed white person about Sabra and Chatila[38] it's very unlikely that he or she will be able to respond, and examples of this could go on endlessly. If you move on to the history of African peoples the lack of response turns into panic. It's more likely that someone remembers the day a few rocks were thrown at the police and a few windows smashed than the Mau Mau insurrection[39], more likely that they know the name of a local leader than a figure like Patrice Lumumba.[40] But to return to our point, this does not happen out of ignorance, but because all of that happened outside the first world, the world of the whites, and so has always been regarded as being of secondary importance. Revolutionary struggles haven't fared any better. Even in revolution there's a hierarchy to respect, and white comes before black and everything depended on one fact: first world productive forces were more advanced than the others, they'd progressed further therefore their struggles were of a higher quality. No-one has dreamed of questioning this certainty even if a revolution has never been seen in the white world. [...] Today the scene has changed, given that the cycle of commodity production has leaped over every kind of barrier and it's the third world that produces for the first, but this certainty, this conviction has remained, even if it has taken on different forms. The right and the white left use it, perhaps with different intonations, but with the same sense: the objective inferiority of the blacks. [...] In the age of globalisation the myth/dogma of the productive forces has become the discursive order used by the whites, by all the whites, to dominate the people of the 'blacks' and delegitimise their struggles and resistance: here the 'blacks' refers to all those excluded from the exercise of domination, regardless of the gradations of skin colour. The silence or the lies about the banlieues seems to me to be the best evidence of all this. [...] There has been general silence about the banlieues, even though in terms of number of participants, duration and extension the revolt was greater than May '68. (O.S.) GENDER AND BANLIEUE While much of the banlieues went up in flames, many sections of so-called 'civil society' suddenly 'discovered' the deplorable condition in which the sexism present in the banlieue forced the women there to live. Women subjected to every form of brutality and frustration by male banlieuesards in prey to a perpetual testosterone excess, who looked at them the same way they looked at their cars. What emerged again and again was a totally subordinate role held by the women of the banlieue. This rhetoric seemed to convince most people, making it useless even to attempt any empirical approach to the question. An everyday 'police incident' witnessed by the present writer seemed at least to crack open a conceptual framework generally regarded as unassailable. Blanc Mesnilin, late November 2005, 4pm. Suddenly a metallic grey BMW of the latest model comes at top speed around what's not an easy corner. The bend is demanding and the speed of the car doesn't help, and the driver seems to lose control. The back of the car starts to go into the most classic kind of spin. An accident appears inevitable. Then, with considerable skill and calm, the driver regains control of the car and takes it into a side street. While the noise of the brakes is still in the air, the passenger quickly leaps out and points at the street a large-calibre pistol that looks like a Browning bifilar 9mm parabellum, holding it in both hands. Immediately afterwards the driver gets out and the pair disappear down one of the adjacent streets. A few seconds later three police cars appear, and at the sight of BMW they slam the brakes on. The fastest of the cops jump out while the cars are still moving, pull out their guns and surround the BMW. But it's no use, there's no longer anyone inside. Cursing, they run into the surrounding streets in search of the fugitives. But they soon return; the hunt was not successful. All this might seem of little interest, an ordinary storia sbagliata, as [Italian anarchist songwriter Fabrizio] De Andre would have said, but for the quite surprising fact that the fugitives were two veiled women.[41] Two girls who appeared very young, dressed in army boots, sweatshirts and bomber jackets, but with the veil. The veiled fugitives did not seem objectively to have much 'fundamentalism' or even much religion about them, and it would be difficult to imagine them as subordinate or submissive to anyone.[42] It is quite evident that, just like other aspects, the 'female question' in the banlieue is difficult to approach through the lenses of white power/knowledge; another 'tool-box' is needed.[43] In reality, women played a role in the events of the 'French autumn' which was anything but secondary. In any case, anyone with the least knowledge of social and economic life in the banlieue is aware that women's influence in the concrete organisation of everyday life is strategic.[44] Certainly it is a role that has little or nothing to do with the debates that enthral legitimate society and women's studies departments. 'Female representation quotas and equal opportunities' do not mean much to the women of the banlieues, and their 'elective affinities' share very little with the theoretical reflections of Judith Revel[45]; rather, they have many things in common with the practices of Assata Shakur[46], and it is for this reason that an investigation 'on the road' [in English in the original] is of interest here. The observations and reflections of the women of the banlieues give a view of the 'black areas' in France which is far from that which the media, the political establishment and much of the intelligensia have accustomed us to. Not only has the entire movement of the banlieuesards shown itself to be much less non-political than legitimate society portrays it as being, but the women, or a substantial number of them, seem far from embodying and accepting the role of grim subordination to male power. Rather, in certain ways, it seems to be they who have grasped lucidly the heart of the contradiction, identifying the central elements of the problem in the transformations of the capitalist organisation of labour and the return of a colonial-style power relation. But the women, or at least some of them, seem also to have had an important role in the 'military aspect', a fact which in terms of the widely-accepted rhetoric regarding women in the banlieue seems incredible to say the least. An exhaustive account of all this is given by Z., a young black French woman living in the Argenteuil banlieue, who has worked in depth in this area. It is in this context that the 'female question' imposes itself. As a woman, Z. often had to confront leaders and bosses who opposed her precisely because of her sex. This fact should not be underestimated, and should certainly not be relegated to a secondary level as a minor problem. In reality the relation to the 'female question' is decisive for any movement that seeks to abolish the present state of things, because all the essential problems of the conception of power revolve around it. Failure to acknowledge the authority of a revolutionary leader because she is a woman amounts to internalisation of the same fascist mentality of the cop who comes into the banlieue expecting to be in charge because he is white and French, as if this made him 'naturally' destined to dominate. This logic is no different at all from that in which the male 'naturally' dominates the female. It is of some significance that in this particular case Z. imposed her authority not so much by emphasising being a woman, but through her 'overall political and military leadership', thereby not only imposing formal gender equality (although this should not be underestimated), but posing the 'female question' as wholly internal to that of the emancipation of the subaltern social classes. She did not claim the abstract right of a woman, but the concrete right of a woman 'military leader' to exercise the most serious and delicate functions of political direction. Thus, as Z. describes in detail, she was able undermine in front of their own groups some of the little leaders and bosses who opposed her, so that they had to accept the situation or remain at the margins of events. This aspect shows how the 'question of power' can never be regarded as resolved once and for all: it requires continuous attention, as no-one is immune from the logic of domination. Remaining faithful to the role she took on and is likely to go on holding, Z. confronted the problems she had to deal with, starting from the political-military framework in which she operated, taking care never to lose sight of the complexity of the situation in which she found herself acting. [...] At the same time things need explaining a bit, otherwise you end up with a very falsified idea of this reality. We had to organise the guerrilla action on two fronts, one external, the other internal. I think this is something that always happens. In some ways the internal front was almost more important than the other. The cops have to get information of a certain precision in order to hit us, but that's not all. In quite a few cases they also needed the way cleared for them. For example, having access to people who would spread disinformation could be fundamental for them, because it makes you move in exactly the direction they want. At the same time, receiving information on where you intend to strike, or how you intend to reach a target, attack it and set it off, this is essential information for them. Another important thing is getting information on our levels of internal organisation. Finally, having to move across practically endless territory like ours, it becomes decisive to discover and identify our refuges and logistical structures. This work can only be done through a good network of spies and informers within our territory. Then, although this came later, we had to deal with some attempts by the fascists to build their own guerrilla groups for counter-insurgency within the banlieue.[47] As far as we were able to discern, this was an unofficial initiative. [translator's note: un'iniziativa pi? ufficiosa che ufficiale: without formal sanction, but with tacit institutional support] It started spontaneously among some extreme right elements within the police, which the official powers pretended to be unaware of. If it worked, good; otherwise it had nothing to do with the institutions. Either the classic dirty operations were successful, or no-one knew anything about them. But as I said, this happened at a second stage, and perhaps was also the lesser problem. The real problem was how to neutralise the network of spies and informers which, as is perhaps easy to guess, was absolutely not, shall we say, a technical matter [...]. Yes, I think the way you put the question was right: to deal with this kind of a network it was necessary to set up a structure capable of making a series of moves. But perhaps it's better to give some examples than to approach the question so abstractly. The first thing to do was to make available to everyone the endless series of fragments of information we had received. This was the first stage, and was not simply a technical process. In order to arrive at this point we had to break with the sectarian logic that the gangs and some groups had brought with them. Among many people there was the tendency continually to assert their own identity, separate from the others, with whom at most alliances could be formed, but not at the cost of one's own identity. This was obviously bullshit, because that way you do no more than play the game of the enemy, who has every interest in keeping you divided. Of course uniting isn't something you can do simply by putting together the various realities as if there was nothing to it: we needed to establish a collective model in which the various experiences could recognise one another. Alongside this problem of a general container was another one, no less important. In reality the resistance to uniting ourselves and combining our forces depended not just on presumed differences but on the resistance of little leaders and bosses who in some way saw their micropower diminishing, and then in many cases there was also the openly stated aversion to submitting to the leadership of women. This aspect hit me particularly hard, and I'll need to say a few words about it [...]. Being a woman in the banlieue is not always easy. And being a militant woman involved in the struggle is even less so, although perhaps this is always the case to some extent. It may be that in the banlieue everything is accentuated, because the difficulty first of determining and then of putting into practice a way of acting that's able to overturn exploitation and oppression favours the reproduction of fascist and authoritarian mechanisms. So until the struggle breaks through the crust of oppression and people are unified by fighting, this situation generally tends to reproduce within itself the mechanisms typical of power. Men against women, young against old, whites against blacks, French against immigrants and so on. But this here is what we are, and only through the struggle can we overturn this condition. Only by demonstrating that resisting and winning is possible can we think of subverting our habitual conditions of life at their root. In the struggle, in the war against domination, while we destroy all that oppresses us we also have to construct in a positive sense new social, political and cultural models able to prefigure a new way of being and existing. Revolution is a continuous process of destruction and construction, and this is even more true in a situation where the struggle promises to be long, difficult and painful. [...] It doesn't make much sense, it doesn't take you anywhere, to enter into a battle for equality in an abstract sense, even though the principle must be reiterated continuously: it has to be not only propaganda but something imposed in practice. There are those who hold their noses, who don't want to be led by a woman, or, in our situation, by several women. In these cases you can't wait to discuss things, you have to throw the puppet facing you down from the pedestal, with no half measures. You can only do this by demonstrating in front of everyone that you're capable of doing things that many people's fate depends on, while all your opponent can do is talk. Political leadership is only imposed through the real authority, the effectiveness and efficiency that someone can demonstrate. I, we, smashed all stupid sexism as soon as it appeared by imposing ourselves as political and military leaders. So that many of those who saw it as not only senseless but even dishonourable to be led by a group of women eventually became the most disciplined. [...] All this should not be seen as a particular aspect, separated from the rest of the context we found ourselves acting in. The process of building a revolutionary structure, if that's what it's going to be, cannot avoid calling into question what goes on within it, revealing how the logics of domination and power have taken hold even among those who are ready to fight against the dominators. Therefore, starting from an apparently technical problem, we had to deal with much more complex issues, which forced many people to confront their contradictions and to make choices. This process was useful because it allowed us to attain clarity within the movement, forcing these people to make a leap forward. To return to our problem though, a lot of the spies, who in reality can't be called that because everyone knows they are on the side of the cops, are the racists in the banlieue. But these are the lesser problem. We burned their cars, and we went into some of their homes, and others we caught in the street, and these ones couldn't do much. The real problem were the ones who were unknown and above suspicion. These ones were in our midst, and they certainly weren't sporting the French cockade. As you'll know, part of the economy of the banlieue is based on small-scale trafficking, and it's around this that the BAC recruit most of those they infiltrate among us. Because it's these people who are most vulnerable to blackmail. This meant we had to carry out a series of investigations among ourselves, which were never easy, among other reasons because in situations like this there were some people who tried to discredit someone by calling them a spy in order to settle personal matters, old quarrels or even stupider things. This work was never easy, and in some cases it led us to make mistakes, accusing people who then turned out to have been completely straightforward. But this gives you an idea of how, at the moment when you enter into the real battle, into praxis, when you no longer stick to chatter like the Paris left loves in its salons, the situations you have to deal with are anything but simple: you can only learn how to fight a war by fighting it. [...] Finally, we had to deal with the attempt to attack the movement from within through paramilitary groups. This operation wasn't very successful, because the attempts that were made were crushed before they could get started. However it must be said that within the banlieue there is heavy racist propaganda, mostly anti-Arab; as everyone knows, arabophobia is a very widespread phenomenon in France, promoted by right-wing groups linked to Le Pen, which have a certain strength in the banlieue and can rely on support and a considerable amount of protection from the BAC. The link between the BAC and the nazi groups is very close, and in some ways they're the same thing. The only difference is that one is legalised and the other is not. These paramilitary groups were used in two ways. The first was the legal one which everyone saw thanks to the television and the newspapers. These were the so-called citizens whom everyone rushed to interview and film thanks to very precise agreements between the police and the media. There, Le Pen supporters were presented as upstanding citizens, implying that they represented the majority of the population of the banlieue who demanded the restoration of legality, order and the repression of the revolt. As we learned by interrogating one of the organisers of this mise-en-scene at length, the tones used in the clips and the interviews were deliberately oriented towards moderation, towards what is commonly regarded as the common sense of the average citizen. All the speeches were against violence, and they tended to emphasise the population distancing itself from the incendiaries, with the clear intention of making the guerrilla warfare seem like the work of tiny minority groups with no legitimacy whatsoever within the areas. Once this version was widely disseminated, it became very easy to proceed with heavy repression. An idea of the substantial unity reached by the various powers in opposing us is given by the fact that the media waged a real propaganda war against us. Newspapers and television did nothing but run interviews with banlieue inhabitants who said they were sick of what was going on. They intended that this should be the start of a more far-reaching operation, which, at a second stage, would have seen paramilitary groups disguised as citizens mobilised to restore order. First the propaganda which should have prepared the ground for consent was spread, then these groups would have come into action. This project didn't work for at least two reasons. The first was the timely intervention of militant forces which destroyed through a series of targeted actions all, or at least many, of the bases which the paramilitaries were preparing within the banlieues, which among other things yielded a considerable bounty. Many things, many instruments which were to have been used for the counter-revolution passed into the logistics of the guerrilla insurgency. The BAC were probably well pissed off! The second aspect, clearly more important in every way, was the absolutely unequivocal aversion of most of the inhabitants towards these initiatives. If the guerrilla groups and cells hit their logistical and military structures hard, it can be said without any triumphalism that the masses crippled them politically, because when they tried to set up any sort of public initiative it turned out that they were so few, under the threatening eyes of so many, that they had to give it up. What's more, and this quite important, some of those who got themselves interviewed and denounced the revolt in interviews were spontaneously punished by groups from the people who had organised themselves precisely so as to stop these so-called responsible citizens spouting their vomit over the struggle. (Z.) 'BLACK' AND 'WHITE' The picture given by the interviews seems far removed from the rhetoric widely accepted by politicians, media and intellectuals and literary figures of various kinds and political and cultural stripes, and which, somewhat surprisingly, was also heard from much of the left. The interview that follows is a good example of the latter. The speaker is F.C., a young Parisian researcher attached to a cartel of radical intellectuals which enjoys enviable fame in 'white' Paris and is particularly sought out in the salons of the French and international intelligensia. Her statements do not require much comment. The first thing that must be done in order to understand what has just happened is to throw away a whole series of 20th century legacies. Realistically speaking, this means not going in search of class conflicts, or, even more absurdly, neocolonial ones, for the simple reason that these no longer exist and looking for them is only a nostalgic operation that looks at the world and thinks about it with categories belonging to the past century. The idea of a class society leads back to a world centred on manual labour, but in our societies, as everyone can see, that labour has disappeared or is on the way to extinction, and it can be added that labour itself is simply a residue. Our societies are founded on immaterial, or to be more precise, cognitive labours, which it is very difficult to make lead back to a division of society into classes, or at least into the idea of classes that prevailed in the 20th century. It's worth adding that only within this world, that of the general intellect, is it possible to think and enact any transformation.[48] [...] This does not mean our societies do not have conflict and contradictions with them, but that these cannot be addressed using conceptual and organisational apparatus and models of struggle which are old and completely superceded. To put it bluntly, there is no sense in talking about, thinking, proposing a break with the present world through the appearance on the historical scene of a class able to organise the world starting from its own viewpoint, because this particular class, which according to 20th century logics was the working and proletarian class, is now historically non-existent or purely residual. In reality, if we want to go on improperly using the term 'class' today we must do so in terms of a universal class. And this class exists and acts. These are the multitudes who, with their knowledge and their desires, can liberate humanity from the restrictions which Empire tends continually to impose on them [sic]. Revolution, if we want to call it that, is possible, but this is not thanks to the external intervention of a non-existent phantom class, but through a process of liberation and erosion from within by subjects who, through networking, socialisation and co-operation of knowledges, continuously erode parts of capital's power, forcing it continually to modify and transform itself in order to keep from imploding. But this transformation, which is before everyone's eyes, has entailed and entails a radical transformation of political practices. In the first place it makes central the relation between struggles and communication and therefore the primarily symbolic aspect that political action must assume. Secondly, this means leaving behind every logic based on direct confrontation and everything that follows from it. If there is no outside because everything is inside, then action for transformation must work patiently from within, in order to develop new norms of participatory democracy from below, based on new rights of citizenship. [...] In the peripheries social excess is confined and left to itself, and it is not hard to see how senseless explosions of this kind can occur in these non-places, true concentrations of desperation.[49] What is incubated in the peripheries is social nullity and cultural nullity. The recourse to violence bears witness to this in some way. All the radical political movements have for some time distanced themselves from models and practices typical of the 20th century, projecting themselves towards the future with a new way of conceiving political action. [...] However, because otherwise one would end up blaming the victims rather than targeting their tormentors, [it must be said that] what happened is nothing other than the perverse effect imposed by neoliberal policies. These populations are left alone, without anyone helping them. The neoliberal governments have completely cut off social work, and this has condemned the peripheries to implosion. [...] No, ascribing some kind of political meaning to what happened is completely without sense, and thinking this like this is just a way of bringing back the same old ideas in different terms. These are not the new sites of conflict, but sites of excess. In some way they make up part of the humanitarian emergency which the West does not seem to want to deal with today. From the metropolitan peripheries there are no echoes of revolution, just the desperate voices of marginality and social, or perhaps it would be better to say human excess. [...] What happened seemed to me to be of great interest, because in a dramatic way and in its entirety it brought out the question of the peripheries, a question which is obviously not only French, but which, like every reality, presents local aspects which cannot be generalised. [...] In any case it is not with the police, and with the massive and indiscriminate use of policing, that it is possible to think of dealing with this situation. It is no longer possible to know whether the devastation, the looting and the fires will be limited to French territory, with sporadic similar episodes in other countries, or whether there will be worse consequences. However it is worth paying attention to the simple fact that there was some spreading into Belgium, Germany and Greece is worthy of attention. It means that an emergency of excess is appearing on a European scale. While the responsibility of national governments cannot be forgotten, this calls into question the social model which has taken shape in Europe. What has happened in France is the direct consequence of economic neoliberalism and 'zero tolerance'[50] in social policy, but what has reached its peak in France is not the prelude to a revolution but rather the concrete manifestation of the desperate condition in which exclusion and social marginality is confined. The fires of the banlieues should be taken for what they are, a cry for help of the excluded and the marginalised, but the heart of the political question is certainly not there. The heart, if we want to use this extremely dated language, is where the general intellect is in action, that is where the game is played out. Because it is there where the only really revolutionary force able to effect transformation is in action; there the multitudes of knowledge, understanding and desire can impede imperial domination, continuously bringing about transformation and liberation. (F.C.) The rhetoric underlying the young researcher's discourse is no more than a sort of vulgarisation of theories which, dressed up more elegantly, enjoy considerable influence in many intellectual circles.[51] The interest in these theories could be tranquilly ignored or attributed to the freemasonry of useless erudition, if they were not a mirror - albeit a somewhat particular one - of the prevailing social model. This division does not seem to leave room for possible mediation, as is made quite evident by the account of G.Z., a young black/blanc who for a certain amount of time was part of movements and groups of the 'respectable white left'. In the course of the 1990s political and social work around the banlieue underwent a notable fragmentation. This was primarily the consequence of general transformations which had important effects on our territories, which were only understood later. [...] At this point, a debate about the need for a closer relation to political forces arose within the [social rather than geographical] area involved in action in our territories. To put it simply, the problem posed was whether to remain in the banlieue, taking forward autonomously a discourse completely centred on the specificity of our territories, or to take the banlieue into a wider political discourse. Many of us chose the second option. Although we continued to regard as valid much of the criticism of institutional politics, the lack of openings which our autonomous work now evidently encountered led us to reconsider in a different way our relation to several phenomena which were appearing. Many of us, therefore, decided to create a base outside the banlieue. For me this experience was particularly disappointing, but it also helped me to understand many things about the present world, the type of contradictions that have opened and their nature. Because this is something very different from the past. The old opposition between those who adhered to the projects of the institutional left and those who took a different path was no more than an opposition between those who took a so-called realistic and reformist line and those working on a more critical and radical project. The endless discussions - which I'm banalising a bit for you so they can be understood - were about means, methods, timing, but, although once again this is very much a simplification, this all seemed like a discussion between people who wanted to go in the same direction, who had the same objectives but disagreed about how to pursue them. Well today this common horizon no longer exists even on paper. If the difference between us and them used to be political, today I think it's possible to speak of a difference on an entirely different basis. The problem is not one of how to intervene or how we live in the banlieue, but of being or not being banlieuesards. I'll explain with an example which immediately makes this clear. In the past, living in the banlieue meant a kind of added value. Within the reformist political world being a banlieuesard could boost your career. Of course you had to remain within a certain framework, but once you'd entered the game your banlieuesard status was almost an advantage. For a certain part of the left there was something like a myth of the inhabitant of the periphery. Quite a few people used their origins to get access to a career, albeit a small-time one. They accentuated almost as paroxysms some of the traits of the banlieuesard. The banlieuesard was a cult object, desired and caressed. [...] Yes, it's true what you say. In some way this is and was a form of racism. The banlieuesard, with somewhat rough, non-respectable behaviour, was imagined by intellectuals and middle class leftists as the noble savage, the pure degree zero of the class. The banlieuesard satisfied their need to meet the people, and the representative of the people had much more chance to assert him or herself by remaining, at least in part, 'people', and behaving as the progressive bourgeois imagined a man or woman of the people should. One might object with good reason, pointing to the lack of personal dignity of someone who adopts to the limit of buffoonery the mask of 'the people' imagined by the progressive bourgeoisie, but that's another matter. Obviously I was never willing to play this role, and I was always very critical of this behaviour, but also I certainly wasn't telling you about these things in order to advocate this behaviour. I raised it in order to show how, for a certain period, and with all the contradictions that existed, being an inhabitant of the banlieue was not something socially contemptible. It's important to be clear that I am not defending this model, I'm simply saying that the banlieue was not invisible; on the contrary, it suffered from an excess of social visibility. For everyone [in the bourgeois left], presenting a banlieuesard who was urbanised but not too much so - and this, as you'll see, was the whole point - was the proverbial flower in the buttonhole. Not only that. The banlieuesard who could exemplify the whole banlieue became a kind of cult object. A banlieuesard as individual made no sense, and as such couldn't hope for any sort of success or affirmation; he or she always had to be the expression, the representative of the banlieue. This entailed a certain way of being and acting at all times, publicly but also privately. In this respect everything revolved around representation, around what someone personified. So that for society, in some distorted way there was a recognition of an entire social body or bloc. The people, in these terms, had the full right to exist and to appear. Those who built some kind of career did so by playing on this. All this is useful in order to show you that what is happening today is the exact opposite of what I experienced concretely first-hand. [...] If at a certain point some people, like me, decided to break from this kind of experiment, returning to act within the banlieue, others stayed on to work in certain environments. On however small a scale, these people made a bit of a career. But they did so by adopting behaviour and attitudes exactly opposed to those that preceded them. To put it simply, if previously there existed a positive myth of the banlieuesard as incarnation of the people, today this myth has been inverted into pure negativity: the banlieuesard is no longer the personification of the people, today the myth is of the thug, the accursed, the invisible, the premodern, the presocial, the marginalised, the preglobal or I don't know what else. In any case it is something that cannot be represented, but only made invisible. At this point, in order to be accepted you have to show to the point of exaggeration that you have completely left behind any connection with your past, with your origins. You have to die as a banlieuesard and be reborn as an individual. This is the game that some have dedicated themselves to playing. Now their whole life is a continuous cancellation of what they have been. They're ashamed of their origins, they hardly set foot in the banlieue, and when they talk about us they say: 'those people there'. Their behaviour is typical of all renegades [translator's note: rinnegati, those who renounce or disown]. Perhaps more than anyone else does, they consider us pure excrescence, social nullity. All this tells you a lot about how times have changed. The periphery no longer represents a world, a reality which the centre has to take account of, but the unknown. What Sarkozy said - that we are simply a matter for the K?rcher [the industrial cleaning machine referred to in Sarkozy's notorious pronouncement] - just squeeze, squeeze a bit - that's what they all think, even if they don't all arrive at his practical conclusions. But what is the banlieue in the end if not the place where the lowest-status, worst-paid and least attractive work is most concentrated? What is the banlieue if not the place where exploitation is most intensive? Millions of people live in the banlieue and the fable is that the banlieues are unproductive, parasitic, completely reliant, unable to stand on their own feet. This means that in France there are millions of people who do not produce wealth and profit: where, then, are those who produce these things? What neighborhoods do they live in? Where are they? It's true, statistics indicate that unemployment is concentrated in the banlieue, but this is a partial truth. In reality the banlieue is the place of the greatest concentration of unregulated work, so that the real paradox is that no-one works as hard as those who are officially unemployed. This is particularly true if we look at the female population, by whom the whole family economy is often supported. But this is the point. The banlieue is the place where the kind of work which in present society no longer has any legitimacy or social recognition is concentrated. The myth, on terms of which not so long ago the people of the banlieue was widely seen, led back to the recognition of working class and proletarian labour in society. Today there is not recognition of this; rather, it is the object of prejudice and stigmatisation. If you come to Paris and say you're a removal worker, a bricklayer, a welder, a barperson, a waiter, a textile worker or whatever, you're immediately catalogued as failed, cursed, marginal and so on. It's as if a whole field of activity, although it continues to be the destiny of millions of people, had lost all dignity. Isolation in the banlieue is in reality the exact image of the conditions into which non-respectable labour has fallen. (G.Z.) EPILOGUE: 'PEOPLE' AND 'INDIVIDUAL' The points of view expressed by the various social actors heard here gives a version of the French 'working class areas' which is objectively different from the one usually heard. What emerges is an entire social world, formed of millions of invisible individuals of whom the legitimate world of the 'whites' knows little or nothing, even though it is talked about constantly. Without too much difficulty, we have found something quite different from the various [clich?s of] fundamentalism, community sectarianism, ethnic identification, criminal hegemony or metropolitan nullity. The banlieuesards did not fight for someone or something but against clearly defined organisations, structures and institutions: the precarious labour agencies, the state community centres and the police. If there was any interaction with the criminal underworld, it was only to shake it off.[52] The organisation of work, model of social government and army were the targets of the revolt. Almost no echo of any of this was heard outside, and even less was picked up on in the worlds of the 'white left'. The discourse seems to become interesting only once the rhetoric of politicians, media and various kinds of intellectuals has been cleared away. The last interview addresses precisely the kind of 'material' aspects of the life of the banlieuesards which have largely been ignored. Essentially, the position occupied by individuals in the contemporary social situation can be exemplified by imagining them between two lines, one horizontal and the other vertical. On the horizontal axis are placed those sections of the population whose future oscillates between low status casual, precarious and flexible jobs or continued incursions into the informal and/or illegal economies. These moves are determined by simple contingencies, whether 'structural' (increased or decreased demand for low-status labour) or 'individual' (opportunities occasionally offered by one of the many sectors of the informal economy).[53] In the best of cases, these people can aspire to a 'dignified' existence at the service of some private or public, single or collective 'white' boss, and, if they are earnest and faithful servants they will probably not run into too many misadventures, and, as in Victorian London, will always be able to count on the benevolence of the master who will not refuse them his clothes, cast off but still in good condition. Lives and opportunities are different for those on the vertical axis, the world of the 'whites'. This is not a homogenous grouping: within it various positions of income, prestige and power are objects of an obsessive social stratification, and the struggle for individual success is ferocious, unscrupulous and incessant. Most important here, however, is what they have in common: the opportunities within reach are, if not infinite, numerous and all part of a 'lifestyle' that is inclusive and respectable. Certainly, flexibility, precarity, and 'lack of certainties' are in some way the background of the lives of the 'whites', but whereas for the 'blacks' the society of uncertainty[54] is only a nightmare, for the whites it seems more like an adventure where the balance between risks and benefits seems all on the side of the latter. For the 'whites', in the worst of cases, everything is resolved in mortal leaps which are virtual and symbolic, and most often with strong safety nets underneath. For the 'blacks' the leaps are equally mortal but drastically real, material and without any safety net. All this became extremely obvious watching what happened in spring 2006 in the struggle against the CPE.[55] A good description of this is given by M.T., a blanc street social worker whose work has been one factor in her considerable knowledge of what is going on inside the banlieue. There was unity only at a few moments, and this was perhaps due to the government's behaviour towards the students. To tell the truth this unity was very precarious: sometimes it held, at other times it didn't. On the other hand, the rich or well-off student marked out their distance from the others from the start. At the very beginning, for example, students from vocational schools were excluded from the meetings. Also, when the vocational students and some of the banlieue youth began to take part, their understanding of the struggle against the CPE was very different from that of the other high school and university students. Different in form, different in content. The way the vocational students interpreted the conflict with the security forces was very significant. From the start the confrontation was conceived on a symbolic plane, ritual and virtual. The university and high school students never posed the problem of the military confrontation with the police, which on the other hand was central to a certain degree for the vocational students and their elder siblings, for the simple reason that their life in the banlieue is perennially marked by this type of conflict which - and this is the point - has nothing symbolic about it. This is not a marginal aspect, it defines very realistically two conditions of life which go in completely opposing directions. [...] For the vocational students and their older siblings even the objectives of the struggle meant little, because for them what threatens the middle class students today is not just an established reality, conditions have been even more severe for some time. Paradoxically, for this part of the population, the non-guarantees of the CPE would actually be a desirable social gain. That says it all. So when these people arrived they brought with them a point of view difficult to assimilate to that of the university students. [...] As everyone knows, not only was there not much sympathy between the two groups, there were open clashes. The banlieuesards attacked the university students, beat them up and robbed them. In the end, there was not much difference for them between the children of the middle class and the police, in fact if there's a kind of respect for the flic, because the continuous physical confrontation generates a reciprocal recognition, the hatred for the middle class kids is even greater. The idea the banlieuesards have, which is basically not much mistaken, is that the police are just those who materially carry out a practice intended to maintain and extend the rights and privileges of the well-off middle class. For them the university and high-school students are even worse than the flics, because they don't even have to get their hands dirty to maintain their privileges. It's natural that, all things considered, there's more sympathy for those who do the dirty work. At least there's no hypocrisy in what they do. [...] Yes, although this is not something new, it goes back a long way now, I think it's difficult to speak of a student movement in the classical sense. '68 has been dead and buried for a long time and there's no longer any common connection within the student world. There's no culture, political philosophy or ideology that brings students together: in practice they do no more than reproduce the social differentiations they are immersed in. If at a certain time being a student meant placing individuals within a suspended social zone where the fact of being students was a unifying factor, today and for a long time this is no longer true. Students reason very pragmatically on the basis of their social condition and the life-expectations deriving from it. Therefore nothing can be understood about what happened and is happening without underlining that there is no calling into question of inequalities, only the struggle to maintain them. [...] The banlieuesards pose a problem exactly opposed to that of the middle class youth, that of the condition of those who in our society are not individuals, are not a class, have no past and no future and who represent the great repressed of contemporary societies. (M.T.) What the revolt of the banlieues revealed is no more than the truth of a world in which is emerging a rigid opposition between those destined to embody the entrepreneurial individual on one hand and on the other those who in many ways seem to recall the faceless masses of the colonial world.[56] As Bauman has shown clearly, the contemporary age is completely dominated by the individual dimension, from which, however, significant elements of the population must remain excluded, so that they fall into a condition of complete extraneousness/opposition to the world of the entrepreneurial individuals.[57] All this is far from appearing as an aporia: on the contrary, it seems to be one of the objective and carefully managed effects of global capitalism, and it is this that the tool box of social research and critical theory is obliged to address.[58] translation from Italian: matthew hyland BIOGEmilio Quadrelli, a writer and researcher based in Genova, is the author of Andare ai resti, Gabbie metropolitane (both Derive Approdi) and, with Alessandro Dal Lago, La citt? e le ombre (Feltrinelli) FOOTNOTES *Translator's note: Le cose e le parole, i.e. the Italian title of Foucault's Les mots et les choses, published in English as The Order of Things [1] This is the largely derogatory term used to indicate a social condition very close to that of the Lumpenproletariat immortalised by K. Marx in The 18th Brumaire of Louis Napoleon, Lawrence & Wishart, London, 1984, whose behaviour Walter Benjamin also discussed in 'Paris of the Second Empire in Baudelaire' (in Selected Writings, volume 4, 1938-1940, Harvard, Cambridge MA., 2003.) Unlike the classical 'subproletariat', which was designated as a residue of a pre-modern world, the racaille is presented as the excess product of contemporary existence. As well as by a certain predisposition towards illegal activities, the two categories appear united by extraneousness to the world of production. However the objective social parasitism of the racaille seems not to be in question. Even the 'political' areas most sympathetic to the banlieusards do not seem interested in questioning such rhetoric: rather, they reinforce it and emphasise it by inflecting it positively instead of negatively. (See F. Argenti, Le notti della collera. Sulle recenti somosse di Francia, Tempo do ora, Clichy-Sous-Bois, 2006.) The text that follows, by contrast, takes a clearly opposed position, seeking to show how the world of the banlieue is anything but extraneous to contemporary models of production: on the contrary, it prefigures and anticipates the condition for a far-from-insignificant part of population. [2] Although in novel form, an excellent description of the political and cultural nexus in which the ratissage takes shape is given in J.G. Ballard, Super Cannes, St Martins, New York, 2001. Making use of literary texts in sociological research is less bizarre than it might seem at first. In any case, outside scientism, the degree to which the link between 'sociological discipline' and literature is tenuous is evident from the dense interweaving of Max Weber's 'scientific work' on the origins of capitalism with Thomas Mann's literary production of the same time (as clearly recognised by W. Lepenies, Le tre culture, Il Mulino, Bologna, 1987). For a discussion of these themes see A Dal Lago, Oltre il metodo. Interpretazione e scienze sociali, Unicopli, Milan, 1989. [3] In practice the decree ended up applying to anyone who looked like an Arab. Very little about his procedural model is exceptional: it is part of the routine behaviour of security forces to base their line of action on appearance. See H. Sacks, Come la polizia valuta la moralit? delle persone basandosi sul aspetto, in P.P. Giglioli, A Dal Lago (eds.), Etnometodologia, Il Mulino, Bologna, 1983. [4] On these events see in particular J. L. Einaudi, La bataille de Paris, 17 Octobre 1961, Seuil, Paris, 1991. [5] On the activities of Maurice Papon in the course of the Nazi occupation in France, see the site: www.trial-ch.org/trialwatch/profiles/fr/facts/piss.html-35K [6] On April 3, 1955, under the government of Edgar Faure, a series of 'exceptional' laws were passed providing, among other things, for control of entry into and exit from the areas with the greatest density of Arab population, and 'administrative' detention without trial or charge. To these laws were added the establishment of 'administrative internment camps', to which anyone, whether Algerian or not, who showed the least sympathy for the Algerian National Liberation Front could be deported based on suspicion. Four camps were opened between 1955 and 1957. In the Larzac camp alone 10,000 Algerians were held in 'administrative custody'. [7] A first account of this material is available in E. Quadrelli, Black, blanc, beuer. Lotta e resistenza nelle periferie globali, in 'Infoxoa' n, 020, Rome, 2006. [8] D. Montaldi, Militanti politici di base, Einaudi, Turin, 1971. [9] This essentially 'moral' tendency appears particularly strong in his best-known work, D. Montaldi, Autobiographia della leggera, Bompiani, Milan, 1998. [10] The reference is in particular to the works written in the course of the anticolonial struggle: Franz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth, Grove Press, New York, 2004; Sociologie d'un r?volution, Paris, Maspero, 1960. [11] See in particular Michel Foucault, Society Must Be Defended, Allen Lane, London, 2003. [12] The classic work on this question is L. Cavalli, La citt? divisa. Sociologia del consenso e del conflitto in ambiente urbano, Giuffr?, Milan, 1978. [13] On 'power' as an asymmetrical relation, see Max Weber, Economy and society, New York, Bedminster Press, 1968. [14] The strength of the presence of the Algerian war on an imaginary level in the 'French autumn' is well articulated by Guido Caldiron, Banlieue. Vita e rivolta nelle periferie della metropoli, Manifestolibri, Rome, 2005. [15] The reference is to the conceptual distance separating the 'civil war' (see R. Schnur, Revolution e guera civile, Giuffr?, Milan, 1986), from the 'colonial war' (see Fanon, op. Cit.). [16] For a good overall account of colonialism, see W. Reinhard, Storia del colonialismo, Einaudi, Turin, 2002. [17] From a methodological point of view the 'research techniques' used in this work come from the world of social ethnography. For a discussion of this approach or 'working style', see in particular A. Dal Lago, R. De Biasi, Un certo guardo. Introduzione all'etnografia sociale, Laterza, Rome-Bari, 2002. [18] 'Black' is not used with reference to 'objective' skin colour; it refers to those who become 'black' by virtue of the social and political category they are placed in. Fundamental on this question is A. Portelli, La linea del colore. Saggi sulla cultura afroamericana, Manifestolibri, Rome, 1994. [19] In the sense use by Carl Schmitt, Le categorie del politico, Il Mulino, Bologna, 1972. [20] The intensity, the 'violence', the rage etc with which an event manifests are not in themselves useful indicators of the presence or otherwise of a 'political' framework. Paradigmatic in this respect may be two episodes, apparently not dissimilar, but with quite different political repercussions. The Watts revolt which broke out on August 11 1965 in the ghetto area of Los Angeles (see Robert E. Conot, Rivers of blood, years of darkness, Morrow, New York, 1968.) and that of South Central Los Angeles in 1992 (see for example B. Cartosio, Senza illusioni. I neri negli Stati Uniti dagli anni Settanta alla rivolta di Los Angeles, ShaKe edizioni, Milan, 1995. In the first case the insurgency occurred in the context of a process which, while not linear, posed a general problem to white American society. The arguments of Malcolm X and the precepts of the Black Panther Party were objectively present in the first of these revolts, and it was not for nothing that response of America's legitimate society was of a political-military nature. In the second case, on the other hand, everything seemed to be calmly dealt with through the 'negotiation of disorder' (see P. Marsh, E. Rosser and R. Harr?, The rules of disorder, Routledge, London, 1994) which always govern the microconflictual elemts of urban life. Malcolm X first then the BPP posed unequivocally the question of power, positioning their struggle within the international opposition to imperialism; not by chance, Vietnam was among their constant points of reference, and, as a possible terrain of mediation, they proposed an overall redefinition of relations of force and power within the United States. In negotiations in 1992, on the other hand, the authorities were able to count on the willingness of the Crips and Bloods gangs to become legitimate actors in business in some way (see Mike Davis, City of Quartz: excavating the future in Los Angeles, Verso, London, 1990). [21] Both the candidates most widely seen as serious contenders for the French presidency in 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy for the right and S?gol?ne Royal for the left, regard the 'banlieue question' as the central node of their government projects, as can be seen from even a brief look at the media coverage of their pre-election programmes. [22] In particular, the 'classified report' issued on 20 November, 2005 by the Direction Central des Renseignements G?n?raux, in which the social character of the revolt and the absence of religious, cultural or ethnic motivations within it was shown unambiguously. [23] For a synthetic and unprejudiced reconstruction of the behaviour of the media during the revolt, see A. Figorilli, Banlieues i giorni di Paragi, Edizioni Interculturali, Rome, 2006. [24] Probably the text which best shows the distance currently separating the 'intellectuals' and the 'people' is Y.M. Boutang, 'The Old New Clothes of the French Republic: In Defense of the Supposedly "insignificant" Rioters' http://info.interactivist.net/article.pl?sid=05/11/29/038222 A good overview of the difficulty encountered by the left intelligensia in trying to make sense of these events emerges from the articles appearing in the journal La Question Social no.2 & 3, Paris, 2006, in which, with various intentions and accents, the simplistic equation 'banlieuesards=lumpenproletariat' seems to be the only conceptual framework through which the 'banlieue case' can be approached. In Italy part of this debate ban be found in Wobbly no.9, Genova, 2006. [25] In the sense expressed by Elias Canetti, Crowds and Power, Continuum, New York, 1960. [26] For a synthetic but effective account of this debate, see H. Legrange and M. Oberti, Integrazione, segregazione e giustizia sociale. La Francia a confronto con Gran Bretagna e Italia, in La rivolta delle periferie. Precariet? urbana e protesta giovanlie: il caso francese, Bruno Mondadori, Milano, 2006. [27] Much of the material here was gathered thanks to the mediation of militants of Mouvement de l'immigration et des banlieues, which amounted to more than the traditional role played by 'gatekeepers' (on this role in 'field research' see in particular M. Hammerlay and P. Atkinson, Ethnography. Principles in Practce, Routledge, London & New York, 1995). Objectively speaking, without their help none of this testimony would have had a realistic chance of appearing. [28] The term, ca?d, which is almost always used in a derogatory sense, indicates a little neighbourhood boss who imposes power on inhabitants through violence and intimidation. [29] On October 15, 1983, the Marche pour l'?galit? et contre le racisme began in Marseille. After being broadly disdained by everyone, it arrived in Paris on December 3 the same year. 100,000 people were waiting for it. A success of no little importance given the completely self-organised and self-run nature of the March. It was at that point that the political powers decided it was no longer possible to ignore the 'racial question' in France, and decided to receive at the ?lys?e a large group of the organisers and to put together a project like SOS Racisme. However, not all the participants in the March agreed with this institutional decision, and in an act of not insignificant symbolic value, while the majority went to the ?lys?e, they headed for a factory occupied by 'dark skinned' workers. After the continued failures of SOS Racisme, this 'minoritarian' action seems to have been widely revalued not only among 'militant groups' but among large parts of the population of the banlieue. [30] For a more in-depth look at the 'military question' in the course of the events of the French autumn, allow me to cite E. Quadrelli, 'Burn baby burn. Guerra e politica dei banlieuesards', in Wobbly no.10, Genova, 2006. [31] This is a 'special corps', usually operating in plain clothes, specialising in maintaining order in the banlieue, in which xenophobic and racist behaviour are the norm. However these tendencies are not restricted to the special corps, they have a solid presence in other much larger sections of the security forces. At Sens, for example, where the CRS (Compagnies R?publicaines de S?curit?) are based, the anthem adopted for recruits was that of the SS Charlemagne Division, the French volunteers who fought alongside the Nazi army. To all this should be added the hegemony within the security forces of the extreme-right PPIP union, which the magistracy was obliged to order be dissolved for its open incitement to racial hatred. [32] Ratissage, a raid or search. The term was applied to specific actions carried out by the French army against the population in Algeria during the Algerian war of independence. [33] See Ignacio Ramonet, 'La pens?e unique', in Le Monde Diplomatique, January 1995. [34] For a critical discussion of these themes see for exmaple G. Ritzer, Il mondo all McDonald, Il Mulino, Bologna, 1997 and id. La religione dei consumi. Cattedrali, pellegrinaggi e riti dell'iperconsumismo, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2000. [35] On the particular continuing weight of the 'colonial question' in the present, see P.Blanchard, N. Bancel, S. Lemaire (eds.), Fracture coloniale, La D?couverte, Paris, 2005. [36] See Michel Foucault, The Order of Things, Routledge, London, 2001. [36] See Carl Schmitt, The Nomos of the Earth, Telos Press, New York, 2003. [38] In 1992 Lebanese militias logistically supported by the Israeli army entered two Palestinian refugee camps, massacring and torturing an unknown number of people, without distinction between combatants and civilians, women and men, the elderly and children. For a reconstruction of these events see X. Baron, I Palestinesi, Genesi di una nazione, Baldini & Castoldi, Milan, 2002. [39] An insurrectionary political movement which, from 1952 onwards, organised systematic resistance to British colonialism in many parts of Kenya. [40] Patrice Lumumba (1925-1961), president of the Republic of Congo, who, after successfully leading the war of liberation against colonialism had to deal with a long and bloody struggle against the secessionists of Katanga. Led by Moise Ciombe, whose followers included large numbers of white mercenaries, the secessionists acted on behalf of multinational companies wishing to restore a government inclined to maintain the favourable conditions which they had enjoyed until Lumumba's government took power. [41] The question of the 'veil' has attracted particular attention in the French political and cultural world, especially since religious symbols were prohibited inside public insitutions, in the name of the secular nature of the state (see C. Nordman (ed.), Le foulard islamique en questions, ?ditions Amsterdam, Paris 2004); repercussions centred less on the religious question than on the 'female question'. Much of legitimate society in France regarded the battle against the veil as a non-negotiable aspect of women's emancipation, counterposing in some way the civilised and emancipated Western world to the oppressive archaism of the Islamic world. In other words, the 'clash of civilzations' was replayed on a microscopic scale over the veil. Clearly, little is original in all this. Much of the rhetoric that emerged around the 'veil question' seemed to differ little from that underlying the 'female question' continuously used by the 'French boss' to subjugate the 'Algerian worker' during colonial domination. This aspect was recognised and analysed well by F. Fanon in Sociologie d'une r?volution, op.cit. [42] Significant in this respect is the name used by a movement of women in the banlieues: Ni putes, ni soumises (literally, 'neither whores, nor submissive'). [43] The limits to which the 'white gaze' will go seem to spare almost no-one. This can perhaps be shown best through two examples. The first comes from A. Rivera, in his article '"Brucio tutto quindi esisto." La voce delle banlieues', in Liberazione, November 12 2005. [translator's note: the title of the article translates literally as: I burn everything therefore I am. The voice of the banlieues. The publication is the party newspaper of Rifondazione Comunista, a party currently claiming to represent 'the movement of movements' inside the Italian government.] In the article 'fire' is considered as the only possible form of communication for the 'voice' of the inhabitants of the 'working-class areas'. This 'lapsus' is common across a wide range of contemporary political and intellectual areas, where the existence of two qualitatively incommensurable 'forms of life', zoe and bios (see Giorgio Agamben Homo Sacer: sovereign power and bare life, Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA., 1998) is generally agreed on. It is not surprising, therefore, that in the Italian researcher's article the 'flesh and blood' presence of the social actors in the ?meutes was not remotely apparent: rather, the sole points of reference were Furio Colombo [Italian journalist and ruling party Senator] and Romano Prodi [Italian prime minister], although what they have to do with the reality of the peripheries of the global metropoli is objectively incomprehensible. Nor did R. Gagliardi escape the temptation to reduce the inhabitants of the banlieues to pure animality (zoe) in the article 'Tra banlieues in fiamme e delirio comunista', in Liberazione, November 13, 2005. Put bluntly, the revolt is reduced to a problem of shopping, or its impossibility. As the author seemed to say between the lines, 'bare life' is always governed by the satisfaction of 'primary needs'. Basically if a few truckloads of Nikes were sent to the banlieues the problems would solve themselves. The time when explorers used beads and mirrors to win over the 'natives' doesn't seem so far away. Basically all that has changed in the last 500 years is that the 'blacks' also want designer labels. [44] The central role of women in the economic and social life of the banlieue is very well rendered, while remaining in the background, in the film La Haine by Mathieu Kassovitz France, 1995). [45] One of the most representative 'feminist or postfeminist' theorists on the present French cultural scene. Many of her works have been translated. She is also well-known in Italy, particularly for having edited Archivio Foucault. 1961-1970 Follia, scrittura, discorso, Feltrinelli, Milan, 1996. In Italy she is associated with the political-cultural area of the journal Posse. [46] A militant in the Black Panther Party and subsequently in the Black Liberation Army. In 1979, after spending six years in a maximum security US prison, she escaped with the help of a commando of four men and one woman, and obtained political asylum in Cuba, where she articulated her political and existential experience as a woman and a political militant in the USA. The result was an autobiography, Asatta Shakur, Assata, an autobiography, Lawrence Hill Books, Chicago, 1998, which has taken its place in the cultural and political history of the black movement alongside that of Malcolm X. [47] The Front National of J-M Le Pen enjoys a certain amount of support among white banlieuesards, whose socio-economic situation has plummeted in recent years. In contrast to Southern France, where Le Pen's social base resembles in many ways that of Italy's Northern League, in the banlieues support comes primarily from the 'downwardly mobile', many of whom would not long ago have voted for the French Communist Party. In particular, rhetoric against globalisation and against immigrants has a certain backing among elements of the white population afflicted by 'neoliberalism'. This phenomenon resembles in many ways the situation in Italian urban peripheries where, apart from the hegemony won across many football terraces, the 'radical right' can boast a certain hegemeny, perhaps more 'cultural' than 'political', in some sections of the 'white underclass'. For a discussion of these aspects, see E. Quadrelli, Left Snobbery and the Radical Right http://www.metamute.org/en/Terraces-and-Peripheries For a general overview of the 'radical right' see G. Caldiron, La destra plurale. Dalla preferenza nazionale alla tolleranza zero, Manifestolibri, Rome, 2001. [48] As seems evident, the theoretical/analytical framework of the interview is strongly influenced by the rhetoric of one of the best-known lines of research on contemporary political, social, economic and cultural transformations. See in particular Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri, Empire, Harvard, Cambridge, MA., 2000 and Multitude, Penguin, Harmondsworth, 2005. [49] On this aspect, see in particular Zygmunt Bauman, Wasted lives, Polity Press, Cambridge, 2004. [50] On the rhetoric of 'zero tolerance' see in particular Alessandro De Giorgi, Zero tolleranza. Strategie e pratiche della societ? di controllo, Derive Approdi, Rome, 2000; and Il governo dell'eccedenza. Postfordismo e controllo della moltitudine, Ombre Corte, Verona, 2002; L. Wacquant, Prisons of Poverty, Minnesota University Press, Minneapolis, 1999, and Deadly Symbiosis, Polity Press, Cambridge, 2004. [51] In France this is mainly centred around the journal Multitude, whose theoretical presuppositions can be found at the site www.multitudes.samizdat.net Among the many texts representing this tendency may be recalled Maurizzio Lazzarato, Lavoro immateriale. Frome di vita e produzione di soggetivit??, Ombre Corte, Verona, 1997; Christian Marazzi, Il posto dei calzini. La avolta linguistica dell'economia e i suoi effetti sulla politica, Bollati Boringhieri, Turin, 1999; Paulo Virno, Grammar of the Multitude, Semiotext(e), Los Angeles/New York, 2004. [52] Not insignificant in this respect is this relative climate of social peace experienced during the revolt in Marseille, the French city where organised crime seems to have considerable power. This reality is convincingly presented, even more so than in 'scholarly' research, in 'literature', particulrly the trilogy of J-C. Izzo, Total Chaos, Chourmo and Solea, all Europa Editions, New York, 2006-7. [53] This condition should not be ascribed to French society alone: rather, it seems to be the dominant tendency across the world governed by global cpaitalism. For an 'empirical' description of this reality in Italy see A. Dal Lago, E. Quadrelli, La citt? e le ombre. Crimini, criminali, cittadini, Feltrinelli, Milan, 2006. [54] See in particular Zygmunt Bauman, La societ? dell'incertezza, Il Mulino, Bologna, 1999. [55] See Lagrange, Oberti, op. cit. [56] The reference is to the lucid intuition of Michel Foucault at the end of the 1970s, particularly in the Coll?ge de France courses of 1978 and 1979: Naissance de la Biopolitique: cours au Coll?ge de France (1978-9), Gallimard/Seuil, Paris, 2004. [57] See in particular Z. Bauman, The Individualised Society, Polity Press, Cambridge, 2001. [58] On a global scale this reality is shown most clearly by the exponential growth of slums, inhabited not by excess humanity but by so-called low-status workers. See Mike Davis, Planet of Slums, Verso, London, 2006. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Jun 4 08:57:54 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2007 16:57:54 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] GERMANY: Antifa demo in Schwerin Message-ID: <10cb01c7a6c1$1e545250$0202a8c0@andy1> Click on link for pictures. http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372313.html Police Repression of Antifa Demo in Schwerin brum and south coast imcistas | 03.06.2007 15:13 | G8 Germany 2007 | Anti-racism | Repression | Birmingham | South Coast Saturday 2nd June German Fascists called a demonstration on the same day as the major mobilisation against the G8 in Rostock. Antifa mobilised an anti-fascist response to the planned demo in Schwerin, north-west Germany. Schwerin was eerily quite for a Saturday morning. German cops setup road blocks on the city's arterial roads in an attempt to filter out fascists and anti-fascists. The city's streets were deserted and the tram system was suspended. Posters showing a Nazi swasticka being chucked in a bin adorned roads around the city. There was little evidence of the "Master Race" mobilising in Schwerin but reports came in later that they had mobilised in Berlin and other parts of Germany. For the most part, local people we spoke to seemed confused about the nature of the counter demo, perhaps mirroring the somewhat confused interpretation of what really constitutes the radical left and right in Germany. Fascists in Germany appear different to their English counterparts. Not only do they appear to dress similarly to black-clad anarchists, but their politics share some similarities but only in terms of mobilising against the G8 summit. Two years ago when the G8 circus came to Scotland there was no sign of a far-right mobilisation against the G8 summit. German fascists seem to be attempting to opportunistically hijack our mobilisation against the G8. They are against Global Capitalism, but from an abhorent and contradictory nationalist perspective. Instead of showing solidarity internationally with those marginalised and exploited by neo-liberal governments and corporations, they are intent on preserving their own deluded sense of national identity. This includes rejecting migrants, US imperialism and what they label are 'foreign forms of capital'. Contradiction and confusion abounds. Police corralled over a hundred anti-fascist protesters at Schwerin Railway station. The demonstration had been ruled illegal by the police but this had been over-ruled in court. Despite the court's ruling, the police prevented the demonstration from going ahead About 150 protesters were corralled at the station for several hours before police began arresting people. Approximately 100 people were arrested and placed in police vans and even public buses. It's worth pointing out that the German mainstream press tried to interview those arrested as they were marched to buses by police. Whether they accurately represented the political context of the demonstration on national television is another matter. The railway station was swamped by several hundred police, including 'undercover' policemen who are pictured above. Most of those arrested were released. A few remained in the police station overnight. brum and south coast imcistas -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 8 06:31:07 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 14:31:07 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] UK: Women's peace camp menaced by state repression Message-ID: <028f01c7a9d1$4629c4f0$0202a8c0@andy1> *Women's Peace Camp anniversary threatened by Byelaws* For immediate release 6 June 2007 ------------------------------------------------------ Women from Aldermaston Women's Peace Camp(aign) are celebrating their 22nd birthday at a cocktail party this Saturday, 9 June. [1] This will be the first camp weekend after new byelaws come into force. As of 31 May 2007, new byelaws for AWE Aldermaston came into force. [2] The amended byelaws, although theoretically allowing protest at Aldermaston, now threaten the very existence of the women's peace camp - which has been protesting outside the nuclear weapons factory every month for the past 22 years. The new byelaws criminalise camping and lighting "bonfires" (the women use a camp fire to keep warm and cook). The byelaws also criminalise things as simple as attaching banners to the fence at Aldermaston, which they have traditionally done to alert passers by to the nuclear weapons factory, or as vague as "causing annoyance to any other person" [4] however, parties are not prohibited. "Of course this will be a fantastic party in its own right, but we would also like to send a clear message to the MoD that women will continue to occupy space outside AWE Aldermaston, continue resisting Britain's nuclear weapons programme, and continue claiming the right to protest", a camp spokeswoman commented. A legal challenge to the byelaws has been mounted and there has been positive legal advice on the prospects of its success. Treasury Solicitors have been informed that despite the welcome changes to the byelaws, they remain disproportionate and are incompatible with the Human Rights Act. The next step will be to bring a Judicial Review. *Background* The new Aldermaston byelaws were quietly put out to consultation in April 2006, and in their original form, would have prohibited all forms of protest at AWE Aldermaston. The proposed byelaws would have denied the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association as they criminalised meetings, assemblies and processions (sections 7 (f) and (h)). They would also have prohibited handing out leaflets and holding placards, thus denying freedom of expression. Aldermaston Women's Peace Camp(aign), and supporters, made submissions to the MoD's Byelaws Review Committee under the Human Rights Act, and succeeded in gaining the removal or amendment of several of the originally proposed "criminal" activities As with many military sites across Britain, land at AWE Aldermaston had previously been subject to specific military byelaws for many years. While these theoretically criminalisehd a range of otherwise non-criminal activities, they had not been enforced. At bases around the country where byelaws had been used against protesters they have almost universally fallen following legal challenges (most famously at Greenham Common where thousands of cases were thrown out after the byelaws fell). The consultation on the Aldermaston byelaws took place as the Terrorism Act 2006 enabled the provisions of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act (SOCAP) to apply to Aldermaston and a number of other military sites in the UK. To date these have been used once against a protester at Aldermaston. It remains unclear as to whether the Attorney General will give assent for the prosecution to proceed. [3] Defence Estates commented at the time that "The Military Lands Byelaws and the SOCAP powers, although capable of being used independently, are mutually supportive and together provide a layered form of legal protection for the Ministry of Defence." [4] ----------------- *NOTES: *1 See http://www.aldermaston.net for party invitation 2 Read the full byelaws at http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/20071066.htm 3 See AWE Byelaws, Section 7 (2) (f) camp in tents, caravans, trees or otherwise; (g) attach any thing to, or place any thing over any wall, fence, structure or other surface; (j) act in any way likely to cause annoyance, nuisance or injury to other persons; (k) light bonfires or do anything likely to cause an outbreak of fire; 4 See http://www.aldermaston.net/news/169 5 See http://www.aldermaston.net/news/107 Press contact: 07903 236245 (leave a message - we will get back to you) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 8 06:32:22 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 14:32:22 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Fw: [Arg_Solid] FW: Arrest in Bolivia Message-ID: <02c601c7a9d1$73019110$0202a8c0@andy1> ----- Original Message ----- From: s.c.king To: Arg Grp USA ; Arg Solid Moderater David Walters Sent: Friday, June 01, 2007 8:01 PM Subject: [Arg_Solid] FW: Arrest in Bolivia ------ Forwarded Message http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2007/06/01bolivia.html Bolivia CWI member arrested in Bolivia Urgent solidarity needed Following attacks on left-wing activists by right-wing thugs, working in collaboration with the right-wing Prefectura in Cochabamba, Bolivia, CWI member Adam Ziemkowski, has been arrested by the local police. Adam will appear in court on Wednesday 6th June charged with 'sedition and incitement to violence'. Adam, a US national is in Bolivia on an international scholarship studying marginalised and oppressed groups. Bolivian members of the CWI have also been threatened by right-wing thugs and in one case threatened with rape. A solidarity campaign is being built in Cochabamba along with a campaign against violence and repression by the right-wing. The CWI appeals to all workers' and youth internationally to rush protest letters to the Prefectura in Conchabamba demanding that the charges against Adam Ziemkowski be dropped. Protest letters should be e/mail or faxed to Manfred Reyes Villa at the following e/mail: prefectura at prefecturacochabamba.gov.bo or faxed to +591 4459100 Copies should also be sent to cwi at worldsoc.co.uk and citbolivia at gmail.com Suggested protest letter in Spanish A Manfred Reyes Villa Gobierno Departamental de Cochabamba Plaza 14 de Septiembre Acera Norte 243 Cochabamba Bolivia Distinguido Se?or, Nos dirigimos a Usted para protestar en los m?s vigorosos t?rminos por el arresto y detenci?n del Don Adam Ziemkowski, un ciudadano norteamericano. El Se?or Ziemkowski est? con una beca internacional de los EE.UU. en Bolivia, conocida como 'Full Bright Scholar'. Como Usted sabe, ?l ha sido acusado de sedici?n y de incitar a la violencia, a pesar de que cuando fue arrestado ten?a en su poder panfletos de un grupo que estaba protestando contra la violencia y la represi?n en Cochabamba, material que el Se?or Ziemkowski estaba usando para su investigaci?n acad?mica. El arresto del Sr. Ziemkowski y la amenaza de acusaci?n en su contra es un ataque flagrante contra los derechos democr?ticos y humanos. De continuar se reflejar? de manera extremadamente negativa contra Usted mismo y las autoridades bolivianas. Nosotros estamos decidimos a continuar acciones sobre este asunto y denunciar internacionalmente estas medidas anti-democr?ticas a menos que estos cargos sean descartados. Por lo tanto le solicitamos encarecidamente descartar todos los cargos contra el Sr. Ziemkowski y permitirle continuar su investigaci?n en Bolivia de una manera democr?tica y libre. Reciba nuestros atentos saludos, In English To Manfred Reyes Villa Gobierno Departemental de Cochabamba Plaza 14 de Septembrre Acreca Norte 243 Cochabamba Bolivia Dear Sir, We are writing to protest in the strongest possible terms at the arrest and prosecution of Mr. Adam Ziemkowski, a USA national. Mr. Ziemkowski is currently on a US international scholarship in Bolivia, a 'Full Bright Scholar'. As you know he has been charged with sedition and inciting violence despite carrying leaflets when arrested from a group, which he was using for his research, which were protesting against violence and repression in Cochabamba. The arrest of Mr. Ziemkowski, and his threatened prosecution is a blatant attack on democratic and human rights. If continued it will reflect extremely negatively on yourself and the Bolivian authorities. We intend to take this matter further and expose these undemocratic measures internationally unless these charges are dismissed. We therefore urge you to dismiss all charges against Mr. Ziemkowski and allow him to continue his research in Bolivia in a democratic and free manner. Yours, --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "PR_Global" group. To post to this group, send email to PR_Global at googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to PR_Global-unsubscribe at googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/PR_Global?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~--- ------ End of Forwarded Message __._,_.___ Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages | Database --------------------------------------------------- A R G E N T I N A S O L I D A R I T Y http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Argentina_Solidarity/ --------------------------------------------------- Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe Visit Your Group SPONSORED LINKS a.. Travel to latin america b.. Latin america c.. Learn spanish in latin america d.. Discount airfare latin america e.. Latin america airline ticket Shop and Save Yahoo! Shopping Compare prices and find great deals. Travel Deals Yahoo! FareChase Find great prices Flights & Hotels Sitebuilder Build a web site quickly & easily with Sitebuilder. . __,_._,___ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 8 06:54:26 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 14:54:26 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] LADAKH: Unrest, repression threatens "another Kashmir" Message-ID: <031301c7a9d4$88f1d720$0202a8c0@andy1> Welcome to Kashmir Times Online Edition | Features Creating Ladakh another Kashmir! By Tsewang Rigzin Creating Ladakh another Kashmir! Leh Ladakh is known as one of the most peaceful places in India with peace loving and honest people living in for centuries. For some westerners Ladakh is a heaven on earth. Ever since Ladakh became a part of the democratic India, Ladakhis, through their representatives, have always voiced to have direct links with New Delhi and accordingly the leaders of this trans-Himalayan enclave have been demanding the Union Territory status to preserve Ladakh's unique cultural, linguistic and the geo-climatic conditions. With its unique conditions Ladakh is like a different country to the rest of Jammu & Kashmir. People of Ladakh have been very proud to be Indians right from the day when Ladakh became a part of the Indian Union. Unlike some other parts of the country, never before in the last more than five decades, there had been any extreme incidents of torturing innocent public during elections, though Leh too has had the presence of different national and regional political parties. During the recently fought by-election for the lower Leh constituency of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) in May, this year saw some most regrettable acts of the District Police in Leh as the councilor from Sakti, Mr Gyal Wangyal and three Ladakh Union Territory Front (LUTF) workers Mr. Thupstan Rinchen, Mr. Tanyot Tashi and Mr. Nawang Shespa were arrested and tortured by the police on charges of allegedly extorting money from non-local traders. According to the police the four persons were arrested following complaints from some non-local traders of Leh. The complaint seemed to have been arranged by the S.S.P. Leh, Mr. Alok Kumar, himself as the traders say that at about 12 O'clock at midnight the S.S.P. forced them to sign on a paper with something written in Urdu. All the allegations leveled on the arrested persons turned out to be untrue as the next day following the incident non-local traders in Leh kept their business establishments closed and marched in large numbers to the Leh police station to confirm that nobody had extorted any money from them, besides issuing a statement clarifying that they had voluntarily donated money to LUTF out of generosity. Police apparently resorted to lathi charge with the traders at the police station. Some of the traders who could go inside the police station reported to have witnessed the merciless torture meted out to the four arrested Ladakhis by making them naked publicly. The arrests were later shifted into the S.N.M. Hospital. The whole episode looked like a fraudulent act the S.S.P. Leh, Mr. Alok Kumar, and his subordinates in the same stratagem who are stationed here to maintain peace and tranquility in the region. One thing that led the incident suspicious of being politically motivated was that among the four arrested persons only Mr. Gyal Wangyal, an elected public representative, was in the LUTF funds raising committee. So the question arose on the arrest of other three workers who belong to one particular political party. Suspecting the arrests as fabricated, LUTF condemned the atrocities meted out to its members. The party also demanded the immediate transfer of SSP, Leh and SHO Leh against their gross manipulation of power amounting to destabilize the harmony of Leh region. When the chief executive councilor, executive councilors and almost all councilors of LAHDC, Leh, staged a dharna to demand the release of the LUTF workers, the police confirmed that the arrests were exercised following an instruction from their superior. This further led the LUTF to suspect the incident as politically motivated by the state government apparently to suppress the UT demand. Congress office in Leh earlier demanded a thorough investigation into the matter but what could have been avoided was the statement that the party later issued appreciating the actions of the District Police. Earlier in the month of March another dramatic episode in Leh involving the District Police was the first-ever custodial death in Ladakh when Havildar Tsering Tondup of the Ladakh Scout was found death in the police custody. Mr. Tsering Tundup was found drunk and the police in Leh after getting him checked in the S.N.M. Hospital kept him in the custody and the next morning Tsering Tundup was found dead in a mysterious circumstances. The District Police led by the S.S.P. Mr. Alok Kumar claimed that Tundup had committed suicide inside the lock up. This made even the laymen in the society to think that how someone commits suicide in the custody with the presence of other inmates and police on guard. Even common sense tells us that it becomes the duty of the police to save the life of any arrested person from anything that could go wrong in the custody. After quiet a furor in Leh for a few days the postmortem was conducted and samples of some organs of the departed soldier have reportedly been sent for a forensic test in laboratory outside Ladakh and the report of which is still awaited. Both the above incidents are repeatedly debated in Leh today and fair and thorough investigations are also wished. Fabricated tortures and the first-ever custodial death have made the public also to think suspiciously towards the acts of the police and citizens are now finding Leh also an insecure place to live in. Have the police in Leh started taking law into their hands? Are Ladakhis being just silent spectators? If series of such incidents occurred and neglected again, patriotic Ladakhis will soon loose faith in the system. Therefore, it is high time that Ladakhi leaders, irrespective of being associated with any political party or organization, putting aside their egos and rising above the political differences should come forward to speak up against such victimization that the innocent public has to suffer. At such situations let us first be Ladakhis rather than stanch Congresspersons and LUTF persons. *(The author is Executive Councilor for Tourism and Arts, Culture & Languages, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh. Mobile: 9419179035). -------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Recent Activity a.. 6New Members Visit Your Group Yahoo! News Movies News All the latest on films and stars Yahoo! Mail Get it all! With the all-new Yahoo! Mail Beta Y! GeoCities Free Blogging Share your views with the world. . __,_._,___ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 8 07:03:28 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 15:03:28 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] IRAQ: Oil workers on strike in Basra Message-ID: <039801c7a9d5$cb382110$0202a8c0@andy1> ICEM Supports IFOU in Today's Oil Industry Strike in Basra At 6:30 AM this morning, 4 June 2007, oil workers struck the pipeline company in Basra, Iraq, bringing an immediate stop to the free flow of oil products, including kerosene and gas through pipe number 42. The pipe transfers oil and gas to Baghdad and the governorates of the central region of the country. The workers are members of the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions (IFOU). The IFOU, previously known as the GUOE-Basra, and led by President Hassan Jumaa Awad Alasady, has over 26,000 members throughout the ten state oil companies operating in the south of Iraq. The union has a past history of strike action in defense of its members, and the oil industry as a whole of southern Iraq. The ICEM, the global union federation of national energy unions throughout the world, supports the IFOU in their strike action today. Earlier strike calls in May were postponed after the union gained a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki. That meeting, on 16 May, resulted in the creation of a committee tasked with working on finding solutions acceptable to both sides. The ICEM understands that although several of the union demands have been fully agreed to by Iraqi authorities, the IFOU is still far from having all their demands fulfilled. This is what led to today's strike. The union is currently focussing on two core demands in its strike at the pipeline company: . They demand that the Oil Ministry take action to force the general manager of the pipeline company to resign; and . They demand that the company be financially and administratively independent from the Baghdad-based central ministry, and that the pipeline company be managed locally. ICEM is informed that the reason for the first demand, and the catalyst for today's action, is that the general manger of the pipeline company, Adel Aziz, who is based in Baghdad rather than in Basra, blocked the orders of Prime Minister Nouri Al-Mailiki to release delayed benefits due workers. Moreover, he stopped a Iraqi Dinar (IQD)50,000 allowance which the workers are regularly entitled to. The background is available at: http://www.icem.org/en/77-All-ICEM-News-Releases/ 2260-Threatened-Oil-Industry-Strike-in-Iraq A second phase of the strike has been threatened to begin tomorrow morning, again at 6.30 AM, in the event the IFOU does not receive signs signalling compliance with their demands. The second phase would expand the strike by closing pipeline number 48, which feeds the southern governorates with oil products. ICEM, together with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), US Solidarity Center, and the UK's Trades Union Congress (TUC) of the UK is following developments closely, and will keep trade union affiliates and the public fully informed on developments in this key dispute. For further information, contact Jim Catterson, Intl. Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine & General Workers' Unions (ICEM) Energy Officer: +32 2 626 2045 Jim.catterson at icem.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/0606-07.htm Common Dreams June 6, 2007 Iraq Government Orders Arrest of Oil Workers' Leaders WASHINGTON Iraq's powerful oil workers' trade union today expressed alarm as an arrest warrant was issued for its leaders, in an attempt to clamp down on industrial action. Members of the union have been on strike since Monday 4th June, in protest at the government's failure to meet any of its promises made in a meeting with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on 16th May. The union's 16 demands included improvements to wages, health and other working and living conditions as well as consultation on the proposed oil law, which the union opposes. The union added a 17th demand yesterday demanding the sacking of the General Manager of the Southern Pipeline Company. On Tuesday, al-Maliki warned that he would meet threats to oil production 'with an iron fist'. The arrest warrant, based on a charge of 'sabotaging the economy' specifically names Hassan Juma'a Awad, the leader of the 26,000-strong Federation of Oil Unions, and three other leaders of the Federation. Hassan Juma'a commented, 'the government is intimidating the union but we are determined to gain our legitimate rights.' He added that the strike would continue in accordance with the union's plan. The strike entered its third day today and is in its 'second phase,' which now includes the closure of the main distribution pipelines, including supplies to Baghdad. 'Phase one' closed some of the smaller distribution pipelines. Phases one and two did not include production and exports. The union is calling on all its supporters and unions across the world to back the union at this critical juncture. Sami Ramadani from the union's UK-based support committee, Naftana said: 'Issuing a warrant for the arrest of the oil workers' leaders is an outrageous attack on trade union and democratic freedoms.' Naftana is an independent UK-based committee supporting democratic trade unionism in Iraq. It works in solidarity with the IFOU. It strives to publicize the union's struggle for Iraqi social and economic rights and its stand against the privatisation of Iraqi oil demanded by the occupying powers. For more information see the IFOU's website www.basraoilunion.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 8 07:45:05 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 15:45:05 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] PAKISTAN: Journalists threaten to cut cables to protest repression Message-ID: <059501c7a9db$9ba65650$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/jun-2007/5/nationalnews1.php Press in chains FAZAL SHER ISLAMABAD - Journalists community on Monday staged a protest demonstration against the restrictions imposed on electronic media and the promulgation of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Amendment Ordinance 2007. The protest was attended by a large number of journalists, representatives of civil society, lawyers. They were holding torches and placards inscribed with slogans regarding freedom of press. The protesters marched from Blue Area to the Prime Minister Secretariat. The police blocked all routes lead toward Prime Minister Secretariat by placing barricades. However journalists crossed all the hurdles and reached the PM Secretariat. Heavy security arrangements were made on the occasion in order to avert any untoward incident. The protest was organised by Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ). President of RIUJ Mushtaq Minhas, Secretary General Afzal Butt, Information Secretary PML-N Ahsan Iqbal and other prominent journalists spoke on the occasion. The speakers asked the journalists to forge unity among their ranks and make utmost efforts for the freedom of press. They said movement against the government would continue till the freedom of press. They said the journalists community would observe black day in this connection. Akhsan Iqbal, Information Secretary, said people have started the movement for the independent of judiciary and freedom of press and hoped it be will be succeeded. "The incumbent government has curbed the media freedom because it is projecting the real situation," he said, adding that the PML-N stood by the media and would support it for the achievement of its objectives. He strongly condemned the restrictions on electronic media's live coverage of the rallies to be taken out in support of the Chief Justice and termed it as a blatant attack on the freedom of expression. "It is a shameful intolerance of dissent by the regime," he added. Meanwhile, condemning the curbs imposed on electric media by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), lawyers and civil society representatives staged protest demonstration here in front of PEMRA office on Monday. The protest was attended by a large number of lawyers and the representatives of civil society. They were holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans including "Connivance of government and cable operators was unacceptable", "Indian films have been continued and the transmission of national channels suspended", "Go Musharraf go"," Will Pakistan will see the light of the day" and "PEMRA cannot suppress the opinion of people through this unethical act". They also chanted anti-Musharraf and anti-Army slogans. The demonstration was organised by lawyers community and civil society. Ikram Chaudhry, former President of Supreme Court Bar Association, Sardar Asmatullah, former President of Rawalpindi Bar Association and Zulfiqar Bukhari, Secretary Supreme Court Bar Association also spoke on the occasion. A large number of Islamabad and Punjab police personnel were also deployed on the occasion in order to avert any untoward situation. However the protest was ended peacefully. The protesters asked the cable operators to resume the transmission of national channels within 72 hours, otherwise, they would cut their main cables. The participants of the protest said the government has first attacked judiciary and now imposed ban on the fourth pillar of the state in order to enforce its brutal policies on the people. They said they would continue their efforts till the independence of judiciary and freedom of press. They demanded of the government to remove the ban on the TV channels immediately and allow live coverage of the rallies to be taken out for the independence of judiciary and in support of Chief Justice. They said the PEMRA blocked the channels through its notorious proxy method of using cable operators. They asked the cable operators to start transmission, otherwise, they will face serious action. Without independent judiciary and press, the restoration of democracy and provision of basic rights to people is not possible, therefore people need to forge unity among their ranks, they added. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 8 09:30:26 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 17:30:26 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] PORTUGAL: General strike in public services to protest cuts Message-ID: <081e01c7a9ea$53401ae0$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.nosweat.org.uk/node/474 Europe Portugal Hit By General Strike Lisbon's metro and river ferries are out of action, but commuter trains and some city buses are working. Rubbish left out for collection overnight is piling up, and some schools have cancelled classes. The strikers are objecting to public spending cuts, and reforms making it easier to hire and fire workers. Flights cancelled Some hospitals have delayed non-emergency surgery, but health workers, like many other public servants, are legally obliged to provide a minimum service. Dozens of flights have been cancelled, according to the news agency AFP. The private sector is reported to be largely unaffected. "This is a partial strike with limited consequences," Labour Minister Jose Vieira da Silva told reporters. The General Confederation of Portuguese Workers is pitted against a centre-left government elected two years ago on a promise to modernise the country and halt its economic decline. It failed to get the backing of the country's second largest union federation, which has accused it of putting party politics before the good workers and the population in general. The BBC's Paul Legg says Portugal had the lowest rate of growth of any country in Europe last year - 1.3% - and that the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Greece and Malta have all overtaken Portugal in terms of GDP per head. The government says its policies are already paying off, with the economy starting to grow at a healthier rate. But strike organisers say these gains are at the expense of workers, as unemployment has risen to more than 8% - the highest figure for 20 years. Its call for a general strike follows a series of protests marches over the past year culminating in a demonstration in Lisbon in December, which brought 100,000 people onto the streets. Read on the BBC at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6703631.stm -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 8 10:29:43 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 18:29:43 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] IRAQ: more on oil strike Message-ID: <08ae01c7a9f2$9ba378b0$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/KAR838704.htm Iraqi oil pipeline workers strike 05 Jun 2007 12:53:48 GMT Source: Reuters Alert Me | Printable view | Email this article | RSS [-] Text [+] Background Iraq in turmoil More (Previous BAGHDAD, adds details, background) By Aref Mohammed BASRA, Iraq, June 5 (Reuters) - Workers at the Oil Pipeline Company in southern Iraq began a strike on Monday demanding the government improve their pay, the company spokesman said. Faraj Mizban said about 600 workers are taking part in the strike and that they have shut two main pipelines which carry refined oil products to Baghdad and to the southern cities. Oil Ministry spokesman Asim Jihad said the strike will not have any effect on crude oil exports from the south, vital for Iraq's economy. "The workers have started a strike objecting to the lower yearly profit they get," he told Reuters. "It has caused a halt (to the flow) of oil products..to Nassiriya, Kerbala and Baghdad," he added. Mizban said the workers wanted pay rises from the company branch in Basra to be financially and administratively independent from the centre in Baghdad. Basra, richest city in Iraq and its gateway to the Gulf, has been the scene of a power struggle among Shi'ite factions seeking control of its oil wealth. Iraq, which depends heavily on hard currency from oil exports, is in desperate need for cash to revive its shattered economy. International firms are still waiting for an energy law to regulate how the oil wealth would be distributed, before they start pumping money into the country. The law, which was endorsed by the cabinet in February, was expected to be passed by the parliament last month. Iraq Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said he will hit with an "iron fist" all those who plans to harm the interests of the state and he said in a statement that he has ordered the security forces to face "firmly all saboteurs". The power struggle in Basra, Iraq's second largest city, involves militias and politicians loyal to young Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, the Fadhila party and the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC). Locally powerful Fadhila, which controls key oil industry jobs in Basra, opposes the creation of a Shi'ite "super-region" espoused by SIIC, the dominant Shi'ite faction in Iraq. Hassan Jomaa, the head of General Union of Oil Employees in Basra, said if the government refuses to meet the workers demands then they will work on spreading the strike to all oil facilities in Basra, including exports and production. But the oil ministry spokesman Jihad said it was not possible for the Oil Pipeline Company workers to stop exports because they have no influence in the Southern Oil Company which is in charge of exports. (Additional reporting by Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: iconRSS.gif Type: image/gif Size: 164 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 8 10:58:18 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 18:58:18 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] PAKISTAN: Journalists protest in parliament Message-ID: <090f01c7a9f6$99f5f2f0$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsection=Pakistan+%26+Sub-Continent&month=June2007&file=World_News2007060713449.xml Journalists protest in National Assembly against media curbs Web posted at: 6/7/2007 1:34:49 Source ::: AFP ISLAMABAD . Pakistani journalists chanted slogans in parliament and scuffled with an official yesterday during a protest against curbs on the media by President Pervez Musharraf. The speaker of the National Assembly, Chaudhry Amir Hussain, called a half-hour adjournment of the session, which was meant to discuss the upcoming national budget, witnesses said. The incident happened after dozens of reporters walked out of the parliamentary press gallery in protest at a decree giving extra powers to a body that regulates television and radio stations. The journalists later returned to the gallery, where some of them roughed up a government official. They then chanted: "We want freedom, we want justice." Opposition Islamist MPs also shouted slogans. Musharraf on Monday granted the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority tougher powers after criticising coverage of the suspension of chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on March 9. The regulator can now seal the premises or confiscate the equipment of television and radio channels, and suspend the licences of offenders. The decree also sharply increases the fine for violation of rules. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz earlier Wednesday ordered the immediate withdrawal of a police complaint against 200 journalists who protested the curbs in Islamabad on Monday, an official statement said. Meanwhile, a senior lawyer submitted a petition to the Supreme Court on Tuesday challenging the decree and saying it had "stunned" the people of Pakistan. "The Supreme Court has received a petition from Mr Zafarullah Khan," a court official said on condition of anonymity. "It will be decided whether to take it up or send it back in due course." The rules came into force as three private television stations said the government had blocked their transmissions. Chaudhry has become the rallying point for a series of protests against Musharraf's military rule as opposition parties join forces with lawyers and rights groups. The protests turned violent in Karachi on May 12 with the deaths of more than 40 people in clashes between pro- and anti-government supporters. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 8 11:40:10 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 19:40:10 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Fw: [asap] Protesters in Bandung condemn shooting of farmers in Pasuruan Message-ID: <092b01c7a9fd$404c22e0$0202a8c0@andy1> ----- Original Message ----- From: James Balowski To: ASAP News Updates ; ASAP_SydneyList ; INDOLEFT Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2007 12:04 PM Subject: [asap] Protesters in Bandung condemn shooting of farmers in Pasuruan =================^================================== I N D O L E F T - News service > > =================^================================== Protesters in Bandung condemn shooting of farmers in Pasuruan Tempo Interactive - June 4, 2007 Ahmad Fikri, Bandung -- Activists, students and farmers have protested at the headquarters of the Bandung Navy Detachment in West Java to condemn the shooting by marines of farmers in the Pasuruan regency of East Java that resulted in the killing of four people. "(The Pasuruan case) proves that the TNI [Indonesian military] are involved in agrarian problems", said action coordinator Hafiz Asdam during a speech. According to Asdam, this evidence adds to the series of other cases in land disputes between soldiers and local people. In West Java he cited the case of Rumpin in Bogor and the land disputes in Jatiwangi and Selabinta (Sukabumi). Asdam also condemned President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his deputy Jusuf Kalla (SBY-JK) who have failed to issue any kind of political statement whatsoever about the case. "SBY-JK have let it pass by and legitimised what took place in Pasuruan", he said. The hundred or so demonstrates arrived at the headquarters of the Bandung Navy Detachment on Jl. Arya Jipang on foot. They called on the commander to take a stand on the incident. [Translated by James Balowski.] **************************************************** The INDOLEFT news service is produced by the Institute of Liberation, Media and Social Studies (LPMIS) and Action in Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific. INDOLEFT News Service Jl. Tebet Timur Dalam VIII No. 6A Jakarta Selatan 12820 Indonesia E-mail: jamesbalowski at yahoo.com **************************************************** __________________________________________________________ What kind of emailer are you? Find out today - get a free analysis of your email personality. Take the quiz at the Yahoo! Mail Championship. http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/evt=44106/*http://mail.yahoo.net/uk __._,_.___ Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe Visit Your Group SPONSORED LINKS a.. Asia pacific travel b.. English-language c.. East timor d.. East timor calling card Yahoo! News Science News Get the latest scientific news. Yahoo! Mail Get it all! With the all-new Yahoo! Mail Beta Y! Messenger Group get-together Host a free online conference on IM. . __,_._,___ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 8 11:45:43 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 19:45:43 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] PALESTINE: Protest at Bethlehem checkpoint Message-ID: <092c01c7a9fd$4087cc50$0202a8c0@andy1> Nonviolent Demonstration in Bethlehem to mark 40 years of Occupation Tuesday June 05, 2007 16:36 by Dina Yasmeen - IMEMC News george at imemc dot org About 100 Bethlehem area residents demonstrated on Tuesday at the Nashash Israeli army checkpoint between Bethlehem and Hebron cities in the southern part of the West Bank, closing it down for 20 minutes and demanding an end of the illegal occupation of Palestine This action marks the 40th anniversary of the start of the Israeli-Arab 6 day war in which Israel occupied Arab lands including the Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights. The demonstration was organized as part of a series of week long actions by the "Stop the Bleeding Bethlehem" campaign, a group of local grassroots NGO's calling for a non violent resistance to the continued Israeli military occupation and colonization of Palestinian lands in the West Bank, as well as the dismantling of settlements and of the illegal separation wall snaking across the area. Participant Jamal Al Gadi explained that the demonstration was "a non-violent call for a better political situation in Palestine." The 100 people in attendance included about 50 children. Soldiers and Palestinian residents squared off at the crossing, but the end result of the action was a largely calm confrontation. bethlehem | non-violent action | news report -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: star.gif Type: image/gif Size: 126 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 8 14:30:18 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 22:30:18 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] SOUTH AFRICA: Police attack on protesting traders "like 1949 apartheid" - traders fight back Message-ID: <093e01c7aa14$37941d30$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20070605100008787C170807 Street scene 'like another 1949 riot' June 05 2007 at 08:00PM By Miranda Andrew, Bhavna Sookha and Heinz de Boer Chants of frustration turned to screams of terror as the double detonation of a stun grenade marked the beginning of running street battles between police and disgruntled street traders on Monday. Heavily armed riot police waded into groups of protesting traders, using a water cannon, pepper spray and batons to disperse mobs that had blocked inner city intersections. There was chaos as traders ran to avoid police and shop owners in Prince Edward Street, Victoria Street, Dr Yusuf Dadoo Street (Grey Street) and parts of Bond Street and Short Street closed their shutters, expecting the worst. Traffic came to a standstill in the inner-city. 'A water cannon was used and police had to monitor all movement from strategic points' The drama began when vendors surrounded police vehicles demanding to know why their goods had been confiscated. Earlier in the day Metro police were checking licences of street traders and had confiscated goods. Street traders then started blowing their whistles, alerting other vendors that police were in the area. After all vendors had shut up shop, they gathered together and surrounded a lone police van in the area. Back-up was called in and minutes later a huge contingent of police arrived, including the Flying Squad, Dog Unit and Crime Combating Units. About two weeks ago hundreds of street traders marched to the City Hall to hand over a memorandum in protest over trading permits, high rent fees, lack of storage facilities and alleged police harassment. The memorandum was accepted by the deputy city manager, Sipho Cele, who told the traders that they would get a response after seven working days. Traders retaliated when police started raiding stalls, saying they had still not received a response to their memorandum. Describing the scene, one onlooker said it was "like another 1949 riot". As several members of the crowd allegedly stoned Metro police officers, the city's SAPS fleet in retaliation showered the large crowds using a water cannon. Ally Fakroodeen, treasurer of ANC's Durban Central branch, was locked up in a police van after he intervened in a tense fall-out between a trader and police. "When I saw the police hitting her, I intervened and a group of policemen roughly dragged me into their police van and locked me up," he said, a short while after being released by police. Portia Mkhize, who was also arrested, said she fell when the water cannon started spraying the traders with water. "There was no way I could run because I fell down and this is why I was pushed around and arrested. The police asked me why I didn't run - I couldn't because I fell down," she said. Another vendor, Lindiwe Zuma, was among dozens who were pepper sprayed. She said she was caught by a policeman and sprayed in the face. Metro Police spokesperson, Sen Supt John Thomas Tyala said their unit had made prior plans to check up on traders on Monday. "Last week Friday, Metro Police was approached by the Support Business Unit to double check traders' permits to ensure people were operating legally. Metro Police sat down and set a date to check permits, which was today (Monday)," said Tyala. "When police approached traders to check permits, that's when traders reacted harshly and chaos broke out." Tyala said five people were arrested for disrupting the peace. He said he was unable to get confirmation that any of his members had been stoned. Provincial police spokesperson Superintendent Vincent Mdunge said they had sent a large fleet into Durban central to assist Metro in enforcing the law. "A water cannon was used and police had to monitor all movement from strategic points," said Mdunge. He stressed that people should not deliberately violate the rule of law. "As much as people have a right to protest, there are limit-ations when the rule of law is contravened. So if people deliberately violate the rule of law, we will arrest them," Mdunge said. City manager Michael Sutcliffe could not immediately be reached for comment. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 8 14:31:38 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 22:31:38 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] US: Unrest at Illinois prison Message-ID: <094601c7aa14$673bf940$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20070606131448741 Illinois: Another riot rocks a GEO Group private prison Wednesday, June 06 2007 @ 01:14 PM PDT Contributed by: Anonymous Views: 187 A weekend riot involving one-fifth of Tri-County Justice and Detention Center's inmates may have been contained in less than an hour, but the incident is not over as far as area law enforcement officials are concerned. The Pulaski County Sheriff's Department, along with the Illinois State Police, is conducting an investigation into the incident, which began on Friday evening when 46 inmates at the Ullin facility barricaded themselves in a room and began setting fire to mattresses and books. State police join Pulaski County in detention center riot investigation By Ashley Wiehle, The Southern June 5, 2007 ULLIN - A weekend riot involving one-fifth of Tri-County Justice and Detention Center's inmates may have been contained in less than an hour, but the incident is not over as far as area law enforcement officials are concerned. The Pulaski County Sheriff's Department, along with the Illinois State Police, is conducting an investigation into the incident, which began on Friday evening when 46 inmates at the Ullin facility barricaded themselves in a room and began setting fire to mattresses and books. "We're investigating why it happened, how it happened and we're going to get down to who needs to be charged," Sheriff Randy Kern said. Kern said there is a strong possibility that criminal charges will come out of the incident. Pulaski County owns the Tri-County building, and the jail's management is contracted to the GEO Group headquartered in Florida. Kern also serves as warden for the 226-bed facility. Responding to the scene about 8:30 p.m., law enforcement agencies brought the riot under control by firing tear gas into the area where inmates were barricaded about 30 minutes after the riot was reported. GEO Group spokesman Pablo Paez said the company is assisting local law enforcement in the investigation. "We will be fully cooperating with local law enforcement in any charges they decide to bring," Paez said. It is the second time in just more than a month that the company has had to deal with the aftermath of a riot. An Indiana state prison managed by GEO Group reported nine people who were injured in a riot on April 24 at New Castle Correctional Facility. The Indiana riot occurred just a week after the facility gained an additional 630 inmates from Arizona. A report on the incident by the Indiana Department of Correction states factors such as "too many unseasoned staff on duty and a lack of veteran staff in key positions" as contributing to the riot. Other factors listed include too much offender idleness, a breakdown in communications and failure to impose consistent sanctions for offender misbehavior. Paez said both state and private prisons have similar incidents sporadically. He said the GEO Group was pleased with how quickly the Ullin incident was contained. "These unfortunate incidents happen from time to time in both public and private institutions," Paez said. "We do have policies and protocol in place. We fully followed those procedures and got the incident under control in less than 30 minutes." Kern said he too was pleased with how quickly responding agencies were able to defuse the situation. "We took control of it quickly and efficiently," Kern said. Even so, Ken Kopczynski of the Private Corrections Institute said the incident is further evidence supporting his organization's mission. The Private Corrections Institute advocates abolishing for-profit prisons throughout the country. "If you get over the moral issue of incarcerating people for profit, I think you can see they don't do a good job," Kopczynski said. He added that the percentage of incidents in private prisons is higher than in state- and federally-operated prisons. "If you take the GEO Group as a whole and look at their incidents, riots and escapes and compare to a comparable facility in the state of Florida Department of Corrections, it's higher in terms of their escape and abuse," Kopczynski said. "Public facilities have the same problems, but the percentage of what they have is not as bad." http://www.southernillinoisan.com/articles/2007/06/05/top/20489174.txt -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: inews_prisons.gif Type: image/gif Size: 4825 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 8 14:35:58 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 22:35:58 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] IRELAND: Rossport struggle, repression continue Message-ID: <095501c7aa15$01f6dfe0$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.irishexaminer.com/breaking/story.asp?j=117366062&p=yy7366436&n=117366533&x= 05/06/2007 - 1:13:59 PM Five arrested at sit-down protest against Corrib project :: latest Garda? in Co Mayo have arrested five people following a sit-down protest against the Corrib Gas project this morning. Fire fighters had to separate Shell to Sea demonstrators who locked themselves together shortly before 8am at a Bord na Mona facility where peat from the terminal site is being deposited. They prevented lorries from entering the facility for more than four hours. Shell to Sea says the protest was designed to frustrate the removal of peat and to put the issue of the Corrib gas project back on the public agenda. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 8 14:37:57 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 22:37:57 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] THAILAND: Van drivers blockade road over repression; anti-coup rallies growing Message-ID: <095c01c7aa15$48c120c0$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.bangkokpost.net/060607_News/06Jun2007_news08.php Illegal vans protest by blocking road in Ayutthaya Ayutthaya _ Operators of unregistered passenger van services yesterday blocked a main road in Ayutthaya province to protest against a clampdown. Police recently brought tightened control of vans shuttling commuters between Bangkok and neighbouring provinces, as they were afraid the services may be used to take people to join anti-coup rallies in the capital. The vans running inter-provincial transport services are technically illegal, but they have been granted a temporary reprieve. Disgruntled operators parked more than 300 passenger vans on Naraesuan road opposite the provincial bus terminal, paralysing traffic in the area. The protest, led by former Democrat party candidate Sombat Thapprayoon and a local politician with close connections to the now defunct Thai Rak Thai party, Montri Raksadi, was joined by more than 500 protesters. The two men took turns to criticise the government and the police for ordering the crackdown, which they said disrupted transport and commuters. The protesters demanded Ayutthaya governor Cherdphan na Songkhla receive their petition. About 200 police were sent to the scene to maintain peace and order. Ayutthaya is one of four provinces in the central region where public van services are under watch by Special Branch Police under an order made yesterday. The other provinces where operators are being monitored by police are Lop Buri, Nonthaburi and Saraburi, which are bastions of the dissolved Thai Rak Thai party. The Inter-Provincial Van Association yesterday denied allegations that its vans took people from upcountry to anti-coup rallies in Bangkok. Songpol Puangthong, vice-chairman of the association, said it had no connection with any political parties. The association will complain to Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont and acting national police chief Seripisuth Temiyavej in the next few days. It warned it would mobilise more than 5,000 vans in 36 provinces to stage a bigger protest if the government fails to respond to its complaint in three days. A source said the association is chaired by Samroeng Adisa, said to be a close aide of Newin Chidchob, a former executive member of the Thai Rak Thai party. Mr Newin is among 111 executive members of the party, founded by deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, facing a five-year ban from politics. Meanwhile, Pol Lt-Gen Adisorn Nonsi, chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said police were able to handle the PTV-led anti-coup rally at Sanam Luang. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=119300 Anti-coup rallies building BangkokPost.com, Agencies More than 8,000 people gathered at central Sanam Luang plaza in Bangkok on Thursday night to protest against the country's military-installed government and build momentum for a weekend demonstration. Apart from this weekend's major rally, pro-Thaksin groups also plan to hold a big demonstration on June 24. The demonstrators rallied at Sanam Luang in the sixth consecutive daily protest against the military, which overthrew Thailand's twice-elected premier Thaksin Shinawatra last Sept 19. Police said some 8,500 people joined the protest but rally organisers, linked to Thaksin, claimed 20,000 people participated in the gathering. The official "sponsors" of the daily rallies are PTV - People's Television - which has no broadcasts but increasingly is showing its pro-Thaksin roots to the public. Some 300 security officials were deployed around the plaza in central Bangkok but there were no reports of violence at the protest. Thai News Agency reported that Defence Minister Boonrawd Somtas believed many of those joining anti-junta protests at Sanam Luang this week appeared to have no ideology of their own, and may have been hired to appear at the site. Chart Thai Party leader Banharn Silpa-acha said on Wednesday that each demonstrator had been paid 500 baht to join the PTV protests. Gen Boonrawd said the rent-a-mob had been hired by unknown persons, but the authorities had not yet obtained sufficient evidence of money being handed out for that purpose. Protest leaders, some associated with the now dissolved Thai Rak Thai party, have launched the anti-CNS moves only for their personal gain, Gen Boonrawd said. The defence minister said demonstrators had clearly paid little attention to the speeches at the rallies against the Council for National Security. He urged a halt to protests, and agreement to reconcile, so that a general election could be held as scheduled in December. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 8 14:40:25 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 22:40:25 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] ISRAEL/PALESTINE: Small anti-occupation protest in Tel Aviv Message-ID: <096b01c7aa15$a165b1a0$0202a8c0@andy1> http://news.monstersandcritics.com/middleeast/news/article_1313551.php/Israeli_activists_protest_against_40_years_of_occupation__Extra_ Middle East News Israeli activists protest against 40 years of occupation (Extra) Jun 5, 2007, 11:27 GMT Tel Aviv - Some 300 members of the Israeli Peace Now organization and supporters protested in Hebron Tuesday against 40 years of Israeli occupation of the West Bank. The protesters held up signs saying 'Evacuate all settlements' and 'Enough wars,' as some 30 Jewish settlers held a counter- demonstration in the divided West Bank city, calling the activists 'traitors' and a 'knife in the nation's back.' Israeli media reported Palestinian youths threw stones at buses transporting the Peace Now protesters as they were leaving Hebron, where several hundred settlers live in a small enclave surrounded by an estimated 130,000 Palestinians, Israeli media reported. The protest was held on the 40th anniversary of the Six-Day War, which erupted on June 5, 1967 and during which Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan, the Gaza Strip from Egypt and the Golan Heights from Syria. Housing the tomb of the religious patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob accoding to tradition, Hebron is one of the four holiest cities in Judaism. The Jewish community which lived there was driven out by local Arabs in riots in 1929 and the current Jewish settlement there was re-established after the 1967 war. Its current settler population however is considered among the most fanatic in the West Bank. ? 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 8 14:42:20 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 22:42:20 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] QUEBEC: Prison uprising Message-ID: <097201c7aa15$e59b8c00$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/06/04/detention-riot.html Charges considered after Quebec jail riot Last Updated: Monday, June 4, 2007 | 2:42 PM ET CBC News Two inmates at a Quebec City-area prison may be charged in connection with a small riot that broke out Sunday afternoon, police say. About 100 prisoners had to be evacuated from a section of the Orsainville jail after inmates smashed windows and set fires, says provincial police spokesperson Ann Mathieu. It all started when two inmates began antagonizing guards by screaming at them and hurling insults from just a few metres outside the glassed-in guard post, Mathieu told CBC News Monday. "The situation just degenerated," she said. Charges of mischief and arson are pending against two inmates, she says. Other prisoners may also be charged once the investigation is completed. One inmate was injured during the incident, and the centre suffered smoke and water damage, she says. Detention centre officials declined to comment. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 8 15:43:39 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 23:43:39 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Fw: [asap] TNI removes students and farmers protesting Pasuruan shootings Message-ID: <0a1601c7aa1e$7893a030$0202a8c0@andy1> ----- Original Message ----- From: James Balowski To: ASAP News Updates ; ASAP_SydneyList ; INDOLEFT Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2007 12:05 PM Subject: [asap] TNI removes students and farmers protesting Pasuruan shootings =================^================================== I N D O L E F T - News service > > =================^================================== TNI removes students and farmers protesting Pasuruan shootings Detik.com - June 4, 2007 Triono Wahyu Sudibyo, Salatiga -- Around 250 students and farmers from the Central Java city of Salatiga were disappointed after being 'removed' before having a chance to express long list of grievances over the shooting incident in the Central Java regency Pasuruan on May 30. The demonstration was to have been held at a local sub-district military command (Korem). Initially, the coalition of protesters from the Peoples and Students Farmers Concern Alliance (ARMPP), which is made up of the Indonesian Islamic Student Movement (PMII), the Central Java Peasants Organisation (OTJT), the Indonesian Youth Front for Struggle (FPPI), the Qariyah Thoyibbah United Peasants Association (SPPQT) and various non- government organisations, started the action at the State College of Islamic Religious Studies campus on Jl. Teuku Umar. >From the campus they held a three-kilometer march to Korem via Jl. Jalan Diponegoro. Scores of police officers escorted the rally and traffic on the main street in Salatiga slowed to a crawl. Upon arriving at Korem, scores of officers from the Salatiga District Police Crowd Control Unit (Dalmas) were ready to intercept them. Action coordinator Imam Rozy invited a number of demonstrators to hold a theatrical action depicting the TNI's brutality against farmers. Shortly after two coalition representatives had finished giving speeches, all of a sudden a TNI officer approached the crowd and asked if they had a permit to hold the action. Failing to receive a satisfactory answer, the officer then ordered TNI personnel to 'remove' the demonstrators. The demonstrators however remained clam. Under the leadership of Rozy, they proceed to hold a prayer for the dead (shalat gaib) to pray for those killed in Pasuruan. At around 11.40 am, less than a minute after finishing the prayer, the demonstrators disbanded peacefully and left Korem. The demonstrators then moved off to the offices of the Salatiga Regional House of Representatives escorted by scores of Dalmas personnel and traffic police. During the action the demonstrators demanded that the government fully investigate the shooting at Pasuruan, uphold civil supremacy and rejected the resurgence of militarism ala the New Order regime of former President Suharto. "Farmers provide an important service to us all, why must they be oppressed", said Rozy. (try/djo) [Translated by James Balowski.] **************************************************** The INDOLEFT news service is produced by the Institute of Liberation, Media and Social Studies (LPMIS) and Action in Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific. INDOLEFT News Service Jl. Tebet Timur Dalam VIII No. 6A Jakarta Selatan 12820 Indonesia E-mail: jamesbalowski at yahoo.com **************************************************** __________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Mail is the world's favourite email. 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URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Jun 4 08:25:02 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2007 16:25:02 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] GERMANY: Rostock, Monday 4 June + updates Message-ID: <0a8701c7a6bc$86d2c190$0202a8c0@andy1> NOTE: As well as aftermath reports from Saturday, there are reports of further demonstrations and clashes on Monday. As usual the mainstream and pigs are making up stories about this. I find it highly unlikely that the fighting was started by "foreigners", since this kind of thing is common in Germany (on Mayday, anti-capitalist and anti-Nazi protests for instance). Not to mention that reports on the ground clearly indicated that police aggression initiated the clashes. Good to hear, too, that the earlier raids on social centres did not go unanswered. As usual, "moderate" figures have sold out those who fought back against police. Why do they respect so much these violent thugs who have banned their marches at the summit? http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6682398,00.html G-8 Protesters, Police Clash in Germany Monday June 4, 2007 3:01 PM AP Photo PRO107, PRO103, PRO105 By CLAUS-PETER TIEMANN Associated Press Writer ROSTOCK, Germany (AP) - Hundreds of protesters clashed with police Monday ahead of this week's Group of Eight meeting, as anti-globalization activists challenged attempts by security officials to keep them away from the summit town of Heiligendamm. About 800 protesters demonstrated outside Rostock's immigration office demanding ``global freedom of movement and equal rights for all,'' including refugees and asylum seekers. After a peaceful start, the demonstration turned violent and ``some protesters started to throw bottles at officers,'' police spokesman Lyder Behrens said. The Web site Spiegel Online reported that a photojournalist was injured and four people were detained when 400 demonstrators clashed with police. Police could not immediately confirm the report. Another 20,000 demonstrators were expected to hold an anti-G-8 rally in downtown Rostock later Monday. On Saturday, around 3,000 black-hooded anti-G-8 protesters had pelted police with rocks and bottles in Rostock. Authorities said more than 400 officers were injured, 30 of whom were hospitalized with broken bones and cuts. Organizers said 520 demonstrators were hurt, 20 of them seriously. More than 2,000 protesters were still in Rostock on Monday, police said. The situation around Heiligendamm was calm Monday ahead of the three-day meeting starting Wednesday, when German Chancellor Angela Merkel will host the leaders of Britain, France, Japan, Italy, Russia, Canada and the U.S. for discussions on issues including global warming, aid to Africa and the world economy. President Bush left Monday for the summit, with his first stop in Prague, in the Czech Republic. Germany is determined to avoid a repeat of the debilitating violence that has marred previous G-8 summits, notably in Genoa, Italy, in 2001, where one protester was killed. It has reinforced its border controls ahead of the summit. Anti-globalization activists have complained that security surrounding the three-day summit is excessive. Germany's Constitutional Court said an alliance of activist groups had challenged a lower court's ban on protests outside of Heiligendamm. That ban came into force last week, when public access to Heiligendamm was shut off. Authorities had said earlier that starting Wednesday, the demonstration ban will be expanded to about 3 miles beyond a 7-mile fence that was built around Heiligendamm. It was not clear when the court would rule on the case. In a separate decision, an administrative court in the town of Greifswald ruled that only 50 protesters will be allowed to hold a rally directly outside Rostock's airport, where Bush and other leaders are scheduled to arrive. Activists had asked permission for a 1,500-member demonstration at the airport, but the court rejected their claim for security reasons. The approved protest will be restricted to a shoulder of a road across from the airport entrance. A bigger group will be allowed to protest at a nearby parking area for buses. Bush is scheduled to arrive Tuesday evening. The government said 85 people had been refused entry to Germany ahead of the summit and that 15-20 percent of those who were detained temporarily Saturday in Rostock had been foreign nationals. Merkel on Sunday deplored the ``terrible, dreadful pictures'' of protesters clashing with police. ``Violence is no way to solve things and shows that the police methods are necessary,'' she said. Merkel defended security measures such as pre-summit raids on the offices of protest groups, some of whom have vowed to try to disrupt the summit by blocking roads leading to Heiligendamm. She has also said, however, that peaceful protesters have every right to make their point. --- Associated Press Writer Kirsten Grieshaber contributed to this report from Berlin. http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=94727736&p=947z8x38 Protests continue at G8 summit site in Germany 04/06/2007 - 13:01:28 Protests against this week's Group of Eight meeting continued for a third day in Rostock, Germany, as anti-globalization activists mounted a legal challenge against a ban on demonstrations outside the summit town of Heiligendamm. About 800 protesters demonstrated outside Rostock's immigration office demanding "global freedom of movement and equal rights for all," including refugees and asylum seekers. Another 20,000 demonstrators were expected to hold an anti-G8 rally in central Rostock later today. On Saturday, about 3,000 black-hooded anti-G8 protesters pelted police with rocks and bottles in Rostock. Authorities said more than 400 officers were injured, 30 of whom were admitted to hospital with broken bones and cuts. Organisers said 520 demonstrators were hurt, 20 of them seriously. More than 2,000 radical protesters were still in Rostock on today, police said. "So far the situation in Rostock is tense but not violent," police spokesman Lyder Behrens said, adding that all protests would be followed by a heavy police presence. Authorities also continued spot checks on roads leading to the northern German town of Heiligendamm. Germany's Constitutional Court announced today that an alliance of activist groups had challenged a lower court's ban on protests outside Heiligendamm. http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372358.html The Saturday riot in Rostock (1) Guido | 03.06.2007 18:24 | G8 Germany 2007 | Globalisation | Repression | Social Struggles | World So, at the end of the demo there was a riot. Which has now been widely reported by the corporate media as being deliberately provoked by tooled up agitators in Black. Change the word black for green and you start getting a bit closer to the truth. Eyewitnesses have reported that the trouble started when a provocative arrest was made in the road near the rally. You have to ask why the Police would want to kick things off when the demo had been so peaceful? No one had deviated from the route of the march. No banks or corporate concerns had been scrawled on or attacked. In fact nothing illegal had happened at all. So was this just an attempt to justify the tens of millions spent on the Police operation? Or perhaps a useful way of declaring a state of emergency so people could be harassed and detained in the run up to the blockades? Unsurprisingly the demonstrators gave a very good account of themselves. The demo had the biggest and most disciplined Black block seen for some time. The Police tactic of charging into the crowds thumping everything in sight only succeeded in recruiting more people who were up for confrontation. The cops usually found themselves beating a hasty retreat under a hail of bottles and rocks that were available in abundance. Not a very smart place for them to kick things off? It has to said that their body armour is impressive to say the least. They were barely flinching as large house bricks were bouncing off them. It should also be pointed out that if people are going chuck masonry around they should be confident about their aim first. Rostock hospital was full to bursting last night and many of those being treated were injured by friendly fire. Most of those present were trying their best to calm things down. Forming peaceful lines trying in vain to persuade the Police to remove the cause of the confrontation (themselves). Thousands of people were enjoying the concert away from the trouble. The actions of the Police was just recruiting more to the punch up. Batons were being used on anything that moved. Many of the Police looked like they had just indulged in some base speed after a week on the piss. Eventually the organizers of the event managed to negotiate some kind of Police withdrawal and things calmed down. For a while. Guido http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372403.html The Saturday riot in Rostock (2) Guido | 03.06.2007 20:52 | G8 Germany 2007 | Globalisation | Repression | Social Struggles | World So we've back at the hostel for around an hour and a half after the first trouble when the phone rings. 'The cops are going fucking mad!' we are told so it's back to the rally to see what is going on? A car has been torched since we were last here and the water cannons are out. Before we left here earlier things were calm. The Police had withdrawn and most of the people who were fighting them earlier had left before we did. Now the police are forming into units and storming into the crowd of people watching the bands. Nicking anyone that gets in their way. They also seem to be doing targeted arrests, which suggests that they are being directed by plain clothes spotters in the crowd? Now that all the brick throwers have left they can pretty much do what they like without being in any danger of reprisals. So those who are left here are being punished just for being in attendance. A teenager in front of me is trying to ask a commanding officer what they are trying to achieve. The cop replies by pepper spraying him in the face. The cops are shooting their chemicals from the hip so that the people are being hit in the face without warning or an opportunity to get out of the way. It also ensures that most of the media do not capture the pepper spray use on film. Then without any reason or warning one of the water cannons opens up on a section of the crowd near one of the Police units. One of the cops is too close and gets knocked off his feet along with several of the demonstrators. The water has had a teargas like chemical added to it. So a hit in the face is agonising and everyone gets a light dose of gas as the water evaporates off the ground. As the units march through the crowds they make a point of treading over anyone who is sitting on the ground and then stamping on anyone who complains. As they sweep through the crowds anyone who come within range gets punched or kicked out of the way. The batons come out whenever they are faced with numbers that are anything approaching even. Most people run away. You can't blame them for that. At one point a cop jumps on a photographer from a corporate agency for taking his picture. The snapper is made to delete the image in front of him. The cop in question is wearing a riot helmet with a ski mask underneath so his face is not visible anyway. Either he is just looking for someone else to pick on, or he is a complete retard. Finally after what seems like an eternity of provocation the crowd finally reacts. A peace line of several hundred people link arms to keep the marauding plods out. A mobile sound system appears and people start to dance in front of them. Meanwhile a unit trapped inside is surrounded by group of around fifty people who start doing the hokey-cokey in a circle around them. They bust out of the circling protesters several times only to be surrounded again. Eventually they withdraw humiliated. The passive resistance of the demonstrators was ultimately quite empowering. They kept their dignity. They stayed at their concert till the end. And unlike the Police no one was paying them overtime to be there. It should be remembered that Germany is not the only G8 'democracy' where the Police can do what they like without any comeback. Lets not forget the Murder of Carlo in Italy. The behaviour of the Police in Seattle, and the US patriot act. Then there is Russia under Putin, a place where critical journalists get assassinated and opposition supporters jailed. Then there is France where immigrants are routinely rounded up and beaten by the brutal and racist CRS. And lets not forget Britain. A country where you can be arrested and jailed without charge. Where it's illegal to protest outside your own Parliament without permission. Where you can be shot eight times in the head on an underground train for looking a bit foreign with the murderers never being identified, let alone charged. I bet China can't wait to join? http://washingtontimes.com/upi/20070603-111519-3758 German police blame foreigners for G8 riot Published: June 3, 2007 at 11:47 AM ROSTOCK, Germany, June 3 (UPI) -- German police Sunday blamed foreign groups bent on violence for the riot that injured nearly a thousand police and protesters at a German rally against G8 policies. Most of the 125 people arrested Saturday in Rostock came from outside Germany, Deutsche Welle reported. Police and protest organizers Sunday said those arrested had infiltrated the largely peaceful demonstration aimed at the G8 summit to be held this week about 16 miles away in Heiligendamm. The G8 is a consortium of the world's eight richest industrial nations. The protesters who were arrested were from Austria, Bulgaria, France, Japan, Russia, Spain and Sweden, said police, who reported finding tear gas canisters bearing Cyrillic script. Police estimated Saturday's protest at 30,000, while protest organizers said at least twice that many were present. The protest continued Sunday and was calm. As many as 433 police officers were injured Saturday, 30 of them seriously, by sticks, bottles and stones. As many as 520 protesters were hurt, 20 of them seriously, when riot police fought back. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-06/04/content_6192937.htm BERLIN, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 1,000 people were injured in the riots that broke out Saturday during a demonstration against the June 6-8 Group of Eight (G8) summit, according to German police in the northern city of Rostock and protest organizers. Police spokesman Frank Scheulen said that 433 police officers were injured, 30 of whom suffered serious injuries. Around 520 demonstrators were wounded, primarily by stinging tear gas, and 20 of them were injured seriously, according to the protesters' spokeswoman Sabine Zimpel. A march including organizations such as Greenpeace, anti-capitalist group Attac, Germany's Left Party, church groups and labor unions turned violent after demonstrators in black masks and hoods began to throw stones, bottles and flaming objects at police. The police responded with tear gas, water cannons and batons. "We distance ourselves clearly from these violent people," Zimpel said. Scheulen said most of the riot had ended by the evening, but two cars were set on fire during the night. Police put the number of protestors at 25,000, while organizers said at least 80,000 went onto the streets of Rostock to protest against the G8 summit in Heiligendamm, 25 km from Rostock. Leaders from the G8 industrialized nations of Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Japan, the United States, Canada and Russia, will attend the summit. Germany will deploy about 16,000 police officers from all over the country to prevent unrest before and during the three-day summit. http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=6d10f5ab-eee0-4e1b-a82b-83c91374094c&k=0 Riots condemned German organizers criticized violence at anti-G8 demonstrations Tom Armitage, Reuters Published: Sunday, June 03, 2007 Organizers of anti-G8 demonstrations and the media on Sunday condemned violent clashes between police and a hardcore group of militants in the German port city of Rostock in which 1,000 people were injured. A peaceful demonstration involving tens of thousands of diverse protesters was marred on Saturday by the worst street violence seen in Germany for years when hundreds of black-clad activists bombarded police with stones and torched three cars. Police used water cannon to disperse the militants who left a trail of destruction in the harbour city, just days before Chancellor Angela Merkel hosts the Group of Eight (G8) leaders in the nearby resort of Heiligendamm for their annual meeting. View Larger Image A protester throws a stone at German riot police in front of a barricade during an anti-G8 demonstration in Rostock June 2, 2007. Protesters threw stones and bottles and attacked police officers with sticks in the German port of Rostock on Saturday after a largely peaceful demonstration against next week's Group of Eight summit. A group of around 500 demonstrators set upon police near the harbour after a series of marches through the city in which police said 25,000 people took part. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch Email to a friendPrinter friendly Font: a.. * b.. * c.. * d.. * "This was inexcusable and that is the opinion of all the groups concerned," said Mani Stenner, a spokesman for the organisers of a week-long programme of demonstrations in the port city. "We hope that this situation was an exception." Police blamed the violence on some 2,000 militants known as the black block'. Some 430 police officers and 520 protesters were injured and police said 128 people were arrested in the clashes at the city's harbour. The mass-circulation Bild am Sonntag newspaper declared the violence Germany's "G8 Shame!" and carried a large front-page picture of a balaclava-clad militant aiming a stone at police. "Yesterday images were formed in our country that will damage our reputation across the world," wrote commentator Claus Strunz in a column for the newspaper. Merkel will host the G8 for talks on June 6, focusing on African poverty and climate change. At the same time, Rostock is hosting a broad range of protests and demonstrations against globalisation, capitalism, African poverty and human rights abuses. "We have a lot of work to do to consider how we can prevent these violent events from happening again," Stenner said. Aid groups and charities condemned the violence and distanced themselves from the militants. "There was no justification at all for these attacks," said Pedram Shahyar, a spokesman for the group Attac. The violence followed weeks of tension between police and militants in Hamburg and Berlin after street riots prompted by a series of raids last month on premises used by left-wing groups. Around 16,000 police will be on duty during the summit, the biggest force assembled in recent times in Germany. Protesters are expected to try to block road access to the summit and stage demonstrations at a nearby airport. A 12 km security fence has been built around the resort itself to keep demonstrators and militants away from the summit. (additional reporting by Sabine Siebold) http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/180923.shtml Update anti G8 protests today Dutch Media Bus 04.06.2007 12:38 Themen: G8 It's action day against the G8 again in Rostock, after the mass demo on 1 June, with the theme Flight and Migration. At 8am we leave from camp Reddelich to the local foreigners office in Rostock. Migration Action Day Foreigner's Office Demo Report Rostock, 4 June 8.00- 10.00 It's action day against the G8 again in Rostock, after the mass demo on 1 June, with the theme Flight and Migration. At 8am we leave from camp Reddelich to the local foreigners office in Rostock. The foreigners office decides who is allowed to stay in the country and who is not, if you will get a passport, residency permit or if you will be deported. The plan for the morning: an occupation of the office. From the moment we leave the camp to our final destination we see many green police busses parked in the forest and at almost every corner on the way. Once at the foreigners office, all entrances are already blocked by dozens of demonstrators sitting in front of the doors on the ground. Some have climbed onto the roof and unfolded banners. The organisers urge the demonstrators to stay calm and not be provoked by police like last Saturday because they want to continue the demonstration to another hotspot of racism (see below). The roughly 100 police present are cordially requested to leave: they are not welcome here! Police and special forces are present in large numbers: they stand with grim faces around the demonstrators and are filming them. To make clear why we are standing here, the mass shouts " No border, no nation, stop deportation!" and "We are here, we will fight, freedom of movement is our right". Then the demo organisers inform us: a group of demonstrators that came with the tram were stopped and searched. Eventually they are released. After 30 mins the demo with people from the other action camp is Rostock, accompanied by four police vans, is welcomed by us with loud whistling. In total, we are around 1000. A few representatives of migrant organisations are taking the floor now, rapping and shouting demands to end police violence, racist treatment of refugee and migrants and deportations. For global social rights and freedom of movement! Then we are treated with a street theatre game show entitled 'Germany is looking for the Super German!' (Deutschland sucht den Super-Deutschen!). A professional show master and his assistant explain the game: 9 figures representing different nationalities and professions (migrant cleaners, black footballers, Indian IT specialists, people married to Germans) that keep popping out of boxes have to be hit with a soft hammer by a volunteer from the audience if they are useless to the German economy or not properly integrated (is the third generation immigrant youth holding a pistol or is it a pen?!). Beware: NEVER hit the German whose blood line is unpolluted and runs German blood only, even if he looks a bit dangerous, otherwise you lose point. And be quick, you only have 30 seconds! Not easy, the volunteers are not practiced as they try figuring out if the figures popping out of the boxes are allowed to stay here or not, are they cleaning or drinking Champaign? The show is funny, but the police is not laughing (maybe they are not permitted to). Then the samba band plays. The police keep storming from one imaginary hotspot to the next, when standing still, the Clown's Army is teasing them, again, they are not amused! What can you do. Despite the provocative mass police presence there is no confrontation. With the media bus we are going to the next racist hotspot: Rostock-Lichtenhagen. It was here in 1992 that a racist mob set on fire a high-rise flat where migrants lived, and local residents stood there, clapping and cheering them on. During the high-time of racist pogroms in Germany shortly after the wall came down, police and fire services took 10 hours to respond to the emergency call, the only people that stood defending the people locked in the house were Anti-fascists. The Caravan for Refugees and Migrants is walking next to the bus for some of the way. At the same time actions will take place at the Lidl supermarket chain, whose aggressive import strategy forces dumping prices on producers, who exploit migrant labour and massively violate labour rights in Spain, the Netherlands or Morocco in return. Again, on our way to Rostock-Lichtenhagen we only see police vans, water cannons and ambulances on the way. Only two and a half days before the beginning of the end of the G8! http://de.indymedia.org/ticker/en/ 04.06.2007 a.. 16:00: Rostock: After hard negotiations with the police, the demo has finally started to move towards the harbour, but 'escorted' by lines of police on either side. Some 50 meters later, however, it was stopped again. Approximately 5,000 are on the March. A small spontaneous demo, with some 200-300 participants, has also started and is marching down Wismarsche Str. towards the main march. b.. 15:15: Rostock: Police have just announced that the rally and march can carry on as long as people don't cover their faces and carry 'weapons'. The mood is positive and colourful, with a Samba band and clowns dominating the picture. c.. 14:50: Rostock: The organisers of the "Global Freedom of Movement and Equal Rights" demonstration have just announced over the sound system that police have declared the rally and march as illegal because there are some "500 potentially violent protesters" and that they will not allow it to continue. Organisers, however, are not accepting this and are trying to negotiate. Music is still playing. d.. 14:10: The rally has just started, although the international speakers are still being 'processed' by police. e.. 13:50: The Grey Bus from Theaterstraat (a bus carrying protesters from Amsterdam) was stopped-and-searched by cops for about 3 hours at Hamburgerstrasse earlier this morning. Eight people from several countries were arrested and taken to the detention centre in Industrie Str. Charges are probably related to carrying things like caps, gloves and lemons. A 15-minute solidarity protest was held outside of the detention centre. The bus is now on its way to the Migration rally. f.. 13:30: Rostock: Between 2000 and 3000 people are waiting at the Fluchtelingslager. Police have just arrived and started checking everyone, including the speakers from Africa. The organisers are waiting for that to finish to start their rally. g.. 13:30: A train from Reddelich only goes as far as Bad Doberan. Replacement buses are being used. In Sievershagen, buses are being stopped by police and people's bags are being searched. Buses then continue their way. h.. 12:30: On their way back from the Sonnenblumen House demo, protesters were attacked by cops again. Police pushed people onto the train and then hit some of them while they were all inside. i.. 12:30: Rostock: People coming from Reddelich going to the migration rally got off at the Thiefelder train station to find a lot of riot police waiting for them. They were put back on the train again to be sent back, then let go a while later and are now heading to the main Migration Rally. j.. 12:00: Rostock: A bus carrying protesters was stop-and-searched at Holbeinplatz. Police said they are looking for "weapons". The Legal Team was hindered in its work and told to leave the square. So far three arrests have been been made. k.. 11:45: The Sonnenblumen House protest seems to be over now. People are heading to the station, slightly pushed by police. l.. 11:35: Sonnenblumenhaus: A protester from Cameron has been seriously injured by cops (probably broken nose). He apparently happened to be standing in the middle of the Black Bloc, so cops charged in and snatched him violently. An ambulance has just arrived and he's been taken to hospital. m.. 11:30: Rostock: Violence seems to have died down a bit now. Three or four arrests were made, allegedly because people were covering their faces. A journalist was injured when his camera was pushed violently into his face. Medics and legal observers are on the site. Police CCTV vans have arrived. Police have blocked the road and are standing in groups some a few meters away from protesters. People are not penned in or kettled yet. n.. 11:00: Rostock: Riot police started to charge into the protest at the Sonnenblumen House and snatch certain people after filming and observing them for a while. 3 Arrests have been reported so far but the legal observers were pushed away and not allowed to get their details. Police are reportedly being very aggressive for no apparent reason. o.. 10:50: Rostock: About 1,500 have already gathered at the Sonnenblumen House in Lichtenhaben to remember the 1992 Nazis attack on the refugee 'reception centre' and a hostel for Vietnamese workers. More people are expected to arrive. Speeches started a while ago and the atmosphere seems to be relaxed. p.. 10:00: Rostock: Some 2,000 had gathered at the Immigration Department in Werftstra?e (where refugees and migrants are dealt with) since 8am. The atmosphere was nice, with a Samba band and street theatre, who performed, among other things, a show called "Germany looks for the super German". The Department was closed, allegedly for a "sudden software breakdown". People are now heading to the Sonnenblumen House in Lichtenhaben, where a remembrance called "3 Days in August" of the 1992 neo-Nazis attack on the refugee 'reception centre' and a hostel for Vietnamese workers will be held. q.. 09:10: Rostock: A fleet of 20 or so police cars, with their sirens and flash lights on, was seen passing by the Rostock Convergence Centre, probably heading towards the Sonnenblumen House, where a rally is supposed to take place from 10am. r.. 09:00: Rostock: A group of 200-300 people coming from Camp Reddelich found over 100 cops in riot gear awaiting them at Rostcok's central station. They are now being searched one by one, some having their personal details taken. The hallway, where the process is going on, had been cleared from people so that there's no eye witnesses. 03.06.2007 a.. 23:15: A group of concert goers were suddenly and, seemingly, groundlessly attacked by a police unit on their way back to Camp Rostock. One person received a hard blow to the head and remained laying on the ground for around 10 minutes without moving, but still conscious until an ambulance came. Meanwhile another person was taken into custody. A journalist was only let through after putting on a lot of pressure. b.. 21:20: After being let free a while ago, three German clowns went back into McDonald's to translate for the foreign Clowns but they were arrested straight away. The legal observers don't know what the charges are yet. c.. 20:50: The Clowns are being let free, having been held in a police pen for several hours following their action at a McDonal's. They all, of course, had their personal information taken and the rest of it. d.. 19:20: Rostock: A new police unit has taken over from the old one, which had assured the protesters at Industrie Str that they can carry on as long as they don't block the road, and gave them 10 minutes to desperse or... The are between 20 and 30 cops and 10 to 15 protesters. e.. 17:30: The Star Marsh coalition is tomorrow lodging a constitutional complaint with the Federal Constitutional Court against the general ban on demonstrations around Heiligendamm. f.. 17:15: Rostock: All those who had been kettled (surrounded by cops) at the detention centre on Industrie Str. have been freed now. One group was kept for about 2.5 hours and were not given any food or drinks. The reason, police said, was breaching of the law of carrying "disguise objects" (things you can cover your face with). Besides, they said that you breach this law if you carry a cap, a scarf and a hoodie at the same time, but if you have only one of these, then it's OK. Everyone was filmed while being made to wear their 'disguise cloths', and the footage was compared with older police footage. g.. 17:00: Rostock: The "Move Against the G8" festival has started at the harbour. There are some 1,000 people. Some 50 cops are stop-and-searching people and taking their personal details if they had anything on them that "could be used as a weapon" (chains, spikes etc.). h.. 17:00: Gro? L?sewitz: The Agriculture Day of Action rally has arrived at the biggest GMO test field, just before Gro?-L?sewitz. Most of the 300 or so participants had gone there by bicycles after the demo in Rostock ended. While some stayed behind in the field, others carried on for the rally in Gro?-L?sewitz. Police presence is very high, with dogs and horses. In the morning, a 1,000 square meter GMO field was "harvested". i.. 16:15: Rostock: The spontaneous protest in front of the court in Werder Str. drew about 150 participants, who tried to block the court entrance by sitting down. Reports say the protest has ended. j.. 15:45: On the B105 road, near Alt-Sievershagen, about 10km before Bad Doberan, some 30 clowns were dancing in McDonald's. A big police unit, with about 30 vehicles and riot gear, are surrounding the clowns and their cars and preventing them from moving. k.. 15:30: Rostock, 15:30: The Agriculture Day of Action day has finished now with closing speeches, with speakers from Brazil, Mali and Nicaragua among others. The demo had grown to about 5,000 participants. Police has been mostly calm, although they have been checking rucksacks. Cops kept running but because people reacted sensibly they didn't give them any excesses for escalation. Some participants are now driving to Gro?-L?sewitz, where a rally is supposed to take place. l.. 15:30: Gro? L?sewitz: A protest against Gro? L?sewitz-based AgroBio-Technikum, a centre for agro-biotechnological research opened in 2004, and its controversial GMO research and field trials is taking place. Beside the locals, about 50 activists are present. The rally from Rostock not arrived yet. m.. 15:00: Rostock: Police are carrying out stop-and-searches in different places throughout the city on people who look 'suspecious'. n.. 14:40: Some 20 'normal' people who were just arriving their to join the protest were stopped by the police and kettled. Negotiations ongoing. o.. 14:35: Police got into their cars again and started chasing people in their cars. p.. 14:30: Some 15 people are doing a sit-down in front of the court on Neue-Werder Str, where the arrestees from yesterday are supposed to appear before a judge. More protesters are expected to arrive. q.. 14:30: Some 10 police cars with lots of cops, all in riots gear, just arrived and started to chase the 'people in black' down the streets. r.. 14:15: A group of 20-25 people from Camp Rostock have just joined the solidarity protest in Industrie Str. The cops immediately started to put their riot gear on as most of the new arrivers are wearing black. Protesters, who now number about 60, are standing on the pavement in front of the detention centre. s.. 13:30: Rostock: People are starting to leave the solidarity protest outside the detention centre in Industrie Str., some just wandering about. There is still 40-45 people. Cops said as long as they are not blocking the road, the protest will be allowed to continue peacefully. t.. 12:30: Rostock: Following a rally at the Faculty for Agricultural and Environmental Science, approximately 3,000 people started marching around the city centre as part of the Agriculture Day of Action. Many big puppets and one huge puppet monster can be seen, and many international banners. A small rally at a Lidl supermarket was held on the way. There is a large police presence but the situation is still quiet. u.. 12:25: Protesters have been moved away onto the pavement. v.. 12:15: Rostock: The bigger group of protesters joined the smaller one outside the prison's door. More cops with dogs. w.. 12:10: Rostock: There are 3 police cars and some 15 cops. A small group of protesters, who arrived before the cops, are standing immediately outside the prison's door, while the rest, who arrived after, are not allowed to go nearer. x.. 12:00: Rostock: Some 60-70 people have gathered outside the detention centre in Industrie Str. in a solidarity protests with the people who were arrested yesterday and are still held there. There is some police presence but the situation is still calm. y.. 08:30: The Legal Team said 164 people were arrested yesterday, 17 of whom will be charged. Two of cases are said to be fast-tracked. z.. 01:50: Rostock: After being kettled for a short while, people have been released and are heading back home. aa.. 01:35: Rostock: Cops are chasing people down the streets. They have also broken into the place where the music was coming from, Anker. They are trying to shove people to Doberaner Platz at the end of the road. ab.. 01:15: Rostock: A Reclaim The Streets party in Doberaner Str., which was so far going nicely, is being violently repressed by police at the moment. 5 police units in riot gear arrived and stopped the party very violently for no apparent reason, beating the 500 or so party goers with batons. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: additionals_send_printer.gif Type: image/gif Size: 146 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Jun 4 14:01:35 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2007 22:01:35 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] RUSSIA: Housing crisis prompts protests Message-ID: <11d101c7a6eb$8b05b180$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.habitants.org/article/articleview/1927/1/472/ Russia: Putin can no longer ignore the rising solidarity First road blocks and the first death for ?duped co-investors? on hunger strike Don't forget that this movement assembles tens of thousands of people throughout Russia who have contributed funds or invested in the construction of housing vouched for by the local and regional authorities. Once construction stopped, they find themselves with neither money nor housing. The day before the hunger strike, begun in Moscow on April 17th and extended to May 8th, IAI had called for international solidarity. In total, 50 people from several regions in Russia participated, with 6 staying for 22 days. The co-investors insist on the federal government's acknowledgement of its responsibility in this politico-property fraud. Following the first striker's death, the people took to the streets and, after the intervention of all the movements and associations supporting the mobilisation, the strikers finally agreed to end the strike. To discourage the protest action, all the telegrams officially sent to the Kremlin were resent to the regional administrations implicated in the housing scandals, while the presidential administration refused to handle the files. On the ground, the hunger strikers were faced with all sorts of persecution from the forces of law and order who went as far as blocking access to the hunger strike grounds, confiscating passports and jamming cell phones. A summary of the protest actions and deaths On May 8th, Igor Vosevoi, a 38-year-old participant in the hunger strike at Ulyanovsk, died following an aneurysm. As a career military officer, he had been decorated on the decision of the President of the Federation of Russia for services rendered to the nation. In September 2005, he had invested 1.5 million roubles (43 000 euros), all that he had received from the sale of his old apartment, in the construction of a bigger apartment through an appeal for capital launched by the real-estate company ? Kapstro? ?. After construction was stopped and the scandal exploded, he sued. The tribunal declared the real-estate company guilty of professional misconduct and ordered it to pay 1.6 million roubles to Igor Vosevoi. However, like most legal decisions in this domain, the decision was never honoured. In January 2007, Igor Vosevoi approached the region's governor to ask him to intercede on his behalf, pleading that with his income of 8000 roubles par month, he was forced to give half in payment for rent in over-priced housing. He is dead despite his fight and without the least effort by the public authorities to solve the problem. He leaves behind him 2 daughters aged 15 and 3, as well as his wife, whose entire salary will only serve to cover the rent. On May 15th, following the announcement of the death of Igor Vosevoi, the co-investors of Ulyanovsk demonstrated in the streets en masse. On the same day, a general assembly had been held by the movement, which invited representatives of the public authorities had snubbed. Those assembled started to scream ? The authorities have killed Vosevoi ! ?, ? Mayor, step down ! ?. More than 300 people blocked the road next to the city hall. No local authorities' representatives came out to meet them. Thus, on May 15th, the "duped co-investors" of Saint-Petersburg went on a hunger strike. The hunger was strike meant as a warning, with a deadline of May 27th. On May 23rd, the strikers received a visit from the vice-governor of the region, after which he made a declaration to the press that the problem had been resolved. But the strikers immediately circulated a declaration in which they explained that their principal demands (in particular, the guarantee of access to housing for the co-investors who have respected their obligations toward the real-estate companies and the State) have not been satisfied and that the protest actions will continue. Thanks to this action, the problem was acknowledged at the level of the regional authorities, who up to then had actively ignored the scandal. The 21st of May saw the blockading of a central road in the city of Oktyabrsky (outskirts of Moscow) by several hundreds of duped co-investors. They demanded a meeting with the city's mayor, who was forced to accept the negotiations, as the demonstrators were laying siege to the municipal administration. However, the mayor only repeated that the co-investors were obligated to pay by themselves for the completion of the construction of the 8 buildings involved in the scandal. Following the mayor's declarations, the demonstrators blocked the principal road and were violently evicted by the forces of law and order. Thanks to solidarity, the struggle continues Luckily, this action enabled the setting up of a solidarity network with other protest movements in Russia, the Soviets regional coordination Union (SKS), the associations for the defence of the rights of man, and even the motorist's movement. The campaign launched internationally by the IAI had an enormous resonance in the movement as well as in the media. The speech by Cesare Ottolini before the UN-Habitat raised much hope, which has made the co-investors and all other victims of the violation of housing rights dream of the possibility of a UN mission in Russia. Finally, the contempt shown by the public authorities for the actions of the very noble persons who died defending justice has given rise to the revitalisation of protest actions in many regions. Next Stop : The Red Square On the 6th of June, the duped investors are organising a large assembly at the Red Square. Will Putin still be able to ignore the rising solidarity? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 1437-200x200.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 6546 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 1438-200x200.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 14710 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 8 10:46:28 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 18:46:28 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] PALESTINE: News anchors protest death threats Message-ID: <08d701c7a9f4$f262e3f0$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.imemc.org/article/48737 Female anchors protest death threats in Gaza Monday June 04, 2007 12:02 by Vasilena Todorova - IMEMC News ghassanb at imemc dot org Female journalists, threatened with death by a radical Islamic group if they do not adhere to more conservative attire, demonstrated on Sunday in front of the Palestinian parliament building in Gaza City. More than 50 anchors and employees of the Palestinian National TV gathered to renounce a statement issued by the Sword of Islam group on Friday that vowed to behead female broadcasters who did not dress according to the Islamic code. Unlike many of their colleagues in secular regimes such as Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, most of the fifteen female anchors on Palestinian TV wear headscarves to comply with the Islamic dress tradition. However, they also wear Western clothing and make-up, which the extremist organization views as blasphemous. The protestors appealed to president Mahmoud Abbas for protection from the group, notorious for bombing Internet-cafes and stores since last year. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: date.gif Type: image/gif Size: 114 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: person.gif Type: image/gif Size: 72 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: email.gif Type: image/gif Size: 79 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: report.gif Type: image/gif Size: 160 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 400_0___10000000_0_0_0_0_0_free_press.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 114919 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 8 10:50:15 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 18:50:15 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] EGYPT: Bedouin protest police violence, aid Palestinians Message-ID: <08df01c7a9f5$79f576c0$0202a8c0@andy1> Bookmark to del.icio.us Digg It! new Palestinian security forces sealing a tunnel in Rafah used for smuggling munitions from Sinai into Gaza. (AP) Last update - 19:54 04/06/2007 Egyptian police seize 1.5 tonnes of explosives in central Sinai By Reuters Egyptian police seized 1.5 tonnes of explosives in central Sinai on Monday, Egyptian security officials said, adding they suspected the material had been destined to be smuggled into the Gaza Strip. One Egyptian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that security forces on a routine patrol found the explosives packed in 40 sacks and hidden in a mountainous area. Egyptian police routinely find large quantities of explosives and ammunition in Sinai, sometimes hidden in tunnels near the border with neighbouring Gaza. Advertisement Tension have also mounted recently between Egyptian police and Sinai Bedouin who took to the streets in April over the deaths of two Bedouin in a chase with the police. Hundreds of Bedouin later massed near the border with Israel seeking to enter the country because of what they describe as the poor treatment they receive from Egyptian authorities. Egypt has blamed a group of Islamist Sinai Bedouin sympathetic with the Palestinians for attacks on resorts popular with Israeli tourists in the peninsula since 2004. Bedouin and human rights groups say Egyptian security services launched campaigns of arbitrary arrests of Bedouin after each attack, fuelling public anger in Sinai. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 280eygptAP.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 20110 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 0.gif Type: image/gif Size: 43 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TalkBackToPicArt.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 3462 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: delicious.gif Type: image/gif Size: 89 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: digg.gif Type: image/gif Size: 250 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 8 14:25:48 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 22:25:48 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] CHINA: Mass unrest in Zhengzhou after student beaten Message-ID: <093401c7aa13$96ecf280$0202a8c0@andy1> NOTE: YouTube has video footage of the unrest. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rcUEPqJCxI Street inspectors, similar to neighbourhood wardens and similar moral policing goons, often prompt unrest by engaging in harassment over petty deviance. Zhengzhou, the site of the unrest, saw similar revolts a year ago over student diplomas. -------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20070607-0305-china-studentriot.html Activist group says students riot in central China after inspectors beat up female student By Anita Chang ASSOCIATED PRESS 3:05 a.m. June 7, 2007 BEIJING - A thousand college students rioted in central China this week, scuffling with police and overturning cars after city inspectors beat a female student, a human rights group said Thursday. Hundreds of police were called for backup as students from three universities surrounded the two inspectors who had assaulted the student and knocked out her front teeth Wednesday night, the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said in a statement. The students overturned a police car and a car belonging to the city inspectors in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province, the statement said. One car was set on fire during the four-hour riot. The Hong Kong-based rights group said police led away five students, but it was not clear if they were detained. The local Dahe newspaper, citing information from the city government, said authorities met overnight to decide how to punish the inspectors. Six were detained, two were demoted and four received administrative discipline, the newspaper said. It was not clear why the city inspectors assaulted the female student or whether her stall was illegal. The inspectors regulate street vendors, making sure they have proper licenses and are selling in permitted areas. In the newspaper's account, residents and students came out to watch after inspectors confronted the student. In the process, conflict broke out between inspectors and some "individual" students and citizens, the newspaper said. Officials with the city's police, public security bureau, communist party and hospitals all said they were "unclear" or "not aware" of the riot. Campus unrest is treated with extreme sensitivity in China, where 1989 student pro-democracy protests led to the bloody military crackdown in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6729557.stm Students go on rampage in China Hundreds of students have rioted against the police in central China after a fellow student was beaten up by city inspectors, witnesses said. Students from a number of universities in Zhengzhou, Henan province, burned cars in the four-hour rampage. They came out onto the streets after inspectors were accused of assaulting a woman student who had set up a street stall, knocking out her front teeth. A number of inspectors have been disciplined over the incident. I saw more than 10 people running after an inspector and trying to beat him, and some other people overturned a car and set fire to it Student witness The unrest broke out on Wednesday, after the student was beaten up for apparently selling items on the street without a licence. As many as 1,000 students from at least three universities took part in the protest, the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights said. As well as clashing with police, the students overturned cars belonging to police and inspectors and burned at least one of the vehicles. "I was also selling things on the street, and I could not take it any more, when I saw them beating up a girl, so I joined the riot by throwing a brick at the inspectors," one student was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying. Another said: "I saw more than 10 people running after an inspector and trying to beat him, and some other people overturned a car and set fire to it." Roads were blocked into the night, and by Thursday morning the city was reported to be quiet. The Chinese Communist Party is very uneasy about this kind of large protest and is deeply wary of social unrest, the BBC's James Reynolds in Beijing says. But the central government also wants to show that it is prepared to take action against heavy-handed local authorities. Six inspectors were detained, two were sacked and four were given official warnings, the local Dahe newspaper reported. http://www.rfa.org/english/multimedia/2007/06/07/zhengzhou_riot/ Two Thousand People Riot in Zhengzhou city 2007.06.07 Riots broke out in Zhengzhou city, Henan province, on the evening of June 6. About two thousand students and residents surrounded and yelled at the police who was protecting a city inspector who had beaten up a female university student. Five students were arrested. Many residents captured the riotous moment on video with their cellphones as the police tried to shield the inspector and other policemen. The witness who provided RFA with this video footage tried to post it on a Chinese content sharing Web site but the file was taken down within an hour. The video shows an exited crowd, yelling "get him out, get him out." The protestors eventually set the police car on fire. The riots lasted until midnight. The following day, Zhengzhou government announced that one city inspector and four policemen were detained, two supervisors were dismissed and four other city inspectors and one policeman received warnings. They also said that the female student who was beaten had been hospitalized and was in good condition. She was vending goods in the street to make extra money when the city inspectors approached her and beat her. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/s1946704.htm Last Updated 08/06/2007, 22:33:49 Select text size: China officials questioned beating A number of government officials and police officers in central China have been questioned over the beating of a woman that sparked a riot by thousands of angry protestors. The unrest broke out in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province, after city inspectors beat a female college student for illegally selling items on the street. The beating sent about 2000 angry Zhengzhou residents into the streets, where they clashed with the inspectors and police for several hours. Two inspection team leaders have been dismissed, one city inspector and six police officers have been detained, and three other higher-level officials have been reprimanded. The woman was treated in hospital. http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2007-06-07T152734Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-301890-3.xml&archived=False Hundreds of students riot in central China Thu Jun 7, 2007 3:52 PM IST BEIJING (Reuters) - Hundreds of Chinese students clashed with police and overturned and burnt their car after street inspectors beat up a female student, a police officer and witnesses said on Thursday, the latest in a series of public disturbances. Students from several universities in Zhengzhou, in the central province of Henan, went on the rampage on Wednesday after a student vendor was beaten by several inspectors as they cleared her unlicensed stall, a student witness told Reuters. Last June, thousands of students from the same city smashed windows and ransacked their campus in a riot sparked by anger over the wording of their diplomas. "I was also selling things on the street, and I could not take it any more, when I saw them even beating up a girl, so I joined the riot by throwing a brick at the inspectors," a student from the Henan University of Finance and Economics said. "I saw more than 10 people running after an inspector and trying to beat him, and some other people overturned a car and set fire to it," other student witness said by telephone. About 100 police, some armed with electric rods and shields, arrived on the scene, sealing the street and taking people away, the student said. The Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy put the number of students rioting at 1,000. One witness put it at 2,000. A police officer also confirmed the riot. "A lot of students were rioting last night, and the situation was quite serious," the official, surnamed Wang, told Reuters. "The general city police office had to send more police to help," she said by phone, adding that the case was under investigation. The girl lost her front teeth in the clash and five students were detained by police, the rights centre said. Six inspectors were detained, two were sacked and four received warnings, the local Dahe News paper said, citing a government notice. Unrest of any kind is highly sensitive in China, whose Communist government prizes stability and brooks no challenges to its power. But student protests are an even more potent symbol because of a legacy of student activism, most recently in the 1989 pro-democracy demonstrations on Tiananmen Square. Clashes between members of the public and the inspectors, known as "cheng guan" and mainly responsible for cracking down on unlicensed hawkers suspected of selling unsanitary food or low- quality goods, are common. In April, a roadside vendor in Beijing was given a suspended death sentence for slitting an inspector's throat. The inspectors were set up across China in the late 1990s to ease the burden on police and ensure cities were clean and orderly. But critics say they have become a huge interest group thriving on fines and confiscations with over-reaching power. A widening gap between rich and poor, corruption and official abuses of power have fuelled demonstrations and riots around the country that are often sparked by seemingly minor issues. http://www.hostelbookers.com/info/news/18173051 Student riots in China The central Chinese province of Henan has been disturbed by rioting students, after a female student was beaten up by street inspectors. The student had allegedly been working on a street stall without a licence, when an argument with street inspectors descended into violence, sparking the widespread unrest. Police cars were overturned and burnt and bricks thrown as hundreds of students protested over another apparent instance of corrupt behaviour from Chinese officialdom. A student from the Henan University of Finance and Economics explained his involvement to Reuters: "I was also selling things on the street and I could not take it any more, when I saw them beating up a girl, so I joined the riot by throwing a brick at the inspectors." Over 100 police, some armed with riot gear arrived to quell the riots - five students were detained by the police. This was not an isolated incident, with many Chinese citizens furious at the heavy-handed approach of the "cheng guan" (street inspectors). Conflict has become increasingly common since their introduction to China in the late 90s . In April, a Beijing man received a suspended death sentence after slitting the throat of an inspector. Published: 7 June 2007 http://english.pravda.ru/news/society/07-06-2007/92974-china_riot-0 Student's riot breaks out in central China after inspectors beat female student Angered students rioted in Central China this week, clashing against police and overturning cars after city inspectors beat a female student who had set up a street stall, a human rights group said Thursday. BREAKING NEWS G8 summit in Germany treats Russia as villain More... Hundreds of police were called for backup as students from three universities surrounded the two inspectors who had assaulted the student and knocked out her front teeth Wednesday night, the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said in a statement. The students overturned a police car and another belonging to the city inspectors in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province, the statement said. One car was set on fire in the riot that lasted for about four hours. The Hong Kong-based rights group said five students were taken away by police, but it was not clear if they were detained. The local Dahe newspaper, citing information from the city government, said authorities met overnight to decide on punishment for the inspectors involved. Six were detained, two were demoted and four received administrative discipline, the newspaper said. In the newspaper's account of the events, residents and students came out to watch after inspectors confronted the female student. In the process, conflict broke out between inspectors and some "individual" students and citizens. Officials with the city police, public security bureau, Communist party and hospitals all said they were "unclear" or "not aware" of the riot. Campus unrest is treated with extreme sensitivity in China, where 1989 student pro-democracy protests led to the bloody military crackdown in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. College students rioted in Zhengzhou last year, after administrative changes made diplomas less prestigious for students at the Shengda Economics, Trade and Management College. They smashed offices and set fires after what they said were broken promises that they would get degrees from the better-known Zhengzhou University, which Shengda is affiliated with. http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/1170791 Students riot in central China Jun 7, 2007 Hundreds of Chinese students clashed with police and overturned and burnt their car after street inspectors beat up a female student, a police officer and witnesses said in the latest in a series of public disturbances. Students from several universities in Zhengzhou, in the central province of Henan, went on the rampage after a student vendor was beaten by several inspectors as they cleared her unlicensed stall, a student witness told Reuters. Last June, thousands of students from the same city smashed windows and ransacked their campus in a riot sparked by anger over the wording of their diplomas. "I was also selling things on the street, and I could not take it any more, when I saw them even beating up a girl, so I joined the riot by throwing a brick at the inspectors," a student from the Henan University of Finance and Economics said. "I saw more than 10 people running after an inspector and trying to beat him, and some other people overturned a car and set fire to it," other student witness said by telephone. About 100 police, some armed with electric rods and shields, arrived on the scene, sealing the street and taking people away, the student said. The Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy put the number of students rioting at 1,000. One witness put it at 2,000. A police officer also confirmed the riot. "A lot of students were rioting last night, and the situation was quite serious," the official, surnamed Wang, told Reuters. "The general city police office had to send more police to help," she said by phone, adding that the case was under investigation. The girl lost her front teeth in the clash and five students were detained by police, the rights centre said. Six inspectors were detained, two were sacked and four received warnings, the local Dahe News paper said, citing a government notice. Unrest of any kind is highly sensitive in China, whose Communist government prizes stability and brooks no challenges to its power. But student protests are an even more potent symbol because of a legacy of student activism, most recently in the 1989 pro-democracy demonstrations on Tiananmen Square. Clashes between members of the public and the inspectors, known as "cheng guan" and mainly responsible for cracking down on unlicensed hawkers suspected of selling unsanitary food or low- quality goods, are common. In April, a roadside vendor in Beijing was given a suspended death sentence for slitting an inspector's throat. The inspectors were set up across China in the late 1990s to ease the burden on police and ensure cities were clean and orderly. But critics say they have become a huge interest group thriving on fines and confiscations with over-reaching power. A widening gap between rich and poor, corruption and official abuses of power have fuelled demonstrations and riots around the country that are often sparked by seemingly minor issues. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: blue.gif Type: image/gif Size: 53 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 8 14:33:33 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 22:33:33 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] JAMAICA: Roads blocked in protest over road conditions Message-ID: <094e01c7aa14$ac7f24f0$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.radiojamaica.com/news/story.php?story=36504&category=2 Mon Jun 4, 2007 Blocked roads in Portland protest cleared Taxi operators who took part in the protest lashed out against the condition of the roads. The police have cleared sections of some roads which were blocked in Portland earlier Monday. Activity is slowly creeping back to normal in Portland following the protests which closed down sections of the parish. On the surface, it was bad roads which sparked the protests in the eastern section of the island. It was the same roads which were used to register the protestors' resentment. In the aftermath, police and personnel from the National Works Agency spent the afternoon clearing roadblocks. So far the Wall Pen Road has been cleared, while attempts are being made to allow passage on the Hectors River to Anchovy Road. Some roads have been partially cleared rendering them accessible through single lanes. It was residents and taxi operators who blocked several roads in protest. These include the Manchioneal, Hector's River, Long Road and St. Margaret's Bay. The taxi operators used their vehicles to block the roads in Western Portland while trees and other debris were used in Eastern Portland. Taxi operators who took part in the protest lashed out against the condition of the roads. It was unclear whether the taxi operators have resumed duties. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: de76928_pothole2.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 26113 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 8 14:39:17 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 22:39:17 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] INDIA: Gujjar protests spread to New Delhi Message-ID: <096401c7aa15$78bebdf0$0202a8c0@andy1> http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/06/05/10130092.html World India Published: 05/06/2007 12:00 AM (UAE) AP A woman runs away as a truck burns in the village of Aya Nagar, on the outskirts of New Delhi yesterday. Police said protesters were also trying to block highways. Ethnic group blocks road to Delhi in protest over quotas Reuters New Delhi: Hundreds of protesters from an Indian ethnic group demanding special government privileges blocked highways leading to New Delhi yesterday, some clashing with police who retaliated by firing teargas. This is the seventh day of protests by ethnic Gujjars, who are demanding they be declared a Scheduled Tribe (ST) which will entitle them to government jobs and college seats. Twenty-three people have been killed in the western state of Rajasthan. Police said protesters were attempting to block traffic on at least four major highways into New Delhi, adding that in some areas demonstrators had thrown stones at police who responded by firing teargas shells into the crowds. "The protesters have been pelting us heavily with stones so we have had to fire teargas at them to control the situation," said Anil Shukla, a senior Delhi police official. -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- "In south Delhi, we have arrested around 40 people alone." Thousands of police and paramilitary forces have been deployed and barricades have been set up in sensitive areas and major roads leading to the capital. Local television stations showed two buses and some trucks on fire, and burning tyres strewn across roads in several areas. In other areas, demonstrators waved sticks, held hands and blocked roads, causing massive traffic jams. Some also burnt effigies of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who they accuse of ignoring their demands. Anger spreads The protests by the Gujjars, a community of shepherds and farmers, began last week in Rajasthan and were fuelled after police shot dead 14 Gujjars during a clash on Tuesday. Anger has since spread to other parts of the country where Gujjars have sizeable populations, including New Delhi. "We Gujjars are a very brave people and are tough fighters," said demonstrator Rajinder Nagaar. "We will not settle for anything less than Scheduled Tribe status," he added. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: zone?zid=69&pid=0&position=1 Type: application/octet-stream Size: 2091 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Sat Jun 9 07:35:19 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sat, 9 Jun 2007 15:35:19 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Coca Cola Thrown out of 25 universities in the laast 6 months for enviro crimes, 20070607 Message-ID: <007601c7aaa3$68e1d410$0202a8c0@andy1> ----- Original Message ----- From: Scott Munson To: undisclosed-recipients: Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2007 7:42 PM Subject: [EF!] Coca Cola Thrown out of 25 universities in the laast 6 months for enviro crimes, 20070607 June 7, 2007 by OneWorld.net Coke Faces New Charges in India, Including ?Greenwashing? by Aaron Glantz LOS ANGELES - The Coca-Cola company has been charged with illegally seizing lands communally owned by small farmers and indiscriminately dumping sludge and other industrial hazardous waste onto the surrounding community. This comes as the multinational beverage giant announced a new effort Tuesday to protect rivers on four continents. The San Francisco-based India Resource Center, an environmental health non-profit, further charged Coca-Cola with releasing untreated wastewater into surrounding agricultural fields and a canal that feeds into the Ganges River in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ? The charges are based on the results of a fact-finding mission led by the group to a Coca-Cola bottling plant in the region. ?Access to potable water is a fundamental human right,? said Amit Srivastava of the India Resource Center. ?The Coca-Cola company must acknowledge that it is part of the problem of water unsustainability in India and elsewhere,? he added. This is not the first time environmental groups have criticized Coke?s operations in India. In 2003, in response to a growing campaign against Coca-Cola, the Central Pollution Control Board of India surveyed eight Coca-Cola bottling plants in the country and tested the sludge at all these facilities. The Board found all the sludge at all the Coca-Cola bottling plants it surveyed contained high levels of toxic heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and chromium. At the time, it ordered the Coca-Cola company to treat its sludge as industrial hazardous waste. Those toxic problems, coupled with allegations Coke has been complicit in the murders of union organizers at bottling plants in the South American nation of Colombia, have been increasingly troublesome to the Atlanta-based company. In the last six months, 25 universities from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, including the University of Michigan, the University of Guelph in Canada, and the University of Manchester in England, have all taken actions to remove Coca-Cola from their campuses. On May 29, the president of Smith College in Massachusetts, Carol T. Christ, barred Coke from participating in the school?s upcoming soft drink bidding process. Coca-Cola?s seven-year contract with Smith College expires on August 31. ?In light of Coca-Cola?s business practices in Colombia and India, Smith will preclude Coca-Cola from the list of approved bidders when we enter the contract renewal process later this summer,? Christ wrote in a letter. Coke vehemently denies the charges. ?The allegations that led to this decision are based on Internet rumor and myth, and have been proven false time and again,? Coke spokesperson Diana Garza Ciarlante told New Dehli-based Indo-Asian News Service. ?While our business relationship with Smith College is important, the integrity and reputation of our company is more important,? she said. On Tuesday, the soft drink giant announced its own environmental plan, pledging to spend $20 million to conserve seven of the world?s most critical river basins. Right now, it takes 2.5 liters of water to make and bottle 1 liter of Coke, and 250 liters to grow the sugar cane in the mix. ?We are focusing on water because this is where Coca-Cola can have a real and positive impact,? Coca-Cola Chairman and CEO E. Neville Isdell told a gathering of environmental advocates. The pledge was announced at the annual meeting of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Beijing. Over the life of a multiyear partnership with WWF, the company pledged to focus on ?measurably conserving? China?s Yangtze, Southeast Asia?s Mekong, the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo of the southwest United States and Mexico, the rivers and streams of the southeastern United States, the water basins of the Mesoamerican Caribbean Reef, the East Africa basin of Lake Malawi, and Europe?s Danube River. ?We call this ?greenwashing,?? said Srivastava of the India Resource Center. ?An attempt by the Coca-Cola company to manufacture a green image of itself that it clearly is not, as their practice in India shows.? Coke?s announcement did not mention any measures to conserve water basins in India, a decision that did not surprise Srivastava. ?The Coca-Cola company and WWF did not dare to include India in this initiative (because) the public in India is increasingly becoming aware of the Coca-Cola company?s disastrous relationship with water, and would have to see it for what it?s worth ? a drop in the bucket,? he told OneWorld. The deal also rubs U.S. critics of Coke the wrong way. ?In itself it?s a good thing, but we see it as largely a tactic to divert attention from other areas,? Patti Lynn of the watchdog group Corporate Accountability told OneWorld. ?Coke is just trying to get some public relations points. They?re using this as a diversionary tactic,? she added. Lynn and other U.S.-based consumer advocates are angry because of the foray that Coca-Cola has made into the bottled water market. >From the 1970s to 2000, Corporate Accountability says, the annual volume of bottled water purchased and sold in the United States has increased by over 7,000 percent. Yet the bottled water industry operates with little or no regulation. ?Tap water is better regulated, and often safer,? said Lynn, adding that bottled water costs 3,000 percent more. Lynn pointed to a 1999 study by the National Resources Defense Council on bottled water sold in the United States, which found traces of arsenic, chloroform, and other impurities; chemicals that would be illegal if found in tap water. Coca-Cola spent $1.7 billion on advertising last year. In North America, Coca-Cola distributes three bottled water brands: Dasani, Dannon, and Evian. According to the Washington, DC-based Earth Policy Institute, consumers spend about $100 billion on bottled water each year. By comparison, experts estimate that just $15 billion per year, above and beyond what is already spent, could bring reliable and lasting access to safe drinking water to half a billion people worldwide ? fully half of those who lack it. ?The way that Coke, Pepsi, and Nestle have marketed bottled water has had the effect of undermining people?s confidence in tap water and contributed to a broad societal shift,? Lynn said. ?Instead of buying bottled water, we need to be investing in our shared, public water systems.? Copyright ? 2007 OneWorld.net. -- Tim Hermach Native Forest Council PO Box 2190 Eugene, OR 97402 541.688.2600 541.461.2156 fax web page: http://www.forestcouncil.org DEFENDING NATURE, SAVING LIFE * Using Honest & Fully-Costed Accounting & * Honest, Uncompromised Education, Advocacy & Litigation, * Demanding Real Protection for 650 Million Acres of Publicly Owned Land, Rivers & Streams * No More Deals, No More Sellouts, Saving What's Left, Recovering What's Been Lost, ZeroCut! See the evidence at: http://forestcouncil.org/learn/aerial/index.html Donate what you can now online or you may call or mail us at the address above. http://www.guidestar.org/partners/networkforgood/donate.jsp? ein=93-0977788 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] __._,_.___ Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages | Links | Database | Polls | Calendar Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe Visit Your Group SPONSORED LINKS a.. Northern california lodging b.. Northern california whitewater rafting c.. Northern california d.. Northern california wedding photographer e.. Issue management Yahoo! Groups Find Green Groups Share with Others Help the Planet! Yahoo! News Get it all here Breaking news to entertainment news New web site? Drive traffic now. Get your business on Yahoo! search. . __,_._,___ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Sat Jun 9 17:24:41 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2007 01:24:41 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] WEST PAPUA: Protests as UN envoy visits Message-ID: <01e201c7aaf5$be2c9250$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.radioaus tralia.net. au/news/stories/ s1946578. htm Last Updated 08/06/2007, 17:46:39 Hundreds of people have rallied in West Papua, calling on the United Nations to pressure Jakarta into overturning a 1969 referendum that joined the territory to Indonesia. The demonstrators, rallying during a visit by UN envoy Hina Jilani, claim the referendum was a sham. Rally organiser, Jek Wanggai, says the UN must accept the Papuan people's aspiration to review the Act of Free Choice, as the referendum was known. "The United Nations must register Papuan areas as colonised zones and organise an immediate referendum vote," he said. Papuans have long accused Indonesia's military of violating human rights in the province and complain that the bulk of earnings from its rich natural resources flow to Jakarta. -------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=32851 Radio New Zealand International The Voice of New Zealand, Broadcasting to the Pacific Te Reo Irirangi O Aotearoa, O Te Moana-Nui-A-Kiwa Accessibility Information My RNZI Go to Site Menu Papuans plan demonstration to coincide with UN envoy's Indonesia trip Posted at 02:07 on 08 June, 2007 UTC About 1,000 Papuans are expected to conduct a peaceful demonstration in Manokwari today to coincide with the visit to Indonesia's Papua province of a United Nations representative. The UN Secretary General`s Special Envoy for Humanitarian Affairs, Hina Jilani, is making an excursion to Papua during her working visit to Indonesia at the government`s invitation. The purpose of her trip is to observe how human rights are being funded and promoted in Indonesia as well as to study the legal framework to defend human rights. The Papua Youth and Student organisation, which has planned the demonstration, aims to inform the UN about human rights abuses they continue to suffer. Its spokesman, Jek Wanggai, says they have three main points to make: "The people people of West Papua, we want to [have the UN] review the Act of Free Choice in 1969; then the second, we cannot use Special Autonomy again, because it's not good for our people; and then the third, we want a total referendum [on self-determination] in West Papua." Jek Wanggai -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 03:58:18 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 11:58:18 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] US: Police repression, unrest at Puerto Rican parade Message-ID: <014001c7ada9$c175ce70$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.midhudsonmostwanted.com/stories/20070612-03.htm Riot breaks out during street party Newburgh - What started as a street party following the annual New York City Puerto Rican Day Parade, turned into a near riot in the City of Newburgh Sunday night. The violence began when someone apparently exploded fireworks in the crowd in the vicinity of Benkard Avenue and Renwick Street. Debris fell into the crowd, promoting a fight. When police were called in to assist, the crowd turned on the officers, many of whom were injured. Officers from other nearby agencies were called in to help quell the rioting. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/12/nyregion/12parade.html?ref=nyregion 208 Arrested at Puerto Rican Day Parade, a Steep Increase Correction Appended The police disclosed yesterday that 208 people were arrested at the Puerto Rican Day Parade on Sunday - far more than in previous years - after reports that members of the Latin Kings gang planned to join the parade. But several of those arrested said they had simply been swept up with the crowd and denied having any gang associations. Among the paradegoers arrested were a 55-year-old postal worker from Paterson, N.J., and the college-bound nephew of a New Jersey police officer. The police, however, said that all but 10 of those arrested were gang members. Paul J. Browne, the Police Department's deputy commissioner for public information, said advance intelligence suggested that gang members were going to try to march in defiance of parade organizers, who did not want them there. "The parade organizers did not invite the Latin Kings, and they did not want them in the parade," Mr. Browne said. Of the 208 people arrested, 132 were charged with gathering illegally, the police said. Most of the rest were charged with other misdemeanors, including marijuana and weapons possession. At last year's parade, 50 to 60 people were arrested, according to the police. Many of those arrested spent a night in jail before being arraigned yesterday in Manhattan Criminal Court. Their friends and relatives filled the wooden benches on the first floor of the courthouse at 100 Centre Street in Lower Manhattan yesterday, waiting for them to be released. During the arraignments, prosecutors provided few details of what had led to the arrests, for the most part reciting the boilerplate charges. Edward McCarthy, a lawyer for the Legal Aid Society who was representing many of those arrested, said he was struck by the incongruity of people being charged with unlawful assembly at a parade. He said that many defendants contended that they had been swept up as part of a crowd. "People said they were being told by the police that they needed this group to turn the corner; then when they obeyed, the police were waiting around the corner," Mr. McCarthy said.The New Jersey police officer, dressed in plainclothes with a gun at his hip, waited all day for his nephew to be released. He said his nephew was an 18-year-old high school senior who would be going to Alabama State University on a football scholarship in the fall. "I'm concerned because he has a final exam tomorrow," said the officer, who declined to give his name to avoid embarrassing his nephew. He said his nephew was not a gang member. The postal worker, wearing jean shorts and a blue T-shirt, looked shaken and exhausted as he was led out of court by his 22-year-old son. He said he had been swept up in a large group of people around 47th Street and Fifth Avenue. Showing a skinned elbow, he said he was knocked to the street by officers while being arrested. The son said his father was a peaceful man. "He comes home, he works, cooks, that's my father," he said. They also said they were too embarrassed to give their names. Mr. Browne said that 198 of the 208 arrested were gang members, including 145 Latin Kings, 40 Bloods and 13 Natas. He said the gang unit of the department was concerned not only that the Latin Kings would show up uninvited, but also that violence could break out between rival gangs. He said the Latin King members had been identified in part by their colors, gold and black. Mr. Browne said a majority of the gang members were from outside the city, mostly from New Jersey and Connecticut. He said that when they were booked, a number of Latin Kings were chanting "Amor de rey," which is their gang theme. He declined to comment when asked whether any of those arrested had been innocent bystanders, saying that all had specific charges against them. The parade has been a concern for the police since 2000, when more than 50 women said they were attacked in Central Park after the parade. The city settled lawsuits by 22 women, including a British tourist who said she was stripped and sexually assaulted. Eighteen men were convicted of charges stemming from the attacks. Marilyn Gonzalez waited in the courthouse hallway yesterday for her son Stephen, a student at Automotive High School in Brooklyn, to be arraigned. "He's not a gang member," she said. "He's a good kid who goes to school. He was wearing a white T-shirt, black dress pants and dress shoes. He was presentable." Another parent, Paul Brown, a pharmacist from Brooklyn, was waiting for his son. He said he was puzzled by the arrest. "If he was arrested because he's 20 years old and he's Latino, there's a problem," Mr. Brown said. Mr. Browne, the deputy police commissioner, said four people were arrested on felony charges: two for illegal weapons possession, one for assault and one for evidence tampering. An additional 172 were misdemeanor arrests, including 132 for unlawful assembly and others for marijuana possession and weapons possession. There were 32 arrests for disorderly conduct, a violation. Several young men and women from Yonkers said they had been arrested because they were wearing yellow T-shirts with black lettering. They said the police had misconstrued their T-shirts, given to them by a friend to advertise his rap album, as Latin Kings shirts. "We were bum rushed by a bunch of cops," said Samantha Santiago, one of the Yonkers contingent. Ms. Santiago, a saleswoman at a sneaker store, was arrested along with her boyfriend. She was wearing a pink shirt, and her boyfriend was wearing one of the yellow shirts. Correction: June 13, 2007 An article yesterday about the high number of arrests at this year's Puerto Rican Day Parade in Manhattan referred incorrectly to the estimated number of arrests at last year's parade. The figure of 50 to 60 arrests last year was taken from an article that ran in The Times in 2006; the estimate did not come from the New York police in the course of reporting yesterday's article. (The 2006 article cited "at least 50" arrests, but the Police Department disputes that figure, saying 151 people were arrested.) An article about the reaction to this year's arrests appears today. http://www.1010wins.com/pages/572324.php?contentType=4&contentId=602039 Newburgh Cops: Officers Assaulted by Partygoers NEWBURGH, N.Y. -- Police in a Hudson Valley city say some of their officers were attacked by people attending a street party held after Sunday's Puerto Rican Day Parade in Manhattan. 1010 WINS Slideshow: Puerto Rican Day Parade 2007 Newburgh police officials say officers tried to break up a brawl that broke out Sunday night during the street party in Newburgh. Authorities say some people in the crowd tossed bottles and rocks at the officers and one of the cops was struck in the face by a table leg. No serious injuries were reported. Police say they arrested four people, charging them with disorderly conduct and inciting a riot. Newburgh police call in help from other law enforcement agencies, including state police and local town police and sheriff's deputies. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 06:33:32 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 14:33:32 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] FRANCE: More on anti-Sarko protests Message-ID: <01da01c7adbf$71023f80$0202a8c0@andy1> http://libcom.org/news/france-university-strikes-and-occupations-against-sarkozy-10052007 France: university strikes and occupations against Sarkozy tags: a.. transport b.. Western Europe c.. assemblies d.. blockades e.. France f.. Sarkozy g.. strikes h.. universities May 10th, 2007 by jef costello After the election of Nicolas Sarkozy as President of France there have been successive protests each night, mostly ending in confrontation with the police. The has been a lot of unrest in France and yesterday; at an general meeting (AG) students at Tolbiac in Paris voted to go on strike and occupy the university. Some 700 of the campus's 10,000 students were present at the AG. It is being reported that some 500 students occupied the buildings overnight. There were AGs planned at Nanterre The Sorbonne and St Denis universities (all in Paris) and at Mirail university in Toulouse. At Nanterre a rowdy meeting almost ended in violence as a right wing speaker who was being cat-called as he returned to his seat squared up to another students. They were separated by other students and the chair was able to restore order. In the end they voted on two motions, the first was to have an AG next week this was passed with 330 for, 177 against and 17 abstentions. The second motion, calling for a demonstration next week was passed by 288 votes to 196 with 33 abstentions. The AG lasted two hours; I was only there for the last hour and at least 100 students left before voting took place. The voting was very orderly, students were asked to sit down so votes could be counted easily and they did so. Two right-wing and two left-wing students volunteered to count the votes. It was announced at the meeting that students in Toulouse and Nantes had voted for strikes and blockades but this is unconfirmed. Pierre-Yves H?nin the president of Paris I university (of which Tolbiac is a campus) closed the university today, asking occupiers and picketers to leave claiming that buildings were being damaged. There are reports that riot police were sent in to end the occupation. The blockade has now been ended after an AG (they are usually held daily during occupations) however we have no idea under what conditions the AG was held. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 10052007.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 10760 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 07:20:30 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:20:30 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Germany G8 Blockades 2 - mainstream media reports part 1 Message-ID: <091b01c7adc6$00ad5d80$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070606/G8_summit_070606/20070606?hub=Politics Water cannons fired on protesters at G8 summit Updated Wed. Jun. 6 2007 11:29 AM ET Associated Press ROSTOCK, Germany -- Police used water cannons to scatter stone-throwing demonstrators Wednesday as several thousand protesters swarmed a 12-kilometre fence surrounding the G8 Summit where U.S. President George W. Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel met. An estimated 10,000 demonstrators had reached the fence by the afternoon, police said, while other protesters blocked roads leading from the airport to the summit site of Heiligendamm on the Baltic Sea coast in northern Germany as leaders began arriving on the first day of the three-day summit. "If we can block them, if they can get their lunch with a few hours' delay, that is fine,'' Emil Begtrup-Bright, who said he was a member of the left-wing grassroots group called Socialist Youth Forum, told Denmark's TV2 News channel. Police planned to clear the roughly 9,000 people who continued to block the main traffic routes around Heiligendamm and the Rostock airport, spokesman Lueder Behrens said, insisting they would do so in a way that would "de-escalate'' the situation. At least eight officers were injured in clashes with protesters earlier in the day, Behrens said, none of them seriously. There was no immediate information on injuries among demonstrators. "We are more than happy with our performance,'' said Christoph Kleine of the protest group Block G8. After protesters rushed to the fence, Germany's constitutional court upheld a lower court's ban on a protest march that would have begun at various points and converged on Heiligendamm. The Karlsruhe-based federal court upheld a ban against protests within 200 metres of the fence. At one section, hundreds of protesters chanted "Peace'' and "Free G8! Free G8!'' while inside riot police gathered, wearing helmets and bearing transparent shields. Some police held the leashes of dogs as they watched the protesters, who numbered more than 150 near the small town of Hinter Bollhagen, less than three kilometres from the summit site. "What they're doing behind that fence is illegitimate,'' said Philipp Schweizer, a 26-year-old social worker from Munich. "They're making decisions about countries who don't have any representation.'' Elsewhere, one group laid branches across a small-gauge railway used to transport journalists to Heiligendamm from the summit centre in nearby Kuehlungsborn, running in various directions until a detachment in riot gear corralled them in one area. Police spokesman Manfred Luetjann said the protesters had managed to block two routes leading from the airport in Rostock and to breach security to reach the imposing fence surrounding the resort. Protesters who reached the fence also targeted two police control points, pelting them with stones before authorities turned water cannons on them, Luetjann said. He had no information about injuries or arrests. Video taken by AP Television News showed a water cannon firing over the protesters, but two volleys could be seen hitting protesters directly. The incident came after a protest Saturday in nearby Rostock, where several thousand black-hooded protesters hurled rocks and bottles at police near the end of a march and rally by some 25,000 people. About 400 police officers were injured. http://www.eux.tv/article.aspx?articleId=9359 Wednesday, June 06, 2007 at 17:02 Subject: /G8-Demos/Germany/ ROUNDUP: Protesters block gates at G8 summit in Germany Eds: epa photos 401030438, 401030386 available Heiligendamm, Germany (dpa) - Thousands of anti-globalization protesters blocked the main gate to the G8 summit in Germany for hours on end Wednesday, after evading police checkpoints around the event. The demonstrators ignored a legal ban on protests in a zone extending more than 6 kilometres from the summit hotel, although that ban was confirmed by Germany's constitutional court in the southern city of Karlsruhe. Summit leaders were able to fly by helicopter from a nearby airport into the exclusive Heiligendamm beach resort, but lesser staff in cars and buses were caught in traffic jams on the ground. Other access roads to the summit and a steam-railway line for tourists were blocked for hours too. Police used tear-gas and water-jets from special German anti-riot trucks when missiles were thrown at them near the welded-mesh, steel fence, erected at a radius of 2 kilometres from the summit hotel. The crowd later fell back 50 metres when police with plastic clubs and shields lined up. An informal truce was established under the police "de-escalation" policy. But reporters said the situation was tense, amid the pounding noise of helicopters coming and going with police reinforcements. Police had earlier used water jets and tear gas to clear thousands of protesters off Highway 105 which runs past Heiligendamm at a distance of about 6 kilometres. Another sit-down protest halted traffic on the autobahn near Rostock Airport, where the non-German delegations were landing Wednesday to travel to Heiligendamm by road. Exultant demonstrators voiced surprise that the police had not stopped them. Organizers said they had fielded 10,000 protesters in the countryside near Heiligendamm to disrupt the summit. "We just walked over the fields where the water-cannon couldn't follow us," said a spokeswoman for the protest group Block G8, which regards the summit as illegitimate. A police spokesman denied the special summit police force, which had met frequently beforehand with protest organizers, had been surprised by the invasion. Police said about 8,000 protesters were in the fields and woods. The protesters, hailing from several European nations, were mainly in their 20s, many wearing colourful casual dress or humourous costumes, but with a few wearing the hoods and the black clothes that mark out militants. Two Spanish men aged 20 and 21 were meanwhile sent to jail at a summary trial for their part in an anti-G8 riot four days earlier in the port city of Rostock. The younger man was given nine months for throwing stones at police and the elder ten months because one of the stones actually hit an officer. Defence lawyers said they would appeal against the convictions. The previous day, the first rioter to be convicted, a 31-year-old, received 10 months on similar charges. An estimated 2,000 black-clad protesters fought with riot police Saturday. http://www.worldnewsaustralia.com.au/region.php?id=137553®ion=3 Mass protests target G8 8.6.2007. 06:55:18 German police battled thousands of anti-globalisation protesters with water cannons to stop them getting close to the annual summit of the world's rich nations. Police fired jets of water late yesterday to clear one of two main roads into the Baltic resort of Heiligendamm that had been blocked for several hours. More than 140 people were arrested during the day and eight officers were injured in a hail of stones as they fought to stop demonstrators approaching a 12-kilometre long barbed wire fence protecting the summit venue, police said. RELATED LINKS - US poised to take climate lead - One billion 'will lack water' - Bush bashes Putin on democracy - Climate envoy for Asia Pacific - G8 Protests An estimated 10,000 people took part in protests around Heiligendamm as the Group of Eight presidents and heads of government started their summit. Shortly before darkness fell, police moved in and sprayed powerful jets of water at activists who had blocked the main road. Police on horseback also helped pushed protesters off the highway. The main flashpoint was the fence surrounding the exclusive resort hotel where US President George W Bush and his counterparts were meeting. Police said that when about 800 people tried to fight their way to the barrier, a small group began hurling stones, prompting the police to fire water cannons. One activist group said tear gas had also been used against demonstrators, but police could not confirm it. Protesters jailed Two Spanish protesters and a German were sentenced yesterday to up to 10 months in prison for their part in violence on Saturday in which hundreds of people were injured. But a major demonstration planned for today was called off, the organisers said, after German authorities banned the event. About 11,000 people had been expected to attend. Demonstrations to continue amidst security fears But other anti-globalisation groups have vowed to keep up the protests until the summit ends tomorrow and 16,000 German police were to remain around Heiligendamm. In the three-day meeting, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States are discussing climate change and aid to Africa. SOURCE: AFP http://www.thestatesmanonline.com/pages/news_detail.php?newsid=3720§ion=1 18,000 Police shield G8 leaders from angry protestors . , 07/06/2007 As G8 leaders arrived in northern Germany Wednesday for their annual summit, German police imposed strict limits on protestors, effectively preventing most from getting anywhere near the airport. It is taking about 18,000 security personnel (about the size of Ghana's entire police service) to shield the world leaders from thousands of demonstrators by a 12-km (7.5-mile) fence topped with barbed wires. Meanwhile, the prospect of a positive outcome for millions of poor people around the world hung in the balance last night as it emerged that the G8 was in turmoil over negotiations on Africa. With Germany the current chair of the G8, Angela Merkel was under pressure to show some 'care". She has promised to increase development aid by 750 million euros a year over the next four years. Max Lawson of Oxfam said this was "not enough." To reach Germany's target of spending 0.51 percent of GDP on aid, its increase would need to be nearly double the proposed amount. However, the German government, according to reports, was making eleventh hour amendments to the final summit text in a bid to secure agreement on aid. This comes amid reports that several G8 countries, including Italy and Canada, were blocking progress on Africa negotiations in Heiligendamm. The arrival of the G8 heads had been a red letter day in the protestors' diary from the very beginning. For the past few days, the issues had been the motivation to protest. Now the people responsible for those issues were coming and a predicted 8,000 to 10,000 demonstrators were ready to give them a welcome they would never forget. The police had other plans. From the early morning, it was evident that the "two police officers for every protestor" rumour was no longer in dispute. The massed ranks of heavily armoured officers stationed on roads, bridges and railway tracks were sending out a visible message: you shall not pass. The 16,000 regular police and 2,000 special officers drafted in for the summit were being used to full effect. The first full bus of protestors was ready to head to the summit area from nearby Rostock when it was surrounded by police wagons. Officers ordered the passengers out of the bus and the vehicle was slowly searched while bags and pockets were emptied on demand. Another bus arrived and was immediately impounded, its human cargo forced to get comfortable on the grass verge. For how long, it is hard to say. Many never made it out of Rostock. Police used water canons to push back demonstrators. Several masked protestors used clippers to cut through barbed wires. Almost 1,000 people were injured during a weekend rally at Rostock in clashes with the police. Their anger is a mixed bag of anti-globalisation, pro-environmentalism, anarchism and anger at the rich nation's treatment of Africa. "With key countries playing spoilers on aid and HIV, the G8's credibility is on the line. Unless there's serious work done in the next day on the G8's Africa Declaration, the summit will be over for the world's poorest region before it's even begun," Patrick Watt, ActionAid UK Policy Coordinator was reported as saying. The promise of universal access to HIV treatment made in 2005 remains in a critical condition, with some countries seeking to remove the few hard numbers on financing from the text. With the G8 falling short of their aid commitments by $8 billion in 2006 alone, the G8 risks scuppering pledges on HIV, health and education. Germany and Italy urgently need to step up to the plate to get the G8 on track to double aid to Africa by 2010. With the leaders and delegations from the G8 nations and the Plus Five observer countries jetting into Rostock Laage military air base on Wednesday, the summit proper really began. As if to emphasise that whatever had gone before had just been a dry run for the main event, the police made their own statement to that effect. The day started with what could only be described as widespread lockdown of infrastructure and ended with a heavy-handed clampdown on the opposition. Still on Africa, a report issued by CONCORD, an umbrella organisation representing development NGOs based in Europe, analyses the aid programmes of European Union nations. The report is entitled "Hold the Applause." It states that the amounts promised by European governments do not match the amounts actually paid: "If European governments do not improve on current performance, poor countries will have received 50 billion Euros less from Europe by 2010 than...promised." It accuses European government aid programmes of having "security, geopolitical alliances and domestic interests" as the main objectives. The analysis shows 30 percent of the figure for aid claimed by European governments was not genuine aid. Amongst the methods used to inflate the aid figures is the inclusion of debt relief as aid. Another is to count cancellation of export credit debts as aid relief. As the report points out, export credits are used to support domestic companies seeking to do business in developing countries, offering insurance against often very lucrative, if somewhat risky, ventures. Another means of inflating aid figures is to include monies spent on refugees within Europe and money spent on educating overseas students within Europe. The report cites Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development figures showing the percentage of European aid going to Africa is actually falling. For 2004 it was 41 percent, and in 2005 it was 37 percent. CONCORD also makes the point that "tied food aid is often linked to trade dumping of surplus food from donor countries." A recent article in the Observer newspaper food magazine accused the American government of doing the same thing. It noted, "America's food aid volumes increased massively (up to 20 percent of cereal production)...when prices in the US were depressed...but when domestic prices are high this figure falls to just five percent." A report by the development charity Oxfam is headlined, "The World is Still Waiting. Broken G8 promises are costing millions of lives." The report notes that two years since the Gleneagles G8 summit, "the unacceptable truth is that they are breaking their promises, with terrible consequences." Oxfam calculates that shortfall in money promised equates to 1 million women dying in pregnancy or childbirth for the want of simple medical care and 21 million children under five dying because of extreme poverty. Much was made of the debt cancellations announced at the 2005 G8 summit, and yet according to the Jubilee Debt Campaign using the latest information available, "The poorest 54 countries have debts totalling between $300 and $400 billion, whilst for the poorest 152 countries, it is over $ 2.5 trillion." They add, "The total external debt of the very poorest countries (the 'low income countries' which have an annual average income of less than $875 per person) was $412 billion at the end of 2005. During 2005, these countries paid nearly $43 billion to the rich world in debt service (payments of interest and principal)-that is $118 million a day." In April, the Africa Progress Panel was established. Amongst its leading personnel are Kofi Busumburu Annan, former head of the United Nations, Michael Camdessus, former managing director of the International Monetary Fund and Bob Geldof. In a recent statement, it noted only 10 percent of the pledges made at the Gleneagles G8 summit had been fulfilled. Mr Annan met with Merkel at the end of April. After the meeting, she commented, "We are going to take things up where Gleneagles ended...we don't need to have more conferences and set more goals." http://news.monstersandcritics.com/europe/news/article_1314334.php/Protesters_block_gates_at_G8_summit__2nd_Roundup_ Jun 6, 2007, 19:03 GMT Heiligendamm, Germany - Thousands of anti-globalization protesters blocked several access routes to the G8 summit site in Germany for much of Wednesday. Riot police stood tensely on guard for most of the day, keeping the gaily dressed protesters from pressing up to a 2.5-metre-high, welded-mesh, steel fence topped with razor wire surrounding the Heiligendamm summit hotel. In the evening, police began clearing the roads, manhandling away sitting protesters, hosing down larger groups with cold water from police trucks and drawing up lines of riot officers wielding plastic clubs and shields. In a day of manoeuvring and outflanking, protesters ran across fields to evade police road-blocks and defy a court ban on protests near the fence, erected in a two-kilometre radius from the palaces and grand hotel at Heiligendamm. A main gate, emergency-access routes and a steam railway for tourists were blocked, but one main access route remained open all day, so the blockade was not complete, reporters said. Under a soft policing policy named 'de-escalation,' there were only isolated clashes and riot police ignored the fact that the protest was illegal under a ruling the same day from Germany's Constitutional Court. The court confirmed a ban on protest in a zone extending more than 6 kilometres from the summit hotel. Exultant demonstrators voiced surprise that the police had not stopped them. Organizers said they had fielded 10,000 protesters in the countryside near Heiligendamm to disrupt the summit, while police counted 8,000. 'We just walked over the fields where the water-cannon couldn't follow us,' said a spokeswoman for the protest group Block G8, which regards the summit as illegitimate. The eight summit leaders were able to fly by helicopter over the protesters' heads from a nearby airport into the exclusive Heiligendamm beach resort and later to a country estate, Gut Hohen Luckow 20 kilometres away, for dinner. At key points such as main highways, police used water cannon and tear gas to clear away protesters. The various clashes caused injuries such as cuts, bruises and sprains. A police spokesman denied the 16,000-strong special summit police force, which had met frequently beforehand with protest organizers, had been taken by surprise. The protesters from round the globe were mainly in their 20s, many wearing colourful casual dress or humourous costumes, but with a few wearing the hoods and the black clothes that mark out 'Black Block' militants. Two Spanish men aged 20 and 21 were meanwhile sent to jail at a summary trial for their part in an anti-G8 riot four days earlier in the port city of Rostock. The younger man was given nine months for throwing stones at police and the elder ten months because one of the stones actually hit an officer. However, they were bailed after defence lawyers said they would appeal against the convictions. The previous day, the first rioter to be convicted, a 32-year-old German, received 10 months on similar charges. An estimated 2,000 black-clad protesters had fought with riot police on Saturday. http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2007/jun/06/demonstrators_evade_police_g8_summit.html Demonstrators evade police at G8 summit Posted June 6th, 2007 by Tarique o International By IANS Heiligendamm (Germany) : Thousands of demonstrators determined to conduct a sit-down protest at the G8 summit evaded a police roadblock and streamed towards the summit venue Wednesday. Only 50 police were posted near a protest camp at Reddelich, a village close to the summit press centre in Bad Doberan. The protesters ran through woods. On a road at the other side of the woods, they hurled branches of trees onto the tarmac to briefly obstruct police vehicles and enable a further advance. Ten police helicopters observed the cat-and-mouse game from above. Police had earlier warned the public in Germany to expect delays on roads near the Heiligendamm G8 summit because of sit-down protests. Ulf Erler, a spokesman for the summit police unit code-named Kavala, said on ZDF television 30 demonstrations were planned for Wednesday in the Baltic coast area. Police have coordinated in advance with the protesters. Under a policing approach known as de-escalation, the police are expected to tolerate crowds holding up traffic briefly. Erler appealed to the German public to put up with any delays caused by sit-down protesters. This was implicit in the de-escalation strategy, he said. Peaceful protesters, who have condemned rioting and attacks on police lines, say they want to disrupt the summit but will only break the law to the extent of obstructing arrivals by the mass of their bodies. The sit-ins are being led by a faction in the broad protest movement, which considers the G8 as evil and wants to stop the summit, but disagrees with the violent tactics of the most radical faction, known as the Black Block. Civic groups, which accept the G8 meeting but want to persuade western leaders to offer more aid to Africa, have organized rallies, which do not disrupt and are attending an "Alternative Summit" in Rostock. http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2007/06/07/WorldNation/German.Police.Spray.G8.Protesters.With.Water.Cannon-2912931.shtml German police spray G8 protesters with water cannon By David McHugh (The The Associated Press) Print Email Article Tools Page 1 of 1 KUEHLUNGSBORN, Germany - Police used water cannon on scattered stone-throwing demonstrators Wednesday as several hundred protesters swarmed a seven-mile fence surrounding the G-8 summit where President Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel were to meet. Other protesters blocked roads leading from the airport to the summit site of Heiligendamm on the Baltic Sea coast in northern Germany, police said, as leaders began arriving on the first day of the three-day summit. One group swarmed over a small-gauge railway used to transport journalists to Heiligendamm from the summit center in nearby Kuehlungsborn, running in various directions until a detachment in riot gear corralled them in one area. Police spokesman Manfred Luetjann said that protesters had managed to block two routes leading from the airport in Rostock, and they breached security to reach the imposing fence surrounding the resort. "We wanted to prevent this from happening but now they are there and we are handling it," he told The Associated Press by telephone. He said that several thousand protesters were along parts of the fence, some throwing stones at police control points that had been set up along the barrier. Police responded with water cannon. It was not immediately clear if there were any injuries or arrests. The incident came after a protest Saturday in nearby Rostock where several thousand black-hooded protesters hurled rocks and bottles at police near the end of a march and rally by some 25,000 people. Some 400 police officers were injured. Another police spokesman, Frank Scheulen, said most of the demonstrators who had reached the fence Wednesday were peaceful, "but of course we have to assume that there could be potentially violent protesters among them." "We will take all necessary measures," to ensure the security, he said. Luetjann said that protesters had blocked the A19 and B105 roadways from Laage airport, where Air Force One landed the day before, and where leaders including Russia's Vladimir Putin and Britain's Tony Blair were expected later in the day. "If we can block them, if they can get their lunch with a few hours' delay, that is fine," Emil Begtrup-Bright, who said he was a member of the left-wing grass roots group called Socialist Youth Forum, told Denmark's TV2 News channel. Some of the demonstrators got to the barbed wire-topped fence, which runs through open countryside outside Heiligendamm. "The fence was reach by several hundred persons," said police spokesman Lueder Behrens. http://jurnalo.com/jurnalo/storyPage.do?story_id=40052 Heiligendamm Protesters clash with police at G8 summit Wednesday 06 June 2007 13:07 An estimated 6,000 anti-globalization protesters blocked roads near the G8 summit on Wednesday and gathered at a fence around the Heiligendamm venue in Germany. Police used tear-gas and water-jets from special anti-riot trucks to drive part of the crowd back from the welded-mesh, steel fence erected at a radius of 2 kilometres from the summit hotel. A police spokesman said the water cannon were used after stones were thrown at police from a crowd of about 800 near the main access gate to the summit zone. "Once we use the water cannon, our de-escalation strategy has finished," he added. Another group of 300 had approached the second of the two gates in the G8 fence. Police also used water jets and tear gas to clear thousands of protesters off Highway 105 which runs past Heiligendamm at a distance of about 6 kilometres. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 07:20:47 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:20:47 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Germany G8 Blockades 3 - mainstream media reports part 2 Message-ID: <091c01c7adc6$0a726ef0$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article1896159.ece June 7, 2007 Clown army tries hard to make fools of the police Roger Boyes in Heiligendamm For a brief moment it looked as if the antiG8 protesters had won a battle, if not the war. They failed to punch a hole in the eight-mile (13km) steel and barbed-wire fence that was guarding world leaders. But for a few hours they did come within 20 yards before being beaten back by riot police firing high-powered jets of water. Perhaps, just perhaps - much depended on the sea winds around Heiligendamm - President Bush was able to hear them shout: "No justice, no peace!" It was an instructive piece of guerrilla protest, the result of a year of tactical planning. "We successfully captured two access roads to the G8 summit," Christoph Kleine, a leading member of the radical Interventionist Left, said. "We are very satisfied." The protesters plan to stay for 24 hours within about 200m (650ft) of the leaders' compound, mimicking a medieval siege. "We don't have to storm the wall. That wall will always be the symbol of how the G8 is excluding the rest of the world," he said. The protesters used what is known as the Five Finger strategy, borrowing from the guerrilla warfare textbooks of Mao Zedong and Che Guevara. Two wings of the protest movement managed to paralyse stretches of the motorway linking Rostock airport to the G8. A third detachment blocked the narrow-gauge railway track on which the vintage Molli locomotive attempted to ferry journalists into the G8 security compound to meet Jos? Manuel Barroso, the European Commission President. The journalists eventually had to be transported by sea. One of the key diversionary tactics involved a group known as the Rebel Clown Army. They had their first real outing at the Gleneagles G8 summit two years ago and, in the current skirmishes, are fielding some 500 people with red noses and floppy boots. Typically they surround police vans, squirt them with water pistols, jump on car bonnets to distract officers from other, more serious, protest actions. Three - Matthias, Daniel and Kati - drove a police checkpoint to distraction with bad jokes and a mock silver-foil machinegun. "Feeling cold then?" Daniel asked as one policeman started to put on his armour. "Take us with you, we'll cheer you up," Matthais said, pretending to vomit in their laps. Later police claimed that militants had been shedding their black shirts and donning clown masks to come up close and cause injury. A spokesman said that eight officers had been treated for skin irritations caused from a fluid shot. "That's the funniest thing I've heard all day," said the Rebel Clown Army spokesman, Matthias H?berlein. "We use the purest of soap bubbles." He added: "Of course anyone can dress up as a clown. It's a human right." Clowns, Greens, blackshirted radicals, gay-rights activists and antinuclear campaigners prepared for a vigil within loudspeaker distance of the G8 leaders last night. The idea, they said, was to make sure that they did not sleep easy. http://www.tolerance.ca/Article.aspx?ID=694&L=fr M?dias Police use tear gas, water cannons against G8 protesters (Version anglaise seulement) HEILIGENDAMM/KUEHLUNGSBORN (Germany) - German police used tear gas and water cannons Wednesday to disperse G8 protesters who turned violent at the G8 summit, German media reported. Young people clad in black threw stones at riot police, who have found it difficult to separate them from peaceful protesters. As a result, both checkpoints into the summit security zone have been blocked off, and indiscriminate riot control methods have been employed. Police use tear gas, water cannons against G8 protesters (Version anglaise seulement) HEILIGENDAMM/KUEHLUNGSBORN (Germany) - German police used tear gas and water cannons Wednesday to disperse G8 protesters who turned violent at the G8 summit, German media reported. Young people clad in black threw stones at riot police, who have found it difficult to separate them from peaceful protesters. As a result, both checkpoints into the summit security zone have been blocked off, and indiscriminate riot control methods have been employed. The main road from the Rostock Airport and other roads toward Heiligendamm have been blocked since earlier today by rows of people engaged in a sit-down protest, as well as barricades. Protesters blocked the small-gauge railroad, the only way to get from the media center at the neighboring town of Kuehlungsborn, where all security checks are to be passed, and the summit's main venue at Heiligendamm. http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=06e4ef9f-d449-4396-afd6-0a6c1df8b46c&k=11465 Police use water cannons on protesters at G8 summit; airport roads blocked An activist dressed as a clown sits in front of police at the road between Bad Doberan and Heiligendamm. (AP Photo/Frank Hormann) Vanessa Gera, Canadian Press Published: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 HINTER BOLLHAGEN, Germany (AP) - Police used water cannons to scatter stone-throwing demonstrators Wednesday as several thousand protesters swarmed a 12-kilometre fence surrounding the G8 summit where U.S. President George W. Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel met. An estimated 10,000 demonstrators had reached the fence by the afternoon, police said, while other protesters blocked roads leading from the airport to the summit site of Heiligendamm on the Baltic Sea coast in northern Germany as leaders began arriving on the first day of the three-day summit. "If we can block them, if they can get their lunch with a few hours' delay, that is fine," Emil Begtrup-Bright, who said he was a member of the left-wing grassroots group called Socialist Youth Forum, told Denmark's TV2 News channel. Police planned to clear the roughly 9,000 people who continued to block the main traffic routes around Heiligendamm and the Rostock airport, spokesman Lueder Behrens said, insisting they would do so in a way that would "de-escalate" the situation. At least eight officers were injured in clashes with protesters earlier in the day, Behrens said, none of them seriously. There was no immediate information on injuries among demonstrators. "We are more than happy with our performance," said Christoph Kleine of the protest group Block G8. After protesters rushed to the fence, Germany's constitutional court upheld a lower court's ban on a protest march that would have begun at various points and converged on Heiligendamm. The Karlsruhe-based federal court upheld a ban against protests within 200 metres of the fence. At one section, hundreds of protesters chanted "Peace" and "Free G8! Free G8!" while inside riot police gathered, wearing helmets and bearing transparent shields. Some police held the leashes of dogs as they watched the protesters, who numbered more than 150 near the small town of Hinter Bollhagen, less than three kilometres from the summit site. "What they're doing behind that fence is illegitimate," said Philipp Schweizer, a 26-year-old social worker from Munich. "They're making decisions about countries who don't have any representation." Elsewhere, one group laid branches across a small-gauge railway used to transport journalists to Heiligendamm from the summit centre in nearby Kuehlungsborn, running in various directions until a detachment in riot gear corralled them in one area. Police spokesman Manfred Luetjann said the protesters had managed to block two routes leading from the airport in Rostock and to breach security to reach the imposing fence surrounding the resort. Protesters who reached the fence also targeted two police control points, pelting them with stones before authorities turned water cannons on them, Luetjann said. He had no information about injuries or arrests. Video taken by AP Television News showed a water cannon firing over the protesters, but two volleys could be seen hitting protesters directly. The incident came after a protest Saturday in nearby Rostock, where several thousand black-hooded protesters hurled rocks and bottles at police near the end of a march and rally by some 25,000 people. About 400 police officers were injured. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2578763,00.html Opposition | 06.06.2007 Police Prevent Protests as G8 Summit Gets Going in Germany Gro?ansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Police officials didn't want to take any chances and came out in force As G8 leaders arrived in northern Germany Wednesday for their annual summit, German police imposed strict limits on protestors, effectively preventing most to get anywhere near the airport. With the leaders and delegations from the G8 nations and the Plus Five observer countries jetting into Rostock Laage military air base on Wednesday, the summit proper really began. As if to emphasize that whatever had gone before had just been a dry run for the main event, the police made their own statement to that effect. The day started with what could only be described as widespread lockdown of infrastructure and ended with a heavy-handed clampdown on the opposition. The arrival of the G8 heads had been a red letter day in the protestors' diary from the very beginning. Even though their main target, US President George Bush, had attempted to avoid the predicted mass picketing of Laage airport by arriving a day earlier, there were still seven other leaders to vent anger against. For the past few days, the issues had been the motivation to protest. Now the people responsible for those issues were coming and a predicted 8,000 to 10,000 demonstrators were ready to give them a welcome they would never forget. Police outnumber protestors Bildunterschrift: Gro?ansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Demonstrators on their way to the airport The police had other plans. From the early morning, it was evident that the "two police officers for every protestor" rumor was no longer in dispute. The massed ranks of heavily armored officers stationed on roads, bridges and railway tracks were sending out a visible message: you shall not pass. The 16,000 regular police and 2,000 special officers drafted in for the summit were being used to full effect. With the first arrival due to land at Laage at 10 a.m., hundreds of protestors streamed out of the Rostock Fischereihafen camp towards their own private vehicles and the specially organized buses waiting to take them the few kilometers to the airport while the morning was still in its infancy. Some of them didn't even make it out of the camp car park. Preventing protest Bildunterschrift: Gro?ansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Police made it clear that demonstrators would not get past them The first full bus was ready to depart when it was surrounded by police wagons. Officers ordered the passengers out of the bus and the vehicle was slowly searched while bags and pockets were emptied on demand. Another bus arrived and was immediately impounded, its human cargo forced to get comfortable on the grass verge. For how long, it is hard to say. Many never made it out of Rostock. There were alternative routes, however. But security had not been the only reason why Laage had been chosen as the arrival point. It is horrendously difficult to get to by public transport and even more so when the roads and train tracks are closed down. Buses carrying protestors were stopped kilometers from the airport, unloaded and the passengers allowed to continue to a specified containment point away from Laage on foot. And these were the lucky ones. Mysteriously coincidental train malfunctions paralyzed the rail system just after rush hour leaving many protestors stranded and angry. This would later contribute to frustration and violence. Few get through Bildunterschrift: Gro?ansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Police officers redirected protestors Those who had set out just in time to avoid the main lockdown of the transport system around Laage were met at the containment points by rows of riot police. The plan had been to picket the airport at four main sites around its perimeter. With numbers expected in the region of 8,000 demonstrators, it had been planned that around 2,000 would go to each. The road blocks and train cancellations had contributed to a massive decimation of those numbers. The few hundred which had gathered at the mouth of the airport's service road milled around in front of the police, some muttering nervously about the prevalence of Unit 23, the hardest and most uncompromising officers bandied together from various forces to create an elite division. Various attempts to begin the demonstration were stopped by senior police officers. There would be protests allowed, but only 50 people at a time would be let through the cordons to demonstrate at the airport's gates. From an expected crowd of 2,000, as few as 37 protestors eventually made it to the gate. Once there, over 70 police officers blocked the entrance and forced the small group of protestors onto a grass verge opposite and held them there for an hour. Deflated demonstrators Meanwhile, reports were phoned in to the group leader from an associate at Bad Doberan about a major incident involving over a thousand protestors who had been denied the chance to travel to Laage and a large contingent of riot police. According to the source in Bad Doberan, clashes had escalated quickly and tear gas and water cannons were being used to quell the unrest. There was even an unsubstantiated report that a badly injured protestor had been denied medical assistance by police officers. The mood of those at Laage was already deflated before hearing this. The planned blockade and show of strength had been turned into a pathetic joke by a well-coordinated and ruthless police operation. By denying access to thousands and controlling to the footstep the movements of those which did make it to the boundaries of the airport, the police effectively removed all opposition at the point of entry for the G8 leaders. And in Bad Doberan, they showed that they had learned the mistakes of the weekend where sheer numbers could not make up for the lack of preparation in dealing with a rioting mob. On Wednesday, the police struck hard and fast to end the unrest. They more than made up for their shortcomings on previous unruly days. On Wednesday, they could claim a victory. Only in the future will it really be clear what was lost. http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=%7B01574239-7B55-4E47-88F7-400F042ABC0C%7D)&language=EN Protestors Block Access to G8 Summit Heiligendamm, Germany, Jun 7 (Prensa Latina) Although Germany forbade access to the sea resort hosting the summit of the seven most developed countries plus Russia (G8), thousands of anti-globalization activists blocked the main routes to the venue on Thursday. Yesterday, despite a prohibition to come within 3 miles of the 8-foot, 8 mile wall surrounding the meeting place, five groups of protestors converged on the wall and were repelled by police with clubs, water and teargas. Thirty protestors were arrested yesterday and early today. Police intercepted two Greenpeace boats attempting a sea landing and the protest convened for today has been banned, but 70,000 people are expected at the anti-globalization concert in neighboring Rostock with such stars as U2, Bono, Bob Geldof and German singer Herbert Gronemayer. Meanwhile the G8 leaders debate climate change, Washington s plans for an anti-missile system in Eastern Europe, a new status for Kosovo and the failure to provide economic assistance to Africa. In an open letter, over 50 organizations urged German Chancellor Angela Merkel for new accords to halve current gas emissions causing global warming. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21870390-1702,00.html Police capsize protesters' boats at G8 By Knut Engelmann and Erik Kirschbaum in Heiligendamm June 08, 2007 08:11am Article from: Reuters Font size: + - Send this article: Print Email POLICE rammed two inflatable speed boats that breached a security zone around a German seaside resort where world leaders were meeting, tipping activists into the Baltic and injuring three of them. Land access to the Group of Eight (G8) summit venue, a luxury hotel in the small seaside town of Heiligendamm, was blocked for a second day as thousands of anti-globalisation protesters jammed nearby roads and scuffled with riot police. Police said nearly 260 protesters had been detained yesterday, adding to almost 160 detentions on Wednesday around the 12km fence sealing off Heiligendamm. Witnesses said at least two demonstrators were injured. A spokesman for environmental pressure group Greenpeace said as many as 11 rubber dinghies had attempted to deliver a message to G8 leaders asking them to commit to substantial cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. Four protesters ended up in the Baltic waters after patrol boats chased them at high speed and intercepted them, while police helicopters clattered overhead. Greenpeace spokesman Tobias Muenchmeyer said a number of activists had been detained, and their boats impounded. Police said three protesters and a policemen were injured. Separately, police in the city of Rostock detained what they said were some 160 supporters of the far-right National Democratic Party (NPD) who demonstrated there against the G8. Authorities had refused to grant them permission to demonstrate. German Chancellor Angela Merkel dismissed the Greenpeace protest. "I hope they won't emit too much CO2 with their boat trips out there on the Baltic sea," Ms Merkel said after G8 leaders agreed to pursue "substantial" cuts in greenhouse gases. Rock concert Riot police used water cannon and pepper spray to clear an access road to Heiligendamm that had been blocked by some 200 anti-G8 demonstrators, as thousands more joined a second day of protests at the fence around the summit complex. The main entrance to Heiligendamm has been blocked for over 24 hours. Some 4000 demonstrators, many of whom had spent the night sleeping in front of the security fence, were sitting on the narrow, tree-lined road, determined not to move until the summit officially ends today. Germany's constitutional court has banned demonstrations in a 5km zone around the fence, but the mostly peaceful demonstrators have largely ignored the court order. Germany has deployed some 16,000 police and security personnel in the coastal area around Heiligendamm in its biggest single security operation since World War II. In the nearby port city of Rostock, some 70,000 people attended an anti-G8 concert featuring rock stars Bono and Bob Geldof, who have been lobbying world leaders to honour aid pledges they made to Africa two years ago. Additional reporting by Sabine Siebold http://www.itv.com/news/adeb85e007ea87f20565cc1037540f8a.html Protesters detained in G8 demos 12.45, Thu Jun 7 2007 Protesters who blocked a road leading to the site of the G8 summit and led police on a boat chase in the Baltic have been arrested. At the start of the two-day annual Group of Eight gathering, thousands of demonstrators dodged the massive police presence and used tree trunks to blockade a road between Rostock and Bad Doberan before conducting a sit-down protest. They had spent the night in the no-demonstration zone within a kilometre (half a mile) of the security fence surrounding the summit at the picturesque Baltic coastal resort of Heiligendamm. Elsewhere, Greenpeace activists in a high-speed boat led security vessels on a chase before being intercepted in the Baltic Sea within sight of the shore. Several activists in another boat, dressed in yellow flotation outfits, went overboard briefly after being pursued by police. Authorities have sealed off the waters and airspace around the summit as part of security precautions. Around 16,000 police officers, along with scores of armoured personnel carriers, trucks with water-cannons atop and other support vehicles have also been deployed. http://www.eux.tv/article.aspx?articleId=9257 Tuesday, June 05, 2007 at 16:46 Subject: /G8-Demos/Germany/ ROUNDUP: Protesters prepare sit-ins to disrupt G8 summit Rostock, Germany (dpa) - Protesters, who lost a last-ditch bid Tuesday for court permission to march close to this week's G8 summit, prepared in Germany to mount sit-down invasions of roads when the three-day event begins Wednesday. Police, who were taken by surprise by anti-G8 rioting Saturday that left nearly 1,000 people injured, meanwhile said they were facing a form of chemical warfare, with protesters dressed as clowns squirting them with a fluid that attacks the skin. Eight police had needed hospital treatment, a spokesman said in Rostock, a city 25 kilometres north-east of the Heiligendamm beachside summit venue where small-scale protests were continuing and 11 persons were detained Tuesday. At the first summary trial to deal with Saturday's rioters, a man aged 31 was sent to jail for 10 months for throwing stones at several police officers. Eight more persons, many of them non-German, were to come up for trial on Wednesday. Police said the Black Block, an informal network of violence-prone militants who don black clothing and masks and congregate in the marches, had significant French, Russian and Ukrainian membership in Rostock alongside local leftists from Hamburg and Berlin. "These militants are not here to protest at the G8 but rather to riot against the police," charged police spokesman Axel Falkenberg. He said there was no evidence of more radicals rushing to Rostock to reinforce the Black Block, which numbered about 2,500. Falkenberg said the chemical fluid used against police had not been sprayed by the Black Block but by a group called the Clown's Army, whose members dress in circus-clown costumes and make-up. Chancellor Angela Merkel said in an interview the violence on Saturday had been shocking and "sadly proved that strict security precautions are necessary." "However I was glad to hear that a majority of the demonstrators dissociated themselves from the violence," she said. She added, "Last Saturday made clear yet again, to the peaceful demonstrators as well, that tolerance is not the right response to people using violence." In the southern city of Karlsruhe, Germany's constitutional court confirmed junior judges' legal restrictions on the demonstrations. At the Kempinski Grand Hotel in Heiligendamm, only 15 representative protesters were allowed to hold a vigil starting Tuesday, while demonstrators would also face a quota of 50 at a gate of Rostock airport where the eight delegations were to land. A mass demonstration at the airport must take place hundreds of metres away. Administrative tribunals had earlier modified the various restrictions put in place by the police. An appeal against a requirement that a mass protest on Thursday remain on a highway which comes no closer than 6 kilometres to the summit hotel will be decided Wednesday, a court spokeswoman said. Germany has deployed 16,000 police to protect the leaders of seven Western nations and Russia at the G8 summit as well as 10 other national leaders who are to join them on the last day, Friday. The police are preparing to deal with both violent attack by the Black Block and non-violent tactics from peaceful protesters. Attac, a European group that believes globalization is dangerous and is leading the protests, said Tuesday it was not organizing sit-downs and did not belong to Block G8, a group overseeing a planned "blockade," but knew many Attac members would be taking part. It said taking part in a sit-down was a misdemeanour, not a felony, so German police must only use "proportionate" force to clear sit-downs and ought not to injure anybody while doing so. Road-block organizers promised Tuesday they would ask peaceful demonstrators to abandon any blockade if the Black Block took over and the incident turned into a violent confrontation. Police spokesman Falkenberg rejected calls for German riot police to be armed with guns which shoot rubber bullets, which have never been used in Germany. Officials said there were no such guns in the state armoury. Germany's main weapon against riots is a fleet of trucks which shoot jets of cold water up to 50 metres. The police said a packet of white powder labelled "anthrax" found Monday near the Heiligendamm fence had only contained flour. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/867503.html 'Anarchist traveling circus' back in town By Assaf Uni ROSTOCK, GERMANY - The heads of the world's eight leading economies will convene today to begin the G8 summit in the secluded resort of Heiligendamm on the Baltic coast. Crucial differences of opinion on key issues and countless protesters who aim to disrupt the summit are expected to make this year's meeting particularly turbulent. The rioting began last week, when a peaceful demonstration involving tens of thousands of campaigners developed into the worst street violence seen in Germany for years, with hundreds of activists bombarding police with stones and torching cars. The violent anti-G8 protest left up to 1,000 people injured. The German police have been preparing meticulously for the summit, determined to prevent such riots from recurring. All through the port city, sewer lids have been welded to their frames and shop windows boarded up with wooden planks. Dozens of squad cars patrol the city to nip any disturbance of the peace in the bud. The German hosts fear that a continuation of the protests might eclipse the summit itself, in which they intend to address an array of issues ranging from global warming through foreign aid to Africa to hedge funds and energy policy. These issues are problematic enough even without the hordes of protesters who tomorrow plan to break through the defensive perimeter that police have set up around the hotel where the world leaders are expected to meet. The United States, for example, is adamant in its refusal commit to a reduction in the amount of greenhouse gases it emits. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in contrast, has compiled a proposal for halving emission levels of greenhouse gases by the year 2050. Her initiative is supported by all other G8 members except the U.S., including Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United Kingdom. U.S. President George W. Bush fears that committing his country to such restrictions would compromise its ability to compete with rising powers such as China and India, which are showing very little concern for the environment. Instead of endorsing Merkel's plans, Bush is promoting an alternative course of action that includes "extensive conversation" on the subject. Another source of tension is the unfolding confrontation between Russia and the U.S. over the latter's plans to set up a missile defense system in eastern Europe. The hundreds of journalists who have been pouring into the area over the past few days will be paying close attention to Bush's body language and that of his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, who threatened to target Europe if the U.S. went ahead with its plans. G8 members will also discuss foreign aid to Africa, against the background of its having broken a previous pledge to double foreign aid to this continent, currently the poorest on Earth. The Germans would also like to draft a code of ethics for hedge funds, aimed at preventing rapacious policies by these firms. Meanwhile, the streets of Rostock belong to the ideologues who came to protest against the G8. Angry socialists roam the alleyways alongside peace activists, anti-nuke campaigners, environmentalists and, of course, black-clad anarchists. British Prime Minister Tony Blair, for whom this will be the last G8 summit, once described the summit as "the anarchist traveling circus." Others, however, have come not to protest the G8's existence, but rather certain aspects of its policies. Maja Andersen from Denmark, for instance, works for a nongovernmental organization that promotes welfare projects in Third World countries. "I came to tell them that their prosperity comes at the expense of starving people in Africa. We need them to increase our funding," she said. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 07:21:01 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:21:01 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Germany G8 Blockades 4 - mainstream media reports part 3 Message-ID: <091d01c7adc6$13658a60$0202a8c0@andy1> http://voanews.com/english/2007-06-06-voa30.cfm Protests Increase as Informal G8 Talks Begin By Sonja Pace Heiligendamm, Germany 06 June 2007 Pace report -Download 1.38M Listen to Pace report German police used water cannons to disperse protesters around the Baltic Sea resort of Heiligendamm, where leaders of the G8 group of major industrial nations began informal discussions Wednesday ahead of their formal summit opening on Thursday. VOA's Sonja Pace is near the conference site and has this report. Anti-globalization activists gather on meadow in Bollhagen next to G8 venue of Heiligendamm, 06 Jun 2007 Protest organizers spread the word of anti-G8 activities for the day - telling activists to fan out. According to German police, thousands of them did just that - blocking roads leading from the airport in the nearby city of Rostock toward the summit site of Heiligendamm on the coast. Nearly 10,000 protestors swarmed toward the 12-kilometer-long security fence set up by police to cordon off the summit area. Some demonstrators bombarded the police with stones - police responded with water cannons to drive them back. Despite the protests, heads of state and government arrived throughout the day, holding a series of informal meetings at Heiligendamm ahead of Thursday's official summit opening. President Bush greets German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, in Heiligendamm, Germany at start of G8 Summit, 06 Jun 2007 Summit host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, met with U.S. President George Bush over lunch. Afterward, Mrs. Merkel said she hoped the summit would send a strong signal on important commitments. Mrs. Merkel spoke specifically about climate change and the alleviation of poverty in Africa as main themes at this summit. She said she and Mr. Bush had agreed in many areas, while work remained to be done in others. Mrs. Merkel has made reining in global warming a cornerstone of her leadership of the G8. She would like to reach agreement on benchmark caps to greenhouse gas emissions, which cause global warming. Mr. Bush does not want to commit to mandatory benchmarks and instead wants to work toward an agreement that will be in place when the current international climate treaty, the Kyoto Protocol, expires in 2012. "I . come with a strong desire to work with you on a post-Kyoto agreement about how we can achieve major objectives - one of course is the reduction of greenhouse gases, another is to become more energy independent," he said. The United States did not sign the Kyoto Protocol, and Mr. Bush has now proposed his own plan to curb global warming. He wants to get the countries that emit the most greenhouse gases to negotiate a reduction strategy by the end of next year. This would include emerging economies such as India and China. Mr. Bush spoke of the need to further help Africa. "I come with a deep desire to make sure that those suffering from HIV/AIDS on the continent of Africa know that they'll get help from the G8," he said. "I come with a deep desire to work with people around the table to reduce malaria on the continent of Africa and feed the hungry." While at the summit, Mr. Bush will also be meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin - at a time of heightened tensions between United States and Russia over the U.S. proposal to build a missile defense system in Europe. http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20070606214126950 Monday, June 11 2007 @ 10:43 PM PDT G8 protesters evade police patrols to reach security fence in Germany Wednesday, June 06 2007 @ 09:41 PM PDT Contributed by: Admin Views: 309 HINTER BOLLHAGEN, Germany (AP) - A motley band of more than 800 protesters - some sporting fluorescent wigs and clown noses - scampered through woods and across fields to evade police patrols Wednesday and reach the barbed-wire fence sealing off the Group of Eight summit. G8 protesters evade police patrols to reach security fence in Germany VANESSA GERA AND DAVID RISING Wednesday, June 06, 2007 HINTER BOLLHAGEN, Germany (AP) - A motley band of more than 800 protesters - some sporting fluorescent wigs and clown noses - scampered through woods and across fields to evade police patrols Wednesday and reach the barbed-wire fence sealing off the Group of Eight summit. Protest organizers claimed victory for getting as far as the barrier, despite being doused by water cannons, struck with tear gas and tackled as they blocked several roads - including the route from the airport as world leaders flew in for the summit. "We have successfully taken over all roads leading to Heiligendamm," said Christoph Kleine of the Block G8 group. "We are very happy with that." About 150 members of a group calling themselves the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army - dressed in wigs, clown makeup and noses, and occasionally in drag - blocked one of two road entrances to the summit site for several hours near the town of Hinter Bollhagen, about three kilometres away. Dozens of police officers in riot gear moved the protesters out of the way, then marched them kilometres along a dirt road back to Kuhlungsborn. The protesters playfully waved at helicopters shuttling dignitaries into the summit site. "The Clown Army - we kicked!" said one of the group's leaders, a Welshman carrying a frilly white umbrella who identified himself only as "Sgt. Sideshow Bob." The demonstration began with some 3,000 protesters setting out from an encampment on a winding march of several hours, during which they scattered to evade police. By late afternoon, some 800 of them had reached the fence, while 10,000 had gathered at other areas where demonstrations had been banned, police said. At one section of the fence, protesters chanted "Peace" and "Free G8! Free G8!" while riot police with helmets and transparent shields massed inside. Some then pelted police with stones before authorities turned the water cannons on them, police spokesman Manfred Luetjann said. "What they're doing behind that fence is illegitimate," said Philipp Schweizer, a 26-year-old social worker from Munich. "They're making decisions about countries who don't have any representation." More than 150 people were detained, and at least eight police officers suffered minor injuries, according to police. Elsewhere, protesters threw tree limbs on the rails of a steam train used to ferry reporters between the summit site and a media centre in Kuhlungsborn, shutting it down for much of the day. In the waters off Heiligendamm, police searched a Greenpeace ship outside the security zone, putting several rubber boats out of use and confiscating a hot-air balloon. The protests were significantly milder than Saturday's rally in nearby Rostock, when hundreds of radicals with black hoods and bandanas covering their faces charged police hurling stones and bottles. Some 400 officers were hurt. Germany is spending US$124 million on the three-day summit that opened Wednesday night, and has deployed 16,000 police officers, armoured personnel carriers, helicopters, trucks topped with water cannons and other support vehicles. ? The Canadian Press, 2007 http://en.rian.ru/world/20070606/66805739.html Police clears German summit rail line, warns of provocations 21:44|06/ 06/ 2007 HEILIGENDAMM (Germany), June 6 (RIA Novosti) - Police succeeded in clearing the railway line leading to the main venue of the G8 summit and warned protesters not to engage in any further acts of provocation. Protesters of the Group of Eight industrialized nations summit in Heiligendamm blocked the small-gauge railroad, the only way to get from the media center in the neighboring town of Kuehlungsborn, where all security checks are carried out, for about four hours. During that time, journalists had to be ferried to the summit venue by boat. A police spokesperson said about 8,000 people took part in the sit-in on the railway until being dispersed by police. Riot police warned demonstrators that provocations were possible, and asked them to avoid being drawn in. Young people clad in black threw stones at riot police, who found it difficult to separate them from peaceful protesters. As a result, both checkpoints into the summit security zone were blocked off, and indiscriminate riot control methods were employed. The main road from the Rostock Airport and other roads toward Heiligendamm were blocked since earlier today by rows of people engaged in a sit-down protest, as well as barricades. http://www.eux.tv/article.aspx?articleId=9381 Wednesday, June 06, 2007 at 20:58 Subject: /G8-Demos/Germany/ 2ND ROUNDUP: Protesters block gates at G8 summit Eds: multiple epa photos available Heiligendamm, Germany (dpa) - Thousands of anti-globalization protesters blocked several access routes to the G8 summit site in Germany for much of Wednesday. Riot police stood tensely on guard for most of the day, keeping the gaily dressed protesters from pressing up to a 2.5-metre-high, welded-mesh, steel fence topped with razor wire surrounding the Heiligendamm summit hotel. In the evening, police began clearing the roads, manhandling away sitting protesters, hosing down larger groups with cold water from police trucks and drawing up lines of riot officers wielding plastic clubs and shields. In a day of manoeuvring and outflanking, protesters ran across fields to evade police road-blocks and defy a court ban on protests near the fence, erected in a two-kilometre radius from the palaces and grand hotel at Heiligendamm. A main gate, emergency-access routes and a steam railway for tourists were blocked, but one main access route remained open all day, so the blockade was not complete, reporters said. Under a soft policing policy named "de-escalation," there were only isolated clashes and riot police ignored the fact that the protest was illegal under a ruling the same day from Germany's Constitutional Court. The court confirmed a ban on protest in a zone extending more than 6 kilometres from the summit hotel. Exultant demonstrators voiced surprise that the police had not stopped them. Organizers said they had fielded 10,000 protesters in the countryside near Heiligendamm to disrupt the summit, while police counted 8,000. "We just walked over the fields where the water-cannon couldn't follow us," said a spokeswoman for the protest group Block G8, which regards the summit as illegitimate. The eight summit leaders were able to fly by helicopter over the protesters' heads from a nearby airport into the exclusive Heiligendamm beach resort and later to a country estate, Gut Hohen Luckow 20 kilometres away, for dinner. At key points such as main highways, police used water cannon and tear gas to clear away protesters. The various clashes caused injuries such as cuts, bruises and sprains. A police spokesman denied the 16,000-strong special summit police force, which had met frequently beforehand with protest organizers, had been taken by surprise. The protesters from round the globe were mainly in their 20s, many wearing colourful casual dress or humourous costumes, but with a few wearing the hoods and the black clothes that mark out "Black Block" militants. Two Spanish men aged 20 and 21 were meanwhile sent to jail at a summary trial for their part in an anti-G8 riot four days earlier in the port city of Rostock. The younger man was given nine months for throwing stones at police and the elder ten months because one of the stones actually hit an officer. However, they were bailed after defence lawyers said they would appeal against the convictions. The previous day, the first rioter to be convicted, a 32-year-old German, received 10 months on similar charges. An estimated 2,000 black-clad protesters had fought with riot police on Saturday. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/news/tm_headline=three-hurt-as-police-ram-protest-boats--&method=full&objectid=19263830&siteid=66633-name_page.html 8 June 2007 THREE HURT AS POLICE RAM PROTEST BOATS GREENPEACE boats smashed through a coastal blockade of the G8 summit yesterday. Three protesters were hurt when a police launch rammed two of the environmental group's inflatables and pitched crews into the sea. The Greenpeace vessels were well within the five-mile no-go zone before police boats raced into action. There was a dramatic 10-minute chase before the Greenpeace boats were rammed. A total of 11 inflatables were then pushed out to sea and 25 people were arrested. On land, thousands of demonstrators camped out within less than half-a-mile of a security fence in the so-called "forbidden zone." Police reinforcements were bussed in, bringing the number of officers on the front line to 17,000. Demonstrators blocked many roads leading into Heiligendamm. At one junction, they painted out the town's name on a roadsign and replaced it with Evil Empire. Police cleared one road into Heiligendamm with water cannon and tear gas. There were several arrests on top of the 160 people held after Wednesday's running skirmishes. http://news.monstersandcritics.com/europe/features/article_1314686.php/Clowns_and_power-boats_skirmish_with_police Europe Features Clowns and power-boats skirmish with police The composite TV grabs show how a police boat pushes away a Greenpeace rubber dinghy after entering the restricted area offhsore Kuehlungsborn, Germany, 0 7 June 2007. According to Greenpeace eleven rubber dinghys had tried to enter the zone rest restricted for the public during the G8 summit in Heiliegendamm. Until the 08 June 2007 the G8 summit will take place under intense security measures in Heiligendamm. EPA/POOL Jun 7, 2007, 13:38 GMT Berlin - Inflatable power-boats occupied by protesters weaved and dodged on the green waters of the Baltic Sea, chased by police boats trying to keep them off the world's best-protected beach Thursday. The steersmen on both sides were masters of seaborne skirmishes. Greenpeace spokesman Bjoern Jettka said the protest group had a corps of crack boatmen, some with experience playing cat-and-mouse with whaling ships in icy polar seas. German police were waiting with an elite boat squad in nimble rigid inflatable dinghies of their own and a superb, 90-kilometre- per-hour launch borrowed from Sweden that could turn in its own length. Although Greenpeace had penetrated a marine exclusion zone near the G8 summit hotel, German naval units far out on the Baltic capable of blowing terrorists out of the water stayed out of the chase. The only rule in the 10-minute skirmish, followed by TV cameras in the air: no killing, no deliberate wounding. Eight of the world's top leaders, discussing world problems indoors, were probably unaware of the action-movie-style chase with its shunts, slithers and narrow escapes. One of the protest boats was fouled when a swerving police dinghy overshot it. Three protesters were hurt, but all participants were fished out of the water and taken to safety. At this week's G8 summit, groups critical of globalization and western policy have sought media attention by deft use of colour and novel protest methods. On land, many of the protesters donned clown costumes or funny face paint and other fancy dress, creating the impression of a street carnival as they swarmed in the summer sunshine through fields and woods to the G8 venue. Protest leaders had scouted footpaths and gaps in the verdant coastal woods months in advance and trained their 'troops' in the 'five-finger' method of evading police. At each obstruction, each protester knew which of five columns they had to split into when running past police. Police, sweating inside padded protective clothing and white motorcycle-style helmets, formed human chains to protect a steel mesh fence erected 2 kilometres away from the Kempinski Grand Hotel. The demonstrators spanned a wide range of political views, from liberals and pacifists to hardline communists and anarchists who seek the downfall of all governments. Police warned that the clowns were similarly diverse. Not all were the friendly figures they seemed. Whereas some clowns were acting as crowd marshals, helping to ease tension and prevent scuffles, others have teased tired police or squirted acid at them with water pistols. Police are not sure what the substance was. 'The clowns army is part of a trend to make demonstrations more colourful,' said Manfred Murck, deputy head of a Hamburg state intelligence agency that monitors subversives. Anarchopedia, a German-language guide for anarchists, says clowns aim to parody police and attract TV attention. 'If being arrested, they should act very theatrically. What could be better for us than to get pictures in the media of police arresting clowns?' the website says. TV pictures have also shown protesters effectively switching identities, changing in a flash from casual beachwear into the black hoods of the radical Black Block which has fought the police with stones and clubs. After months of rehearsals by both police and protesters and two days of theatricality at the fence, it remained uncertain in the middle of the clashes who had the upper hand. Protesters have been exultant that have evaded police checkpoints, reached the fence and blocked roads, defying a government ban on protests close to the summit. Police insist they are following a sophisticated 'de-escalation' strategy, based on appeasing demonstrators in small ways while toughening up if protesters turn violent or touch the fence. The police can precisely vary their response between fixed resolve and tolerance,' said Rainer Wendt, head of a German police union. Government politicians said police had fumbled a few incidents but were in overall control. ? 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/06/06/18425401.php G8 Protest: More than 10,000 block Heiligendamm by de.indymedia.org Wednesday Jun 6th, 2007 6:27 PM As hundreds of G8 delegates arrived in the area today, mass blockades seriously interrupted their arrival in the fenced security zone. Thousands of activists blocked all routes leading to the G8 meeting venue. Over 10,000 people blocked the fence gates and breached the newly declared zone around the fence in which all demonstrations had been declared illegal. In the evening, police violently dispersed one of the blockades, while others were continuing, with several thousand people still on the streets. Other activists were protesting in the streets at the Laage airport. In the late evening, more than 1000 people prepare to stay overnight in three blockades. Thousands of people marched through the fields and forests before splitting into several different coloured blocks to take the main SE road to the G8 security fence. This was one of several blockades which seem to have shut down all roads to the G8. http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372723.html Thousands of people left Reddelich camp early this morning to take part in the first day of blockades against the G8 summit. The main group which consisted of well over 5000 people moved towards the fence through fields and country roads. Other smaller affinity groups also left towards the fence 'protecting' Heiligendamm. Here there are a few photos of the main blockade which managed to break well inside the designated 'no-protest' zone, and successfully occupied the main road leading to Heiligendamm from the town of Bad Doberan, and just a few hundred meters away from the fence that protects the so-called 'red zone'. At the time of publishing this report the blockade is still on, and growing in numbers as protesters from an earlier blockade of a military airport nearby are joining in. Police are bringing in water cannons and small tanks, but the protestors are staying put and resisting the blockade, some of which planning to stay overnight. Here there are a few pics of the blockade so far .... http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372740.html Medecins Sans Frontieres provided a visual spectacle to highlight the scandal of people dying in poor countries due to the price of life saving drugs. Credit to MSF's volunteers the water was filthy not to mention freezing. >From the MSF press release: People across the developing world continue to die because they do not have access to life saving tmedecines. Existing treatments are are too expensive due to patent protection and needed are not being developed, as people in developing countries do not represnt a lucrative market.. Every day, MSF doctors struggle to provide treatment to patients suffering from infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS leishmaniasis and sleeping sickness. G8 leaders have singled out innovation and Africa as two of the Priorities for the summit in Heiligendamm, and hold up intellectual property protection as the way to foster innovation. But todays system of patent protection and high drug prices as the way to finance innovation leaves the needs of millions of people across the developing world unmet. http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372753.html http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/17338217.htm Posted on Thu, Jun. 07, 2007 email this print this THE SCENE AT THE G-8 At summit, protesters improvise to get message across By Matthew Schofield McClatchy Newspapers Claudia Himmelreich/MCT Security guards keeping a close eye on protesters dressed clowns are trying to pass a fence separating the Kuehlungsborn public beach from the restricted area KUEHLUNGSBORN, Germany - If the game was cat and mouse, the mice won. The protesters at the summit of leaders of eight major industrial countries failed to disrupt the meeting at a Baltic resort near this north German town, but they were able to breach the restricted sea area set up by police. Greenpeace activists and trained speedboat drivers managed to penetrate the Baltic security cordon in a series of high-speed chases. Their stated intent was to deliver a climate change petition to the G-8 leaders. The boats never made it to shore, but activists did unfurl "G-8 Act Now" banners near the exclusive resort where the leaders met. The challenge on land was a lot tougher - a six-mile-wide "protester-free" zone that surrounded a 7.5-mile-long security fence. A German court ruled that the one protest allowed near the fence had to be 220 yards from it - so getting inside the zone, and perhaps even reaching the fence, became the goals of the protest. Protesters sneaked through fields and forests, dodging police searching for them. Many slept on country roads to block access. They also marched down the roads at police lines, only to break in five groups just before making contact and confuse police efforts to corral them. Protesters - who were objecting to globalization, the failure to curb global warming and the secrecy surrounding the summit talks - dressed like clowns, angels or ninja and danced before police, who for the most part were very patient. The protesters claimed success at least in receiving media attention. "This was one of the most spectacular protests in the history of Germany," Tim Laymeyer, spokesman for the Block G-8 Alliance, said Thursday night. "It was a full success. We are very happy. We blocked all access roads into Heiligendamm. We really made a difference." Not that President Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the other world leaders would have noticed. They arrived not by car but by helicopter. The protest seemed to conclude on a far quieter note than it opened last weekend, when almost 500 police and more than 500 protesters were injured during running, rock-throwing battles in the streets of nearby Rostock. In fact, organizers said the estimated 14,000 protesters, compared to an estimated 16,000 police, were breaking up Thursday night and heading into nearby Rostock early Friday. They said many folks had drifted into Rostock Thursday night for a concert featuring Bono, Bob Geldof and Die Toten Hosen (in English, the Dead Pants). Others, they said, were planning to attend a closing protest rally Friday, also in Rostock. http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=nation_world&id=5375604 Protestors Foiled at G8 Summit By DAVID RISING and VANESSA GERA Associated Press Writers HINTER BOLLHAGEN, Germany (AP) - June 7, 2007 - By land and sea - and even stark naked - protesters mounted a concerted effort to break through the police cordon around the Group of Eight summit Thursday, with officers on horseback chasing some away from a security fence and police boats ramming others on the Baltic Sea. Some protesters blocked roads, while riot police skirmished with a large group near the main entrance gate along the seven-mile security fence sealing off the summit, firing repeated blasts from four water cannons. One makeshift barricade of logs was quickly cleared from the road in front of the entrance, while protesters blocking the road nearby used tarps to shield themselves from the water before police dragged them away. Later, a line of an about 200 riot police stood between nearly 2,000 protesters and the razor wire-topped fence. Demonstrators ignored warnings to move back, instead taunting police until they blasted them with water cannons atop four trucks. Police drove them back with repeated blasts of water and charges into the crowd, only to have them immediately return to their places nose-to-nose with the officers, chanting "We're peaceful, what are you?" Authorities had a hard time stopping protesters from streaming across rolling farmland toward the fence, and helicopters ferried in dozens of police reinforcements. However, police said the fence was never breached and they arrested 137 people. On the Baltic Sea, 24 activists from the Greenpeace environmental organization - with banners reading "G-8, Act Now" - led police on a boat chase. One of the police boats ran over an inflatable Greenpeace vessel, spilling the activists into the water. The group said they suffered bruises and one was hospitalized for observation. Other protesters chose less confrontational ways to voice their displeasure with the summit - stripping off their clothing and strolling down a key road. Fourteen men and women wore nothing except slogans written on their backs that read "Naked without violence!" They walked for less than five minutes before police surrounded and escorted them back to their departure point, where they put their clothes on. One protester, Jule, a 25-year-old woman from Berlin, wore only sunglasses with her bright pink dreadlocks pulled into a pony tail. She said the aim of the march was to counter the media's fixation on violence among the demonstrators. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is hosting the leaders of the United States, France, Britain, Russia, Italy, Canada and Japan for a meeting focusing on climate change and aid to Africa. The summits draw protesters every year. (Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) http://www.eux.tv/article.aspx?articleId=9414 Thursday, June 07, 2007 at 11:41 Subject: /G8-Demos/Germany/ 1ST LEAD: Protesters in boats at G8, crowds at fence Heiligendamm, Germany (dpa) - Greenpeace protesters in inflatable boats forced their way into a marine exclusion zone near the G8 summit at Heiligendamm in Germany on Thursday. Police or naval vessels gave chase and shunted both boats away. Greenpeace said it had been planning to land on the beach outside the luxury hotel and hand a petition to western leaders demanding action on climate change. TV news pictures showed one protest boat was capsized in the chase. The previous day, police had confiscated motor parts for the inflatables on the Greenpeace mother ship in a vain effort to nip the protest in the bud. On land, police allowed protesters to assemble peacefully for a second day at a fence two kilometres from the G8 summit venue. German authorities have legally prohibited protests in the area, but police have been pragmatic, insisting only that protesters do not touch the fence. Riot police have manhandled protesters away from essential roads only. On Wednesday, 9,000 protesters objecting to the three-day meeting of western leaders had swarmed through fields to the fence. At one gate to the Heiligendamm summit compound, about 1,000 protesters spent the night in sleeping bags, and at another access way to the east, 500 slept on the ground. Protesters hauled in food and portable toilets for them. German police, who have 16,000 personnel at the summit, have called up reinforcements. Police unions said 200 riot police from Hamburg and 230 from Saxony-Anhalt state had been drafted to Heiligendamm to help with crowd control. German police are under legal restrictions, and cannot use firearms against protesters on land or at sea. On land they have have manhandled sitting protesters or hosed down larger groups with cold water from police trucks. Lines of riot police have used plastic clubs and shields to threaten the protesters. http://english.pravda.ru/world/europe/06-06-2007/92890-G8_summit-0 Violent protests meet Bush at G8 summit Front page / World / Europe 06.06.2007Source: The G8 summit begins in Germany today and security is tight around the Baltic resort town of Heiligendamm. G8 leaders will discuss foreign policy issues including Iran's nuclear programme, Middle East peace, Sudan and Kosovo. Violent protests meet Bush at G8 summit The German hosts are also aiming to secure new G8 pledges on development aid and Aids funding for Africa. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of peaceful demonstrators are expected to rally in Rostock throughout this week against the policies of the G8 industrialised nations. Protesters have filed an appeal against measures to bar them from getting close to the G8 venue, which is surrounded by a 12km steel and concrete fence topped with barbed wire. Yesterday, about 400 protesters with anti-G8 signs tried to block one of the road exits from Rostock airport shortly before George W. Bush, the US president, landed. The meeting of leaders from Britain, Germany, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States ends on Friday, sabcnews.com reports. President George W. Bush will be met by anti-globalization protesters today when he flies in to Germany's northern port city of Rostock for the June 6-8 Group of Eight summit in nearby Heiligendamm. Protesters plan to gather at 5 p.m. local time at Weitendorf, outside Rostock-Laage airport, to decry Bush's military policy, organizers said in an e-mailed release today. Bush arrives less than 24 hours after police in Rostock arrested 66 rioting demonstrators. "Our presence will show the U.S. president that he's not welcome here,'' protest organizer Hans-Peter Kartenberg said in the release. The group said it plans to blockade the airport tomorrow as other leaders arrive. In Heiligendamm, which has been sealed off by a 12 kilometer-long (7.5 mile) barbed-wire fence, German Chancellor Angela Merkel will host world leaders including Bush, Russian President Vladimir Putin, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the new French leader, Nicolas Sarkozy. Their point of arrival at Rostock airport is used to train Eurofighter jet pilots and so is linked to war policy, according to Kartenberg. "The wars of the G-8 states are being prepared at Rostock-Laage airport," he said in the statement, Bloomberg reports. The German government has spared no expense -- spending upward of $100 million -- to safeguard this week's summit, which brings together leaders of the industrial countries known as the Group of Eight. German authorities have taken an offensive-minded approach, using a variety of tactics that critics say conjure bad memories of the country's totalitarian past. For instance, police and prosecutors have surreptitiously acquired scent samples of some protest organizers to make it easier for police dogs to locate them in a crowd, authorities have acknowledged. The technique was pioneered by the Stasi, the East German secret police. In the days leading up to the summit, some German officials called for preemptive arrests of G-8 opponents in case they were planning to cause trouble. Although the government backed away from that approach, it has taken a hard line against allowing public demonstrations within a four-mile radius of the summit's location. German authorities have defended the aggressive stance as necessary to avoid chaos, as well as national embarrassment. They pointed out that more than 500 police officers were reported injured in clashes with anti-globalization demonstrators over the weekend in the nearby port city of Rostock. A nearly equal number of protesters were also reportedly hurt. Each side blamed the other for starting the fights, The Washington Post reports. Source: agencies Prepared by Alexander Timoshik Pravda.ru From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 07:21:33 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:21:33 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Germany G8 Blockades 6 - socialist reports/coverage Message-ID: <092201c7adc6$266a0280$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.chinaworker.info/en/content/news/200/ Demonstrators blockade G8 meeting Fri, 8 Jun 2007. State repression will not stop peaceful anti-globalisation demonstrators Niall Mulholland, CWI Contingent, Rostock A huge repressive police apparatus is mobilised against tens of thousands of peaceful protesters in and around the G8 summit, held near the east German town of Rostock. While the G8 leaders are wined and dined for two days, many thousands protesting their anti-poor and anti-working class policies face water cannons, riot police and armoured cars. Starting very early on Wednesday, 6 June, thousands of protesters made their way as near as possible to the fortified G8 summit venue. The protesters' intention was to blockade roads to the summit to disrupt the gathering of world powers. The CWI organised a contingent and with thousands of others, managed to get past the first lines of police. There was jubilation amongst protesters, although they faced more lines of police and police hardware. CWI members from different European countries made speeches to several thousands in their part of the protests and sold socialist newspapers and anti-G8 badges. Some of the protesters were able to get to the huge summit wall, constructed at the cost of millions of euros to keep G8 leaders from opposition voices. It was reported that several police agent provocateurs, dressed in black clothing, wearing face masks, and acting extremely aggressively, were exposed by genuine protesters on one of the blockades. Subsequently these police agents ran away from the demonstration. Later in the evening, the police moved against the blockade protests. Dozens were injured and arrested when police forced an ending to two of the protests. At 6pm the police claimed that protesters at one of the blockade points around Heiligendamm were arming themselves with molotov cocktails and that they had removed several blockades. This was a complete fabrication and was even exposed by a number of journalists reporting on the events, much to the embarrassment of the police. Also on the evening of 6 June, hundreds of riot police completely surrounded the main protesters' campsite, Camp Rostock, which holds around 6,000 people, including the CWI camping contingent. The police gave no warning for their imtimidatory actions. Most protesters were at the summit blockades or other anti-G8 events, and not at the campsite. But many of those left behind, including arents with very young children, were ery worried about their safety. Rostock CWI councillor, Christine Lehnert, went to the police camp encirclement o protest. There were reports the police intended to raid the campsite to look for 'weapons'. Camp organisers challenged the police and found they did not have a legal permit to enter the camp. Finally, the police decided to withdraw. The police have a continual presence near the different protesters' camps, and last weekend they organised another large presence at the main entrance gates of Camp Rostock, until camp organisers finally managed to negotiate a police withdrawal. On 6 June, German courts also banned a planned anti-G8 demonstration from Rostock to the G8 Summit, scheduled for 7 June, claiming it was likely to be violent. In a separate case, the legal courts also banned a Rostock demonstration by the neo-Nazi NPD party, also set for 7 June. Police made the outrageous implication that anti-G8 protesters and fascists are the same and both their events have to be forbidden by courts. During Wednesday, CWI supporters also participated in the Alternative Summit in Rostock, selling socialist papers and literature. A CWI meeting at the Alternative Summit, 'Is Chavez the new Che Guevara?' attracted nearly 60 people, and several said they were interested in joining the CWI. Another CWI meeting on 'What is Trotskyism?' was also successful. Despite police harassment at Camp Rostock, members from several European CWI sections ran stalls and held, appropriately, a public meeting on, 'The State and Revolution'. The Rostock G8 summit has seen a massive show of strength by the German state and a direct attack on democratic rights. This is the only response the Merkel government and the other world leaders have to the mass protesters valid demands for an end to global poverty, imperialist wars, environmental destruction and class exploitation. For millions around the world following events in Rostock this week, it will be clear who the real violent criminals are and that we need to overthrow the bosses' system they represent. http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/2007/490/index.html?id=pp1342.htm Rostock, Germany 80,000 demonstrate against the G8 summit G8 demonstration in Rostock, Germany, photo by SAV. SAV is the Socialist Party's sister section of the section of the Committee for a Workers' International in Germany. For people watching the television news, the coverage of the anti-G8 protests has been dominated by reports of violent clashes between police and some protesters. It is no surprise that the media chooses to report on this rather than on the huge numbers of peaceful protesters, their message of opposition to the G8 and their wish to see an end to war and poverty. Sarah Sachs-Eldridge in Rostock, Germany The lion's share of the violence in today's world is committed at the hands of those very G8 leaders. Over 655,000 civilian deaths in Iraq, 70 wars in the last two decades or so, and over $1,000 million spent on arms in 2005 alone by governments around the globe, mainly by the governments in the G8. During the G8 clashes on 2 June, over five hundred protesters were injured, 165 arrested and there were over 400 injuries to police. However, demonstration organisers estimated that there were over 80,000 anti-G8 protesters in total and that the clashes, involving a minority, were not a major feature until after the end of the march. Given the escalation in police repression against anti-G8 demonstrators over the last few weeks, columns of police marching down the sides of the demonstration and the whirr of police helicopters hovering above were not unexpected. However the extent of the police aggression was much greater than predicted. Police intimidation G8 demonstration in Rostock, Germany, photo SAV Dozens of water cannon and police vans sped through the streets and the sound of sirens was constant. At a protest in Hamburg last week police used pepper spray on those protesting outside a meeting of international finance ministers. In the weeks preceding the 2 June demonstration there were raids on the offices and homes of left-wing activists across Germany in an attempt to limit the expression of anger against the G8 leaders and to discredit anti-G8 protesters as 'extremists'. This appears to have backfired somewhat as following these attacks there was a sharp increase in ticket sales for transport to Rostock. Some of the official demonstration organisers (ATTAC, charities, NGOs etc) say that the police are blameless for the violence. There have been reports of groups of people blocking a fire truck and throwing stones at the banks and the police. If true, these tactics carried out by small groups are incapable of stopping the summit, let alone abolishing capitalism. In fact they can be used by the police and the state as an excuse to increase repression and to prevent the real message of the need for an alternative to capitalism from being communicated. G8 demonstration in Rostock, Germany, photo SAV These tactics can drive a wedge between the protesters and the wider working class who can otherwise be won to the demands of the demonstration for an end to poverty, privatisation and war and also to the need for an alternative to capitalism. Therefore, violent actions by small groups should be condemned, but it is necessary to also say that the actions of the police and the state against those who oppose the G8 leaders and their policies are the basis for such clashes. An estimated thirteen thousand police had been mobilised from across Germany. An enormous wall costing e12.5 million has been built to 'protect' the summit. Shops and other businesses in Rostock were urged to remain shuttered against the risk of damage from the protesters. Such measures have been taken to discredit and intimidate those who wish to demonstrate their anger. Recent mass demonstrations against G8 summits and against the wars and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan have been almost entirely peaceful. Across the world mass anger exists against the G8 and all they represent. In July 2005 a Make Poverty History march brought a quarter of a million people out onto the streets of Edinburgh against a G8 summit. Since then it has been made clear to many people that the 'group of eight' has no intention of alleviating even the worst conditions. G8 demonstration in Rostock, Germany, photo SAV In fact conditions have worsened for many as even greater wealth is accumulated at the top. In India, where we are told an economic boom is taking place, the slum population has doubled in the last twenty years to 60 million people and far from consigning poverty to the history books, worldwide three billion people now struggle to survive on less than $2 a day. It is not only in the poorest countries of Africa and Asia that deprivation exists. In the richest country on the planet, the US, 60 million people live on less than $7 a day. Here in Germany, workers and youth have seen their living conditions deteriorate massively as huge attacks are made on wages and working conditions and there have been massive cuts in public services and social security. We live in a capitalist system which is unplanned, chaotic, anarchic and fundamentally incapable of meeting the needs of people and the environment. However, among the organisers of the anti-G8 protests were charities and NGOs who still ask that we make an appeal to the likes of Bush, Blair and Merkel who act in the interests of big business. This has created a sense of frustration among some layers of youth who, angry at the continuation of wars, occupations and poverty, can have an impatient and desperate approach to the protests. This has been exacerbated by the failure of the trade union leaders to assume a leadership role in the movement. The absence of the organised working class on the demonstration weakened it hugely. No other section of society has the capability of defeating the G8 and the bosses' system they represent. The working class suffers daily at the hands of the likes of Bush, Merkel and Sarkozy and yet workers' leaders in the trade unions have not drawn the conclusion that a massive fight-back is needed. The German TUC did not mobilise for the G8 protests. Not only was this opportunity missed, but the absence of the trade unions on the demonstration is in part responsible for the partial breakdown in effective protesting. A trade union presence, with its method of organisation and struggle would have brought an added seriousness and a discipline to the protest. It also would have served as a link between the wider working class and the radicalised youth who tend to be the most vocal opponents to capitalism at this stage. http://www.greenleft.org.au/2007/713/37044 GERMANY G8 on track for 5 million deaths Rohan Pearce 9 June 2007 Two years ago we were assaulted with the spectacle of Bono and Bob Geldof promising to help "make poverty history". The two pop stars, both well past their use-by date, played leading roles in organising the 2005 anti-poverty Live 8 concerts and as a result scored a much-reported invite to address the July 2005 G8 summit at Gleneagles, Scotland. That summit adopted a debt-relief and aid plan for Africa hailed by Bono as a "little piece of history". Geldof declared the summit a "qualified triumph" for the world's poor. The issue of global warming also featured at the Gleneagles meeting, with the G8 resolving to "act with resolve and urgency" to tackle climate change. Even at the time, the hard facts about the Bono-blessed debt-relief plan were spelled out in a statement issued by Africa Jubilee South, which said that while the cancellation of some of the multilateral debts of some of the world's poorest nations was "long overdue", there were conditions attached including the "implementation of stringent free market reforms such as budget cuts, financial and trade liberalisation, privatisation and other reforms that ensure the elimination of impediments to private investment, both domestic and foreign". Similarly, the promises on tackling climate change were largely hot air. Tony Juniper, the vice-chair of Friends of the Earth International, argued that the G8 "delivered nothing new here and the text conveys no sense of the scale or urgency of the challenge". Two years later, a report issued in May by Oxfam titled The World is Still Waiting explained that while there have been some positive steps forward - for example the cancellation of most of the debts owed by 22 countries to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank - things have actually gone backwards since Gleneagles. For example, in the first time in almost a decade, G8 aid to poor countries fell in 2006. At Gleneagles, rich countries promised to increase annual aid to Africa by US$50 billion over the course of half a decade, however Oxfam calculated that based on the trend since the summit the target would be missed by $30 billion. The report states that "Oxfam has calculated that if this money were available for vital health interventions for mothers, children, and those suffering from HIV and AIDS, it could save at least five million lives". On the global warming front, the report notes, "Instead of providing the billions of dollars poor countries need to adapt to the impact of climate change, [the rich countries] are providing just a few million and diverting even these small amounts from existing aid budgets". Two years on from Gleneagles, the 33rd summit of the G8 (Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States) was held from June 6 to 8 in Heiligendamm, Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel presided over a meeting that again delivered largely only rhetoric about fighting global poverty and taking action on climate change. The record of the G8 isn't just one of criminal inaction, but of helping maintain a global economic system that dooms billions to poverty and, increasingly, to suffer the effects of the world's environmental crisis - the G8's member-nations together are responsible for some 63% of the world's GDP and, in 2005, for 45% of global emissions of greenhouse gases, while having just 13% of the world's population. Given this, it is little wonder that the group's summits are targets for protests. The German summit was no exception. Despite threats of fierce state repression, which included "pre-emptive" raids on protest organisers in May, some 80,000 people protested against the G8 in the city of Rostock, near Heiligendamm, on June 2. A June 5 report in the British Socialist Worker by Chris Nineham reported: "Demonstrators streamed from two meeting points in the suburbs to the old harbour near the city centre. "There were pensioners groups, climate change campaigners, anti-war groups and impressive trade union delegations. "Local families mingled with student groups from all over the country marching alongside mobile sound systems. There were large groups of young anarchists, many dressed in black." "The atmosphere was relaxed, like a huge political festival", Nineham reported. However, "scuffling broke out . between groups of anarchists and some riot police. Within seconds hundreds of paramilitary police in green uniforms poured into the area from three directions. "A stick, one or two stones and a flare were thrown and the police started baton charging the anarchist groups mercilessly. Other protesters were pushed over and trampled. One man was thrown out of a wheelchair and beaten by a group of about 15 police officers. A young woman held by her mother fled past us with blood pouring across her face." Hundreds of people were reportedly injured, the majority of them protesters. Police claimed that large numbers of officers were seriously injured, however these claims later turned out to be massively inflated. Throughout the evening protesters suffered brutal sporadic attacks by police. "The police seemed to be trying to give the impression that Rostock was under military occupation. But the protesters were defiant, 30,000 or so stayed in the harbour to hear the speeches and dance at a concert." According to Socialist Worker, Focus of the Global South's Walden Bello told the final rally: "This protest is more in the spirit of Genoa [in 2001] than Gleneagles. We are not asking the G8 to help. We are telling them to get out of the way." From: International News, Green Left Weekly issue #713 13 June 2007. http://www.eux.tv/article.aspx?articleId=9495 Thursday, June 07, 2007 at 18:40 Subject: /G8-Demos/Germany/ EXTRA: Protesters: summit blockade to end early Friday Rostock, Germany (dpa) - The protest coalition overseeing sit-downs outside the three-day G8 summit in Germany has said the blockade of the gates will end by Friday morning. The protesters would offer no obstruction when summit officials depart, a spokesman for the Block G8 group said Thursday in the nearby port city of Rostock. "We already achieved our big political success yesterday," said spokesman Christoph Kleine, referring to the invasion of a no-protests zone around the venue and the blocking of roads on Wednesday as the summit began. Many protesters wanted to leave for Rostock on Friday to attend a dockside anti-G8 rally there, he said. http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=11901 Protesters defy police to rock the G8 leaders Tens of thousands of demonstrators converge on Rostock (Pic: ? Guy Smallman) by Chris Nineham, in Rostock The German authorities mounted the biggest security operation since the Second World War for the G8 at Heilingandamm near the north German town of Rostock. They sent 16,000 riot police to the area, destroyers packed with marines up the Wranow Estuary and a fleet of fighter planes to patrol the skies. Despite this much hyped build up, over 80,000 people travelled from Germany and around the world to join the anti-G8 demonstration last Saturday. Demonstrators streamed from two meeting points in the suburbs to the old harbour near the city centre. There were pensioners groups, climate change campaigners, anti-war groups and impressive trade union delegations. Local families mingled with student groups from all over the country marching alongside mobile sound systems. There were large groups of young anarchists, many dressed in black. But perhaps most impressive of all were the massive red contingents on both marches organised by the new left party Die Linke. The party brings together activists who have left the SPD, Germany's equivilant to New Labour, radical socialists and the PDS, the remnants of the East German Communist Party. It is currently at 12 percent in the polls and played a vital role in the mobilisation for the G8, especially in the final couple of weeks. A spokesperson for Die Linke estimated there were 6,000 people on their contingents. As well as hyping the threat of violence, the G8 organisers had picked a remote part of Germany - its most sparsely populated region - for their meeting. They had widely trailed plans to use the meeting to tackle some of the world's most pressing problems, especially the threat of climate change. The huge and radical demonstration showed once again how many see through their rhetoric and oppose their real agenda. Decline Rostock is an old port and shipbuilding city in decline and is now an area of high unemployment. The biggest of the two demonstrations marched through miles of monotonous housing projects and empty factories, picking up support on the way. The atmosphere was relaxed, like a huge political festival. As our anti-war contingent reached the harbour scuffling broke out some metres ahead of us between groups of anarchists and some riot police. Within seconds hundreds of paramilitary police in green uniforms poured into the area from three directions. A stick, one or two stones and a flare were thrown and the police started baton charging the anarchist groups mercilessly. Other protesters were pushed over and trampled. One man was thrown out of a wheelchair and beaten by a group of about 15 police officers. A young woman held by her mother fled past us with blood pouring across her face. >From that point on throughout the evening there were sporadic attacks by police using baton charges, water cannon and tear gas. There were hundreds of police vans and armoured personnel carriers lining all the cities main streets. All other traffic was banned. The police seemed to be trying to give the impression that Rostock was under military occupation. But the protesters were defiant, 30,000 or so stayed in the harbour to hear the speeches and dance at a concert. Others walked the streets and sat in outdoor cafes and restaurants. On Sunday morning many of the marchers came back in to the centre of the town to join a demonstration against genetically modified foods or go to a conference on climate change. Launch At lunchtime there was an international anti-war assembly in one of the cities central squares addressed by anti-war German MPs among others. The assembly agreed to launch a campaign to pull Nato troops out of Afghanistan. The German movement has called a demonstration against the war in Afghanistan on 15 September. After the demonstration the town of Rostock was almost completely undamaged. We heard of three cars that had been overturned and set alight and a few wheelie bins that had been turned over. Some of them had been lifted back up. A tiny number of protesters had allowed themselves to be provoked by the massive police presence. But the police's military-style manoeuvres that flashed over the world's TV screens appeared to be just that - manoeuvres designed to intimidate. The media coverage of the G8 protests will have to be challenged by the movement around the world. But the biggest roars of approval in Rostock's harbour last Saturday night were for the speaker who said, "We should accept no lectures about violence. "We are not the ones responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands in Iraq, we are not the ones threatening to bomb Iraq. "We are marching for peace and justice, concepts the leaders of the G8 do not even understand." http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=11900 'We're not asking for help. We are telling them to get out of the way' Police attack a demonstrator (Pic: ? Guy Smallman) There were trade union contingents on the protests against the G8 in Rostock last weekend. Sarah and Klaus were among the demonstrators on Saturday's protest. Both work for Volkswagen in Wolfsburg, north Germany, they came with a 200-strong delegation from the IG Metall union from the area. They said, "This is not the first protest we have attended. We go to every demo we possibly can get to." Sarah said, "I am here to remind the politicians we are still here. Our opinion is easily overlooked. "Sometimes you feel that no one listens to you and we just wanted to make sure the trade unions had a voice on this demo." Klaus said, "I am really pleased with the contingent from Wolfsburg and the demo is very mixed, young and lively. I'm very happy to be here." Geoff Brown, the secretary of Manchester trades council, said, "The big unions, Verdi and IG Metall were very visible. "The whole event was very political." The author and activist Walden Bello made an excellent speech at the final rally. He said, "This protest is more in the spirit of Genoa than Gleneagles. We are not asking the G8 to help. We are telling them to get out of the way." http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=11984 Protesting at the G8 in K?hlungsborn (west of Heiligendamm) and Rostock (east of Heiligendamm) online only by Geoff Brown I set out early Wednesday afternoon to the alternative summit in Rostock. At the station, I was told the train wasn't running - why, they didn't know. The weather was nice, so I hired a bike to cycle ten kilometres south to the station in Kropelin, only to have to clamber over and round various barricades - three in all - on the road. At the last barricade, the fire brigade were sawing up small tree trunks and throwing them off the road. I got a train going east to Rostock, though at least one had been cancelled. I arrived in Rostock after 5pm and cycled across town to a rather unfocused but comradely meeting on trade unions, held in a makeshift tent at the convergence centre. Then it was on to a nightclub by the docks for a much bigger meeting on strategy for the movement. Alex Callinicos, John Holloway and Susan George provided a serious, well argued set of contributions. John Holloway developed the idea of a breakthrough from below, organised by self-directing groups. Susan George apologised that she is not so much of a theoretician and proceeded to give a solid, straightforward assessment for the results and prospects for the movement - we have made genuine progress but it's only a start. Alex made a much more political contribution which started from the big picture - neoliberalism and war - and argued that the establishment of Die Linke, a new left party in Germany with tens of thousands of members, is a real step forward. This brought audible dissent from a section of the audience. He described John Holloway as a poet, saying we need more than poetry, a fair comment I think. We could have done with more time for discussion. I gave a lift on the back of my bike to Inez, an art student, across town to the station. At Bad Doberan a couple of hundred blockaders, tired but cheerful, squeezed on the train and when asked, told a story of determination and stamina. The police in their thousands have been strikingly unsuccessful. No one has got through to the G8 meeting in Heiligendamm today except by boat (the journalists) or by helicopter (the big wigs and their food). At Kropelin, Inez started to try to hitch a lift and almost immediately a small truck going to the camp near K?hlungborn, Wichmannsdorf gave both of us and my bike a lift. The camp was quite small, hundreds rather than the thousands in Camp Rostock. It was superbly organised with braziers to keep everyone warm and food was still available. It was a clear night with the Great Bear visible overhead. I had a cup of Kra?tertee - herb tea - and chat to a group from France. The mood was excellent. About half twelve, I cycled the last few kilometres home. On Thursday afternoon, I decided on a bike ride towards the fence. The blockaders were coming home having been up at 7am, first in dozens, then in hundreds. They were all in good spirits. The police, who were looking tired, stopped me at just one point, very politely. There is a largish 'forbidden zone' round the fence. I find an information point, impressively well put together with a bilingual bulletin board with hand written reports giving updates through the day on progress in the blockades. People added their own reports and we stood round discussing things. The ministerial limos got stuck behind the watercannon lorries. Overall, it was a "cat and mouse" day and the mice won. There was a glorious sunset. The TV reported that Chancellor Angela Merkel had some success with Bush on climate change, there were some good reports of the blockades and the final day of the alternative summit. It is clear that the anti capitalists succeeded in putting real pressure on the G8. At least they have to be seen to address the big issues - climate change, war, poverty, AIDS. http://www.cpcml.ca/Tmld2007/D37092.htm June 7, 2007 - No. 92 "The blockades are working!" is the message from activists participating in actions against the 2007 G-8 Summit being held in Heiligendamm, Germany. This success was achieved in spite of massive repression organized by the German state in the form of 16,000 police and 1,500 soldiers patrolling the summit site and surrounding areas. Police had barred streets and other entry points leading to Heiligendamm on Monday and German authorities had banned protests in the immediate vicinity of the resort. Nevertheless, demonstrators militantly carried on their actions to shut down the G-8. The outer perimeter was breached and some 1,000 demonstrators were able to reach the 12 km long 2.5 m high concrete and razor-wire fence surrounding the resort town, supposedly out of range of the protestors. According to reports, the first day of the blockades on June 6 saw virtually all of the roads that lead to the Summit blocked by as many as 10,000 demonstrators. Throughout the day different groups set out to shut off access points to the G-8 venue. Many groups used a variety of tactics during the day, from sit-down road occupations to construction of barricades to breaking through police lines to reach their blockade locations. Despite police use of water cannons, mounted police and helicopters to ferry in reinforcements, many more than expected made it through the no-protest zone to establish blockades right at the G-8 security fences. The full picture of the successes scored by the protestors on day one, despite the massive criminalization of dissent is still emerging. A report of the actions on June 7 provides an update: "Northeast Gate: Peaceful -- more than 1000 people at the blockade. This gate is plan C of the delegations. Entering through it is in itself a defeat. "East Gate: Total victory at the blockade. The police can't make a step forward without asking permission of the protesters. So far there's no report of confrontations. "West Gate: Big confrontations. Massive police presence. Police are on the street, but the protesters are fighting in the field. Some 2000 people from [Camp] Reddelich went to support the hundreds [from Camp Wichmannsdorf]. The fighting itself is preventing the entrance of the delegations. The protesters are trying to regain the street." As of June 4 the Legal Team's interim report stated that approximately 322 people had been detained; at least 10, mostly youth, were awaiting trial; unlawful prolonged detention was taking place; grave violations of rights are reported to have been committed by the police, including against lawyers; Kavala, the G-8 special police department, and operational commanders wrangled over who has authority: the operational commander criticized police tactics during the demonstrations. June 5, Rostock June 5 was an Action Day Against Militarism and War. An anti-militarism demonstration in Warnem?nde started with some 500 participants, but police were able to restrict the demo to one lane of the road. At the train station, police searched people as they arrived and took their personal details. About 300-400 hundred people gathered at the headquarters of Caterpillar which manufactures bulldozers used by the Israeli Occupation Force to demolish Palestinian houses and lands. A short rally with some speeches was held. Following this, 1500-2000 people participated in a demonstration against arms manufacturer European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) near Rostock where police numbers increased significantly. The mood was militant. There were many speeches and police were kept at a distance from the rally. In the early evening George W. Bush was expected to arrive at the Rostock-Laage Airport where several protests were organized to "greet" him. June 3 On Sunday, June 3, around 5,000 people took part in a demonstration as part of the Agriculture Day of Action in the city of Rostock under the theme of "Resistance is Fruitful" to denounce the G-8's agricultural policies. Farmers, peasants, small producers, landless people and agricultural workers from countries around the world, including Canada, Nicaragua, Brazil and Nepal, participated strongly represented by, among other groups, Via Campesina. The colourful, peaceful protest of roughly five hundred demonstrators gathered near the Departments of Agriculture and Environment at the University of Rostock and marched towards downtown. The faculty of these departments took part in the march, riding into town in a covered wagon towed by a trailer. Enormous puppets in the shapes of carrots and other vegetables marched alongside farmers. Criticizing the G-8's hollow rhetoric of fighting hunger and poverty, the march underscored how the wealthiest industrial nations systemically pursue neo-liberal policies such as privatization of land and water that are to the detriment of land, workers and farmers. The demo included groups that occupy land, oppose genetically modified foods and gather seeds to preserve traditional crops. Protestors stopped along the way at LIDL, the German discount store, calling attention to how cheap prices are delivered by exploiting farmers who are paid less than the costs of production for their milk and by exploiting workers by also underpaying them. Additional stops at McDonald's and Burger King highlighted concerns about modern mass production of food. After the march, bike rides were planned to Gross Luesewitz to protest the agricultural-genetic technology there. Despite the peaceful nature of the demonstration, there were reports that police tried to provoke the protestors. Earlier in the day a group of people staged a sit down solidarity protest outside the detention centre on Industrie Str. where most of those arrested are being kept, and another took place later in front of the court on Werder Str. Life at the Camps For the past week protesters have been gathering at various camps in the areas surrounding Rostock and Heiligendamm. Three camps, one in Rostock, one in Reddelich and another in Wichmannsdorf are hosting 3-5,000 protesters each. Each camp is self-organized with campers taking on the collective responsibility for food, cleaning, security and other daily tasks. Each night in large nightly meetings held in huge circus tents campers gather to report on the day and to gather volunteers for the many tasks. This is also where decisions are made about important questions regarding safety and security. Each camp is divided into barrios. The barrios are self organized by groups, countries, regions, and political background. Some barrios are simply made up of individuals. On the evening of June 6 independent media reported a heavy police presence around the Rostock camp. Legal teams were negotiating. Police wanted to search the camp but did not provide a search warrant -- only a request. According to independent media reports, there did not appear to be any legal basis for a search of the camp reports said. About 100 police cars and two water cannons were standing outside the camp, along with some 500 police. Ban on Demonstrations Found Unconstitutional But Maintained Nonetheless On June 6 the German federal constitutional court banned the star march scheduled for June 7 (a star march is a march beginning at multiple points converging on one location). The ban included the three substitute events outside both banned areas. The reasons given for the ban were the events since the demonstration on June 2 in Rostock and the "defamatory depiction of the police," said a news release from the Star March Coalition. However, paradoxically, the court declared the general ban and the decision of the Higher Administrative Court of Griefswald to be unconstitutional. The Kavala special G-8 police agency argued in their reasons for the ban that delegates could "feel unsettled" by the "emotional proximity" of protests. Good relations to other states would be endangered as a result. A further argument made by the police was a "police state of emergency." With 16,000 officers the police claimed to not have enough power to properly accompany the march. It was alleged that the Star March Coalition had a general intent to blockade. Together with the organizers it was agreed that the political content of the anti-globalization movement would be made visible at the demonstration. The court took a different view -- neither "the mere threat to public order," nor the "sensitivities of foreign politicans" could justify an assembly ban it said. The court described the police's security concept as being explicitly "directed against the act of assembly" as from the start freedom to assemble had "no prospect of reasonable enactment." As a precaution in case of a complete ban the Star March Coalition had registered substitute protests outside the banned zones. Due to "security concerns" even these protests were banned. This meant that a virtual third banned area has been set up outside the fence and the so-called security zone. "That is an unparalleled and scandalous act against the articulation of political opinion," said the organizers who registered the protests. (In Germany all public assemblies must be registered in advance with the police.) "The broad international protest against the G-8 clearly shows that a substantial part of the population reject the politics of the G-8," stated Suzanne Spemberg of the Star March Coalition. "It is political motives that want to keep the protest invisible -- or indeed to criminalize them. The police implement the decisions, and not unusually in the most brutal fashion," continued Spemberg. The Star March Coalition has decided not to register any further assemblies or demonstrations. "We don't see ourselves anymore as having any reponsibility for the outcome of actions and demonstrations. The democratic route has been closed to us," Spemberg concluded. Along with the ongoing "Block G8" coalition blockades, many other far-reaching decentralized actions against the G8 have been announced. Lawyers for the organizers Ulrike Donat and Carsten Gericke stated: "Even though we deeply regret the outcome as the chance to have a peaceful protest has been taken from the organizers, the decision is in form and content -- due to the reasons given -- a complete success for freedom of assembly and a slap in the face for the authoritarian agenda of the Kavala police agency and the Greifswald Higher Administrative Court. "In any case reality has already outdated law -- freedom of assembly will, as it always has in history, occur on the streets and will not be quelled by courts. The rigid security concept of the police agency 'Kavala' which culpably neglected cooperation with the organizers has completely failed." From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 07:39:40 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:39:40 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Germany G8 blockades 8 - protesters claim victory; late protests, aftermath Message-ID: <094801c7adc8$add52540$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.eux.tv/article.aspx?articleId=9609 Friday, June 08, 2007 at 16:51 Subject: /G8-Demos/Germany/ ROUNDUP: Protesters claim victory at G8 Rostock, Germany (dpa) - Protest leaders claimed victory Friday at the Heiligendamm G8 summit in Germany, saying thousands of demonstrators had achieved their aim of cutting off all land routes to the beachside event. At the waterside in the nearby port city of Rostock, 4,000 of the protesters attended a final rally. With room for 10,000, organizers delayed the event for two hours in the vain hope that thousands more who had chanted anti-G8 slogans at the Heiligendamm fence would attend. Riot police were drawn up nearby to prevent a re-run of the violence that caused minor injuries to 1,000 people at a similar event on the same spot on June 2. When the rally ended, they blocked a group of 500 who had planned to march to a temporary detention centre where violent demonstrators picked up during the week were being held. "We managed to cripple road access to the summit the whole time," Lea Voigt, the spokeswoman for the anti-summit group Block G8, told reporters. "Police had to turn to Plan B and supply Heiligendamm via water and the air." Police have not shared Voigt's view during the week, stressing that their main aim was to block violent protest while leaving the non-violent ones in peace. Among the memorable images of live TV coverage during the week was of a police commander yelling rebuke at some of his own men who had lost their tempers and flailed with their plastic clubs at demonstrators. German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble Friday voiced "heartfelt thanks" to 17,000 police who had worked "to the limits of endurance" to ensure the summit was safe and calm. Voigt said up to 13,000 people had protested at the Heiligendamm fence. Protest-movement lawyers said police had put 1,200 demonstrators, including 500 taking part in sit-downs, in preventive detention during the week. Werner Raetz of another protest coalition, Demo AG, conceded that the June 2 rioting had given a "nasty image" to the protests, but claimed the protests "changed the political world." Earlier Friday, police helicopters forced a hot-air balloon to land when it attempted to invade the aerial exclusion zone at the summit on Germany's Baltic coast. The environmentalist group Greenpeace mounted the flight, hanging a yellow banner underneath the blue-and-white balloon's gondola saying "G8 act now," overstamped with the word "failed." Three police helicopters approached the balloon, creating strong air turbulence which forced the balloon and its two occupants to land, a Greenpeace spokeswoman said. Farmers in the area demanded Friday compensation from the government for trampled crops. Mecklenburg West-Pomerania farmers' union president Rainer Tietboehl said the police were responsible, since they had shoved demonstrators into the fields while clearing roads. State officials said no decision had been taken yet on the demand, but in principle the protesters should pay, since they trespassed on the farmland on the first day of the protests. Voigt said Block G8 had spoken with the farmers, but believed Berlin should pay for the ruined wheat and rapeseed: "By inviting the G8 to meet, they also invited the resistance to come," she said. http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/373289.html FINAL DEMO IN ROSTOCK Following the demo a few hundred people headed down to the prison to show solidarity with those still being held. The Police stopped them from getting up close to the prison so a main road was occupied nearby for a few of hours. Arriving back at base we switch on the telly to be greeted by the sight of multi millionaire tosspot 'Sir' Bob Geldoff moaning that the G8 had not kept their promises from 2005 with regard to Africa. That's the same Sir Bob who announced that the 2005 G8 in Gleneagles was the 'best ever'. The same Sir Bob who made a special point of slagging off the demonstrators in Edinburgh saying that they were harming the chances of the poorest people getting a fairer deal. 'A bunch of losers with white painted faces' was his exact words. Of course he and his millionaire chums like Bono knew far better than everyone else didn't they? Since 2005 tens of millions have needlessly died in poverty thanks to the policies of the G8. It's function is to maintain the status quo for the benefit of the few at the expense of the many. Wheeling out bleeding heart celebs like Geldoff to boost its credibility is a pitiful sham just like the G8 itself. There really is no satisfaction in saying 'I told you so' to the Geldoffs of this world. They are part of the problem not the solution. Finally a huge thanks to all the German activists and organisers who made the protests so successful. For giving us the space to operate. For making us such nice food and coffee. For demonstrating a level of organisation that proves well and truly that post 9/11, the anti capitalist movement is bigger, louder and stronger than ever. See you all in Rome. Guido e-mail: guidoreports at riseup.net http://contracostatimes.com/nationandworld/ci_6094053 Protesters, police claim victory at G-8 By DAVID RISING Associated Press Writer Article Launched: 06/08/2007 11:12:31 AM PDT HINTER BOLLHAGEN, Germany-Protesters claimed victory Friday after three days of blocking roads to the Group of Eight summit, defiantly demonstrating at the fence protecting the meeting-and even leading police on a spectacular high-seas boat chase. But police said their policy of "de-escalation" worked-allowing protests even in banned zones around the fence as long as they remained peaceful and cracking down when things started to get out of control. There was no repeat of last weekend's bloody riots in nearby Rostock. A demonstration Thursday at the main gate for the 7 1/2-mile-long security fence was a good example. Thousands of protesters were kept at bay in a field 500 yards from the fence most of the day, occasionally blasted with police water cannons when things looked to be heating up. Some activists reached the razor wire-topped fence but were quickly pushed back by mounted police, and protest roadblocks at the gate and farther along were rapidly cleared away. When the mood started to sour, police brought in more water cannons and the crowd quickly dispersed. "Beforehand, we had a de-escalation strategy with a contingency plan, and it worked well," police spokesman Tilo Scholz said. "Legally we could have arrested them all because they were banned from protesting in the area, but we didn't want to. What for?" Lea Voigt, a spokeswoman for the organizational group Block G-8, disputed the police view, accusing the 16,000 officers guarding the summit of using excessive force against demonstrations that she estimated drew 13,000 people. "The police moved ahead with massive violence-not de-escalation," she told reporters in Rostock on Friday as protesters packed up and left the summit site. She didn't have a count of how many people were hurt, but said one activist might have lost use of an eye from being blasted by a water cannon. Although many demonstrators made it to the fence during the summit, none were known to have made it across. With protesters blockading the main gate at Hinter Bollhagen and a smaller eastern entrance, G-8 delegations were forced to use boats to get to the summit area in Heiligendamm and then helicopters when the water got too rough. "We are more than satisfied," Voigt said. "We have managed to block the summit the entire time." Greenpeace breached the secure zone at sea Thursday with 11 inflatable boats in a dramatic protest before being intercepted by police boats. The group launched a hot-air balloon Friday in another attempt to get past security, but it was forced to land by police helicopters. "Now people are seeing photographs of a peaceful protest," Greenpeace organizer Svenja Koch said of the hot-air balloon. "The aim was to provide a contrast to the Black Block," Koch said, referring to the black-masked, stone-throwing protesters who dominated front pages after the June 2 protest in Rostock-dubbed the "Rostock Rumble" by German media. Some 400 police officers and 520 protesters were reported injured in the Rostock melee. Authorities said only eight officers had minor injuries during the three-day summit. Through Thursday, some 500 people had been taken into custody, although it was not immediately clear how many were charged. After demonstrators left Friday, some 5,000 gathered in Rostock for a concert and speeches. No major incidents were reported. --- Associated Press writers Matt Moore in Kuehlungsborn and Claus-Peter Tiemann in Rostock contributed to this report. http://en.epochtimes.com/news/7-6-8/56272.html G8 Protesters Claim Victory, But Was Message Heard? ReutersJun 08, 2007 Anti-G8 protesters carring a banner which reads "Block G8" take part in a final march June 8, 2007 in the northeastern town of Rostock. (Roland Magunia/AFP/Getty Images) HEILIGENDAMM, Germany-Anti-globalisation protesters claimed victory after thousands took their message to the gates of the village where world leaders were meeting. Four thousand demonstrators travelled through forests, wheat fields and past German police firing water cannon and pepper spray to occupy the main road into the Baltic resort of Heiligendamm for three days before leaving at the end of the summit on Friday. They caused disruption for officials from G8 nations who were forced to fly in by helicopter or take the sea route to the venue, but the summit went ahead and questions remained about what the protests accomplished. Were they just a sideshow? Or did the latest anti-G8 protest produce any tangible results? Answers vary, but it seems clear that anti-G8 protests will remain an annual accompaniment to Group of Eight meetings. "This is one of the greatest triumphs for the anti-globalisation movement to date," said Olaf Bernau, 37, a German anti-G8 leader on the blocked main road to Heiligendamm. "Without violence and with the simplest of means, we got past all these police barriers. It might only be symbolic but we disrupted the G8 with nothing but our physical presence." But Karsten Voigt, a senior German foreign ministry official and formerly a leading figure in West German protest movements, said they had achieved little. "It was a parasitic action that only succeeded in drawing attention away from issues at the summit," Voigt told Reuters. "I don't think they had any influence at all on the summit. They only influenced the media coverage. They're against the G8 as an expression of globalisation. But if you look at the protesters, they've become globalised themselves." G8 Fixture An estimated 30,000 protesters flocked to the area around Heiligendamm. They have become a fixture at G8 meetings. Ever since globalisation opponents caused mayhem at the 1999 World Trade Organisation meeting in Seattle, protesters have been trying with varying degrees of success to disrupt G8 meetings. One demonstrator was killed at the Genoa summit in 2001. Even though most G8 meetings since have been set in isolated rural areas, there were protests of varying scale outside venues in France, Canada, the United States, Britain and Russia. "I don't think the demonstrators' physical presence had any impact," said Gary Smith, director of the American Academy think tank in Berlin. "Their message was totally inarticulate. What does it mean to be anti-globalisation? It borders on nonsense. "But I do think (German Chancellor Angela) Merkel was wise to incorporate some of their themes, like poverty and climate change, into her agenda. So it wasn't like their concerns weren't being addressed. So you wonder: why they were there?" The challenge for protesters next year is to get to Hokkaido, on Japan's northernmost island, about 750 km (470 miles) north of Tokyo. The demonstrators who seized the tree-lined avenue leading to Heiligendamm on Wednesday turned it into a multi-national celebration. Police by and large retreated. "They (world leaders) must feel all of this opposition out here," said Sara Thomas, a 34-year-old teacher from Britain. "They had all those resources at their disposal-the army, police, the helicopters-and yet they couldn't keep us from getting into the restricted zone or keep us off their road." http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/sasha_simic/2007/06/rostock_rocks.html We will not be moved The success of yesterday's blockade of Heiligendamm has electrified the anti-G8 movement camped in Rostock. Sasha Simic Articles Latest Show all Profile All Sasha Simic articles About Webfeeds June 7, 2007 6:30 PM | Printable version Banner headline: protesters at the G8 summit. The slogan means: 'Against war, for peace.' Photograph: Graeme Robertson. "G8, G8, what ya gonna do ... What ya gonna do when we come for you?" The anti-G8 protesters have been chanting this all week. Yesterday, we came for them. The success of yesterday's blockade of Heiligendamm has electrified the anti-G8 movement camped in Rostock. Each of the five "fingers" of the blockaders got to their designated positions and successfully stopped the interpreters, bag-carriers and support staff for the G8 from getting to the summit. This stunning victory was achieved with hardly any arrests and with hardly any violence. Most of today's papers agree that the action, which led the police on a merry dance through fields and woods, was peaceful. Some papers have concentrated on the fighting at Bad Doberan but this involved forces that weren't actually part of the blockade operation. Some reports have regurgitated the police's more ludicrous fabrications including the howler that members of the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army, whose members have done a top job in poking good natured fun at the police all week, were spraying police with "acid". Actually, when their members reached the exclusion fence yesterday, they were chanting "Free Angela Merkel". It's not a organisation you join to spray acid on anyone. No, there was no violence - no violence from the blockaders that is. The police used water cannons, tear gas and pepper spray against the protesters to little effect. The blockaders voted to remain in place throughout the night and are still there this morning. And this morning, a leading German policeman played down the blockade, assuring the media that they had successfully protected the security of the exclusion zone and that the police would make sure that the blockaders stayed where they were. I don't think he grasped the point of the blockade. A counter-summit began in Rostock yesterday as the blockade was happening. Later that evening, protesters wandered into various sessions from the blockades, exhilarated by the days events, stunned by their success and full of stories. One common theme was the support the protesters received from local people. It is a widely held belief that the people of Rostock are against the protests. Yesterday showed this was a myth. On a boiling hot day, locals handed out food and water to the blockaders and, more importantly, their support. Another common theme was the surprising support individual police gave to the protesters. One activist told me that in the middle of his blockade he was beckoned over by a fierce looking armour-clad policemen with a gas canister strapped to his back. He needed a lot of reassurance from the cop that he wasn't going to get hurt and when he eventually walked up to him the cop quietly muttered: "You people are right. Keep it up." http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=17&art_id=46436&sid=13992330&con_type=1 Everybody's happy in protest land Saturday, June 09, 2007 Protesters claimed victory over police guarding the Group of Eight summit in Germany after three days of blocking roads, demonstrating at a security fence protecting world leaders - and even leading police on a boat chase. But police claimed that a policy of "de-escalation" worked - allowing protests to proceed if they were peaceful, but cracking down hard when things started to get out of control. A demonstration Thursday at the main gate through a 12-kilometer security fence was a good example. Thousands of demonstrators were kept at bay in a field some 500 meters from the fence for most of the day, and occasionally blasted with water cannons. Some reached the razor wire-topped fence but were quickly pushed back. "Legally, we could have arrested them all because they were banned from protesting in the area," said a police spokesman. "But we didn't want to." But with the blockades, delegates were forced to use boats to get to the summit area in Heiligendamm, and then helicopters once waves got too high. "We are more than satisfied," Lea Voigt of the Block G-8 group said in nearby Rostock. "We have managed to block the summit the entire time." Greenpeace breached the secure zone at sea Thursday with 11 boats before being intercepted. The group launched a hot-air balloon Friday in another attempt to break into the perimeter, but it was forced to land. "The aim was to provide a contrast to the Black Block," Greenpeace organizer Svenja Koch said, referring to black-masked, stone-throwing protesters who dominated the front pages after the June 2 Rostock protest. "Now people are seeing photographs of a peaceful protest." While 400 police officers were injured in the "Rostock Rumble," along with 520 demonstrators, police reported only eight officers with minor injuries during the three-day summit. ASSOCIATED PRESS. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 07:39:34 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:39:34 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Germany G8 Blockades 14 - international actions - Greece, Brazil, Chile, global Message-ID: <094701c7adc8$ac449a30$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.eux.tv/article.aspx?articleId=9539 Friday, June 08, 2007 at 12:19 Subject: /Greece-Crime/G8/ ROUNDUP: Arson attacks hit German firms in Greece as G8 heads meet Athens (dpa) - Arsonists staged attacks on five sites in the northern Greek port city of Thessaloniki Friday which police believe are linked to the ongoing Group of Eight (G8) summit hosted by Germany. Officials said the attacks, using home-made gas cannisters, had targeted the Mercedes dealership in Thessaloniki, the entrance to the Lidl supermarket chain, a German Miele store selling household appliances and a government state employment office. Unknown assailants also targeted the sales branches of Opel and Mercedes-Benz in various parts of Athens, with seven cars parked in their lots destroyed. A bus belonging to a German-Greek school was also set on fire. Officials said the attacks occurred within 10 minutes of each other, causing serious damage to at least five vehicles. No injuries were reported. Police said the perpetrators had lashed together several household gas cylinders and set them ablaze. Officials said no one had claimed responsibility for the attack, but they believed they were carried out by leftist groups in solidarity with thousands of protestors outside the G8 leaders' summit in Heiligendamn, Germany. Thousands of demonstrators clashed with riot police earlier Thursday. Arson attacks on banks and government offices and diplomatic cars are often carried out by anarchist groups in Athens and Greece's second largest city Thessaloniki. http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183475.shtml Bombing attacks in Greece related to G8 Armitage 09.06.2007 13:40 Bombing attacks in Athens and Salonica mainly to delegations of German cars Several -appeared to be coordinated- bombing attacks took place on Friday in Athens and Salonica, with objectives mainly delegations of German cars. At 1:05 and within ten minutes bombing attacks happened in delegations of Opel and Mercedes and in a school bus that belongs in a Greek-German school. Seven cars were damaged. Police made interrogations of suspect after the attacks. In Salonica, five bombing attacks happened at 01:00. Damages were caused in ATM of supermarket Lidle, in a shop of the Miele company, and in three cars of two Mercedes delegations. In 03:00 fire broke out in a garage of a Toyota delegation. http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183479.shtml Athens, GR: 2 anarchists and friend arrested imc athens 09.06.2007 13:57 Please circulate widely On Tuesday 5th of June, two anarchists and a friend of theirs (all 20-22 years old) were arrested after trying to attack a car of the municipal police in the neighborhood of Paleo Faliro in Athens. During their arrest, all three were beaten up by the police to the point of collapse. After being beaten further and tortured (mentally and physically) at the Police Headquarters in Athens, the Attorney General order the pre-trial detention of all three. The condition of the girl is particularly serious and alarming since she is now facing health problems; the vicious attack of the cops and their severe beatings have caused her a nervous breakdown. At dawn she was transfered to two different hospitals in Athens, where the doctors only offered her first aid and refused to accept her for further treatment. The doctors treating her currently (her personal doctor together with the police doctor) both speak of a serious psychotic-related amnesia condition caused by extreme stress during her arrest and detention. Despite this fact the girl is still held at the Police headquarters while her lawyers are trying to get her to another Athens hospital. Should this not happen, she will be transfered to and held at the mental health hospital of the Korydallos prison in Athens. Meanwhile, the two anarchists have already been transfered to prison. http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183356.shtml Solidarity action-Thessaloniki, Greece (AK) Antiauthoritarian Movement - Thessaloniki 08.06.2007 21:18 Themen: G8 Heiligendamm Solidarity action in 7-6-2007 by Antiauthoritarian Movement of Thessaloniki at the regional Goethe Institute of Thessaloniki. Thursday afternoon, 7-6-2007, Thessaloniki. Responding to the international call for solidarity, Antiauthoritarian Movement (greek initials: A.K.) decided to go forth... So, we were present at the local Goethe Institute of Thessaloniki. With banner, leaflets, etc. explaining to the people passing by the situation in Germany and the state repression during the anti-G8 mobilizations, we were there for some hours. We will continue our actions depending on the situation in Germany. Resistance - Solidarity - Dignity http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183437.shtml Fire Against the G8 in Chile translator 09.06.2007 05:04 Themen: G8 Heiligendamm On June 7, 2007, at the University of Santiago (USACH) in Chile, 40 masked rebels fought police, made barricades in the street and spray-painted slogans against the G8 Summit. Rocks and Molotov firebombs were thrown at police and leaflets were distributed to the people. On June 7, 2007, at the University of Santiago (USACH) in Chile, 40 masked rebels fought police, made barricades in the street and spray-painted slogans against the G8 Summit. Rocks and Molotov firebombs were thrown at police and leaflets were distributed to the people. The pigs were late in arriving because they were busy evicting students from occupied high schools. Nobody was arrested at the University at the end of the day. Article in Spanish: http://www.hommodolars.cl/e107/news.php?extend.1475 Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/antitezo/tags/antig8 http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183911.shtml Fire and Tear Gas in Chile in Relation to the G8 Summit translator 11.06.2007 03:56 Themen: G8 Repression Weltweit On Friday, June 8, 2007, outside the Juan Gomez Millas campus of the University of Chile in Santiago, a group of 25 masked people expressed their rage against the noxious summit of the G8 (as was done the day before at the USACH campus), as well as the privatization of the university, the General Law of Education (LGE in Spanish) and the Penal Responsibility Law. Fire and Tear Gas in Chile in Relation to the G8 Summit On Friday, June 8, 2007, outside the Juan Gomez Millas campus of the University of Chile in Santiago, a group of 25 masked people expressed their rage against the noxious summit of the G8 (as was done the day before at the USACH campus), as well as the privatization of the university, the General Law of Education (LGE in Spanish) and the Penal Responsibility Law. The social combatants used diverse materials to make barricades in the street and carried torches and Molotov firebombs. A guard presented a problem by locking the entrance gate to the university grounds with chains, but was rebuked and made to open the gate and abandon the area. During the blockade, the combatants made vocal the motive of the action as part of the struggle of the proletariat. When the cops arrived, a battle ensued for an hour, as Molotovs rained down on the pigs, who responded with poisonous gas. A fog of tear gas came to envelop the whole sector, leading the masked group to withdraw with concern for their companions at the university. The cops continued shooting tear gas despite people at the university shouting that it was unnecessary. It got to the point that the entire sector had to be evacuated, with people coughing and vomiting. Even people at another university campus had to evacuate, and residents were calling ambulances and the fire department. Those responsible for maintaining order left without offering any explanation. The pigs turned the area into a gas chamber. Article in Spanish: http://www.hommodolars.cl/e107/news.php?extend.1479 http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183515.shtml Brazilian activists against G8 and Police Giuliani, C. 09.06.2007 15:46 Themen: G8 Heiligendamm Weltweit More than 100 activists were arrested in a protest against G8 in Brazil In last day 07 of June, Brazilian activists had faced the brutality of the police in the streets of S?o Paulo. The protest anti-G8 finished with a destroyed McDonalds and three banks. The police used gas bombs and rubber bullets to exhaust the activists. A journalist and other activists were beaten and dozens were caught and sent to jail. SPAMSTOPPER.viva_napster at hotmail.com http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183016.shtml [G8-Brasil] Sao Paulo protest report imc-brasil 08.06.2007 02:29 Themen: G8 Today, June 7th, a march was called at Paulista avenue in Sao Paulo, Brasil. Around 200 people met at MASP - art museum - and march towards the Central Bank building.The police started to attack and disperse the march after a few people started to break the windows of Mcdonald's and banks. Around 40 people were arrested and are still at the police station.This is the translation of a report sent by a person who participate on the protest. The report was sent right after the protest was over. At 3pm today, around 200 protesters, majority punks, were at the MASP museum free area to protest against the G8, which is having a meeting at Germany. Behind a long line of middle class visitors of the MASP museum, a circle was madded, three protestors, two of them dressed up as clowns, facilitated the assembly. The two clowns said: - We are here for an action, protests don't appear in the media. Others with their faces covered remembered the confront with the police, at that same place, on past mayday. The tension was growing, everybody could see that were way more police than proteters, then two women from different groups came out with a simular argument: - I am not here to fight with the police and my goal isn't to appear on the mainstream media. The idea was to decide right there what they would do. After a lot of confusion and disorder during the creation of defense for proposals, people came out that they would march till the Central Bank. One way of the Paulista avenue was taken, with a mass of police officers following it, some on motorcycles tried to liberate a line on the avenue, they were able to do it, but only for 5 minutes, the people took back all the road. The lack of a minimal organization really madded it bad for the protest, the march passed by the Central Bank and didn't stopped, the people who were in the middle started to call the people from the front to come back, but in this going and comming, people ended up marching forward. Everybody knew how that would end up When we passed by a Mc Donald's...guess? You right!One of the punks dressed up as clowns in a very calm way (and I am not being ironic) broke two windows. Then it was the happiness for the cops, they came with bombs of gas and 'moral effect' [1]. The protesters dispersed, one part went forward through Paulista, the other entered a mall Center 3, and the rest was devided to the lef and right side of Augusta street. The ones who keep on going on Paulista, broke the windows of Santander bank and almost all Sudameris bank, then later they started to dance between the tear gas and the rubber bullets, which looked like a mirage, you couldn't believe it, the guys dancing in a rain of rubber bullets, I could only see that it was for real when one of them failed on the ground. The group who entered Center 3, together with the tear gas smoke, mixed themselves with the customers, the police entered the mall... After every thing was calm down, there were a lot of people mad with the police violence. It was unusual, to see the white middle class protesting against the police violence, which started to grown more when the mainstream media arrived. This one, basically, choose to interview them. A doctor who were helping the people who were hurt, and an old man saying that the police was very brutal, and a young guy who was saying that the police arrested people who were not involved with the protest (the problem is that the punk style is the fashion nowadays!). A lot of people were arrested, more than 20 for sure, the majority are at the 4 DP (police station), at Consolacao ave., and it looks like that the rest are at the 76 DP, at the Jardins. I met some punks at the bus stop and I could see what the rubber bullets can do, they would exhibit their wounds, and they were not regretted, is part of the life of a punk kid from the periferia.[2] [1] What bombs of efeito moral does is to make a lot of noise and throw little pieces of itself around while it explodes. Many of this bombs have caused serious wound on people, who had to suffer operations and some causing injuries for the rest of their life's. [2] Poor neighborhoods around the city of Sao Paulo. http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183024.shtml [G8-Brasil] Torture at the jail in SP posted by PM2 at IMC-Brasil site 08.06.2007 03:38 Themen: G8 G8 Heiligendamm Repression Weltweit Article translated from IMC-Brasil web site. G8 Paulista: tortura na 4a DP Sets of ten of protesters against the G8 who were at the Av.Paulista during the latter afternoon today, are now arrested at the 4a Police Department of Sao Paulo, Marques de Paranagua st, crossing the Augusta st, being tortured and forced to sign notes that with fake information to blame them for what is in there, on those notes they are even presenting 'white weapons'[1] as if they belong to the protesters. Many people have been released with serious wounds and bleeding a lot with their self stem down not wanting to talk about the tortured they suffered. Not all the media can have access to the place, being forced to be outside of the police station. During the act, the protesters heard the radio of a police officer where they were receiving orders to take their identification (from their uniforms) off so they could abuse and commit this atrocities. The protesters are inside the police station still having their testimony being taken by the cops. http://prod.midiaindependente.org/pt/blue/2007/06/384935.shtml GLOBAL INDYMEDIA REPORT Changing the game...global action against G8 one of the many 08.Jun.2007 14:22 Thursday 7th of June saw a series of solidarity protests and actions around the planet to protest the unjust and unsustainable actions of the illigitamite and unwanted body that call themselves the G8. Remember, we are everywhere, thats where our power is. Our world is not for sale, its time to think local, act global while also thinking global while acting local. Time to change the way we play this game..... Some actions were small, some large, some with only a minimal of impact. While others, in particular Sao Paulo in Brazil, with serious property damage, police repression and torture in police custody. Others acted with the setting up of infopoints for live transmission of g8-tv and imc-radio direct to their local communities in attempt to build local resistance that might lead to further action for the G8. This year, you could say, there was only a handful of global actions, but what if this trend were to grow....making it evermore difficult to maintain the present hold of the G8. June 7th, day of global action against G8 : international actions anti g8 actions from around the planet. --------------------Indy-Fundamentalism: Its Root Causes http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/182406.shtml --------------------Brasil - Sao Paulo [G8-Brasil] Sao Paulo protest report http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183016.shtml [G8-Brasil] Torture at the jail in SP http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183024.shtml Mais de cem ativistas anti-G8 s?o presos em S?o Paulo (images) http://prod.midiaindependente.org/pt/blue/2007/06/384981.shtml Protesto Anti G8 S?o Paulo http://prod.midiaindependente.org/pt/blue/2007/06/384941.shtml Fotos da repress?o no protesto anti-G8 na avenida Paulista http://prod.midiaindependente.org/pt/blue/2007/06/384931.shtml [SP] [G8] Protesto de punks termina em confronto com a PM na avenida Paulista http://prod.midiaindependente.org/pt/blue/2007/06/384899.shtml Porto Alegre [Porto Alegre - G8] Manifestantes se reunem contra as multinacionais e o G8 Porto Against the G8 http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/181846.shtml http://sardera.blogspot.com/2007/06/o-porto-contra-o-g8-rua-de-sta_05.html --------------------Costa Rica Anti-G8 Aktion auch in Costa Rica http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/182915.shtml --------------------Ecuador D?a de acci?n global contra el G 8 en Ecuador http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183039.shtml --------------------Austria Anti-G8 Solidemo in Wien http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/182849.shtml --------------------Denmark D?nemark: "Smash G8- Fight capitalism and imperialism!" http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/182798.shtml http://indymedia.dk/article/1230 http://indymedia.dk/article/1227 G8 Protest in Copenhagen http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/182521.shtml http://www.modkraft.dk/spip.php?page=nyheder-artikel&id_article=5694 --------------------Catalunya / Spain Barcelona: manifestaci?n contra g8 http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183131.shtml --------------------Nederlands sabotage action against the g8, amsterdam http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/182981.shtml --------------------Australia Melbourne G8 solidarity speakout at GPO http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2007/06/146258.php --------------------Portugal Porto Porto Ahainst the G8 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372667.html http://sardera.blogspot.com/2007/06/o-porto-contra-o-g8-rua-de-sta_05.html --------------------Germany Bremen Soli-Demo in Bremen am Mi., 06.06.07 http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183117.shtml Wiesbaden Protest in Wiesbaden http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183119.shtml G8-Demo in Reutlingen http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183018.shtml Heiligendamm in K?ln http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183003.shtml G8-Soli-Demo auch in Oldenburg http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/182912.shtml Anti-Kapitalismus Demonstration in Oldenburg. http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/182810.shtml Demo gegen G8 und Polizeigewalt in Darmstadt http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/182866.shtml Anti-G8 Demo in Darmstadt http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/182669.shtml Blockade zu den G8 - Protesten in Plauen http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/182852.shtml spontane aktion gegen g8 in detmold http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/182778.shtml Spontandemo in Leipzig http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/182691.shtml --------------------G8 Heiligendamm Pics + Video of blockades, street rave, thurs http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183121.shtml Postings on indymedia uk (pics and vid) from thursday 7th july: Street Rave at East Gate G8 Blockade - thursday night http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372979.html G8 West Gate Blockade, Thursday 7th http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372960.html Heading for the blockade of the west gate http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372877.html The blockade of the West Gate http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372897.html Barricade Blockades West Gate Area - thursday http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372949.html VIDEO Rush - March to Road Blockades http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372920.html Barricading G8 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372911.html G8 East Gate Blockade in place 24hrs and counting... http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372855.html G8 West Gate Blockaded - thurs 7th june http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372850.html Top 3 favourite hobbys of German riot Police http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372868.html for update of vids, photos, articles see constantly upgraded link: http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/181679.shtml#berichte ------------------------------------------communication space and actions call for global infopoint network http://de.indymedia.org/2007/05/179483.shtml https://docs.indymedia.org/view/Global/G8-2007-GerMany --------------------Mali Sikasso Contre Sommet au G8 Sikasso 2007 http://forumdespeuples.org/ http://malitchikan.org/spip.php?rubrique10 --------------------England London G8 INFO WEEK AT RAMPART, JUNE 2007 http://rampart.xploiting.org/wiki/doku.php/g8infospace http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/05/371926.html --------------------Austria Vienna g8 infopoint Vienna http://raw.at/texte/sonstiges/g8infozentrum.htm --------------------Catalunya / Spain Mataro Mataro Contra G8 https://docs.indymedia.org/view/Global/MataroContraG8 --------------------Germany Berlin Convergence Space Berlin http://csb.nostate.net/ Pictures and Russian article on St Petersburg and Moscow solidarity protests: http://piter.indymedia.ru/node/2851 http://ru.indymedia.org/newswire/display/16718/index.php http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183442.shtml Anti-G8 solidarity action in Seoul, Korea Seoul Radical Language Exchange 09.06.2007 08:44 Themen: G8 Heiligendamm Weltweit Activists in Seoul, South Korea carried out a creative action in solidarity with anti-G8 protests in Germany. On June 6th, the first day of massive blockades of the meeting in Heiligendamm, Germany, a roaming anti-G8 bike tour cruised through Seoul flying anti-G8 flags. The group joined up with others at a busy downtown intersection, to hand out flyers and talk about the G8 to people walking by. Passersby stopped to watch when a bunch of evil-looking masked men in suits-- the G8 leaders-- sung a song promising to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. Then small farmers, immigrants and other assorted good guys took on the G8 leaders in a short but dramatic "professional wrestling" match. The G8 leaders played dirty but it wasn't enough. They were of course thoroughly beaten, just like in Germany... more photos at: http://blog.jinbo.net/seoulidarity/?pid=20 http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183451.shtml Solidarity anti-G8 action in Kiew (Ukraine) kariandr 09.06.2007 10:56 Themen: G8 Heiligendamm Yesterday action against G8 took a place in Kiew 8th of june from 13-00 till 14-30 group of anarchists (No border initiative, World is not for sale and MAFIA (Carroteating Autonomus federative initiative)), leftwing activists (New leltists(Basta, Left initiative)), antifascists carried on an solidarity action against G8 summit and repressions in Germany. About 50 people took part in march. There were black and red flags, many banners and posters: I :( G8, power of g8 is not authority for the world, No privatisation of life, No borders and other. We started with picket near Ministry of foreign affairs. We talked in megaphone about politics of G8, about protests in Germany, repressions against activists. One could heard slogans: No G8, G8 is illegal, there are only 8 of them and millions of us, G8 is against us - we are against G8, and other against G8 and capitalism. We spreaded 2 kinds of leaflets: made by leftists and anarchists. Many journalists were presented. Then we moved by one busy center street to German embassy. On the way we shouted slogans and spreaded leaflets. People reacted different, mostly ignoring. Near German embassy we reminded about brutal attacks and repressions in Germany now. And swished Gute nacht G8. Photos: http://news.zaraz.org/?n=705 In struggle! http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183424.shtml Solidarity action in Moscow y 09.06.2007 02:22 Themen: G8 G8 Heiligendamm Weltweit Blockade of the German embassy in Moscow On the 8th of June the German embassy in Moscow was blocked with lock-ons by the group of anarchists. This action was against illegitim and inhuman G8 and against repression of German police towards protesters. Activists managed to block the building more than an hour. Then they were surrounded by police and brutally arrested. http://ru.indymedia.org/newswire/display/16718/index.php http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183381.shtml Milwaukee solidarity actions against the G8 some milwaukee anarchists 08.06.2007 23:52 Themen: G8 Heiligendamm Weltweit This morning several banners were dropped in the Milwaukee (usa) area expressing solidarity with those protesting against the G8 meeting in Germany this week. The policies of the G8 have a global effect and resistance to the G8 and solidarity with its opponents should therefore also be undertaken globally. While these actions may have no direct impact on the meetings themselves, we hope they offer some comfort to those on the front lines or in jail cells by letting them know they are not alone. The banners read: "Can't stop kaos Fuck the G8" and "Solidarty[sic] with Anti-G8 Prisoners" The first one speaks to the threat of uncontrollables to the established order, especially during their organized conferences. The threat of widespread disorder by those getting fucked by the system forces the state to be on the defensive and allows it's enemies numerous opportunities for resistance and revenge. By acting out militantly against the established order, they can seriously disrupt the function of these meetings, both in the media and in the closed-door sessions. The second speaks for itself- we offer nothing but support for those arrested in the struggle against the G8 and hope they will soon be free once more. The state has made a significant effort to crush dissent surrounding this G8 meeting, but their efforts thus far have failed. The anger of the oppressed is stronger than their concrete walls. We will continue to act in solidarity with those in Germany, and throughout the world, who fight with their all against this social order, as well as bring our own attacks to bear upon it. -the uncontrolables link to pictures: http://mke.indymedia.org/en/2007/06/207564.shtml This morning 4 banners were dropped and hung around the Milwaukee area with messages reading: "NO G8" "END Capitalism END the G8" "Against Capitalist war, Against Capitalist Peace" "solidarity with anti-g8 prisoners" (was found and rehung further down the street from where it was torn town) We are an ungovernable force when we employ tactics that in their decentralized and autonomous nature allow for easy replication and modification (against the formation of experts in struggle and for generalized revolt) for the mass of oppressed and exploited to act as they see fit in circumstances of the least risk for themselves and most damage to capital. There are many cops, hit-men for the state, who professionalize the misery of others and there are those who have internalized the master's values as well as many varied means of surveillance to encourage the oppressed's heads to stay firmly nuzzled beneath the state's boot. They wouldn't be on every corner, with worried eyes fearing that even the most minute questioning and the smallest of actions taken without their knowledge and approval will lead to the destruction of it all. Another cop exists within our heads, one which allows for revolt to exist merely in concept, in image, in representation, as lifestyle, as commodity, somewhere else (germany), but not here. Not where it matters most, in our own lives. Is it really a minority of armed thugs with threats of violence enforcing capitals rules that keeps this rotten world from falling apart or this submission to authority and distance between our desires and their fruition? The secret is to really begin. The time for waiting and empty words is over. We long for burning cities to call our own! With love and solidarity for those fighting the G8 here and in Germany With rage and plans in store for the G8 and the social order -some more milwaukee anarchists link to more pictures: http://mke.indymedia.org/en/2007/06/207580.shtml and statement made by milwaukee anarchists: http://mke.indymedia.org/en/2007/06/207554.shtml http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183798.shtml G8 Solidarity Event in San Francisco, USA reZz 10.06.2007 17:06 Themen: G8 G8 Heiligendamm On Fiday, June 8th, supporters of the protesters against the G8 meetings in Heiligendamm and people concerned about climate change came to gether for a heavily policed bike ride around the city, singing "We all live in a fascist state, Fuck the G8!" On Fiday, June 8th, supporters of the protesters against the G8 meetings in Heiligendamm and people concerned about climate change came to gether for a heavily policed bike ride around the city, singing "We all live in a fascist state, Fuck the G8!" "Direct Aciton for Climate Justice -," read one flier, "Resistance is Self Defence!" SPAMSTOPP.rezrezrez at fastmail.fm http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183640.shtml San Francisco Rides Against the G8 Bay Risinig affinity group & w at ldo pickett 10.06.2007 01:39 Themen: G8 Heiligendamm (123K) June 8, 2007. In solidarity with tens of thousands of activists in Germany confronbting the repressive power of the state at the meeting of G8 governments, environmental and global justice activists in San Francisco gather to ride through the streets demanding an end to the G8's ravaging of the planet, and calling for political, social, and economic justice for all people. >From a member of Bay Rising Affinity Group Painted yellow flags flapping in the evening sun read "V8, not G8," "No G8, No Climate Change," "Climate Justice," "Rising Tide," "Bay Rising; Not Capitalism, Not Rising Bay," and Flood the Streets Before the Ocean Does." The resurgent European global justice and anti-capitalist movements successfull battle with the G8 were being celebrated in San Francisco along with other cities across the planet. Towards a hundred bicyclist participated through the evening's solidarity anti-G8 and anti-climate change ride in a winding ride through the street and neighborhoods of San Francisco. Rising Tide, a radical international anti-climate change network, had called for a day of action, and cites around the US and the planet responded. The local Bay Rising Affinity Group call read in part: "Use pedal power to challenge oil addiction, to show solidarity with anti-G8 mass mobilizations in Germany and resist the polluting economic and political system of the G8. This global system is at the root of our ecological and social problems; climate chaos, lack of heath care, housing and education, war and empire, more prisons, the rich getting richer, low wages and lousy jobs, pollution, and attacks on immigrant, worker and civil rights. As the megalomaniac G8 leaders meet in police-state Germany, behind fences, cops and soldiers, intent on leading us further towards catastrophic and irreversible climate chaos, we must shout, scream and roar 'no more'." Occasional chants of "fight warming, not wars," Fuck the G8" and "we all live in a police state" to the tune of the Beatles "yellow submarine" as a heavy presence of police in cars, on bikes and on motorcycles, Highway Patrol and Sheriffs following the ride, harassing a few band a motorcade of block away for much of the ride. People ignored their provocations as the mobile pedal powered festival snaked through the city. Neighbors and tourists stopped watched, took photos or waved. Leaflets were passed out. City busses honked support. We ended the ride with a bike drawn soundsystem at at Dolores Park, the heart of the city and across the street from the house where Alexander Berkman and Emma Goldman contributed to "The Blast" newspaper on the verge of the worldwide revolutions of the early 1900's. At the beginning of the ride Bay Area anti-capitalist activists calling from Germany described the mass blockades of all roads leading to the G8 with ten of thousands with bikes playing a key role. Their short sentences over a cell phone were repeated, yelled out to the assembled bike mass. A widely circulated letter from the same activist reported on the massive G8 blockades: Because today's planned march to the fence had been banned, blockading the gates had been taken up again. Five hundred campers stayed at Gate 1 last night and 1200 at Gate 2. In the early morning hours, thousands returned to the gates from the nearby camps. It's a two-hour walk in the hot sun with limited water supplies. We head over to Gate I on the west side of the fence surrounding Bad Heiligendamm. Again, we bike over gentle hills, passing through wheat fields and by farmhouses with thatched or red-orange brick tile roofs. The towns en route - Reddelich and Steffenshagen - are home to 300 residents each. The entire way there consists of narrow country roads, often made of cobbled stones. Arriving at the blockade, we see a young woman being pulled through the police lines by three cops. She has just been pepper-sprayed and is screaming in agony and cannot stand. The police drag her over to a nearby tree, where two medics dowse her face with water and a few photojournalists lean in for a close up. Three, no four, green water cannons target the crowd with highly pressurized water that emits a low mechanical hum as it is released from the turrets. In front of the behemoth cannons, lines of cops. Methodically, the cannons and cops push everyone back. Spray. Push. Pause. Spray. Push. Pause. Slowly, the police retake the hill and the road leading to the gate, which yesterday the blockaders had occupied. Then comes a police announcement: "Gatherings of more than two are not allowed in Zone 2. This is an order to disperse." Numbers begin to dwindle seriously. Should we stay or should we go? To the left, among a cluster of trees, two squads of heavily protected police await orders. To the right, more cops and eight mounted police horses at the edge of the meadow. It looks as though they're surrounding us. Water cannons again douse the crowd. People run. They wind up in the field shivering uncontrollably, their teeth chattering loudly. Affinity groups organize as medics quickly arrive and provide blankets for warmth. A man stumbles past with a terrible gash on his head. A friend tends to him. "The battle is lost. The battle is lost," says a hippy in a tie-dye looking up the hill toward the towering vehicles. Streams of people flow through the fields away from the fence. The violence has been heavy at Gate 1. Yesterday, police attacked blockaders with clubs and pepper spray. Today, it is with water cannons. "It was less violent today than yesterday," says a young German woman. A protest medic sums up the day's casualties: a broken arm, one broken shin, many concussions and broken eardrums, and someone who lost an eye. But as hundreds retreat, the hardcore make barricades, some five feet high and six feet long, of logs and brush along the road leading to the gate. A small cadre of black-blockers and some militant clowns are making a stand. Had the past two days emphasis on non-escalation reached its conclusion, or was this a tactic meant only to delay the advancing cops? Before a coherent picture can emerge, squads of cops move in, re-take the road, and dismantle the barriers. We retreat farther back. As we walk our bikes, we come across the woman who had been pepper-sprayed earlier. She's putting her shoes on over a pair of mismatched socks. Her knee is heavily bandaged and her face is red from the burning. As she hops up to join the line of blockaders taking up a new position down the road, she says: "Its important to give everything you can." Undoubtedly, she'll be back tomorrow, at the gates, like the thousands of others heading returning to the camps to get some sleep, water, and food before coming back for another day of blockading. Blockade Photos/Video: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372723.html http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372740.html http://g8-tv.org/index.php?play_id=1729&clipId=1734 SPAMFREI.buph at igc.org http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/182981.shtml sabotage action against the g8, amsterdam automat 08.06.2007 00:54 on the 07.06.2007 11 cash mashines in the innercity of amsterdam got put out of order. also stickers were put on the sabotaged cash mashines, which read: OUT OF ORDER! THE G8 IS REDISTRIBUTING THE WEALTH OF THE WORLD. MAYBE YOU DON'T GET ANY THIS TIME. on the 07.06.2007 11 cash machines in the inner city of Amsterdam got put out of order. also stickers were put on the sabotaged cash machines, which read: "OUT OF ORDER! THE G8 IS REDISTRIBUTING THE WEALTH OF THE WORLD. MAYBE YOU DON'T GET ANY THIS TIME." the economic sabotage was a direct action to disturb the daily money flow and also to highlight the economic and political powers of the g8 coalition. who are currently meeting in Heiligendam, Germany. On this summit the 8 most powerful nations of the world come together to "distribute" the wealth of the world. because the G8 are the most powerful countries it is in their interest to perpetuate the poverty of the "3 world" in order to maintain and expand the wealth an property of a small elite. therefor the only conclusion for this coalition and all states would be to abolish themselves and end their tyranny in form of economic globalisation. clearly that is not in their interest, people will have to do this themselves. SMASH THE G8 SMASH THE STATE SOLIDARITY WITH THE STONE THROWERS IN GERMANY SOLIDARITY WITH ALL ACTIVIST AGAINST THE G8 http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/182521.shtml G8 Protest in Copenhagen Copenhagener 07.06.2007 09:36 Themen: G8 Heiligendamm On wednesday June 6, 500 G8-protesters gathered in Copenhagen. On wednesday, 500 protesters gathered in Copenhagen against the G8 and in solidarity with the succesful blockades and actions in Heiligendamm. The demo payed visits to the embassies of the G8 member states. At the US embassy, a minor confrontation with the police resulted in one arrested activist. The protest at the german embassy included solidarity manifestations with the eviction threatened social centre K?pi in Berlin. More info (Danish) and pictures on Modkraft.dk http://www.modkraft.dk/spip.php?page=nyheder-artikel&id_article=5694 http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/181846.shtml G8 solidarity speakout at GPO by pc Friday June 08, 2007 at 11:21 PM It was very small, and the police horses had nothing for their trouble, but at least the voice of protest was heard ... click to enlarge speaker1.jpg, image/jpeg, 600x450 There had been talk of a 'scumbag tour' which is presumably why the police were out in numbers - anything with 'G' in front of it seems to sound alarm bells. Other commitments, and possibly the weather, kept some away, and instead of the tour there was a speakout, to which various activists contributed, including two on behalf of Indigenous peoples both here and around the globe.(Next week will see Senior-Sergeant Chris Hurley in court over the death of Mulrunji on Palm Island in 2004 - see http://www.socialist-alliance.org/page.php?page=653) Leaflets relating to the upcoming APEC meeting in Sydney in September and the court appearance of G20 arrestees in Melbourne on August 31 were handed out. Contacts: The Anti-APEC Network - phone 0401 331 850, 0402 754 818 The G20 arrestees solidarity network - http://www.afterg20.org/ http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/181846.shtml Porto Against the G8 Mil? Sardera 06.06.2007 01:12 Themen: G8 G8 Heiligendamm Report of action in Porto (Portugal), June 2nd - Saturday morning As we are so far away from Rostock some of us thought that the best way to show solidarity to our brothers fighting for a better world in the streets of Germany was to tell people of Porto (Portugal) what the G8 is all about and what are those peolple doing in the streets so that they can think a while once they get home and watch the TV reducing the protests to a bunch of violent thugs. So - on the 2nd of June, in the morning - we set up a structure in the busiest street of the city (Sta. Catarina Street), where we explained: "When you see - on the TV - protester fighting against the police, you'll know that the protesters are fighting against this world built by the will of the rich. And you won't forget that it's that same world that the police so strongly protect" Pictures http://sardera.blogspot.com/2007/06/o-porto-contra-o-g8-rua-de-sta_05.html In the pictures, you'll see - A Mc Poster saying "2006: 700 billions dollars spent in weapons. 346 billions would be enough to end world poverty. When you see - on the TV - protester fighting against the police, think about what are the first ones fighting against and who are the second ones protecting" - A Mc Flyer, begining with this same question and ending with the answer shown above (When you see - on the TV - protester fighting against the police, you'll know that the protesters are fighting against this world build by the will of the rich. And you won't forget that it's that same world that the police so strongly protect) - Pictures of the actual action http://sardera.blogspot.com From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 07:39:48 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:39:48 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Germany G8 Blockades 10 - immigration centre protest; Greenpeace protest; small and unusual protests Message-ID: <094901c7adc8$b48e7d50$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/article2633469.ece Friday, June 08, 2007 By Tony Paterson Protests at Germany's G8 summit took a spectacular turn yesterday as police launched a high-speed boat chase through the Baltic and rammed two Greenpeace inflatable speed boats which had breached a maritime security zone, pitching crew members overboard and injuring three. Dramatic television footage of the chase shot from helicopters showed a small armada of Greenpeace inflatable boats driven by outboard motors speeding into a 10-kilometre wide security zone off the seaside resort of Heiligendamm hosting the summit, taking police patrol boats completely by surprise. After some delay, five high-powered police vessels went in hot pursuit of the Greenpeace intruders in a chase worthy of a James Bond film. For at least 10 minutes, the police and Greenpeace played a game of seaborne cat and mouse, churning the deep green waters of the Baltic white with their spiralling boat wakes. The chase was brought to an abrupt halt when the biggest and most powerful police vessel, a 30-foot long Swedish built "Combat boat" capable of 50 knots - rammed and swamped one of the Greenpeace inflatables and pitched all four of the boat's oilskin-clad crew into the sea. Three of the crew were injured in the ramming and had to be taken to hospital. In another encounter, the police boat swamped a second Greenpeace inflatable and stopped it. The activists unfurled a banner reading "G8-act now." Daniel Mittler of Greenpeace Germany said the environmental protest group had wanted to deliver a petition to the G8 leaders by sea. "The G8 countries have caused most climate change and their leaders should face up to their responsibilities. The world is tired of empty words and demands action now," he said. However Greenpeace later denounced the police decision to ram their craft as "totally irresponsible". Greenpeace's success in breaching the summit's security zone marked another defeat for the 16,000 police drafted in from throughout Germany for the meeting of G8 leaders in the Baltic town of Heiligendamm. By the time world leaders had arrived at the summit on Wednesday, thousands of anti-G8 protesters had breached the security zone on the land side and managed to block all roads leading to the venue. Yesterday, police allowed anti-G8 protesters to get right up to the eight mile- long razor-wire fence surrounding the summit. But they used water cannon and baton charges to clear demonstrators staging sit- down blockades on roads leading to the town. Protesters flew banners condemning G8 leaders as "criminals" and daubed the words "Evil Empire" over a road sign bearing the name of Heiligendamm. Police, who said they had made more than 160 arrests during clashes with demonstrators, admitted yesterday that they were exhausted and had decided to reduce security operations in areas that were non essential. "W0000 people flocked to an anti-G8 concert entitled " Voice against Poverty" featuring U2 singer Bono and the German rock star Herbert Groenemeyer in the port city of Rostock in the afternoon. Singers and artists from eight of the world's poorest countries were invited to perform at the event. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/news/tm_headline=appeal-to-big-heads--&method=full&objectid=19251510&siteid=66633-name_page.html 6 June 2007 APPEAL TO BIG HEADS OXFAM wheeled out lying Pinocchios in a peaceful protest against the G8 summit in Rostock, Germany, yesterday. The effigies of world leaders included George Bush, left, German's Angela Merkel, French president Nicolas Sarkozy, Vladimir Putin and Tony Blair. Yesterday, the leaders of the G8 industrialised nations were heading for the annual summit in nearby Heiligendamm. They were bracing themselves for difficult talks aimed at combating climate change and for criticism from aid groups over pledges to relieve African poverty. http://euronews.net/index.php?page=info&article=426439&lng=1 G8 protesters try sea invasions and music Protesters are no nearer to crashing the G8 summit venue in Heiligendamm in spite of valiant efforts to stage a waterborne invasion. After a thrilling chase, German police rammed two inflatable tipping their anti-G8 crews into the Baltic and leaving three of them injured. On land, police used water cannons and pepper spray to clear anti- globalisation activists from one of the roads leading to the seaside resort. In the nearby city of Rostock, approximately 70,000 people attended a protest concert staged by Bob Geldof and Bono. The rock stars have been lobbying world leaders at the summit to honour pledges of aid they made to Africa two years ago. http://jurnalo.com/jurnalo/storyPage.do?story_id=40592 Greenhouse gas emissions Balloon protest fails at G8, blockade ends Friday 08 June 2007 11:58 Police helicopters forced a hot-air balloon to land Friday when it attempted to invade the aerial exclusion zone at the G8 summit on Germany's Baltic coast. The environmentalist group Greenpeace mounted the flight, hanging a yellow banner underneath the blue-and-white balloon's gondola saying "G8 act now," overstamped with the word "failed. " The balloon took off from near the port city of Rostock. Three police helicopters approached the balloon, creating strong air turbulence which forced the balloon and its two occupants to land, a Greenpeace spokeswoman said. The air space around the summit venue at Heiligendamm was closed to all traffic Friday, with 18 key nation leaders at the resort. G8 leaders agreed Thursday to consider plans to halve harmful greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, but set no fixed goals. Most environmental organizations have criticized the deal as insufficient. http://www.eveningecho.ie/news/bstory.asp?j=14450256&p=y445x3xz&n=14450344 Geldof and Bono in plea to G8 leaders 07/06/2007 - 8:14:45 PM Proponents of debt relief for Africa were harsh in their assessment today of nearly two-year-old promises by the G8. They remained hopeful however that leaders meeting in Germany would hold true to their pledge of providing money and help to reduce poverty on the continent. Musician and social activist Bono told a crowd attending a protest concert in Rostock, near to the summit in Heiligendamm, that he had a "very tough meeting" with Chancellor Angela Merkel and was convinced, at one point, he might have to throw in the towel. Fellow activist and music producer Bob Geldof said the U2 singer - with whom he has turned aid to Africa a global campaign - became depressed during their meeting with Ms Merkel. Geldof said the German chancellor was talking about sending only ?700m to Africa, instead of the ?1.5bn they believe is needed. But Geldof said he was hopeful that Ms Merkel, who on today announced an agreement among the G8 on climate change, could persuade leaders to act on Africa. "It is still a long, long way off before the poor of this world will experience justice," Geldof said. http://www.thegauntlet.com/article/333/8943/Rage-Against-The-Machine.html Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello Escapes From G8 Protest By Boat Rage Against The Machine rocker Tom Morello was forced to make his escape by boat after performing at last Saturday's Move Against G8 protest in Germany. Morello was playing at the Rostock event, attended by between 50,000 and 60,000 people, under his solo guise as The Nightwatchman when riots broke out. Morello says, "I headed into the crowd. Police began to attack the crowd with water hoses and tear gas. There were big fires. I saw members of the black bloc throwing bottles at police. After my set, I had to escape via small boat to the Baltic Sea. There were police boats blockading the entrance to the festival and we snuck out under cover of darkness." http://jurnalo.com/jurnalo/storyPage.do?story_id=40663 Heiligendamm Nudist protesters invade beach near G8 summit Friday 08 June 2007 15:44 Protesters, some of them nude, invaded one of the secure zones at the G8 summit in Germany on Friday, holding a mini-demonstration on a beach in front of the media centre. The summit venue at Heiligendamm and the media centre further along the coast at Kuehlungsborn have been closed to the public. In the countryside nearby, protesters have been holding rallies and sit-down demonstrations since Wednesday, defying a legal ban. On Friday, the protesters stood in the shallow waters of the Baltic Sea, about 5 kilometres from the luxury hotel where 17 national leaders were winding up their talks at Heiligendamm. Police let them chant for a while, then ushered the group out of the restricted zone. Holidaymakers on the beach had earlier scraped a political "Stop G8" message in the sand of Kuehlungsborn Beach. dpa jbp ds http://bushradionews.blogspot.com/2007/06/anti-g8-protests-focus-on-flight-and.html Anti-G8 protests focus on flight and migration SPECIAL REPORT FROM THE G8 SUMMIT IN GERMANY By Brenda Leonard 05 June 2007 The Anti-G8 campaign is organised around theme days, and June 4 had marked the flight and migration day, focussing on refugees and their rights. At the first demonstration sit-down yesterday morning at the Werf Strase foreigners office in Rostock, Germany, about two thousand people gathered to protest against the treatment of refugees. At this centre refugees and migrants are allegedly tortured and prosecuted on a daily basis. Decisions are also made here on which status people without EU citizenship will receive. Hagen Kopff, organiser of the demonstration says, ?What we have today the fourth of June is in the frame of anti-G8 protests. The day is about flight and migration, and our central demands are: global freedom of movement, equal rights for all and the slogan of our refugee friends of course. We are here because you destroy our countries. To speak about the background of flight migration and to say again the G8 are mainly responsible for the poverty, for the wars, for this free trade agreements which bring so much problems. For example, Africa, where people are forced to flight, so this is what we explain in our action day today.? According to reports, some 400 protestors pelted police with bottles as they protested restrictions on refugees and asylum seekers in G8 countries. After a demonstration that took place over the weekend in Rostock, police have been continuing with strategies of provocation and obstruction. On the day following the mass demonstration, the police continued to patrol the situation in the state of Mecklenburg ? Vorpommern. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has condemned the violence and warned that the authorities will not tolerate such action. World leaders are meeting in Heiligendam, Germany for the 33rd G8 Summit. http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/sasha_simic/2007/06/marching_orders.html Marching orders The police tried to stop us showing our solidarity with immigrants and refugees at a demo in Rostock, Germany yesterday. They failed. Sasha Simic Articles Latest Show all Profile All Sasha Simic articles About Webfeeds June 5, 2007 6:30 PM | Printable version Yesterday was the Flight and Migration Day of Action in Rostock. The organisers and the police expected 2,000 people to march in solidarity with immigrants and refugees in Rostock. In fact, 10,000 turned up. So did a considerable portion of the 16,000 police who have been mobilised to "protect" the G8. They turned up in heavy armour and with two water-cannon wielding armoured cars. The police weren't happy that we were there and decided that the march would not go ahead. The demonstration was scheduled to start at one o'clock. We were kept waiting for over an hour. Speakers spoke from the back of vans and kept us up to date with what was happening. One spokesman told the crowd, first in German and then in heavily accented English that: "The police have decided not to let us pass. We demand that the police piss off." An African activist for refugee rights climbed onto a van to tell the crowd: "We are marching today for equal rights for all human beings. We will have to shout that message very loud today because the police cannot hear us. The only thing they hear is the order to shoot or to torture or to beat ... " After two hours of waiting our negotiators came back with a demand from the police. They would "allow" the march, which was to go through Rostock and on to the docks, but the demonstrators were to carry no sticks, no bottles, wear no masks or balaclavas and were to carry ... no axes. I wondered why they were so specific about axes. Would carrying a chainsaw be acceptable? They drove the water cannons away. We began to march but stopped after five minutes. Another message came back. The police would march alongside the demo and would not tolerate scarves, sunglasses or hoodies being worn. Our spokesman responded that this was a provocation and "unacceptable bullshit". He was right. The police, after all, were dressed in protective black armour, wearing balaclavas under their black Darth Vader-style helmets and they all had very big sticks. And though they didn't have axes, they were all carrying pistols. Who would blink first? We started to march again. The demonstrators - mostly very young activists from a variety of different traditions - were jubilant. We had won. We were marching in solidarity with people - refugees, asylum-seekers and immigrants - who the G8 have attacked without mercy. They have been the victims and scapegoats of the great neo-liberal crusade. The march stopped again. The police helicopter hovering above us had, apparently, spotted a few masked youths in the crowd. We laughed. Earlier the police presence had scared us. Now they were absurd. We marched on. The march ended at the end of the afternoon. The police asked the march to disperse as it approached the town centre. They hadn't expected so many to turn up. They didn't believe so many would make common cause with refugees and asylum-seekers. They were wrong. We knew - if they didn't - that "Kein mensch ist illegal". http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=11899 Marching for migrants rights in Rostock The migrant demonstration (Pic: ? Guy Smallman) Heavy policing around the march (Pic: ? Guy Smallman) Monday was flight and migration day of action at the G8 protests. Demonstrator Sasha Simic spoke to Socialist Worker about the events. ?Participants took part in a range of actions,? he explained. ?In the morning a demonstration tried to visit the memorial to the victims of the racist attack on an immigrant hostel in 1992, but it was disrupted by the police.? The main focus was a march for migrant rights. Organisers had expected 2,000, but closer to 10,000 showed up. Marchers were young and committed, with a large contingent from the new Die Linke party. ?It was cold and damp and we were confronted by an massive police presence.? ?The police were in full ?robocop? riot gear and had two water cannon lorries. ?I couldn?t believe how threatening the police have been. On Saturday's march I saw policemen beating up a guy in a wheelchair. ?We had four or five flatbed trucks spread through the crowd with sound systems and people standing on them relayed the police?s stranger and stranger announcements. Masks ?First they said we couldn?t march as some people were wearing masks. They demanded that the crowd disperse. ?When that didn?t happen they agreed that it could proceed as long as there were, ?no sticks, no bottles, no masks, no axes?. No axes! ?We marched for about 10 minutes, then the police announced that they couldn?t see everyone clearly from their helicopters and the march had to stop. ?Again we refused to disperse. ?After negotiations it was agreed we could continue if there were no scarves, no sunglasses and no hoodies. ?Finally they stopped the march for being too big! ?But, by now there was something of a carnival atmosphere, with rave music and the international clown army raising spirits. ?Demonstrators chanted, ?No borders, no nations! Stop the deportations!? ?We finished with local black activists and other anti-racist speakers gave speeches form the back of the lorries in an impromptu rally.? http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/180996.shtml Protest at Immigration Detention Center no more borders houston! 04.06.2007 15:00 Themen: Antirassismus G8 Heiligendamm Immigrant rights activists have locked themselves to the entrance gates of the Houston Processing Center, an immigration detention facility in North Texas. Immigrant rights activists have locked themselves to the entrance gates of the Houston Processing Center, an immigration detention facility in North Texas. a statement from the activists: This week the leaders of the richest and most powerful 8 countries in the world are meeting in Germany for the Group of 8 (G8) conference. During the G8 gathering these leaders will continue to strategize and promote the economic and political policy of neoliberal "globalization". These 8 nations, which compose 65% of the global economy have pushed for an economic system which impacts the whole world, making the rich richer, and impoverishing millions..Today, June 4th, the Dissent! Network in Europe has called for a Global Day of Action for freedom of movement and equal rights for all! We here in Houston, Texas, USA have heard this call to action and share the same concerns as our brothers and sisters in Europe and all over the world who are taking action today in solidarity with migrants and refugees of the global economy. [read the full communique] How to help: a legal support fund has been established and we need your help for bail and other legal fees: You can donate online via Paypal ( https://www.paypal.com - click 'send money') to the seditioncollective at yahoo.com email account c/o Sin Fronteras Legal Aid. You can mail well concealed cash, checks or money orders with a blank recipient info to: Houston Sin Fronteras Legal Aid c/o Houston ABC PO Box 667614 Houston, TX, 77266-7614 MORE INFORMATION houston.indymedia.org http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/181293.shtml Migration demo: police officer in charge is disempowered by Kavala RAV - translation 04.06.2007 23:14 Themen: G8 Heiligendamm Repression Several lawyers of he legal team participated in the ?demonstration for the freedom of global movement and equal rights in Rostock", which course was blocked massively by the MAO Kavala. Police with eight water canons and evacuation van surrounded the demo participants for several hours and delayed the beginning oft the march for more or less two hours. They stopped it from time to time because the demonstration laws were reportedly not observed. During the demonstration the press office of Kavala claimed, it was stopped because 2.500 disguised, violent participants were present. There the police officer in charge said however that there was no criminal offense and there was no disguised participant at all. When the demo arrived Parkstrasse at around 17:15 the officer in charge announced, that the approved demo route was illegal due to an order oft the demo authority. The reason for that was that the demo was registered only for 2.000 participants, but 10.000 were present. The legal team pointed out that this is not a legal argument for an actual prohibition of the demo at all and that the demo authority thought of 5.000 participants when it gave its approval. The runaround route would lead through deserted streets in the industrial area anyway and not to the inner city. Therefore the demo organization offered to walk a runaround route, which would have led through broad avenues in the inner city. The official argument of the demo authority of the seemingly too many participants was therefore out-dated. Despite the remonstration of the officer in charge, Kavala insisted on the factual prohibition of the demonstration without giving a real reason. The legal team was not able to achieve anything although it tried several tactics. This confirms the impression that the legal team/lawyers emergency department has for a couple of days: Kavala does on the one hand search for escalation and on the other hand it disempowers the officers in charge. For further information contact the press office of the legal teams/lawyers emergency department via this numbers: 01577-4704760, 0163-6195151, 0179-4608473. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 07:40:05 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:40:05 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Germany G8 Blockades 9 - Berlin protest and clashes Message-ID: <094e01c7adc8$bd2e48a0$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/0609/breaking21.htm Last Updated: 09/06/2007 12:15 Police clash with anti-G8 protesters German police clashed with anti-G8 demonstrators at an impromptu protest in Berlin late last night, several hours after the Group of Eight summit in Heiligendamm ended, police said today. German riot policeman push people off the streets during anti-G8 demonstration in Berlin last night Stones and bottles were thrown at riot police during the three-hour demonstration in central Berlin, although most of the 600 protesters were peaceful, a police spokesman said. Six demonstrators were detained and five arrested. Several cars were also set on fire in the city overnight. Earlier in the week 30,000 demonstrators succeeded in evading police controls and entering a restricted zone set up for the summit around Heiligendamm, 250km north of Berlin. They blocked land routes into the village for three days before leaving yesterday afternoon. A police official in the nearby city of Rostock said a total of 1,057 anti-G8 demonstrators had been detained during the week, and 125 had been formally arrested. There were 17,800 police on hand providing security to the summit, and 43 police helicopters. A total of 443 police were injured, 43 of them seriously. The fire brigade was called in 642 times. Security for the summit cost ?118 million. A 2.5-metre high security fence around Heiligendamm that cost ?12 million will be dismantled this week and sold. There have been bids from zoos, airports and farmers, according to German media reports. http://jurnalo.com/jurnalo/storyPage.do?story_id=40752 Heiligendamm summit Anti-globalization protestors demonstrate in Berlin Saturday 09 June 2007 02:12 Following the close of the Group of Eight summit in Heiligendamm, Germany, anti-globalization protestors took their message to the streets of Berlin Friday evening. Police said about 450 young people gathered in the Hackeschen Market after travelling from Rostock where they had taken part in larger protests. They peacefully marched to the nearby Rosenthaler Platz. Police were stationed in nearby streets to monitor the protests. http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1269735,00.html Riot Cops Clash With G8 Protesters Updated: 08:21, Saturday June 09, 2007 There have been violent clashes between protestors and police in Berlin after the end of the G8 summit. Officers seize a man More than a thousand officers were deployed to restore control. Many of the demonstrators are believed to have arrived from Rostock, the scene of several days of anti-G8 protests. Earlier, the summit ended with some firm commitments on greenhouse gases and aid to Africa - but no breakthrough. The German Chancellor called it a success but Bob Geldof dismissed it as a "total farce The leaders of the eight wealthiest nations decided ?30m of the aid already promised for poor countries should be spent on fighting AIDS, TB and malaria. Despite deals on aid and climate, cracks showed in the united front leaders tried to present. Russian President Vladimir Putin told US President George Bush to scrap plans to put anti-missile equipment in central Europe and use Russian facilities instead. Putin, who is due to step down next year, ended the summit by warning foreigners not to meddle in Russia's elections after hearing concern from G8 leaders about the erosion of freedoms. http://africa.reuters.com/business/news/usnBAN953586.html Berlin police scuffle with protesters after G8 Sat 9 Jun 2007, 13:53 GMT [-] Text [+] By Erik Kirschbaum BERLIN (Reuters) - German police scuffled with anti-G8 demonstrators at an impromptu protest in Berlin late on Friday, several hours after the Group of Eight summit in Heiligendamm ended, police said on Saturday. Stones and bottles were thrown at riot police during the three-hour demonstration in central Berlin, although most of the 600 protesters returning home from Heiligendamm were peaceful, a police spokesman said. Six were detained and five arrested. Eight cars were also set on fire in the city overnight and the windows of four others smashed. More than 70 luxury cars have been set on fire in Berlin this year by suspected anti-globalisation activists. "Most arrests were for breaching the peace and disorderly conduct," a police spokeswoman said. German network N-TV showed pictures of riot police tackling and striking demonstrators. Earlier in the week 30,000 demonstrators succeeded in evading police controls and entering a restricted zone set up for the summit around Heiligendamm, 250 km (150 miles) north of Berlin. They blocked land routes into the village for three days before leaving on Friday afternoon at the end of the summit. A police official in the nearby city of Rostock said a total of 1,057 anti-G8 demonstrators had been detained during the week, and 125 had been formally arrested. There were 17,800 police providing security for the summit, and 43 police helicopters. A total of 443 police were injured, 43 of them seriously. The fire brigade was called in 642 times. The summit security cost 118 million euros. A poll to be published in Focus magazine on Monday found that 51 percent of Germans believed the G8 summit should be held in secret locations in the future to avoid demonstrators and reduce security costs. German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul told Bild am Sonntag newspaper a G8 summit should be held in Africa. "It's worth considering," she said. "The problems of the world would be more visible for everyone." Heiligendamm, population 298, reopened to the public on Saturday and dismantling work begun on a 2.5-metre (8-foot) high security fence that cost 12 million euros. It will be sold. Zoos, airports and farmers have made bids, according to German media reports. http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/373034.html G8 - Closing march, harbour rally and prison solidarity pics vino vino | 08.06.2007 23:21 | G8 Germany 2007 | World During the morning many protesters joined in the last moments of the gate blockades, many later leaving the gates enmass to converge with protesters from both blockades and protest camps at Rostock train station to march to the closing rally at the Rostock harbour. During the march, their were halts when a soundsystem had to be negotiated into being able to travel with the crowd into the harbour area. With hundreds of protesters arriving at the harbour rally, speakers began to relay their thoughts of how the actions against the G8 went - the feeling was generally jubilent with some speeches throwing up some interesting facts such as the various propaganda lies pushed by the police and printed in the press. During the rally a large group spontaneously took to the streets marching down the road towards the prison to show solidarity with all those still detained. As they set off the police scrambled to block in and surround this group for several hours before they dispersed. A number regrouped at the prison and are awaiting more news on those still inside. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 07:56:00 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:56:00 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] SOUTH AFRICA: Anarchist solidarity statement on public sector strikes Message-ID: <09a401c7adca$fc51b240$0202a8c0@andy1> > To all educators and students who have for so long been controlled and abused by a sytem that has time and again failed us, I voice my support for the workers strike. This can be seen as more than an opportunity for a living wage, which we have been screaming for many years but also to strenghten the voice of the workers in this country against the unequal and pathetic conditions under which we work. We should not take the usual moral attacks on the tecahers and the nurses to heart when we know that in all the attacks on our very way of life, our individuality, our right to control and have a say in what we do, as teachers and public sector workers and all else who contribute to this society even though they are still given the bottam end of the prospects.We should take the opportunity, whatever gain it may bring us in the future, to show a strong workers solidarity against a capitalist and class based sytem and governmnent. So stike ahead, and stand strong and lets fight for total freedom! PHAMBILI NGOMZABALAZO! PHANSI 7.25%! PHANSI 10%! SIFUNA ZONKE! Lara ZACF STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC SECTOR STRIKE > > The Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Federation (southern Africa) supports the public sector strikers, not just in their demand for a wage increase of 12%, which has now been reduced to 10%, but also in their struggle to improve the standard of all public sector services. We call on all workers and community members to show their support for this strike, as it is not just about wages but an attempt to raise the quality of public services provided to us all. > > We strongly condemn the government's attempt to intimidate workers into ending the strike by issuing dismissal notices to striking workers, and by using apartheid-era police brutality against picketers - even though the police are headed by SACP national chairperson Charles Nqakula. We support the workers' demands that any agreement reached must be > accompanied by the unconditional reinstatement of any and all workers dismissed during the strike. > > We strongly condemn the government's duplicity in its negotiators, led by Kenny Govender, having pretended for four whole months to be > negotiating in good faith when Govender's team turned out not to have the mandate of the four ANC Cabinet ministers tasked with managing the strike: Nquakula, Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel and ex-communist Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi. > > We strongly condemn the attempts by certain reactionary sections of the media to portray the strikers en masse as violent when the few incidents of violence have been caused by a handful of shady characters and ill-disciplined strikers. It is remarkable that the economic abuse perpetrated on workers by being paid starvation wages is not considered to be violent. > > We commend the great display of solidarity to be shown by the municipal workers today and, with great respect, wish them strength and courage in their actions. We also commend the remarkable solidarity shown between the union federations and the independents on this strike as the > foundation for an undivided working class-based mass movement. > > We are confident, however, that even if government concedes to the demands of the public sector workers, it will not be long before the workers have to strike again, to keep up with inflation and the rising cost of living. That is why we say that this strike should not just be for higher wages and better public services, but that it should be part of a larger struggle against the system whereby the rich and powerful profit of the suffering and labour of the poor. > > As long as we live under an economic system where public services are operated as profit generating enterprises we will have to fight just to have our most basic needs catered for. This is why we > anarchist-communists say that a struggle between the rich minority and the poor majority, between the bosses and the workers, in this case between government and public sector employees, must go on until the boss class has been overthrown and all the enterprises necessary to meet the needs of the people have been taken under the control of those who work them. > > This strike illustrates very clearly, as anarchists have always > maintained, that the government, any government - be it black, white, socialist or capitalist - does not serve the interests of the working and poor people, but those of the rich, comfortable and privileged classes. The government is an employer and, as such, acts as a boss, willing to fire on it's own employees in order to defend its profit margins. > > That is why we are adamant that, regardless of the outcome of this strike - although we hope it will be in favour of the workers - there will not be adequate service delivery, and access for all to the > necessities of life, until such time as the workers have properly organised themselves to take back all the industries of the land, to operate them not for profit but to meet the needs of all. > > When the factories and land are controlled by those that work them, education by the educators and students, and the communities by those that inhabit them, then we can say we are free. When goods are produced and distributed not according to ability to pay and the profit motive, but according to need, and everybody has access to the necessities of life, then we can say we are free. When all the public services are controlled both by those that they cater to and by those that they are operated by, then we can say we are truly free. > > Until such time we must organise and unite all the workers of the land, in both the factories and fields, together with the students, unemployed and all the communities of the poor and working poor, for one last liberation struggle. The struggle not for democratic control of a > government - black or white, socialist or capitalist - that controls our lives, but for the very control of our lives, ourselves, and all that that entails. For popular control of the resources and industries of the land. This is the new liberation struggle, the struggle for total liberation. > > PHAMBILI NGOMZABALAZO! > PHANSI 7.25%! PHANSI 10%! > SIFUNA ZONKE! > > Jonathan Payn > Federation Secretary > ZACF (South Africa & Swaziland) > Cell: 078-577-4394 > http://www.zabalaza.net/ > ------------------------------------------- South Africas premier free email service - www.webmail.co.za ---------------------------------------------------------- For super low premiums, click here http://www.webmail.co.za/dd.pwm International Secretary, Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Federation ZACF Postnet Suite 153 Private Bag X42 Braamfontein 2017 South Africa -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 08:00:50 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 16:00:50 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] IRAQ: "missing" police still drawing salaries Message-ID: <09e401c7adcb$a346f010$0202a8c0@andy1> Nice way to scam some money out of the occupiers... ------------------------------------------------- 32,000 Iraq police 'lost,' more on payroll WASHINGTON, June 12 (UPI) -- About 32,000 Iraqi police who have been trained and equipped are no longer on the job, having left for various reasons over the last 18 months. And as many as 12,000 police not on the job are drawing salaries anyway, said U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey, who has just returned from more than two years in Iraq overseeing the development of Iraqi security forces. The United States has overseen the training and equipping of more than 194,000 Iraqi police. But a data check in January revealed that over the last 18 months, 32,000 of them are no longer coming to work. Between 8,000 and 10,000 Iraqi police have been killed in action. Another 6,000 to 8,000 have been severely wounded, Dempsey told a House Armed Services subcommittee Tuesday. At least 5,000 Iraqi police have deserted and the rest are unaccounted for. That means there are at most 162,000 trained and equipped police in Iraq. But there may be as many as 75,000 more policemen drawing a salary. Getting exact numbers is difficult because there is no single automated database that can accurately track that figure. "We have been getting better and better visibility on what's really out there, to the point where now there is something between 60,000 and 75,000 policemen on the payroll over the authorization and untrained by us," he said. Of the additional untrained police, 10 percent to 20 percent are "ghosts" -- just names on the payroll to collect a salary, he said. No database can yet answer another question: How many police deserters are now in jail for insurgent activity? "At this point in time the databases don't talk to each other, and I've invested some money within the last six months to try to make that happen," he said. http://www.upi.com/Security_Terrorism/Briefing/2007/06/12/32000_iraq_police_lost_more_on_payroll/1159 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Mon Jun 11 20:40:57 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2007 04:40:57 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] TIBET: Unrest over mineral extraction on sacred mountain Message-ID: <011e01c7aca3$7cfdc100$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.savetibet.org/news/newsitem.php?id=1143 Tibetans riot over exploitation of sacred mountain Benjamin Kang Lim, Reuters June 11th, 2007 Vehicle damaged after rioting in Tawu County, Kardze Prefecture in Kham on May 27, 2007. BEIJING, June 11: Hundreds of Tibetans rioted in a remote, sparsely populated area of southwest China recently to stop exploitation of a mountain they consider sacred, several local residents said on Monday. China maintains a tight grip on dissent and often cracks down hard on public protests, especially in ethnic minority regions, as maintaining social stability is one of the Communist Party's key concerns. Angry residents of Bamei town, home to an ethnic Tibetan population, in Sichuan province attacked government officials and smashed cars during a protest outside the local branch of a mining company in late May, the residents said. They were protesting over the exploitation of Yala Mountain -- one of nine mountains considered sacred by Tibetans -- in the Tagong grasslands for lead and zinc. The officials were attempting to mediate. "For us, the Yala mountain is sacred," a Tibetan lama said by telephone, requesting anonymity. "When the mine owner began exploiting it, people were enraged and tried to stop it." A Tibetan with knowledge of the unrest said several people were killed, but this could not be independently confirmed, and several locals denied there were any deaths. A Bamei government official said the rioting had been quelled. "It has subsided," the official told Reuters. He declined further comment. Local police, reached by telephone, declined to comment. Eight Bamei elders have been missing since they tried to petition the Sichuan government in the provincial capital of Chengdu, the residents said. "All the village elders went missing after they tried to petition the government. We think they have been arrested," one resident said. The lush grassland lies in a part of western Sichuan that Tibetans have historically considered the Kham region, part of a cultural Tibet that extends beyond the borders of the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Chinese troops marched into predominantly Buddhist Tibet in 1950 and nine years later the Himalayan region's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fled into exile after a failed uprising. China has kept a tight rein on its outlying regions, home to many minorities but also rich in minerals and energy. China is hungry for energy, metals and other natural resources to feed its booming economy, the fourth-biggest in the world. In 2003, Australian miner Sino Gold Ltd. abandoned exploration rights in a Tibetan region of Sichuan following a letter-writing campaign by Australia-based pro-Tibet activists. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Tawu county riot - car - large image- 27 May 07 .jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 49403 bytes Desc: not available URL: From lccresistance at lebanonview.com Sat Jun 9 16:44:30 2007 From: lccresistance at lebanonview.com (lccresistance) Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2007 02:44:30 +0300 Subject: [Onthebarricades] =?windows-1256?q?THE_FIRST_ARAB_INTERNATIONAL_?= =?windows-1256?b?QkVJUlVUIFNPQ0lBTCBGT1JVTSDPx93aINrkIMfR1t8gx9Hd?= =?windows-1256?b?2iDRx9PfIOHt2uHmINXmyt8gx+TKINrRyO0gx+TKIOPex+bj?= Message-ID: <099401c7ab45$e48a23e0$df0b6e0a@pc> ?????? ???????? ??????? ??????? ???????? ????????? ?????????? Arabic and English ???? ????? ?? ?????? ??????? ?? ????? ?????? ?? ????? ???????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ?????? ?????? ??? ????? ??????? ?????????? ??????? ?????? ????? ?? ???? ?????? ????????? ???????? ??????? ?????? ?? ????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ???? ????????? ????????? ??????? ????? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ?? 12 ??? 14 ???? 2007 ??? ?? ?????? ?????? ??? ??? ??? ?????? ????? ??? ????? ???? ????? ??????? ????? ????? ????????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ????????? Stand up and perform resistance Open invitation If you yourself are not free, from a free nation, then the freedom of nations is a shame on you The Beirut resistance call Under the auspices of the Lebanese President The first Arab international Beirut social forum12 \ 14July2007 days Loyalty to the Resistance UNESCO PALACE PALAIS UNESCO ??? ????????? ???? ?????? ??????????? ???? ??????????? ???? ??????? ????????? ???? ??????? Solidarity with Lebanon and the Al-Aqsa Intifada and to end the occupation of Iraq and Palestine and Somalia A call for the international resistance days A call to the nation, to the country and to the Arab and all worlds and Communities and to all free nations Joined us in the anti-American and Zionist hegemony international meeting Seminar cultural humanitarian, political, socio economic environment The initiative to set up the first movement of Arab anti-globalization adopt the line of thinking and the culture of resistance and a constitution And the University of popular resistance against global aggression and occupation DEBATES meaningful dialogue workshops producing a clear vision of common goals, share experiences partners in the victory and confrontation And broad participation of various intellectual trends and the need to address the political faith of the American and Zionist hegemony of the world No to US-hegemony! Not to Zionism! No to imperialist globalization! For Peace and International Solidarity! Based on the ?Beirut Resistance Call? we are asking all peace loving people from the Arab World, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, North America and Latin America to join us for the first ?Arab International Beirut Social Forum? from the 12th to the 14th of July in Beirut (Lebanon). This initiative is aimed at setting up the first Arab anti-globalization movement and therefore adopts a line of thinking and a culture of resistance and laying the base for a University of Popular Resistance against global aggression and occupation. It does it through debates and meaningful dialogue workshops producing a clear vision of common goals, exchanging experiences and sharing common objectives in the victories and confrontation. The broadest possible participation of various intellectual trends, researcher, activists, resistance movement, grass root organizations, anti-globalization and anti-imperialist movements, peace activists, humanitarian workers, representatives of international solidarity movements and prominent personalities as internationally known symbols for peace, international understanding, solidarity and resistance will guarantee our objectives. The USA and Israel are the worst offenders. They do not have any moral standing anymore - if they ever had one. Their genocidal murdering of innocent people, women, children and elderly is a crime against humanity under the flag of the ?international campaign against terror?. In fact the USA, Israel and the other imperialist powers are the real terrorist of the world! But they will and are already facing more and more resistance. In fact the resistance against imperialist globalization and its anti-human, disastrous effects, against US-hegemony and the so called ?New World Order?, against Zionism, imperialism and imperialist occupation is growing in Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, Somalia, Venezuela, Cuba, the Philippines, Zimbabwe, Congo, even in the United States, Europe, Africa, Asia, North and Latin America - in every corner of the world. Our meeting in July in Lebanon, the country of victorious resistance against Zionism and imperialism, will therefore also be a united call of action and solidarity with all the growing resistance in the world! Let us stand up for the rights of the peoples! Let us demonstrate to the world our unity and our will for action! We shall overcome! United we will achieve a world of peace, solidarity, justice and solidarity! Join us in Beirut from the 12th to the 14th of July. Our first ?Arab International Beirut Social Forum? will be a venue for the coordination of joint activities and joint actions, exchanging our views and experiences, analyzing all aspects of the imperialist, Zionist so called ?New World Order?, presenting the different experiences of resistance, sharing our common vision for a better world, free of imperialist globalization, occupations, Zionism and all forms of racism, exploitation, cultural imperialism aimed at destroying national cultures and traditions, imperialist and Zionist media disinformation, US-hegemony over the whole world. Please send us your proposals for workshops, common actions and presentations of your resistance! Enroll your participation and present you proposals directly via: Arab International Beirut Social Forum International Coordination and Preparation Committee see you ALL in July in Beirut! AT UNESCO PALACE MINISTRY OF HIGH EDUCATION Our work is for the SEEK of: - Palestine and Iraq, - for the seek of the resistance and intifada- Until the rising of the sun of freedom and independence Relying on the above principles, you are called and invited to participate in the initiative to set up the first movement of Arab anti-globalization adopt the line of thinking and the culture of resistance and a constitution And the University of popular resistance against global aggression and occupation in order to practice the undoubted popular legitimacy union of the freedom fighters and friendly institutions and communities in all over the world: Every person, every personality, every union, every institution and group, every political, cultural and parliamentary power and syndicate, everyone who's contribution enrich the international call Our meeting in Beirut around these goals and fixed principles will create a new challenge to make the correction of way and to stop the retrogression of our nation and people and to create the practical tools to defend its existence and rights. We are all invited to meet and support the Palestinian and Iraqi People! Place: Lebanon capital town Beirut\UNESCO PALACE DATE: 11 OF JULY 2007 REGISTRATIONS DAY TO ALL MEMBERS AND DELIGATIONS FROM 8AM TO 11PM Date: Thursday and Friday and Saturday 12\13\14\July 2007 OPENING TIME 9.30 AM 12 OF JULY 2007 AT MAIN CONFERENCE HALL Nota Bene: Details about the sessions and other details will be published The congress puts a special value in the working sessions. These are to be prepared before the beginning of the congress, be held open to the contributors in the days of the congress and they are to be pursued after the congress. These sessions will be organized in special open committees that are to remain as permanent committees: 1) Committee of self-critique 2) Committee of support to the resistance 3) Political committee 4) Committee of offending Zionism and globalisation 5) Committee of judgement of criminals of war 6) Information and cultural committee 7) Committee for human rights, detainees and captured 8) Committee for the refugees and expellees 9) Committee for external relations 10) Committee for the approaching of ideologies and ideas 11) Committee for economic affairs 12) Committee for youth and students 13) Committee for women circles 14) Committee for documentation, statistics and data bank 15) Committee for constitutional and juristic affairs 8. Conditions for the participation at the congress Every Arab, Muslim and European or American or African and Asian citizen is able to take part and attend the sessions and events of the congress under the condition of holding the following principles: 1) Refusal of recognition of any occupation or violation to any part of the country in Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon or any other occupied and violated territory in the whole Arab world. 2) Refusal of any kind of collaboration or cooperation with the American-British-Zionist forces of occupation and violation and their related military, political and institutional forces and establishments. 3) The Iraqi resistance movement is the true representative of the Iraqi people. It has the legitimacy to use all legitimate means to oppose the conquering and occupying American forces and their allies and their lackey collaborating "governmental council" that does not represent the will of the Iraqi people, 4) The Palestinian and Iraqi resistance as well the forces of opposition to occupation, they are performing a legitimate, holy and principal duty. 5) The participant has to participate to at least one of the working committees. 6) Refusal of making division on the basis of religious confessions; refusal of the infiltration of political or ideological line that may try to dictate foreign, hegemony interests under the pretext of peace, living together, democratic reforms or foreign culture. 7) Refusal of separation between the resistance movement in Palestine and Iraq or any other Arab country. Our country is one, our occupiers are one and our resistance is one. 8) Total support for the unity of the Arab and Islamic unions and institutions in abroad. This goal has superiority over any other interest. 9) Payment of the participation fee: a. Arab and Islamic countries 50 ? b. European and American and Asian countries 75 ? African 25 ? c. Lebanon 15 ? d. Other countries 25 ? All the fees are to be paid in advance on the special congressional account beginning on 1 June 2007 9. The general discussion topics The general discussion topics are distributed on the following subjects: a) Patriotic and national affairs b) Immigration affairs and the so-called anti-terror laws c) Role of the international and human institutions and organisations in the support of the Palestinian and Iraqi people Beside this there will be also specialized sessions for experts and specialized skills to deal with the following topics: a) Historic memory and the kernel of the struggle against occupation of land and violation of rights b) Role of information and media in the support of the resistance and in the opposition to the propaganda of globalisation and in the definition of real terror c) Zionist precisions, the outlines of anti-Semitism and the real victims 10. Important information - At the opening of the congress there will be a reception event to welcome all the participants of the congress. We plan to present some high-ranking international guests and to have some traditional, folkloric presentations. - The reception of the participants at the sessions and committees will be started at the respective times of these activities, before and during the congress time. - We are in negotiation with some hotels to provide the participants with good and discounted lodging. Also we have the possibility to lodge some participants in private families of the Lebanese's party's members for persons who wish to. In this case we need your early notification through the organizational committee until 20-th June 2007. - Also we will inform you over our homepage www.lebanonview.com about special discounted air travel offers. - All participants from outside Germany will be free of the entrance fees and free from the fees of the events. - All propositions are welcomed until 10-Th June 2007. - Every participant is responsible for getting his entrance visa, if afforded. The organizational committee will assist these efforts if requested and as far as possible. This is to be planned and done through before 15-th June 2007. As well as by direct electronic mail to all interested participants and to the regional And international mass media. Electronic mail is to be sent to the general coordinator: lccresistance at lebanonview.com Preparation bureaus: Fax: 009611368238 Tel: 009613858055 E-mail contact addresses: lccPress at Yahoo.com lccPress at LebanonView.com lccInfo at LebanonView.com ? The Beirut international call is the result of a common freedom fighters effort of struggle; it is in the ownership of our parents and people. Your contribution, your support and not the last your financial contribution to cover the high expenses of the global demonstrations are the expression of your commitment to the right of struggle and progress. For financial contributions please refer to the coordination addresses mentioned above. Done by the general preparation committee ????? ????? ????????? ?????? ?????? ????? 12\14 ???? 2007???? ?????? ???????? ?? ???? ??? ????????? ???? ??????? ????? ????????? ???? ??? 11 ???? 2007 ?????? ??????? ????? ???? ??????? ??? ???? ?? ??? ??? ??????????? ????? ????? ????? ????????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ?????????? ?????????? ????? ????????? ?????? ??? ????? ?????? ??????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ???????? ????????? ???????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ????? ?? ???? ??? ????????? ??????? ??? 12 ???? 2007 ????? ????? ?????? ?????? ???? ??? ??????? ??? ????? ?? ?????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ????????? ?????????? ???? ????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ???????? ????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ??? ???? ????? ?????? ??????? ????? ??? ??? ?????? ???????? ???? ??????? ?????? ????? ???????? ??????? ???????? ?? ??????? ????????? ?????? ????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ????? ???? ????? ????? ?????? ????? ??????? ????? ?? ???????? ????????? ???????? ????? ?? ????? ???????? ??????? ????????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ????????? ?????????? ?? ????? ??? ?????? ????? ???????? ????? ?????? ????????? ????? ???????? ????????? ???????? ??????? ???????? ???? ????????? ?? ????? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ???????? ???????? ????? 2007??? ???? ??????? ???? ?????? ??? ????? ????? ????????? ????? ???? ?????? ??????????? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ??????? ????????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ?? ????? ???????? ?? ????? ?? ???????? ????? ????? ?????? ?????? ??? ????? ??? ?????? ??????? ??? ????????? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ??? ??????? ?????? ??? ?? ???? ???? ?? ???????? ???????? ??????????? ?????????? ?? ????? ??????? ?? ?????? ????????? ????????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ???? ????? ????? ???????: ????? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????? ??????: ????? ????? ?????? ?????? ???????:???? ???????? ??????????? ??????? ?????? ???????:??????? ?????? ?????? ???????:?????? ??????? ???? ????????? ???????? ?: ?????? ????????? ?????????? : 1:?????? ???????? ??????? ??????? (?????? ???? ) 2:????? ?????? ?????? ????????3:???? ??????? ???????? ????????? ????? ????? ????? ??????: ??? ??????? ???????? ???????? ??????????? ?????????? ???? ???? ?????? ?? ??????? ??????? ????????? ??? ??? ?? ????? ?? ?? ?????? ????????? ???????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ??????? ?????? ??????? ??? ??????? ?? ?????? ??????? ??????? ?? ????? ???????? ????????? ????????? ??????? ??????? ???? ?? ???? ???, ???? ?????? ??????? ??????? ?? ??????? ??????? ??????? ????? ????? ??????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ??? ????? ????? ????????? ?????????? ?????? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ????????? ????????? ?????????? ????????????. ???? ????? ????? ?????? ????? ???????? ?????? ??????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ?????????, ????????? ???????? ???????? ??????? ???????? ??? ??????? ????????? ???????? ???????? ?????????? ??????????? ?????????? ???????? ????????? ????????, ???? ???? ???????, ???????? ????????? ?????? ??????? ????. ???? ?????? ?????? ???????? ??????? ???????? ?? ??? ?????? ?????????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ??? ?????? ???? ???????? ??? ????? ???????? ?? ????? ??????, ????????? ????? ??????? ?????????? ????????? ???????? ??? ???? ???????? ???????? ?????? ?? ?????.. ???? ???????? ??????????? ???????: ?? ?? ????? ???? ????? ????? ?? ?? ???? ??????? ?? ??? ?????? ????? ?? ?????? ????? ?????? ????? ??????? ?? ??? ?? ????? ???????? ??????? ???????? ?? ??????? ?????????. ??? ?? ???? ??? ????? ??????? ??????? ?????????? ?????? ????? ?? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???????? ?????? ???? ?????? ??????? ???????? ??????? ??????? ?? ????? ??????. ????? ??? ???????? ???????? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ???? ??????? ?????? ????????? ???? ?? ??? ????? ??? ?? ???? ?? ???? ???????? ????????? ?????????? . ????? ??? ??????? ?????? ??????? ?? ?? ????? ??????? ????????. ????? ??? ???????? ??????? ?????????? ??? ????????? ???????? ???????????? ???????? ?? ????? ????????? ?????? ????? ???? ????????? ??????????? ???????????? ???????? ?????? ????????. ????? ????? ?????? ??????? 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??????? ?????? ????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ??? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ?????? ???????? ??????????. ? ????? ??? ???? ???? ????? ??? ????? ????????? ?????????? ??? ???? ??????? ????????? ???????? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???????? ????????? ??????? ?? ??????? ???????? ??????? ??????? ??? ?? ????? ????????? ???????. 3: ????? ????? ????? ?????? ?????? ?? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ??????? ?? ????? ????? ???????? ????? ???????? ?????? ???? ??????? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ????? ??????? ???????? ???????? ????????? ??????????.? ????? ?? ???? ???????? ??????? ???????? ???????? ??????? ?? ????? ??????? ?? ????? ????? ?????? ?????? ?? ????? ?????? ?????? ?????????. 4: ??? ??????? ?????????? ??????????? ?????? ??????? ?????????? ??????? ??????? ?????????? ????????? ?? ????? ??? ????? ????????? ????????.?????? ??? ????? ????? ????? ?? ????? ???? ???? ??????? ????? ???????? ???? ??????? ???????? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ??? ??????, ?????? ????? ????? ???? ????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ???????? 5: ?????? ????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ???? ???????? ???????? ??????? ??????? ?? ??????? ????????????? 6: ????? ??????? ??????? ?? ??????? ???????????? ???????? ????????? ?????????? ??? ??? ??? ?????? ?? ?? ????? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ????????? ??????? ?? ???????.?????? ??????? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ??????? ???? ???? ???? ????? ??????? ????????? ?????????, ?????? ???? ?? ???????? ?? ????? ???????? ????????? ?????? ?????? ??????????? ?? ?? ????? ??????. 7: ????? ??? ????? ???? ?????? ???????? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ?? ?????? ?????? ??? ??? ?????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ?????????? ?????? ?????????? ???????? ??????? ??? ?????? ???????? ??????.? ????? ??????? ?? ?????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ????????? ????????? ???? ???? ?? ??????? ?????? ??? ???????, ?????? ????? ??? ?? ???? ??? ??????? ??????????? ????????? ?????:(????? ??????_????? ????? ??????_ ????? ??????? ???????? ??????) ???? ?? ???????? ????????? ????? ??? ?????? ?????? ??? ????. ????? ??????? ?? 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???????? ????? ???????? ???? ??????. ???????? ?????: ????????? ?????????, ?????? ???????????, ????????. ?????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ???????? ????? ???????. ?????? ?????? ????????? ????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ?????. ?????? ??????? ????? ????? ????? ????? ????????? ?????? ?????? ????? ??: ???? \13\12? 14 ?? ???? ???? 2007 ?? ??????? ????????? ????? ?????. ??? ????????? ?????? ??? ???????? ???????: moqawama at lebanonview.com lccpress at yahoo.com ??? ????? ????? ????? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ???? ????? 15 ??????\\\\ ?????? ????????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ????? ?? 50 ???? ??????? ?100 ???? ??????? ????????? ????????. ????? ?????? ????????? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ??????? ?????? ??? ???? ???????. ???? ??? ?? ????????? ????????? ???????? ???????? ??? ?????? www.lebanonview.com ?????? ?? 10\6\2007 ???? ????? ???????? ?? ??? ??????? ????? ?? ????? ??? ?????? ?????????, ???? ????? ????? ??????? ?????????? ??????? ?? 2 ????? 2007 ???????? ?????? ?????? 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?????? ??????\????? ????? ???? ???????? ???????? ??????\??????? ??? ?????? ??????\????????? ???? ???? ???? ??????\??????? ???? ??? ????? ???\??????? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ?????\???????? ???? ??? ??? ??? ??? ?????\??????? ??????? ???????\??????? ??????? ????????? ??????? ????? ????????\??????? ???? ???? ??????\????? ???? ??????\??????? ??? ??????? ??????\???? ????? ???????? ????????? ????? ??????? ???????\??????? ???? ???? ???? ??????\????? ??????? ???????\??????? ???? ????? ?????\??????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ?? ????? ?????????\???????? ???? ????? ?????\??? ????? ?????\???????? ?????? ???????\???????? ??? ????? ?????\??????? ???? ?????? ??????\????? ??????? ???????\??????? ???? ???? ??????\????? ??? ?????? ??????\??????? ???? ???? ???\??????? ???? ??? ???? ??????\??????? ???? ???????? ??????\???????? ???? ????? ??????\???? ??????? ??????????\???? ??????? ???????????\???? ??????? ?????????\???? ??????? ???????? ????????? ??????\????????? ?? ?????? ????????? ????? ??????? ????????\??????? ????? ?????? ?????\????? ?????? ??????????? ??????? \????? ??????2006\???????? ??? ?????? ???????? ???\?????? ?????? ??????? ???\????? ???????\?????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ??????\???? ??? ?? ?????? ???????? ???\???? ???? ?? ??? ??????? ???\??????? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ???\??????? ???? ??? ????? ??? ?????? ??\??????? ???? ???? ??????? ???\ a.. ?????? ???????? ????? ?????? 01368238\03858055\Email: lccpress at lebanonview.com ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???????? ??????? ??????? ???? ??????? ????? ??? ????? ???????? ????? ???????? ????? ??????? ???? ??? ???? ????? ???????? ???? ?? ???? ??? ??? ??? ?? ???? ???????? ??? ???????? ????????? ?? ??????? ??????? ????? ??? ?????? ????? ? http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LEBANONVIEW ? ? EMAIL:lccresistance at lebanonview.com ???? :03858055\\\\01377769\\\\\\\01368238 EMAIL: lccpress at yahoo.com lccpress at lebanonview.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: pic05e.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 10908 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 05:32:02 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 13:32:02 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] UK: Critical Mass under attack Message-ID: <019b01c7adb6$d9518540$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/05/371358.html Criminal Mass? IMC London | 23.05.2007 13:16 | Climate Chaos | Repression | Social Struggles | London Critical Mass (CM) is a monthly event mainly consisting of cyclists but other forms of human propulsion are welcomed. The first one happened in San Francisco USA on Friday, September 25, 1992 and since then enthusiasts in many towns and cities worldwide have followed suit. Sometimes events calling themselves 'Critical Mass' accompany public demonstrations but purists argue they are not related to the regular monthly ride. It is difficult to describe CM as opinions differ widely but they seem to range from a simple celebration of cycling to an anti-authoritarian blockade of traffic, particularly cars, with many facets in between. Almost from the beginning there has been a mixed reaction from the police, ranging from helpful facilitation to aggressive confrontation. In the last few years the police have become much more confrontational in the UK and they try to manipulate the rides. London now has large numbers of cycle police attending every Mass, except the one in December which is close to the New Year holiday when they don't turn up at all!. The Metropolitan Police issued a leaflet to participants in September 2005 claiming that the ride is not lawful. Their claim was rejected in the High Court in May 2006 but the police have since appealed and won. Critical Massers have vowed that the ride will go on. The next London Critical mass is on Friday 25th May, meeting outside the NFT between 6 and 6.30pm and there has been a call-out to make this the biggest ride ever. Legal Clarification: "Critical Mass is NOT illegal" >From the newswire: Abuse of police powers in Derby | London Critical Mass 30th September 2005 | London Critical Mass under threat | Critical Mass London: Letter from Green Party to Met. Police | London Critical Mass reports | Amazing turnout on "banned" critical mass | Massive Critical Mass Defies SOCPA Exclusion Zone | Southend's first Critical Mass stopped by police | 2nd Southend Critical Mass ends with 3 arrests | Leeds Critical Mass | York Critical Mass | Police charge cyclists at Glasgow Critical Mass | Birmingham's Ride reaches Critical Mass Videos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Other links: Full judgement | Wikipedia | CM London website | criminal mass Typically CM has no set route and no organisers, just a common starting place. The Mass follows those at the front who spontaneously decide among themselves which way to go as the ride progresses. Some local authorities and politicians are ill at ease with this unfamiliar way of doing things, they prefer public events to be carefully pre-planned by organisers with police co-operation, while others tend to regard the Mass as just another environmentally friendly cycle ride. It seems likely that CM in its present form will cease to exist if it is forced into a police mould. It will become just another 'authorised' public demonstration with the usual hordes of police in front, at the side and at the back. In order to undergo such a transformation organisers would need to be selected and routes pre-planned. Given the anarchic nature of CM it is difficult to see how such an arrangement might be arrived at. On the other hand, police could use their discretionary powers to let CM continue more or less as is. For several years now in New York City there has been much opposition to police control of CM, leading to violent confrontations which have yet to be fully resolved, though CM seems to be on the winning side just now but with depleted numbers. See 'Still we Ride' video and 'Times Up' group. Could something similar happen here perhaps? IMC London a.. Download this article in pdf format b.. Email this article to someone; c.. Submit an addition or make a quick comment on this article Additions just attending is not a crime - legal update 24.05.2007 14:50 LEGAL CLARIFICATION - CRITICAL MASS IS NOT ILLEGAL On Monday the Court of Appeal gave their judgment in the Critical Mass case (Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis v. Des Kay). Cyclists will want to understand the practical implications of the judgment for this Friday's Critical Mass. By two to one (and against the decision of two previous judges), the Court of Appeal rejected Des Kay's argument that the monthly rides are 'commonly or customarily held' which would exempt them from the notification requirements of the Public Order Act 1986. The result (subject to any reconsideration by the House of Lords) is that any organiser of Critical Mass is now required to notify the police at least 6 days before the event providing them with the date, route, and name of organiser. If an organiser fails to do this, he or she will be liable to prosecution. It would be for the police to prove that a person was an organiser of Critical Mass. The case was brought because, in September 2005, the Police handed out leaflets at Critical Mass saying: "These cycle protests are not lawful because no organiser has provided police with the necessary notification. Your participation in this event could render you liable to prosecution." Those statements were, and remain, incorrect. The Court of Appeal's judgment does not mean either that the ride is unlawful or that those merely cycling in the ride are acting unlawfully. Friends of the Earth Rights & Justice Centre Lawyers for Des Kay 23 May 2007 cyclist -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- still not totally clear? 24.05.2007 16:49 there's a section (somewhere in that lengthy document for May 2007) which first states that participation is not illegal, then goes on to say how, however, if the police find that the procession is presenting a threat of some kind, or an obstruction to not sure what, then it doesn't matter whether you are an organiser or a participant? it might well be that i misunderstood this? peoples republic of southwark -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >From the CM list 24.05.2007 18:02 Hello Folks, A friend who is a lawyer said this: ""While the Court of Appeal did say that Critical Mass was a procession and that the organizers were required to give prior notification of the route, a) participating in (rather than organizing) Critical Mass is still lawful (b) the Court thought it unlikely that the police would ever successfully prosecute any one for being an organizer. So the police can't ban Critical Mass and it is absolutely fine to join in with it. You cannot be arrested for doing so."" Happy Cycling, (response to peoples republic of southwark - The cops have always had loads of oppressive 'public order' offences that they could draw on - this ruling makes no difference to that whatsoever) Masser -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A few more photos 26.05.2007 11:26 copyright.. may be used under creative commons, non commerical, share-alike license ben -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leaders 26.05.2007 14:09 The "everyone be the leader" idea is a nice idea, certainly good PR. Unfortunately in Glasgow the cops just pushed their way to the front and insisted that the individuals who happened to be there when they arrived were the leaders. Strangely they then arrested random people in the middle, but if their policy was to get the leaders, they would definitely arrest the front riders. That was last month BTW - this is this month http://scotland.indymedia.org/newswire/display/4135/index.php http://scotland.indymedia.org/newswire/display/4020/index.php Glasgow Critical Mass person -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 326701.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 94565 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 371631.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 83245 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 371632.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 84950 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: extlink.gif Type: image/gif Size: 73 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 06:54:11 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 14:54:11 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] South Africa mass strike + Sweden, Vietnam Message-ID: <01e201c7adc2$53340fd0$0202a8c0@andy1> http://libcom.org/news/south-africa-massive-strike-spreads-13th-day-13062007 South Africa: 'Massive' strike spreads on 13th day June 13th, 2007 by Joseph K. A nationwide public sector strike by hundreds of thousands of workers has shut down schools, courts and hospitals in a bitter dispute over pay that has seen the army deployed against pickets. Today thousands of workers have joined one of the largest strikes in South African history. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) - which is a partner in the ANC government - has called for a one-day solidarity strike today from public and private sector workers as the ongoing pay dispute enters its 13th day. Reports say that Durban, South Africa's major port has ground to a halt as bus and taxi drivers joined the strike while mass marches are planned across the country, prompting the government to warn it will use the army to 'prevent violence.' Cosatu is demanding at least a 10% pay rise, while the government is offering 7.25%, revised from 6% before the strike action. With the rate of inflation at around 7% the pay 'rise' on offer is in fact a freeze after several years of falling real incomes. On Friday 2,500 soldiers were deployed, firing rubber bullets at pickets. The government has so far sacked over 600 public health workers who are not allowed to strike under South African law, whilst it is withholding pay from the thousands of others talking action. Cosatu has said the strike will not end until such threats are withdrawn. http://libcom.org/news/sweden-wildcat-strikes-break-out-mines-10052007 Sweden: Wildcat strikes break out in mines tags: a.. manufacturing and materials b.. Western Europe c.. mining d.. strikes e.. Sweden f.. wildcat strikes May 10th, 2007 by John. Miners at Sweden's state-owned mining company LKAB started the unsanctioned walkout on Monday, and on Tuesday morning work was at a standstill in Kiruna, in the far north of Sweden. Harry Rantakyr?, chairman of the mineworkers' union told thelocal.se "In Malmberget [in Lappland] there was a complete stoppage in the mines last night. And I have not heard anything other than that it will continue today." Rantakyr? said he will contact LKAB management on Tuesday and pass on the miners' demands for continued wage negotiations at the local level. Rantakyr? called on the striking miners to return to work, but he said there was little hope of them doing so without measures from the management. "The members have said that without negotiations resuming they will not return to work," he said. The miners are demanding rises of 4,000 kronor (US$594) a month. The company offered them 800 kronor. LKAB's management said the demand was unreasonable, and said that as far as it was concerned local wage negotiations had been concluded. We at libcom are unaware of how the dispute progressed. Anyone with information please contact us. http://libcom.org/news/1-000-vietnamese-shrimp-processing-workers-strike-10062007 1,000 Vietnamese shrimp processing workers on strike tags: a.. Asia b.. retail and food c.. strikes d.. Vietnam June 10th, 2007 by Ed Nearly 1,000 workers have gone on strike to protest a wage cut at a Singaporean shrimp processing factory in Vietnam. According to wire agency AFP, the workers at Amanda Foods are protesting against the company's decision to cut salaries to S$37.50 (600,000 dong) a month. Manual labourers in Vietnam typically earn around S$50 a month. The report quoted the chairman of the local labour federation, Doan Van Day, as saying he is "working with the company management to find an appropriate solution to the conflict". The company's office in Singapore, when contacted by Channel NewsAsia, said the directors were not available for comment. It said "they're neither in Singapore nor Vietnam at the moment". http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/s1946707.htm Last Updated 08/06/2007, 22:33:49 Select text size: Vietnamese shrimp workers strike over wage cut Nearly 1,000 Vietnamese workers are on strike to protest against a wage cut at a Singaporean shrimp processing factory in the south of the country. The Amanda Foods Company, in Dong Nai province, has decided to reduce the monthly salary to an average of $US37. The chairman of the local labour federation says he is working with the company management to find an appropriate solution. Vietnam has become a popular destination for foreign producers of footwear, textiles, food stuffs, electronics and automobiles. Labour unions independent of the ruling Communist Party are banned in Vietnam and industrial relations experts say that workplaces currently lack transparent arbitration mechanisms to settle labour disputes. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/281062/1/.html Workers at S'pore firm in Vietnam strike over pay dispute: report By Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 08 June 2007 1951 hrs SINGAPORE: Nearly 1,000 workers have gone on strike to protest a wage cut at a Singaporean shrimp processing factory in Vietnam. According to wire agency AFP, the workers at Amanda Foods are protesting against the company's decision to cut salaries to S$37.50 (600,000 dong) a month. Manual labourers in Vietnam typically earn around S$50 a month. The report quoted the chairman of the local labour federation, Doan Van Day, as saying he is "working with the company management to find an appropriate solution to the conflict". The company's office in Singapore, when contacted by Channel NewsAsia, said the directors were not available for comment. It said "they're neither in Singapore nor Vietnam at the moment". - CNA/ir -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: sa strike.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 17416 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: DD04_LKAB1.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 13720 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: amanda.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 4109 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: text_big.gif Type: image/gif Size: 376 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: s.gif Type: image/gif Size: 43 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: text_med.gif Type: image/gif Size: 177 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: text_sm.gif Type: image/gif Size: 378 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 07:20:05 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:20:05 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Germany G8 blockades 1 - Indymedia reports Message-ID: <091a01c7adc5$f18fe390$0202a8c0@andy1> NOTES The protests seem to have been a great success, with the summit effectively blockaded for long periods. Police "de-escalation" is at least partly a myth, as reports of gratuitous violence and injuries to protesters prove. However, in part, police seem to have been forced to moderate their initial aim of smashing all protests because of the tremendous reaction to such tactics at the weekend; and to have been constrained from their own preferred course of even more vicious violence by political concerns. Were it not for their fear of a massive backlash from protesters, they would have been even more vicious - and even as it was, protesters sometimes had to force their way through police lines to organise blockades. More generally, the forces of repression were overwhelmed by protesters in the area around the summit. Police tried to control striated spaces but were outflanked by a smoothing of space by protesters who, for instance, travelled across fields inaccessible to heavy police vehicles. Of course there are also sad consequences of the state's vicious response, and reports have appeared of an activist blinded in one eye by vicious use of water cannons, people detained for long periods during the summit, vicious police attacks on at least one of the blockades, and vindictive prosecutions of protesters in the aftermath. Germany is some way down the path of terroristic sentencing, giving 9 and 10 month sentences without parole for fighting police, though nowhere near some other countries' degree of degeneration in this regard. In countries with more healthy political cultures, protesters are often acquitted due to police attacks on crowds. It's pretty shocking to see Amnesty condoning mass detention in cages; they're always tougher on human rights violations in the South than the North. It appears many of those detained were held for "public order" (catch-all) offences or for wearing anarchist-style clothes the police disapproved of. This kind of mass extrajudicial detention must be opposed on principle as an attack on basic liberties. The excuse given by a police chief of "protecting his officers" proves the crucial point that the police are a self-serving entity which exists to secure its own dominance and which puts protection of its power above everyone else's liberties (not to mention the even creepier remark about circumstances where police "cannot tolerate a roadblock" - why would such a peaceful tactic be so intolerable, except from a standpoint where control matters above all?). Today, tactical considerations to impose repressive control are nearly always put ahead of basic liberties - red zones, police violence against crowds and profiling and surveillance of protesters are all widely tolerated, in a shift towards totalitarianism. Also, the police had previously got protests banned near the summit because they would lead to "violence". They now admit that such protests took place despite the ban, and yet claim there was little violence. So are the police going to admit they lied, and the Constitutional Court admit that their protest bans were absolutely unjustified even on the grounds provided? I seriously doubt it. Instead we see police pretending that the unrest their repression caused, justified this repression in the first place! Basic liberties are no longer much valued in the mainstream compared to protest suppression. And the police even pretend that not unsettling delegates is sufficient reason for suppressing protests! Interesting - and appropriate - that the summit fence and police sneak tactics (such as secretly grabbing smell samples to track protesters) drew comparisons with the old East Germany. Some protest highlights: * 10,000 involved in highly successful land blockades of roads to Heiligendamm * No protest zone extensively breached * Black Block clash with police at some checkpoints defending right to protest * Protesters repeatedly driven from but re-establish blockade at west gate * Other gates also blockaded successfully, peacefully * Vicious repression at Bad Doberan is met with resistance * Russian delegate's car trashed on the way to the G8 * Protesters reached the G8 fence and some may have breached it briefly * Protests at airport less successful, supplies and delegates got through by air * Thousands took part in a "no borders" march in Rostock * Police attacked a protest in Berlin after the end of the blockades, causing clashes * Greenpeace nearly got inside the G8 using dinghies and a balloon * Actions also included music concerts and various decentred actions Repression lowlights: * A thousand protesters extrajudicially detained during the summit * Some allegedly detained due to how they were dressed, and for catch-all "offences" * Peaceful road blockers attacked with water cannons, manhandling etc * Several protesters injured, some seriously - one risks losing an eye * Protester dragged out of wheelchair and beaten; children also attacked by police * Greenpeace boat violently rammed by police cruiser, overturned; sailors hospitalised * Security fence, no protest zone likened to old East Germany http://www.indymedia.org/fr/2007/06/887278.shtml G8 Protest: More than 10,000 block Heiligendamm 08 Jun 2007 01:50 GMT June 6, the second day of blockades, started with thousands of people going back on the streets, many in smaller groups, attempting to reach the fence and blocking all gates and routes leading to Heiligendamm. While the blockade at one of the gates had continued throughout the night, confrontations occurred at the other gate, with police trying to disperse protesters. As hundreds of G8 delegates arrived in the area on Wednesday, mass blockades interrupted their arrival at the fenced security zone. Thousands of activists blocked most of the routes leading to the G8 meeting venue in Heiligendamm. Over 10,000 people blocked the fence gates and 'breached' the newly declared no-demonstration zone around the fence. In the evening, police violently dispersed one of the blockades, while others were continuing with several thousand people still on the streets. Other activists were protesting in the streets surrounding the Rostock-Laage airport. Late in the evening, more than 1,000 people on three blockades decided to stay overnight. http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/182417.shtml Decentralized Actions Blockade G8 Summit in G Liz Highleyman 07.06.2007 02:05 Themen: G8 G8 Heiligendamm Globalisierung Militarismus Some 10,000 activists succeeded in blockading the G8 summit on Wednesday, June 6, relying on cunning and massive numbers to overcome an overwhelming police presence. After undergoing pass controls on the roadways and bag searches at train stations and on the streets, protesters gathered at a large park in Admannshagan starting about 9 am. The early arrivals were later joined by marches coming from elsewhere, making up a diverse demonstration of about 2000 people, ranging from clowns to black blockers to organized Socialist and Communist groups. At about noon, the protesters organized themselves under different colored flags and took off across the expanse of fields separating the park from the restricted zone and the fence around the he Grand Hotel Kempinski in Heiligendamm, where the meeting of the heads of the world's eight largest economies was scheduled to begin. The activists scattered across the fields, covering a wide area. As some attempted to cross a country road, police unleashed water cannons and a cloud of tear gas; medics were on hand to treat the injured. One group of a couple hundred people was surrounded by police for nearly half an hour, before seven helicopters descended into the field and the cops loaded up and departed. The protesters continued on toward B?rgerende-Rethwisch, where the different groups met up again and blockaded a roadway, covering a distance of nearly 1 kilometer (about half a mile). Many brought sleeping pads intending to stay the night, and about 600 were still in place at 11 pm. Meanwhile, another group also numbering in the thousands reached Gate II of the fence to the east of Heiligendamm. A sit-down blockade consisting of several hundred people was established on the street, bordered by railroad tracks, leading to Gate II out of Bad Doberan. Here, too, a similar number were still holding their ground into the night. To the west of Heiligendamm, thousands more protesters, mostly coming from Camp Reddelich and Camp Wichmannsdorf, managed to get to Gate I at Hinter Bollhagen, again crossing large fields. As the afternoon wore on, a group of clowns was penned in by police and ordered to leave; later, a sit-down blockade of about 100 people was reportedly dispersed with water cannons, pepper spray, and batons. Others activists blockaded the mainstream media headquartered in K?hlungsborn, preventing them from attending the summit; the journalists eventually had to be transported to Heiligendamm by sea. Further to the south, activists surrounded Rostock-Laage airport and blocked the A19 highway. This group faced a massive police and military response and was violently removed, with about 60 arrests. Overall, the day's successful actions - which came despite months of planning by the police and an expenditure of 100 million Euros (135 million U.S. dollars) - injuries were few and only about 200 total were arrested, according to the legal support team. ENTFERNMICH.liz at black-rose.com http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/05/371754.html Summit Blockaded From All Sides ((i))uk-de | 08.06.2007 10:35 | G8 Germany 2007 Friday 8th June: On Friday the blockades ended and a few thousand people assembled at Rostock train station for a march down to the harbour. Many were returning from spending the night camped out around Heiligendam. It was unbelievably hot and the occasion had a party atmosphere. Following the demo a few hundred people headed down to the prison to show solidarity with those still being held. The Police stopped them from getting up close to the prison so a main road was occupied nearby for a few of hours.Report and Pics. To see the full picture of what happened see: Breaking News (en) for updates. Read more for previous daily summaries, overview about mobilisations, infopoints, protest agenda etc ... Follow the continuous flow of latest updates in english at IMC Breaking News (also available in 5 other languages: de, it, fr, es, gr) and check Indymedia Germany in English for latest reports. Information Resources: Listen Live! - 4 radio streams | G8 TV - daily video stream | Flashradio - daily podcast (en) | G8 Global Infopoint Network | IMC UK Topic G8 2007 Websites: dissentnetwork | Dissent! UK | Interventionist Left | all for all | antig8.tk | Gipfelsoli | people global action | heiligendamm2007.de | Alternative Summit | Camps An improvised mobile barrier appears. Daily Summaries of Events Thursday 7th June: On the second day of the summit (and the seventh day of protest), the two big blockades continued the second day, while the west gate was blockaded again and cleared by police with water canons several times. Several barricades blocked roads all over the area, making it hard or even impossible for delegates and journalist coaches to move in the area. Protestors also stopped and attacked a delegate's car. More than 500 people were arrested only on thursday. Reports:1 | 2. Pics:1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10. Video:1. Wednesday 6th June: The first day of the blockades saw most of the roads leading to Heiligendamm blocked. Throughout the day different groups set out to shut off access points to the G8 venue, using a variety of tactics, from sit-down road occupations, building barricades to breaking through police lines to reach their blockade locations. Despite police use of water cannon, mounted police and helicopters to ferry in reinforcements, many more than expected made it through the no-protest zone to blockade right up to the G8 security fences. Pics:1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5. Video:1 | 2. By 2pm the four registered rallies/blockades surrounding the Rostock-Laage airport had ended. Pics:1 Tuesday 5th June: Over 1,500-2,000 people participated in a demonstration against arm company EADS near Rostock. The mood was high; there were many speeches and police are standing at a distance from the rally. In the early evening George Bush is expected to arrive at the a href=/en/2007/06/373276.html">Rostock-Laage Airport. Also today, Medecins Sans Frontieres provided a visual spectacle to highlight the scandal of people dying in poor countries due to the price of life saving drugs. See Breaking News (en) for updates. Monday 4th June: The actions focused on demands for Freedom of Movement and Equal Rights for All. In the morning there were several decentralised actions in Rostock which included one at the city's Immigration Office, and another one at the Sonnenblumenhaus in Lichtenhagen (the place of the Nazi attacks against refugees in 1992) [morning report] These were followed by a demonstration in the city centre and a conference in the evening. Police have been aggressive throughout, especially when they charged into the protest at Sonnenblumen House to snatch some people. Police have also been carrying random stop and searches at train stations, and stopping groups of people and buses on their way to the demonstrations. Early reports talk of at least 10 people having been arrested so far. Click here for the latest updates. http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372897.html The blockade of the West Gate. Guido | 07.06.2007 21:07 | G8 Germany 2007 | Globalisation | Repression | World So over 1,000 people were marching up the hill towards the main road they wanted to occupy by the west gate of the G8 summit. Waiting at the top were dozens of cops and 3 water cannons... The Police clearly don't want the peaceful unarmed protesters anywhere near them. As soon as they are in range the water cannons start. Only problem is the Black Block have brought mobile barriers with them and they are spread over such a wide area that the cannons just cant cover them. In the corner people are trying to avoid the jets. The cops are battering one hippy type that has got too close them. Oscar Beard trys to film what they are doing to him and a cop steps forward and sprays him in the eyes with pepper spray at point blank range. Two of the black block rescue him and take him down to the medics. His is unable to do any more filming for nearly 45 minutes. Meanwhile despite the cannons the block are making steady progress and before long they are right at the Police lines. The cannons are now useless because they will just hit their own people. So now the cops start baton charging the crowd to get them back. Soon it is clear that noone is getting through so people sit down in front of the cops and start to enjoy the sunshine. There is no need to take the road because the Police and their hardware is effectively blocking it for them. Nothing can get through so this area is now a G8 free zone and one less option for the staff trying to travel to the conference. Result! People relax, starting eating and socialising. Some people start doing a yoga demonstration in front of the cops who are steadily baking in their riot gear in the blistering sun. West gate closed. Guido e-mail: guidoreports at riseup.net http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372807.html Steffanshagen ab | 07.06.2007 05:22 | G8 Germany 2007 | Repression | Scotland | World About 200 or more autonomous masked up protesters tried to get to the security fence this morning at about 4.30 am, but they stopped shortly after Reddlich after a clash with the police. The activists built some barricades and as the helicopter seemed to have got up with them, police caught up with them early after about 50 m out of Reddlich town. The autonomistas had built a barricade, some stones and few (one, two or three) molotov cocktails might have been thrown, but it did not seem that anybody got injured and all the stuff seemed to land on the pavement. The Robocops then took first posession of the barricade and afterwards dissembled it, whilst the protesters took to the fields and the nearby woods. So far, it seems that no arrests were made as it was very early in the morning and most of the police seem to head straight on into the direction of the fence to enforce security there. At Reddlich camp, at about 5.30 am, police started to assemble at the entrance, numbers were said to be 50 - 100. The camp information said over loudspeakers at about 6am, that the police would have no intention to enter the camp, but would just be there to accomany any march or demonstrationleaving the camp in future. ab http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183800.shtml The first days of blockades Volunt?ri at sIMC-PT 10.06.2007 17:12 Themen: G8 Repression counter information and more victories between Rostock and Heiligendamm Well, the two police columns advanced in what seemed an attempt to divide the fingers. At least two of them managed to cross through the police barrier, but soon we would realize that that same barrier needed at least five times the number of policemen that were there to be of minimum use. - The police no longer had the cars in the middle of the field to support their blockade and the land only made difficult the walk of the Robocops. About five minutes after police had assumed a large and unprotected line along the field, they received orders to go back, what they did, in the middle of an applause, laughs and cheerful cries from the columns of people . - In leaving the fields (arriving to the small village of B?rgerende-Rethwisch, where the blockades to the Northeast Gate would establish), they took off their helmets and for the first time we realized that that job wasn't going so well for them. All the polices had worn out faces, they looked tired and we could see them sweating. There was also some frustration in their faces. - The fingers increased their movement towards the village and started taking positions before the police could do anything than divide people in two or three groups. At last they had to abandon their positions and rejoin as much westwards as possible (near the Gate). - Three strategic positions were then occupied: The bigger one, in the entrance of the small village of B?rgerende, where almost the totallity of the 2000 people that had left from camp Rostock were standing. Another one, with some 200-300 people much closer to Northeast Gate. And a last one, with about 80 people and that had independently decided to occupy the road north to our position, aiming to delay police movements (in general, to bore police forces). (Note: The second group was forced to withdraw, but the third only did it when they found it necessary. This kind of descentralized actions together with the major finger actions largely contributed to the chaos that established in the different polices in there.) - By this time there were already serious problems related to water and food. Assemblies with the representatives of the affinity groups started to be made (later, after the police provocations that we'll report, those assemblies started to be made each 15 minutes). People talked about Volkes K?chen (People's Kitchen), that should arrive soon with water and food. - The assemblies started to receive information, which was in great part contradictory. Later it would be assumed that the info system at Camp Rostock had long been made untrustful and that some members were spreading wrong information on purpose. - There were a lot of messages, from totally destroyed blockades thanks to police actions to delegations that had stood at the hotel with no possibility to pass through. There was also some fear in the air - a lot of people were worried about the possibility that the police (as they had done in the street blockades) wouldn't give the three warnings for us to abandon the area, giving them all in a run, making it impossible for people who weren't interested in blocking to withdraw. This caused anger in a lot of people, we included, for we couldn't understand how was it that people volunteered to participate in a blockade when, as soon as the police decided to remove the protesters, they would peacefully withdraw. - The mood, that wasn't exactly positive at the moment, grew much worse when, during an assembly of the representatives of the affinity groups, some kids started to put huge rocks in the middle of the road and prepared to form barricades with objects. - The police ran into the middle of the blockade and started removing the rocks (with some difficulties, since they tried to take each officer his stone to show-off their muscle power). A relative chaos was installed, with people sitting on the ground and doing arm chains between them. A policeman decided to intimidate two elements of our group, pretending to let the rock slip from his hand on us. No one blinked, no one seemed particularly worried. - Our position was exactly where those rocks had been put (more or less in the middle of the blockade). When making the arm-chain and looking around, we saw a big blank exactly where we were before. This wouldn't be strange by itself, and could be consequence of a bad organization or the panic of seeing the police advancing through the protesters. What was actually strange was that a lot of the protesters were standing, passively observing the ones that were sitting on the ground making the chain. - To our requests for people to join us, almost no one answered and, thus, the hole was still there. This happened because the "provocation" of the demostratos had happened in there, and because right in front of us there was in formation and ready to advance one of the black dressed robocop squads. - Some time later, this reporter of yours decided to stand up and change a few furious words with the elements that were standing (and that belonged to we don't remember what trade-union or political party). I said, in an angry tone, something like: "I come here to protest against what you are doing!" and immediately after, already heading to our blockade spot: "I strongly object against you standing around here while there are blanks in the ground, where people is needed!". I turned back, furious. - It gave some result that explosion of mine: people near there, who were merely observing, passive, went away to the fields. Better this way, we prefer an assumed inactive person than one who, with his look and inutility, gives permission to the repressive action. It was clear that those elements were embarassed - better this way. They were clearly not with us. - From that moment, the mood only got worse. The assemblies multiplied, and with a different aim: that of calming down people, more than making decisions. - The police cut out the food, objects (clothing, blankets...) and also water to the blockades. - The tap that we used to fill our bottles was taken by the police, with the excuse of being of private property. That property was of someone that had allowed us to stay in the house and that, just as the owner of the surrounding fields, said he wouldn't be bothered with our passing through his crop. He also ended up calling the police telling them to withdraw. It was actually the support given by the inhabitants from around Heiligendamm that allowed all kinds of provisions to arrive to the blockades. The police was alone in this fight (if we don't count the media, clearly favourable to the "law and order" forces). - At a certain point, we received the information that the 3000 people from Wichmannsdorf camp that were blocking West Gate had been violently dispersed by the police that was massively in the place. They also told us that there was no hope of reconquering the place. - This is how the information was given to us. A half-truth. The total truth is that people in that blockade had been actually attacked in a brutal, unthinkable way, and that the corporate media weren't a bit interested in reporting those news. But another part of the information was missing. More than 300 of that 3000 people had stayed in the fields around the old blockade and, as far as possible, were fiercely fighting the police forces. - They didn't inform us of the difficulty of bringing a delegation in the middle of a rock rain and constant attacks of a group of people. - They didn't inform us of the desperate beggings of those people for reinforcement, to spread the fight. - What was presented to us was the choice between two different scenes: One of the blockades has fallen, the fight doesn't make sense anymore, we stay for symbolic reasons. One of the blockades has fallen, the fight doesn't make sense anymore, we leave. More than 500 of the more or less 2000 people decided to go back to Campo Rostock, we included. - The revolt in our hearts was huge and some of us started to do what from the blockades on became common practice - to look the police elements in the eyes with a smile, or clearly challenging, until they abandoned the eye contact. - In a forced march, too long for people that weren't well feeded and had walked all through the morning and part of the afternoon, we headed to Rostock, always escorted by the police forces. Some things were, at least, interesting: - The number of polices was extremely reduced in the place (to what we were used), and reinforcement that was not near had to be called to escort us, since... - Police was afraid that the march decided to head to another place than Camp Rostock - Police that inicially escorted the march walking, on order to control in loco the direction that the protesters were taking, had to enter the cars (they were extremely tired, sleepy and walking with body armours, even in the road, didn't look very easy (all this after a whole day doing it). - From that moment, the control of the people was made by police cars, and that was no control. - The big part of their gratuitous agressivity and police self-confidence had vanished. It looked as, if they could talk freely perhaps they would say something like "let us sleep, you pain in the ass". Barking, mewing and bleating was heard, against the police. The walkers laughed. As far as we know, no one had to walk the last 2 / 3 km, as some people with cars made endless return journeys to catch people and take them to the camp.The uncountable blisters on our feet thanked the intention. - Our group arrived around morning and faced again a strange information: at 5h30a.m., a group would leave from Rostock to give support to some western blockades. We thought it a quite silly idea, as the blockades had failed. We weren't there for a symbollic action, but to block (and if possible close) the G8 summit. - Your reporter went to the Convergence Center that afternoon to look for further information about what was happening and to write a few articles to Indymedia-Portugal. Reading the timeline in german Indymedia site, I found quite funny the lack of news about the beginning of the summit, and what we could read was that delegations were still stuck in the hotel and in the airport and that all the barricades were either intact and triumphant after confrontations (e.g. East Gate) or with severe confrontations that didn't allow the police to act as they would like to (South and West Gates). They mentioned the impossibility of large millions of policemen to make extra-hours to face the protesters that were always dispersed, reorganized and came back, the police brutality as desperate way of facing the protesters 100% peaceful at the beginning. - I started then a long series of phonecalls and SMS change. The new that made me rethink everything was that in Portugal no news of the demonstrations were given, that the summit had started, but there were almost no pictures. It was clear - we were winning! It was important to spread the word that there was a lot of counter-information running - especially between elements from Camp Rostock and a good part of it clearly premeditated. (Note: There's a lot of other counter-information elements that were born in camp Rostock and that weren't exposed in here.) - I was informed that the portuguese group was also marching towards East Gate, but by a short-cut, since the police was making random arrests at Rostock-Bramow and possibly also in Rostock-Hauptbahnhof stations. Besides, the Convergence Center had two police cars around the corner of each road. - I took my stuff and met with my affinity group. - As I stepped out of the Convergence Center of Rostock I faced a police van stopped nearby. When I passed near the polices, I repeated what we had done in the previous day - look them in the eyes. They made the same and, at a certain point, one of them started to whistle the funeral march, what made me laugh my head out without control - it was too ridiculous to be important or scary. - I took the train (S Bahn) until Marienehe station, where the other portugueses were. We would go together to the Convergence Center of Reddelich or at least until Camp Reddelich, in order to know more about what was going on. - Once more, the police presence was quite heavy, a bit everywhere. In spite of that, we didn't see detentions or police provocations along the way. Soon and together with some dozens of other people, we were in Reddelich. - We changed our plans once more. Those polices looked a bit desperate. Instead of going to CC or Camp Reddelich, we decided to go directly to East Gate. On the street to our left we saw 20 police vans passing, full of officers. Many passed by us also. - We asked about information to some of the people passing there and that had been in the East Gate blockade. The first thing we noted was that they were calm, much calmer than those from NE Gate. The second thing we noted was that they were much better informed than any of us. Of course, that was the front battle. - What was happening: Reinforcement had arrived to West Gate, and in such way that now there were 4000 people in there! South Gate had been violently attacked and was in that moment facing confrontations. People from East and West Gates were converging to South Gate in order to fight the police. - We were perplex - that was happening. In arriving East Gate, we found a relaxed mood, anything but a blockade.The long, once blocked, road was now reorganizing and getting close to the gate. There weren't 4000 people anymore, but some 2000. A bit everywhere we saw remainings of what the confrontations of the previous day had been. - According to some of the people that had been there in the previous day, the police had simply gave up when they understood that, no matter how many units they took there, the protesters would never abandon the blockade. Some of the policemen took off their body armours and had fun with the clowns. - In which History book will we appear? Following, the arrival to the "Summer Camp" at East Gate... http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183819.shtml The last demonstration in Rostock Volunt?ri at sIMC-PT 10.06.2007 18:52 Themen: G8 Repression A report from the last 2 days of the anti-G8 actions in Germany. A report of hope, of victory and of belief in a better world. In arriving to the place where the East Gate blockade had been running already for a day, we at first found weird that so few people were there. How did they manage to prevent the police from expelling them? - A great movement of people to and fro was visible. Some were leaving to different places while others were going to the city to bring maintenance. Like us, many were arriving to join the blockade in this gate, or to help in the South and West Gates. The majority of the people were in the street, but that looked much more like a "Summer Camp" than a real blockade: - Nets were hanging from the trees and served as poise to the "terrible" activists that were sluggishly swinging. - A van always bombing different kinds of music. - People eating, reading, writing, singing, playing freezbee among other sports, people juggling... People were completely disperse and unworried. The only visible policemen were immediately in front of the gate and weren't more than 50. They looked resigned in their conditon of doing nothing. We soon realised that they were not resigned, but fed up. Fed up of standing in the sun, controlling thousands of people that were having fun. Fed up of, inside their hot and heavy armours, waiting under the sun. Fed up of hearing the techno music so loud, coming from a strategically positioned van so that the agents could enjoy, hour after hour, the best techno music. Only 2 or 3 protesters seemed to enjoy the music, dancing freely in front of the policemen. Once in a while a policeman would squat to give a bit of a rest to his legs. They also changed onde in a while, but the reinforcement didn't appear to be fresher than the leaving ones. - All around us people lived a quite different mood of the experienced Northwestwards. All the people did their best so that everyone had enough food, water or simply company. Here, the police had to ask permission to the protesters to do anything. In this camp we decided to stay overnight. We were always in contact with the other group of portuguese people who were in another front. Part of these actions can be seen at: http://g8-tv.org/ - There was always someone with a loudspeaker informing all the others of what was going on in the other battle fronts. Besides that, information about our camp were given also. For example: At night we shouldn't go far from the camp, as the police was in small squads arresting the isolated walkers. When we started making firewoods a conversation happened between the police and the protesters, and of that conversation the following sentence came via loudspeaker: "We ask you all to be carefull with your firewoods, because the police water cannons are out of water." - everyone laughed. In the middle of the afternoon, coming from the forest on our right, two or three groups of "punkers". Later they came back to the forest. Soon after the loudspeaker said, in a funny tone: "Come on, don't cause any problems to mister officers" - laughs. That same night, one of the last messages from the loudspeaker informed about the final retreat of the around 3000 protesters that during 2 days had faced the police forces near the West Gate - Applause of support to the resistent. - When your reporter was getting ready to sleep, one of the samba groups that had participated in the South and East confrontations came up. Big party. I woke up and joined them, in a group dance in front of the gate and the police. Although in the dark, some people from the samba group had lights on their hats, so the summer party was then a summer night party. This blockade, contrary to the one of Rostock, was very well organized (self-organized), people were there to support each other, the people's kitchen (Volks K?chen) was 100% working and we never lacked food or water. There was a real "Empowerment" in these people. The majority found in there their real power as a citizen of the world, as an equal human being. We could think that the fact that the police didn't make any detentions wasn't because of the heat, but because their fight didn't make any sense - ours did, and it was because people believed in that fight that they stayed and faced all sorts of events. The result of the police repression in the last week and particularly in those 2 days was only a deception, a simulation smaller than the police. Those men weren't even in the level of police ideas, they were only hiper muscled men in clumsy armours screaming incoherent orders and protected by ridiculous laws and old-fashioned ideas of order and respect. - The following morning the preparation to abandon the East Gate blockade started. - We were informed at 9 a.m. that in 45 minutes we would abandon the position and would join the West and South Gate resistents. - We were informed that the police wouldn't escort our march by the sides, but that they would be present. - We were also informed that we would see some steel barriers on the streets (that weren't used, as the "fingers'" advances were made via fields), and that we shouldn't worry about it. In fact, 45 minutes later, all the blockade group was ready to start their march and after the warning "this is no funeral march!", the samba group started to play music and the walk began, with joy and some anti-capitalist words among others. - Soon after we were with the other group and the party was general. Great applause from both parts. It's not worth it to describe the constant mock we made of the police forces on our way; the jokes, the screams, the jeer and the applause. We also had applause from some inhabitants in our way (not much - it wasn't an area with big population). Arriving to Bad Doberan, we stopped to inform the city inhabitants about the lies of the media and the police. We also ate and drank something. We filled two trains, that were actually stuffed, and we followed towards Rostock. We were going to take our rally to the harbour again, joining the thousands and thousands of people that were participating in the alternative summit. - The police looked very very worn out. Extremely tired and dispirited. Now we looked them directly in the eyes, not with hate anymore, but in complete challenge, with the certainty of having won. They immediately looked away. "No Nation! No Border! Fight Law and Order!" Now we didn't care. Now we said "Fight the police!", among others. Note: On saturday the 2nd, in our peaceful demonstration, the police was massively there, hyper-agressive. The slogans we screamed weren't violent. Still, the police found a good idea to charge on 80.000 people with an unspeakable brutality. In that day, before the police charge, fear was reigning between the demonstrators. Now the scenery was different. If our state of mind towards the police could be put into a short sentence, it would be something like: "Come on now, we're ready." - your reporter assures you that if the police had attacked, they would've been smashed by those few thousands of rebels heading towards Rostock harbour. We would never let ourselves be humiliated again. - Also this time the almost totality of the police standing along the march was with no helmet and no gloves. In their faces you could read extreme weariness (Note: pictures of policemen suffering from sunstroke are visible in german media), the fatigue of two days of non-stop confrontation, the despair of not being able to stop that mass of people, the fear... yes, the fear of what we could do. - Everytime a group of policemen was with helmet on, the protesters would scream furious: "Helmet out! Helmet out!". The police often did it, taking off the helmet and going away. Only one group of riot police in black didn't do it. It was a group that was near the harbour - some 40 officers. But they were hiding behind a police van. To our screams they only answered with absolute hatred eyes. They were greatly jeered - this time we didn't make arm-chain not even protected ourselves. They know what would happen if they attacked us. We gave them our order and then our scorn - worst for them, they should roast in those armours, ignored by the protesters. They should enjoy the pleasure of defeat in their provate sauna. - Inside Rostock, also we started needing water. It was too hot a day. People from Rostock started bringing it, supporting us. We applauded, happy. In general they reacted to our applause with modesty - they didn't understand the great did of giving water to another human being. Those people have our gratitude. Note: local people had also their water cut and for hours they were prevented from reaching their houses thanks to the efficient police action. Later, those same people made that action not only inefficient but pathetic by personally offering us their water and their bread. Our surprise was only took over by our happiness. - I remember that lady who, from her 3rd floor window lowered bottles of water using a rope. The police, always ready to react, immediately did it, sealing the door of the building with officers. No one gave them water, of course. We thought the police had used the false statement "the rebels want to have teawith the lady" - we didn't want to. Of mention, though, that some protesters headed towards the officers in worst state and offered them water - human action, that would be denied to us (that is denied to us) in their prisons. - By meeting us, by throwing us bottles of water, by calling the police telling them to abandon their streets and properties, by passing food, water and blankets through the police lines (at a certain point there were spare blankets in one of the camps), we have a lot to thank to the local people. - To end such a long report... Arriving at the Rostock harbour, we were applauded by the thousands of people in there. They were not only alternative summit participants, but also inhabitants from the city. We also applauded them and thanked for their help. We were again dozens and dozens of thousands of people, together in making a better world. The two times in which our group was checked by the police in 50 meters and less than 5 minutes immediately after leaving the harbour aren't really important. There's no point in mentioning the furious screams of the german people watching foreigners being searched in the sideways of their city, their screams to the police - "You pigs!", maybe it's more interesting to remember a statement someone made in the middle of this last march: "What History books will speak of us?" This is not the end. We're now abandoning Camp Rostock. Above my head, a black kite flies. Nearby someone plays a guitar. I might just dance. http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183021.shtml G8-Protests: Blockades still running Liz 08.06.2007 03:33 Themen: G8 G8 Heiligendamm On the second day of the blockades, thousands of activists were in the streets and fields to block the roads to the G8 summit in Heiligendamm. >From early morning, access routes were closed off with street barricades in support of demonstrators who spent the night at the blockades. Around 9.30 am, 1500-2000 demonstrators from Reddelich took to the fence through the fields. The blockade at the eastern gate continued throughout the afternoon, while the police began to violently disperse the blockade at the western gate. The passage remained impossible to use because of the several thousand protesters in the fields around the gate. Throughout the day, activists were everywhere along the fence. In the morning, the street at the B?rgerende blockade was filled with three hundred metres of sleeping bags. The police remained quiet throughout the night and kept an eye on the protesters with a huge search light. A night watch of activists kept their own eye on the other side. Local residents showed their solidarity by bringing water and food to the blockaders. At Hinter Bollhagen, at the western gate past the fence around Heiligendamm, a group of about three hundred people was removed forcefully by the police. Next, the police came upon the larger group of 2500 activists. The police beat the protesters, sprayed them with pepper spray, and used water cannons. While the blockade at the western gate was violently removed, activists held out in B?rgerende and at the racetrack throughout the afternoon. On Wednesday, hundreds of G8 delegates and their staff were supposed to get to the meeting space, but the mass blockades prevented their smooth arrival to the fenced security zone. Thousands of activists successfully blocked all access roads to the G8 meeting location in order to show the arriving G8 summit guests they are neither welcome nor legitimately present here or anywhere else. Near Hinter Bollhagen, around a thousand blockaders spread out along the fence. The police did not succeed in keeping the situation under control, despite massive reinforce-ments. At 3:15 pm, around 1000 people sat in front of the fence at the western gate. The police themselves blocked the street with water canons. Some G8 delegates had to wait at the fence for 45 minutes. At the eastern gate as well, hundreds of people gathered along the fence. People from the anti-G8 camps brought food in solidarity. In the evening, wooden barricades were erected in the direction of the western gate. Altogether, more than 10,000 people blocked the gates of the fence Wednesday. By doing this, they forced their way into the area around the fence where all demonstrations had been declared illegal. Barbed wired intended to protect the meeting place was partly dismantled. Other activists took to the streets around the Rostock-Laage airport. In the evening, the police violently broke up one of the blockades. In the evening, one of the delegation busses was sighted with a hole in the back windshield. http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183001.shtml Russian G8 delegates blocked and car bashed everyone 08.06.2007 02:04 Themen: G8 G8 Heiligendamm At the West Gate of the G8 summit a car carrying Russian delegates attempted to pass protesters. It was blockaded and damage was inflicted to the car. First the car was blocked then people attempted to disable it. The wheels were deflated and exhaust was broken. Activists then opened the boot and removed the belongings of the delegate, just as the G8 removes the freedom and lives of those it claims to represent. Once the boot was open the car drove into people resulting in the windows of the car being smashed. A few days a go the BBC reported that Tony Blair was "concerned" about the lack of democracy in Russia. The Russian government doesnt give a fuck if he is concerned or not. Hopefully they will listen to this act of resistance. The people are not happy with the governments actions, such as the recent repression of Gay Pride activists. We will resist. They are not welcome on our streets! BLOCK G8!! Dieser Inhalt ist unter einer Creative Commons-Lizenz lizenziert. http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/182998.shtml Report of the Blockades, 6th June Voluntari at s IMC-PT 08.06.2007 01:45 Themen: G8 G8 Heiligendamm I want to write about the thing that, so far (second day of the blockade) is a complete success: The 10.000 against the prison of Heiligendamm. Three camps: Camp Wichmannsdorf Camp Reddelich Camp Rostock 10.000 people advancing in a "chaotically organized" way towards the fortress entrance gates. The tactic: Five fingers - the purpose is that big blocks of people act in na organized but at the same time chaotic way, in order to pass through the police barriers. The block divides in five fingers (although the number can change) and each time it faces the police, it disperses totally in order to cross through the police lines, rejoining and reorganizing later. The result? So far, the efective blockade of the G8 summit! NOTE: for further info vide - http://de.indymedia.org/ticker/en/ West Gate - confrontations between massive ammount of police and 2500 people. East Gate - Complete control by the protesters. East Gate is completely blocked, even the police is prevented from crossing it (for example, reinforcement) Northeast Gate - Peaceful situation. Very few policemen. Some 1000-1500 demonstrators. Besides these blockades there're others with dozens of individuals blocking small accesses to the police, delaying reinforcement and, generally, annoying "our friends". All these actions are pretty descentalized and work in an independent way. Report from group of Camp Rostock: We left the camp early in the morning (we, particularly, came from the Convergence Center in Evershagen - also seat of the IMC, among other groups, where we had been working, important to mention the support given by part of the portuguese delegation to the nocturnal security teams of the Convergence Center). People started to arrive around 8 (time set) and everyone was present one hour after (2000-3000 people). - As we got there, we were informed of the predictable: the police had blocked the buses and shuttles that were supposed to transport us. Therefore, plan B - we walk. - We started our walk through the city of Rostock, with not big police presence (they don't like to be in big presence when, besides us, there's also the rest of the population). But as we left the city as started entering the fields, we were stopped by the first police check-in that, as all their actions so far, is much less police than intimidating. In fact, some people still get intimidated, but the majority doesn't care about police presence anymore. Almost all of us were searched, although that search was made without any strictness. Short time after we were stopped by a second group, highly agressive this time, and set for anything - the clown army that, after their uncountable workshops, managed to assemble not only national and international committees, but also the "intergalactic committees". They were thus prepared for anything, but they didn't know in detail our five finger technic, so they formed a line in front of us, making us laugh (their most terrible weapon, besides total desobedience to police forces. well, everything that gives orders) and they made us run to them, using the very secret tactic of the five fingers, what we did with pleasure. - The tactic ended up being very efective even against this group of highly prepared profissionals. Now we did believe it to be possible to block G8. - We walked a bit more until we gathered together around 10h30 in an amusement park. The mood was good, the day was beautiful, and the police could confirm our fear of the police intervention when some groups layed getting sun and other started football and voleyball matches. - A while after, the flags of each one of the five fingers were raised and people joined their "squad". The "squad" we were supposed to go in was called off, probably because there weren't a well prepared group to assume the leadership of that group, and so we joined another flag. The four fingers started their march through the wheat fields. (Halfway we also passed through a lettuce plot. We thought it important to mention this detail to all the policemen that, worried about the details, will read this and a lot of other texts. The lettuces looked all very well - none was hurt.) - The police was far from us and did nothing else than accompanying the more than 2000 people on the streets. Reason? Try to walk with the invencible (heavy and loose) body armour in the middle of a wheat field for 10 minutes and you'll understand why is it that being a policeman is a risk profession. Several helicopters were also there, this time fatter ones, so that they could carry the policemen (also fatty). At a certain point we counted 9. People down here waved hands, sent kisses, showed that finger next to the index-finger and laughed. We could hear "We are wining!", "We are everyehere!" and "This is what democracy looks like!", among other sentences and words. - 12:30. After more than 3 hours walking, we saw the first police blockade. A, we have to say it, very inteligent blockade, what makes us think that there's demonstrators infiltrated in the police, as no policeman would be capable of such meditation (we're sorry, but we couldn't help from making this comment, as people talk so much of the policemen infiltrated in the demonstrators). We explain: - Our group was spread in the field and divided into 4 big columns (fingers). In the middle there was a street, towards the direction we were going. Paralel to that street, a big street, forming a T. Well, the top of that T was where the police was standing. To make myself clearer, I explain that the exact T zone (which is, the street) is a little bit more elevated than the other fields, what made it impossible for the fingers in the fields to see the fingers at their right and the other way round. That was demoralizing, but not much. Besides that, we couldn't see anything further than the top of the T (besides the street, the field was not visible, so the number of policemen in the field wasn't clear. In the center of the T and near around, some houses, that would make difficult the use of the five fingers tactic. - An expected tactic - the use of police vans and water cannons that would make a little more difficult the crossing of the protesters through the police. Notwithstanding - the vans and water cannons would never be enough to prevent us from passing. - The advance started. When we arrived nearer the police, almost all of us raised our arms, showing that it was a peaceful group (a peaceful group in a non-allowed place and unregistered demo - is not a crime, but a breach as serious as a parking fine. To arrest 10000 transgressors at the same time to write them parking fines is complicated). Things as "peaceful protest" were said, among uncountable others that're not important to put here. The mood was of absolute (but active) peacefulness. - The first groups made it through almost completely - the police didn't seem a bit interested in arresting people (we sould read: "didn't have orders to", and this is very important to clean a lot of myths about police and understand their working structure - that has a lot of failures). The body armoured agents just pushed people back to the fields. - Only a few hundreds of people couldn't pass through immediately and for different reasons. The group where we were found a problem advancing through the police - the section of street they were trying to reach were preceded by a quite big natural trench, what highly delayed the run of the people and gave time for the police to organize. - Plenaries were organized in the three small groups that were left and between agreement (that talked about driving away from each other and waiting for the police to get tired) and chaos, each one withdraw from the others and as failures started to show up in the police line, the groups advanced more or less at the same time and all ended up in the other side. The police, as the first of the three groups made it through, seemed to quit the blockade. - The rest of the people were on the other side of the camp and we both were celebrating each time any group could pass. - It is important to mention the presence of a water cannon that shot several times against us and to the air. The water cannon that is nothing else than a dissuasion element, and that can be very pleasant (in this case it was, because there was hot as hell. Some people were standing in front of it asking them to send jets of water - what happened. A girl took off the t-shirt and was in bikini). The german police had also the attention of mixing some teargas (or is it pepper gas?) in the water, so that we couldn't have too much fun. They were right! We had to block G8 and couldn't waste our time in aquatic sports. Note: The ammount of gas in the water wasn't big and thus didn't do more than irritating the eyes of some people (but not much). People with alergies, though, felt the effect of the gas - living in a fair world, police could be incriminated for using a product against peaceful and disarmed civils, product that already killed hundreds of people all over the world. But in a fair world, police wouldn't exist, so, let's move forwards...) - Walking and walking and singing and shouting words, kisses and wavings to the helicopters, we got to the second police barrier. New street, new police barrier. - This time, the fingers were more well prepared and tried as far as possible to keep together as possible until they were close to the police. The police had two big intervention groups, apparently desorganized and in each of those groups a water cannon. It wasn't difficult to pass through the polices, as there were big holes in their lines. The middle of the street was occupied and a partial blockade in that center was organized, so that the late elements could pass without problem. - The police, having failed their trial to prevent the groups passing through their zone, decided to advance in a careful way and always behind the water cannons, towards the center. The blockade resisted to the police advance for a few minutes. There were two groups doing this mini-blockade: - the left one, the one that sitted down, dressed waterproof clothes and made a leg and arm chain, - the right one that kept standing and, turning back, made a chain between them. The group that was sitting down ended up retreating little by little, while the standing group kept more or less in place. Much of the people in that group had also participated in "blocs", or were more active members of the resistance. Some people (your reporter included) jumped the trench between the street and the field and joined the standing blockade. Some minutes after we were obliged to retreat, but some people stayed blocking in every possible way the street. The situation only calmed down when all the people had passed through the police blockade. - We heard the new that there was almost 10000 people around the Heiligendamm fence and that the blockades were eing made in the settled points. There were only us left. - We kept going (with one pause only in the already mentioned cabbage plot) until we reached the small village of B?rgerende-Retwish. Only there we understood which point we were going to block. Still spread in the field and in our affinity and finger groups, we advanced in multiple directions towards B?rgerende. - The police was completely messed up. So messed up that sent two police units with some dozens of men each inside the fields, towards us - with the goal, I suppose, of breaking the fingers. Maybe they didn't understand that each finger was perfectly independent of the others. Here, your reporter stops writing, because has to join one of the groups trying to get to East Gate, in order to support Reddelich people. We still have to figure out the best way to use, as the police is right now arresting people randomly in some of the train stations. See you soon, we'll try to continue this article late at night or, in the worst, tomorrow afternoon. Go! http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/182699.shtml G8 - The Blockades Are Working! Block-G8 Voluntari at s IMC-PT 07.06.2007 14:38 Themen: G8 Heiligendamm The blockades in the fence in Heiligendamm are working! So far the delegations didn't manage to enter the fence. There's a lot of informations and counter-informations, but this we know: Northeast Gate: Peaceful- more than 1000 people in the blockades. This gate is the plan C of delegations. Entering through it is in itself a defeat. There's the people from Camp Rostock. East Gate: Total victory in the blockade. The police can't make a step forward without asking permission to the protesters. So far there's no report of confrontations. West Gate: Big confrontations. Massive police presence. Police is on the street, but the protesters are fighting in the field. Some 2000 people from Reddelich went to support the hundreds of Wichmannsdorf resistents. The fighting itself is preventing the entrance of the delegations. The protesters are trying to regain the street. For further info read Timeline. A text-report will follow. Greetings from the resistance in the prison of Heiligendamm! Monday, June 11 2007 @ 10:29 PM PDT Germany: Protestors Block Roads to G8 Meeting Friday, June 08 2007 @ 11:02 AM PDT Contributed by: Anonymous Views: 192 After undergoing pass controls on the roadways and bag searches at train stations and on the streets, protesters gathered at a large park in Admannshagan starting about 9 am on Wednesday. The early arrivals were later joined by marches coming from elsewhere, making up a diverse demonstration of about 2000 people, ranging from clowns to black blockers to organized Socialist and Communist groups. Decentralized Actions Blockade G8 Summit in Germany by Liz Highleyman Pictures and article here: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/06/07/18425724.php More coverage: http://bombsandshields.blogspot.com/ After undergoing pass controls on the roadways and bag searches at train stations and on the streets, protesters gathered at a large park in Admannshagan starting about 9 am on Wednesday. The early arrivals were later joined by marches coming from elsewhere, making up a diverse demonstration of about 2000 people, ranging from clowns to black blockers to organized Socialist and Communist groups. At about noon, the protesters organized themselves under different colored flags and took off across the expanse of fields separating the park from the restricted zone and the fence around the he Grand Hotel Kempinski in Heiligendamm, where the meeting of the heads of the world's eight largest economies was scheduled to begin. The activists scattered across the fields, covering a wide area. As some attempted to cross a country road, police unleashed water cannons and a cloud of tear gas; medics were on hand to treat the injured. One group of a couple hundred people was surrounded by police for nearly half an hour, before seven helicopters descended into the field and the cops loaded up and departed. The protesters continued on toward B?rgerende-Rethwisch, where the different groups met up again and blockaded a roadway, covering a distance of nearly 1 kilometer (about half a mile). Many brought sleeping pads and continued the protest overnight. This blockade continued throughout the day on Thursday, and about 400 activist were prepared to spend a second night. Meanwhile, another group also numbering in the thousands reached Gate II of the fence to the east of Heiligendamm. A sit-down blockade was established on Lindenallee, bordering the by railroad track, leading to Gate II out of Bad Doberan. Here, too, protester held their ground overnight, and their numbers increased again on Thursday. To the west of Heiligendamm, thousands more protesters, mostly coming from Camp Reddelich and Camp Wichmannsdorf, managed to get to Gate I at Hinter Bollhagen, again crossing large fields. As the afternoon wore on, a group of clowns was penned in by police and ordered to leave; later, a sit-down blockade of about 100 people was dispersed. On Thursday, about 1500 protesters again penetrated the fields and forests around Hinter Bollhagen and spent much of the day in stand-offs with the police around Gate I and along the fence. By late afternoon, the police had used water cannons, tear gas, and batons to prevent their further advance and push them back into the field between the fence and Steffenshagen. Also on Wednesday, other activists blockaded the mainstream media headquartered in K?hlungsborn, preventing them from attending the summit; the journalists eventually had to be transported to Heiligendamm by sea. Further to the south the same day, activists surrounded Rostock-Laage airport and blocked the A19 highway. This group faced a massive police and military response and was violently removed, with about 60 arrests. On Thursday, Greenpeace activists on raft were able to evade a police cordon off the coast of Heiligendamm. Overall, these successful actions - which came despite months of planning by the police and an expenditure of 100 million Euros (135 million U.S. dollars) - showed the effectiveness of autonomous, decentralized direct action. http://de.indymedia.org/ticker/en/ 09.06.2007 00:23 ( Media activism ) Goodbye from the Indymedia G8 Dispatch team Thanks to all the dispatchers and translators; thanks to everybody who called us; thanks to everybody out there who made the protests happen and successful. We had a lot of fun and we'll be back. Don't believe the hype! 08.06.2007 23:40 Berlin: Following a spontaneous demonstration, about 300 people are still on Rosenthaler Platz in a relaxed atmosphere. Police are there with 4 squads and are surrounding the place, but people are able to pass through. 22:45 ( Repression ) Berlin: A rally of some 500 people has occupied Hackeschen Markt. There has been some police repression, but it seems the demonstration will able to move. 20:20 ( Repression ) The demonstration at the detention centre has effectively come to an end. Between 100 and 150 people are still around, but it looks as if they, too, will leave soon. 19:00 ( Repression ) Berlin police have arrived at the detention centre in the Ulmen Strasse. There are still around 200 people protesting. They want to stay despite the organisers' announcement that the demo has officially ended. There are police de-escalation teams around and so far the demonstration has been peaceful. 18:50 ( Repression ) People returning to Berlin report occasional police control at Spandau train station. Police seem to be Particularly looking for people returning from the protests around Heiligendamm. 17:30 ( Repression ) The solidarity demonstration from the Frieda media centre has been legalised and will take a different route to the detention centre in Ulmenstrasse. Around 500 people are present. 16:20 ( Blockades Repression ) Around 300 people are standing in front of the police lines in Friedrichstrasse. Another hundred are in Warnowufer, where police have blocked the street and are ordering people to leave the cross roads. 16:00 ( Repression ) Two water cannons have been positioned before the demonstration at Friedrichsstrasses. 15:55 ( Repression ) Around 1,000 people are on Friedrichsstrasse. Police have put on their helmets and want to speak to one of the 'leaders of the gathering'. 15:45 In a spontaneous protest, between 1,000 and 1,500 people are making their way from the final demonstration towards the detention centre in Ulmenstrasse. 15:20 The the demonstration in Kuehlungsborn is proceeding to the beach. 15:10 ( Blockades ) The clown from Kuehlungsborn has been freed again. The street is still blocked at the moment. 14:55 The majority of people have now arrived to the final destination of the demonstration and the first speeches have begun. The mood is positive. 14:50 In K?hlungsborn a bus from Camp Wichmannsdorf was stopped by the police. A clown was taken into custody. Around 100 people have now announced a spontaneous demonstration past the Press HQ to the beach. 14:45 ( Blockades ) Around 60-70 people are blockading a Shell petrol station in Evershagen. Nine police emergency vehicles are at the location but are holding back. 14:40 ( Repression ) At least four cases of people being taken into custody have been observed. One has been let go again, the other three are being taken to the detention centre. The demonstrators from the train station have arrived; police are holding them back. People are allowed to go through individually but the demonstrators want to go further together. 14:20 ( Repression ) Berlin police units are aggressively trying to single people out. The legal teams are there, too, trying to defuse the situation. Many incidents of people being taken into custody have been observed. 14:15 ( Repression ) Neue Markt is filled with people. Police are gathering forces and practically surrounding the square. People can leave but not enter without being controlled. 13:45 Several hundred people move in a spontaneous demonstration to the harbour, where the final rally has already arrived. People who are going from the train station to the final demonstration meeting point are being police-checked. 12:45 ( Repression ) Hundreds of people coming on the train from Bad Doberan have arrived at Rostock train station. Some cops try to push them out, others want to stop-and-search everybody at the entrance. The situation is peaceful but not under police control. Eventually, police seem to give up searching everybody but people have to give bottles away. 08:17 ( Blockades ) Protesters on the B?rgerende blockade are slowly preparing to leave. After negotiations with the police, a demonstration to Bad Doberan was allowed, where it will meet people from the eastern gate blockade. Together they will travel to Rostsock by train, then march from the railway station to the final rally at the harbour. 00:00 ( Blockades Repression ) The use of water cannons at the western gate blockade has injured five people so badly that they had to be taken into hospital. Among them was a DPA photographer, who was treated on the spot for an eye injury. It is likely that two of the injured will have to stay in hospital. One person sustained a severe eye injury and the other a ripped ear drum. Both injuries were caused by a direct hit from the water cannons. 07.06.2007 22:25 ( Blockades ) Eastern gate: Party. Many of the blockaders are dancing to the music of a soundsystem... 21:00 ( Camps ) Evershagen CC: Police have left the convergence centre. However, Nazis are still being spotted in the area. Many activists are staying, food and music... 20:45 ( Alternative Summit Repression ) The Dutch Media Bus and all 'passengers' and equipment have been freed. The bus is now available for use at Camp Reddelich. 20:30 ( Camps Repression ) Evershagen CC: Police have announced that they will remain around the convergence centre in order to "separate left- and right-wing people". They also said they won't enter the convergence centre compound. People are allowed to go in and out but have to be police-checked and searched for 'weapons'. The popular kitchen will be allowed to bring in food. 20:00 ( Antifa Camps ) Evershagen Convergence Centre, Rostock: Around 7pm, between 50 and 70 Nazis had gathered near the centre. Aware of the Nazis' plans to confront the centre, anti-G8 protesters had gathered at the centre to protect it from a possible Nazi attack. Most of the Nazis, however, were encircled and detained by police. At the moment, police are amassing around the Convergence Centre. Negotiations between activists and police are taking place and the situation is rather calm. 19:20 ( Blockades ) Western gate: About 300 people are still in the woods. The situation is calming down. There are still water cannons on the street. No delegates cars have been seen passing through the gate. 19:15 ( Blockades ) B?rgerende: About 300 people are still on the blockade. The mood is generally good, although the People's Kitchen couldn't make it to the blockade. Protesters want to stay overnight. 18:25 ( Blockades Repression ) The Street Medics have asked police medics for help to treat a severely injured person on the demo. 17:50 ( Blockades Repression ) Western gate: Police start to disperse people from area. There is massive use of water cannons and police units are violently attacking the protesters. Several people have been injured. 17:35 ( Blockades ) B?rgerende: The blockade is continuing. Some 400 people are sitting peacefully in middle of the road and are planning to stay there for a second night. 17:30 ( Blockades ) Western gate: Police are using water cannons against protesters. Protesters are holding a plenary meeting to discuss options for further activities. Some G8 delegates are reported to have been able to pass through the gate, escorted by police. 16:45 ( Blockades ) Western gate: Police are blocking the road with water cannons. A car with G8 delegates had to wait for over 45 minutes and eventually had to return back. Some 2,000 people are spread throughout the fields next to the fence and are repeatedly trying to get onto the road. The mood amongst the protesters is great. 15:50 Major 'breakthrough' in G8 negotiations: according to media reports, the G8 leaders have agreed to "consider" a reduction of green house gas emissions by 50% by 2050. 15:30 ( Blockades ) Western gate: Police reinforcements have were brought in by helicopters. Blockaders have slowly retreated and spread along the fence. Some 1,000 are sitting by the fence, while another 3,000 are moving through the fields next to it. Eastern gate: Hundreds of people are walking along the fence. 15:25 ( Blockades ) Western gate: a naked bloc of 40 people have arrived and started running towards the helicopter parked in the field next to the gate. 15:00 ( Media activism Repression ) According to the German News Agency (DPA), special police department Kavala have denied that an undercover policeman was uncovered at one of the blockades yesterday. The lawyers group RAV, on the other hand, says that at least 5 undercover cops were involved in that same situation. RAV will sue the German tabloid Bild because of its coverage of the incident. Bild had suggested that violent protesters had protected the undercover cop. 15:00 ( Alternative Summit ) The Alternative Summit has come to an end. The concert starts. 14:25 ( Blockades ) Hinter Bollhagen: About 1,000 protesters are spread along the fence. Police do not seem to be able to cope with it, notwithstanding the massive reinforcements. 13:30 ( Blockades ) For more than 24 hours now, the blockades of the routes to Heiligendamm have been in place. In B?rgerende and at the "race track", activists continue to blockade the roads, while at the western gate police have violently dispersed blockaders. 13:00 ( Repression ) Legal update: Eight fast-track trials took place yesterday. Six people were convicted to 6-10 months without probation, while two have been released on probation. Since Sunday, there have been at least 700 arrests. 13:00 ( Blockades ) Hinter Bollhagen, western gate: the small group of about 300 hundred people was pushed violently by police to join the bigger 2500-people group. Police are holding the street, protesters are holding the fields. There is confrontation, with police pushing back using tear gas, water cannons and batons and protesters coming back holding banners and trying to regain the road. 12:15 ( Blockades ) Hinter Bollhagen: More cops, with water cannons, are arriving at the crossroads just before the western gate of the fence and have closed the road leading there. The Reddelich group have emerged from the forest and arrived there too. People are dispersing into the fields. Meanwhile, about 200 people are at the gate surrounded by cops. They have been given the first warning to leave. 11:45 ( Blockades ) Bad Doberan: The overnight blockade at the eastern gate of the fence is still holding up and protesters have agreed to stay further. More people are arriving with food, and more cops, too. Some 20 police vans and a tank have just left the site, presumably to the western gate, where some 2,000 people from Camp Reddelich are expected to arrive. 10:00 ( Repression ) The overnight vigil in Ulmenstrasse in solidarity with detainees is still there. The 7 participants said they would be happy with some support. 10:00 ( Blockades ) About 2,000 people from Camp Reddelich have arrived at Steffenshagen and are continuing their march further north. 09:30 ( Blockades ) Between 1,500 and 2,000 have left Camp Reddelich and are walking through the fields up north towards the fence. 08:00 ( Blockades Repression ) Between 70 and 80 people have been arrested at the 105 road barricade and have been taken to the detention centre in Industriestr. 06:40 ( Blockades Repression ) Two barricades were built on the 105 road at the crossroads leading to Bartenshagen. Some 40 people are penned by police, while two smaller groups are also penned in the wood nearby. One police car was allegedly attacked by a colour bomb. Police have now started to clear the barricade but the road is still blocked. Two journalists were arrested, their press passes taken and stamped "invalid". 06:30 ( Camps Repression ) Over 20 police police cars were making some noise outside Camp Reddelich very early in the morning again. The Camp's security turned the alarm on and people were awaken. Police 'assured' them that they did not want to storm the camp but was only because a large group of people had left the camp and formed barricades nearby. All police cars have left now but there is still a helicopter hovering overheard. 05:00 ( Blockades ) About 200 autonomous protesters tried to get to the security fence at about 4.30am this morning, but stopped shortly after Reddelich after clashes with the police, who managed to take possession of the barricade they had built near Steffenshagen, then dismantled it, whilst protesters took to the fields and nearby woods. 00:30 ( Repression ) Rostock: 8 people are doing a vigil at the detention centre in Ulmenstr., Rostock and intend to stay there overnight. 06.06.2007 23:00 ( Blockades ) All remaining blockades have decided to stay overnight. In Boergerende, there are about 600 people; about 120 between Nienhagen and Rethwisch; and about 500 at the eastern gate near Bad Doberan. 22:15 ( Repression ) Legal update: So far 200 arrests have been made today, of which 60-70 were in a parking lot near the Rostock Laage airport. Two lawyers were not allowed through but, instead, warned that if they came back they would be arrested. At both detention centres in Ulmen and Industriestr., all lawyers were kicked out of the the lawyers room. An alternative media bus from Amsterdam was seized by police and the driver was physically forced to drive the bus. A Stern photographer was arrested for "inciting violence". 22:00 ( Blockades ) Between 800 and 1,000 people are still on the blockade at Gate 2 (Bad Doberan). They all now sitting together in one big blockade and prepare to stay overnight. Police is staying at the back. Other people either went back to the camps or dispersed into the woods. 21:00 ( Camps Repression ) The situation in Camp Rostock seems to relax now as police cars drive away. Meanwhile, the situation at the Boergerende blockade seems to have calmed down too. Police are hold back and there are no signs of an eviction. Approx 1,500 people are still holding up in Boergerende, 1,000 at the 'gallop course' at Gate 2 of the fence. 20:30 ( Camps Repression ) Camp Rostock: Police are still stationed with substantial forces round the camp. Legal teams are present and negotiations are going on. Police want to search the Camp but have not shown, however, a search warrant - only a request. So, for now, there is no legal basis for a search of the Camp. At the moment there about 3,000 people in the Camp. 20:00 ( Media activism Repression ) The Amsterdam Media Bus has been seized by police, the pretext being that they had suspicions that there may have been a priate radio station run from the bus. 20:00 ( Blockades Repression ) An NDR reporter was overheard reporting that there are Molotovs on the big blocade at the eastern gate of the fence. When he was confronted by protesters as to where he got that from, he said he was depending on information from the German News Agency (DPA). However, when their correspondent there was asked about it, he said he hadn't seen nothing and "they" probably got that from DPA. Meanwhile, cops are now walking among protesters, a provocative action in itself, according to the organisers. They, too, were overheard that they were searching for 'evidence' to prove the story. 19:55 ( Blockades Repression ) About 100 police cars and two water cannons are standing outside Camp Rostock. Allegedly 100 policemen are standing next to the International Hedonistist barrio and another 400 surrounding the Camp. The situation has not escalated, however. 19:50 ( Blockades ) Gate II, Galopprennbahn (near Bad Doberan): Several thousand people are still on the blockade. The situation is relatively calm and peaceful but police units of one hundred are charging into the crowd every now and then withdraw again. There has been no confrontation and so far no arrests. Police units running into the crowed are apparently going back and reporting to their commanders about 'masked people'. 19:35 ( Blockades Repression ) The Dutch Media Bus is stopped and surrounded by police in Bad Doberan. 19:25 ( Blockades Repression ) Situation at the Boergerende blockade becomes more tense. Police are trying to surround the protest, using batons. 1,500-2,000 people, however, continue the blockade. So far there has been at least one arrest. 19:15 ( Blockades Repression ) The sit-down blockade in Hinter Bollhagen near Gate 1 has been forecfully dissolved by police. Protesters are withdrawing, some having been hurt by pepper spray and batons. 19:00 ( Blockades ) Police have announced that they will prevent food supplies to activists at blockades. Water and meals are not being let through any more. A doctor had requested that Disaster Control provide blankets for protesters as they face the provision of cold. Police, however, have not approved this. 18:35 ( Blockades Repression ) Hinter Bollhagen: A peaceful sit-down blockade near Gate I of the fence, with approximately 100 participants, is being brutally dispersed by police. A water cannon is being used and cops are reportedly beating people up. 18:20 ( Blockades Repression ) Police start to flog into the front rows of the blockade in Boergerende. At the same time, heavy equipment is being moved towards Rethwisch. 17:30 ( Blockades ) Up to 1,000 people are walking by the fence towards Hintert Bollhagen. 16:50 ( Blockades Repression ) The clowns at the Western Gate in Hinter Bollhagen were penned in by a Snatch Squad in black uniform for a while. They were then ordered to leave the place or get arrested and were escorted to K?hlungsborn. The Western Gate is now deserted. 16:25 ( Blockades ) Police have brought in two water cannons and a sweeping tank at Gate II. The atmosphere is slightly tense and the blockade is slowly moving backwards. 16:15 ( Blockades ) At present about 2,000 people are on the blockade in Rethwisch. They are spread over approximately 1km. The atmosphere is relaxed. Water supplies have arrived but the food is hindered by cops at Admannshagen. 16:15 ( Blockades ) Except for some 30 clowns and 30 cops facing each other about 200m off the fence, everything else seems to be calm. 14:55 ( Blockades ) More than 2,000 people are still on the road block in Boergerende-Rethwitsch. The police occupied the crossroads after Rethwitsch leading to Bad Doberan and Boergerende-Rethwitsch. 14:50 ( Blockades ) The four registered rallies/blockades surrounding the Rostock-Laage airport have all ended now. Protesters were almost outnumbered by police, accompanied by some army in armoured vehicles. 14:35 ( Blockades ) A motorway blockade on the A19 has been brutally ended. About 60 people were arrested. 14:15 ( Blockades ) Gate 2 (Bad Doberan): Police are removing the 50 or so activists, who were sitting in front of the gate, some 300 meters away, where a large group of protesters are standing. 13:45 ( Blockades ) Today, the Federal Constitutional Court confirmed the complete ban of demonstrations against the G8. The alliance "Sternmarsch" (march starting from several locations towards one place) is not going to register further events. A speaker said: "We don't consider ourselves responsible for the course of events in actions and demonstrations. The democratic path has been closed for us". 13:40 ( Blockades Repression ) The 200 or so people blocking Doberanstr. near Rethwisch are being forcefully removed to the side of the road. There is a large police presence, accompanied by water cannons. No arrests have been reported. 13:30 ( Blockades ) The blockade from Admannshagen have successfully gone round the police lines, and more than 500 people are on their way to the 'K?stenstrasse'. At the Eastern Gate (II), demonstrators have started to dismantle the Nato barbed wire. 13:30 ( Blockades ) The big demonstration at Gate II of the fence seems calm, although a large number of cops are present. Protesters say most of the roads have been blocked, either by protesters or police, except for a small road through with some delegates are said to have been 'smuggled'. 12:55 ( Blockades ) Organisers say there are over 10,000 people on the blockades. Some 5,000 have 'settled down' directly in front of the police-controlled Gate 2 of the Fence in Bad Doberan. Six helicopters have dispatched 100 police in front of the blockade and 2 water cannons are standing by. No arrests or serious injuries have been reported there yet. 12:55 ( Blockades ) 10.000 people are blocking the G8. More than 5.000 have settled down directly in front of the police-controlled gate 2 of the Fence in Bad Doberan. Six helicopters have dispatched 100 police in front of the blockade. 12:15 ( Blockades ) Official vehicles of delegations are on the road from Lichtenhagen via Elmenhorst towards Nienhagen. 12:15 ( Blockades ) A few 'fingers' have made it through police lines and police are now withdrawing gradually to catch up with them. 12:00 ( Blockades ) About 2,000 in the fields near Admanshagen are being chased and confronted by police, who started using water cannons and tear gas. A few people affected by tear gas are being treated by medics. Police are refusing to talk to anyone, including legal teams and organisers. A few helicopters are still hovering overhead. Meanwhile, the 105 road is still blocked by police. 11:30 ( Blockades ) Evershagen: Like a lot of other places, both entrances into the Evershagen Convergence are 'blocked' by two police vans each. People coming in and out are being checked and their names/photos compared to police profiles from previous days. 10:50 ( Blockades ) More than 2000 people near Admannshagen are leaving across the fields along the country lane towards the demonstration exclusion zone. Police seems to be a bit stretched. About 30 vehicles were stopped on the motoway towards Rostock-Laage, kilometer 96,5. 10:30 ( Blockades ) Approximately 1,500 people are now at the rally at Admannshagen. The mood is good. People from Camp Wichmannsdorf have left. Hardly any police. 10:00 ( Blockades ) People have left Camp Wichmannsdorf. Not many police can be seen around. 10:00 ( Blockades ) About 5,000 people from Reddelich, mostly from Block the G8, have reached the demonstration exclusion zone near the village of Brodhagen. A sound system has also just arrived. Trying to get past the police lines, they are now walking through the fields. 8 helicopters are hovering overhead. 09:30 ( Blockades ) About 300 people have gathered in a field near Admannshagen (about one mile north of the 105 road). Police are searching people who approach the place but they let them through. Relaxed atmosphere at the junction Bargeshagen (105) as well. Police controls on the road in the direction Admannshagen. 06.06.2007 09:00 ( Blockades ) People started to leave the camps and head to different blockade points. Three buses are stop-and-searched by police on the 105 road near Sievershagen. The situation is still calm. 03:00 ( Repression ) A big numbers of police cars were making some noise outside Camp Reddelich very early in the morning. The Camp's security turned the alarm on and people were awaken. The cops left shortly afterwards. Many campers believe this was just to intimidate them and prevent them from sleeping so that they don't have enough energy for the blockades today. 05.06.2007 21:50 ( Repression ) K?hlungsborn: The anti-repression demo has ended at the Baltic Sea, after calling at the international press centre (where mainstream journalists will be based during G8 coverage). Police did not succeed in preventing participants from continuing their demo up to the beach as the clowns 'clowned' through their chain. The protest concluded with the clowns bathing in the the Baltic Sea. 20:55 ( Repression ) K?hlungsborn: The anti-repression demonstration is has now 1,000 participants. They have arrived at K?hlungsborn and now want to 'welcome' Bush symbolically. 20:45 ( Repression ) The anti-repression demonstration in K?hlungsborn may continue now. 20:40 ( Blockades Repression ) Weitendorf: One of buses stopped by police on the motorway has been let free and is heading back now. 20:30 ( Blockades ) Weitendorf: Things seem to be coming to an end. About 200 people are being walked surrounded by police on the B103 road, probably to the train station, as there are no shuttle services. 20:00 ( Repression ) Schwaan: It has been confirmed that eight arrests were made today at Schwaan station not six, all under the Crime Prevention Law. 19:45 ( Blockades Repression ) Weitendorf: On the B103 road near the village of Weitendorf, between the airport and the highway, several road blockades took place. Some brutal arrests were made, especially by Berlin police units. Earlier, the sound system had announced that police were walking around to single out people and snatch them. A car, probably belonging to the French delegation, was briefly stopped. 19:15 ( Blockades ) Weitendorf: Six helicopters have just left the Rostock Laage airport together. Probably Mr. G.W. Bush was flown in one of them to Heiligendamm. 19:10 ( Camps Repression ) Camp Wichmannsdorf: An anti-repression demonstration started a while ago from Camp Wichmannsdorf and is heading towards the main press centre of ARD in K?hlungsborn. The 150 or so protesters were stopped by police at the outskirts of K?hlungsborn and may not go any further. A press conference is supposed to be taking place at the moment and is not to be disturbed by the protest. 19:05 ( Blockades ) Weitendorf: George Bush has landed in Rostock Laage. Slogans like "George Bush - terrorist" become louder and louder. 18:50 ( Repression ) At least 6 people have been arrested so far at Schwaan station, one of them is know to be Polish. 18:00 ( Blockades Repression ) Weitendorf: About 1,000 demonstrators have already arrived at the designated area for the demonstration. A bus from Camp Rostock is currently stopping at a parking lot on the motorway and is being police-checked. Another bus was stopped and, after being checked and filmed, people were walked by police to the demo. About half of the 250 or so people who were stuck in Schwaan waiting for the shuttle service, have since arrived. Police seems to hold back so far and members of Berlin police 'deescalation teams' are present. The demonstration is taking place in accordance with the conditions set by the Higher Administrative Court. 18:00 ( Blockades ) Weitendorf: Loudspeakers are informing people of the situation. The demonstration will start as soon as all have arrived and is intending to continue until Bush flies off in a helicopter. A 'kitchen' is providing a nice soup, a drums band is playing free jazz and the mood generally sounds good. There's also a lot of mainstream media. 17:00 ( Repression ) 'Suspicious' cars driving from Rostock to the Rostock-Laage airport are being diverted by the police to a parking lot off the motorway to be searched and passengers' details taken. The 'Amsterdam Media Bus' was stopped a while ago and people are being checked and filmed one by one. At train stations, police checks are also intensifying. A group of 100 or so protesters are stuck at the Schwaan bus station, where buses to the airport usually pass, but the buses are not stopping at that stop now. Some of them already had their personal details taken by some 50 cops. 17:00 ( Alternative Summit ) Rostock: The G8 Alternative Summit has just started. 16:15 ( Anti-militarism ) In Weitendorf, south of the airport Rostock Laage, several hundred people are assembling for a rally. The PA has been controlled and the banners have been checked. Heavy controls at Rostock main station. 14:50 ( Anti-militarism ) Rostock: The anti-militarism demonstration in Warnem?nde has finished. 14:30 ( Migration Repression ) Rostock: Towards the end of yesterday's migration demo, some Clowns were making fun of cops using, among other things, water pistols. At one point, a cop 'confiscated' a water pistol, and his carrying it was a nice pose for mainstream photographers. Later on, Spiegel published a story that 8 cops were affected by chemicals used by the clowns. They later edited the story on their website to say police are accusing the clowns of that. 14:00 ( Anti-militarism ) Rostock: The announced rally at the Hanse-Kaserne has been called off by the organisers. About 50 people had been waiting for about one hour. The police was present with two water cannons. 14:00 ( Repression ) Camp Rostock: Around 2am this morning, several people from the Camp Security group were stop-and-searched by police for about two hours. Their walkie-talkies were seized for suspicions of planning criminal offences. The people concerned were forced to mask up to be photographed. 14:00 ( Anti-militarism ) Rostock-Warnem?nde: the anti-militarism demo has reached the end point at the Underground station, with 1500-2000 participants. The mood is high; there are many speeches and police are standing at a distance from the rally. 14:00 ( Anti-militarism ) Rostock: About 300-400 hundred people gathered at the Caterpillar headquarters. A short rally with some speeches was held, then people carried on to EADS, where police numbers increased significantly. Protesters were escorted by cops on the train and were searched as they boarded. 13:00 ( Anti-militarism Repression ) Rostock: The anti-militarism demonstration in Warnem?nde has started with some 500 participants, but people are not moving yet. Police have restricted the demo to one lane of the road. At the train station, police are stop-and-searching people arriving and taking their personal details. 12:50 ( Repression ) Rostock: A German national was sentenced to 10 months in prison this morning in a fast-track trial. The charges were attempted severe bodily hard and breach of the peace. He was released on bail and is on the way home. 12:00 ( Anti-militarism ) After calling off the Israel protest at the Security Fence in Vorder Bollhagen, many protesters went to join the anti-Catterpillar action in Carl-Hopp Str. Caterpillar is a company that manufactures bulldozers used by the Israeli army to demolish Palestinian houses and lands. Others went to join the anti-militarism demo in Warnem?nde. 11:40 ( Blockades ) About 4000 people have almost reached the fence near the racing course. 2000 are trying to block the street leading to gate 2. Police is arresting people, but there are not many police around. 12 helicopters in the air. 11:40 ( Anti-militarism Repression ) An action at the Security Fence in Vorder Bollhagen, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1967 war and the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and protest against the apartheid wall, has been called off because organisers refused to be escorted by police and because police pre-conditions restricted the number of participants to 15 people. [call] 11:30 ( Repression ) Rostock-Evershagen, 11:30: Like a lot of other places, both entrances into the Evershagen Convergence are 'blocked' by two police vans each. People coming in and out are being checked and their names/photos compared to police profiles from previous days. 06:30 ( Repression ) The Kavala (G8 special police department) have banned all the events on Thursday, including those outside the banned zones I and II, that the Star March coalition had registered as 'substitute events' should a complete ban be confirmed by the Federal Constitutional Court later today. [press release] 04.06.2007 22:30 ( Repression ) The Legal Team's interim report: So far approximately 322 detained +++ At least 10, mostly youngsters, awaiting trial +++ Unlawful prolonged detention +++ Grave violations by the police, including against lawyers +++ Authority wrangling between Kavala and operational commanders: the operational commander criticises police tactics during the demonstration. 22:30 ( Repression ) German-Polish border: The occupation of the train by Polish activists, who were refused entry into Germany, has ended now. After anti-terrorist squads were brought in, police gave the activists half an hour to leave, and so they did. 21:30 ( Anti-militarism ) Hundreds of people demonstrated today against George W. Bush's visit to Prague. The protest was particularly against the planned stationing of US missiles in Tschechien. 20:45 ( Repression ) A police check point has been set up by the detention centre on Industrie Str and people's ID's are being checked when passing through there. 20:15 ( Repression ) According to the Legal Teams, 53 people were arrested today, 17 of whom have been released already. Since Saturday, there have been at least 315 arrests, the greater part of which were for "violation of the laws of demonstration"/the "ban on disguises". There have been also 10 arrest warrants. Nine cases are supposed to be brought in front of a court this week in a fast-track trials. Most of these will take place on Wednesday. 20:00 ( Repression ) German borders: Border controls into Germany are reportedly being tightened against anti-G8 activists. Cia.bzzz.net, a Polish activist website, reported earlier that a train carrying Polish anarchists was stopped by German border police at Gumience-Szczecin. They were told that they would be arrested immediately if they continued their journey. In response, the anarchists occupied the train and hung banners out of the windows. A while ago, 5 German activists joined the occupation and it sounds like a party atmosphere. More police are also arriving. The train has been totally removed from the timetable and, since the activists have tickets valid for one day, it is expected that the occupation will go on till 3:30am. Earlier today, 18 activists on a bus from Poland were stopped and sent back home. Later on, another 3 people were stopped at a petrol station just after passing the border from the Netherlands. Two of the three have been declared 'safe' but have not got their passports back yet. The third is still being investigated and might be sent back to the Netherlands. 19:35 ( Migration ) Despite police provocations, thousands of protesters have arrived at the final rally point of the demo, the city harbour. Music is playing, the mood is high and participants apparently did not let the long stopping of the march bring their hopes down. 19:15 ( Migration ) Rostock: About a thousand of the demonstrators spontaneously marched down to the harbour, accompanied by a sound system and lots of riot police. At the harbour, they are being joined by many more activists. 18:30 About 70 people took part in a solidarity demo in Bern. 18:10 ( Migration Repression ) The organisers have called the demonstration off because it was simply not possible to go on. They found the change of route proposed by police unacceptable. Cops is standing very close all around the demo; at front and back there are water cannons. The organisers have also announced that they want to try and continue the closing rally at the city harbour as planned, but police have announced that it won't tolerate any spontaneous protests. 17:00 ( Migration ) Rostock: The march has reached Park Str. and the police are now saying that it can't go through the inner city because the number of protesters has exceeded the "2000 limit". The police figure is 8,500, although people on the march say it's probably less. Riot police are arriving. 16:00 ( Migration ) Rostock: After hard negotiations with the police, the demo has finally started to move towards the harbour, but 'escorted' by lines of police on either side. Some 50 meters later, however, it was stopped again. Approximately 5,000 are on the March. A small spontaneous demo, with some 200-300 participants, has also started and is marching down Wismarsche Str. towards the main march. 15:15 ( Migration ) Rostock: Police have just announced that the rally and march can carry on as long as people don't cover their faces and carry 'weapons'. The mood is positive and colourful, with a Samba band and clowns dominating the picture. 14:50 ( Migration ) Rostock: The organisers of the "Global Freedom of Movement and Equal Rights" demonstration have just announced over the sound system that police have declared the rally and march as illegal because there are some "500 potentially violent protesters" and that they will not allow it to continue. Organisers, however, are not accepting this and are trying to negotiate. Music is still playing. 14:10 ( Migration ) The rally has just started, although the international speakers are still being 'processed' by police. 13:50 ( Repression ) The Grey Bus from Theaterstraat (a bus carrying protesters from Amsterdam) was stopped-and-searched by cops for about 3 hours at Hamburgerstrasse earlier this morning. Eight people from several countries were arrested and taken to the detention centre in Industrie Str. Charges are probably related to carrying things like caps, gloves and lemons. A 15-minute solidarity protest was held outside of the detention centre. The bus is now on its way to the Migration rally. 13:30 ( Migration ) Rostock: Between 2000 and 3000 people are waiting at the Fluchtelingslager. Police have just arrived and started checking everyone, including the speakers from Africa. The organisers are waiting for that to finish to start their rally. 13:30 ( Camps Repression ) A train from Reddelich only goes as far as Bad Doberan. Replacement buses are being used. In Sievershagen, buses are being stopped by police and people's bags are being searched. Buses then continue their way. 12:30 ( Migration Repression ) On their way back from the Sonnenblumen House demo, protesters were attacked by cops again. Police pushed people onto the train and then hit some of them while they were all inside. http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183655.shtml G8: More than 10,000 block Heiligendamm imc-g8 10.06.2007 02:25 Themen: G8 G8 Heiligendamm As hundreds of G8 delegates arrived in Germany, mass blockades interrupted their reaching the summit's venue in Heiligendamm. Over 10,000 protesters blocked most of the routes leading to Heiligendamm, 'breaching' the no-demonstration zone around the fence. Despite the largest security operation in German history since World War II and almost unprecedented repression, protesters managed to cripple the summit on the streets of Rostock and Heiligendamm. Official G8 organisers were forced to call "Plan B", ferrying summit attendees by boat or helicopter, while many were delayed or returned. Wednesday, 6 June The first day of the blockades saw most of the roads leading to Heiligendamm blocked. Throughout the day, different groups set out to shut off access points to the G8 venue, using a variety of tactics, from sit-down road occupations, building barricades, to breaking through police lines to reach their blockade locations. Despite police use of water cannons, mounted police and helicopters to ferry in reinforcements, many more than expected made it through the no-protest zone to blockade right up to the G8 security fences. In the evening, police violently dispersed one of the blockades, while others were continuing with several thousand people still on the streets. Other activists were protesting in the streets surrounding the Rostock-Laage airport, where George W. Bush was expected to arrive. Late in the evening, more than 1,000 people on three blockades decided to stay overnight. Thursday, 7 June On the second day of the summit (and the seventh day of protest), the two big blockades continued for the second day, while the western gate was blockaded again and cleared by police with water cannons several times. Several barricades blocked roads all over the area, making it hard, or even impossible, for delegates and journalist coaches to move in the area. Protesters also stopped and attacked a delegate's car. More than 500 people were arrested on this day alone. Friday, 8 June After negotiations with the police, a demonstration from the B?rgerende blockade to Bad Doberan was allowed, where it met people from the eastern gate blockade. Together they travelled to Rostsock by train, then marched from the railway station to the final rally at the city harbour. In the after, between 1,000 and 1,500 people made their way in a spontaneous protest towards the detention centre in Ulmenstrasse. Around 60-70 people also blockaded a Shell petrol station in Evershagen. Throughout the day, the use of water cannons and arrests continued. Overall, during the week of resistance in Germany, over 700 people were arrested for protesting against the G8. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 07:21:10 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:21:10 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Germany G8 Blockades 5 - liberal media coverage (Guardian, Independent, New Statesman) Message-ID: <092101c7adc6$19b39d80$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.guardian.co.uk/g8/story/0,,2097183,00.html 'We will block you' - at least to a moderate degree Patrick Barkham in Heiligendamm Thursday June 7, 2007 The Guardian It was billed as the day they would bring the eight most powerful nations to their knees by sitting in the road, but by 9am the idealists, anticapitalists and anarchists had already been forced to take a hike. James Foley, 22, a student from Glasgow, had risen at 7.15am at the tent city in Rostock to join thousands of anti-G8 demonstrators marching on the luxurious Baltic spa resort of Heiligendamm where world leaders were gathering. When their shuttle buses were stopped by police, Foley and thousands of his comrades decided to walk the 14 miles to the resort. Straggling lines of children, students, mothers and the occasional flag-waving granny waded waist deep through grey-green wheat like a medieval army, jumping ditches and passing under twirling windfarms. By lunchtime, the demonstrators cheered news relayed by loud-hailer that 10,000 people had breached the restricted zone placed around the G8, blocked the main roads into the summit - in some cases by felling trees - and even halted in its tracks the miniature steam train shunting journalists from the press centre to the secure compound. German police said eight officers had been injured in skirmishes when protesters twice broke through police lines to continue their march on Heiligendamm. Dozens of anti-G8 marchers reported burns and bruises from water cannon used to clear roads of peaceful protesters. The police claimed protesters threw stones but there was no repeat of the pitched battles that injured 1,000 people and embarrassed the authorities last weekend in Rostock. This normally tranquil rural corner of Germany was filled with police dogs, horses, helicopters, armoured cars, unmarked vehicles and units of black and green-clad riot police racing to cut off the route to Heiligendamm. After batons and teargas, the 16,000- strong German police discovered a more devilish weapon: the power of tedium. Protesters were corralled in small groups and painstakingly - and very slowly - searched. "They stopped us for three hours and checked every bag, and they were doing it very slowly," said Janina Reivold, 22, from Heidelberg. "Now they are out to escalate the situation with water cannon." At every turn, police slowed down the marchers, who sang songs and even evoked the power of rock group Queen - chanting "We will, we will, block you" at riot squads as they sat down in country roads. When the protesters passed the 10-mile mark, armed riot police moved swiftly, jogging into a field and dividing the main march, before splitting them again into smaller groups. While a few anarchists in black hoods and caps cut through barbed wire police had laid near the fence, most of the march became becalmed in the village of Borgerende, where they sat in the street in the sunshine surrounded by more than 100 police vans. Bemused locals took photographs. One pensioner offered the perspiring revolutionaries refills of water. Many of the marchers felt the police tactics to stop them getting within shouting distance of George Bush and his peers infringed their freedom of assembly. "By sheer force of numbers our right to peaceful protest has been completely curtailed," said Foley. By late afternoon, the majority of the marchers had conceded defeat in their attempt to stop G8 going ahead. Some British protesters felt the German protest leaders had been too cautious and failed to organise the protests. "The organisers seem to be worried about being too German, being too organised and giving orders," said Marie from Manchester, who travelled to Germany on Ryanair with her 15-year-old daughter, Mia. But most believed their march on Heiligendamm had scored some successes. At the modest end of the scale, the Japanese prime minister's wife was forced to cancel a walkabout in a nearby resort. The more important thing, protesters insisted, was that they were questioning the legitimacy of capitalist globalisation by our world leaders. Brian Christopher, a student protester from Derry, said he had journeyed to Germany to point out it was "abhorrent that there are people who can meet to dictate the fate of the world when all the decisions they have taken have led to greater inequality and more wars. "We have got the G8 on the run because they now have to have it in the middle of nowhere," he said. "The fact that they have to hide from their own citizens is a sad state of affairs." http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/sasha_simic/2007/06/flocking_to_the_fence.html Flocking to the fence Today, police didn't know how to react when a carefully planned demo saw thousands of peaceful protesters head for the G8 exclusion zone. Sasha Simic Articles a.. Latest b.. Show all Profile All Sasha Simic articles About Webfeeds June 6, 2007 7:00 PM | Printable version We woke up early this morning and followed careful instructions to get to the village of Admannshagen, 10 minutes out of Rostock and much nearer Heiligendamm. We were going to blockade the G8. There was no way we were going to stop it, our action was to be purely symbolic, but we were going to carry out a well-organised blockade of the G8 summit which was going to get as near to the exclusion zone around Heiligendamm as possible. And it was going to be peaceful. Yesterday evening a group of us went up to Camp Rostock - the huge campsite on the edge of the town - for training in non-violent resistance. There are two huge circus tents on site surrounded by hundreds of individual tents laid out on a grid that's bisected by "Via Rosa Luxembourg" and "Via Guliani" and "rue Durrutti". Yesterday the last groups of hundreds were trained in impressive sessions in non-violence in those tents. Tied between two trees is a huge, rudimentary map with our target, the excluded town of Heiligendamm, marked as if it was Mordor from Lord of the Rings. At 7.30 last night a meeting pulled the whole strategy together which has been a year and a half in preparation. We were going to carry out the strategy of the "five fingers" as developed by Germany's anti-nuclear protesters. We were going to start as close as possible to the exclusion zone. Then we were going to split up into five different lines following five different coloured flags and we would approach the exclusion zone on different routes. The police could not stop us all. We were not interested in fighting with the police. The point was to get to the security fence. Any protesters faced with arrest were instructed to offer no resistance or violence to the police. We were all given phone numbers where we could get legal advice but once caught we were not to endanger the main protest with any macho heroics. By yesterday evening, 1,500 people had already joined one of the five groups. This morning when we arrived at the designated tiny playing field in Admannshagen, hundreds were already there. Two hours later, 10,000 anti-G8 protesters had joined us. We were ready to go. But would would everything go as smoothly as it had been planned and outlined to us the previous evening? It did. The police were completely overwhelmed by our numbers but we were entirely non-violent. The police, whose armoured cars and water cannons lined the road, didn't know how to handle us as we swung into open fields. As we got nearer and nearer to the two main roads that feed Hieligendamm, the security forces sent nine helicopters to meet us. They arced impressively in the sky over us for a while, like something from a Vietnam film. I remembered the same tactic was tried in Gleneagles where police officers were transported over the heads of protesters in Chinooks which flew so low we could see them flicking the Vs up at us on the open ramps at the back. But they might have had helicopters ... but what were they going to do with them? And they had the body armour and the tear-gas and the riot shields but we weren't giving them an opportunity to use them. The protesters continued to press towards the exclusion zone. So there we were ... up to our waists in wheat fields watching the snake-like line of black-clad police enter the fields, sway uncertainly while trying to decide which of the five lines dotting the horizon to chase, and then retreat in confusion. Not all of us got through to the security fence. I didn't. But we've just heard that some have. paldopice Comment No. 622547 June 6 20:00 SVK My name is Sasha. This year I went on holiday for the first time without mum and dad. Some of my friends from class went too. I went to Germany. The bad rich men were having a big meeting there. We dressed as scarecrows and played hide-and-seek. To scare the bad rich men. There were hundreds of gazillions of us. It was really grate. Some big bad policeman scared us with a big helicopter. I was scared last term by a big helicopter too. I almost won the hide-and-seek. But I got caught by one of the policemen. I heard that Giles and Josh in 4A won the hide-and-seek. I like Josh. He is my friend. http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/archives/2007/06/07/things_you_may_not_have_seen_at_the_g8_protests.html Things you may not have seen at the G8 protests By Patrick Barkham / G8 05:25pm If you have watched any television coverage of the protests outside this year's G8 you've probably seen plenty of drama. Last weekend there were black-clad hoodies hurling rocks at police. This week there have been water canons fired, missiles thrown and protesters sent hurtling to the floor by police boots and batons. But these sporadic outbursts of violence don't reflect the overall character of the antiG8 protests which have, so far, been remarkably good natured. I've stood and watched 24 hours of the biggest demonstrations outside the G8 in the past three days. Obviously my experience of the protests is not comprehensive - mini demonstrations are breaking out all over the place within a 20-mile radius of the G8 and I have to dash back to the media centre to file this blog - but I think I've seen a representative slice of the major protests. The protesters are like a cross between a medieval army, a modern music festival crowd and performance theatre. They straggle across fields and then break into song, dance or aerobics when confronted by lines of riot police. Almost all of them have been admirably peaceful so far. Contrary to press reports, I've not witnessed any rocks or bricks or dangerous missiles thrown by protesters. (Grand total of missiles thrown that I have seen: one plastic bottle.) I'm not denying it's happened but it has been rare, so far. In case you think I'm getting all cuddly with the protesters, from what I've seen, the police operation has also been fairly intelligent and certainly effective (although I wasn't in Germany last Saturday when reports of police brutality were widespread after rioting in Rostock). At the protests I've attended, officers have talked to the protesters and haven't needlessly provoked them. You wouldn't mess with these cops, however. They are enormous, and formidably equipped with bulky riot uniforms, batons, guns and leather gloves. A female officer batted me away from police lines today with the ease of swatting a fly. >From what I've seen, however, there has certainly been more violence used on the police side. The authorities would say that is their job - to stop the G8 being disrupted. So they tend to be the ones trying to force the issue, charging at protesters and beating them with batons to move them back from the roads around the resort. They also use the water canons fairly liberally and if you think water is some kind of fluffy anti-riot option, it is not, especially when laced with pepper spray. The Guardian's photographer Graeme Robertson was hit in the face and chest this afternoon and was in agony (and he's a big man who can take care of himself). The weapon leaves burns on the skin and dozens of protesters - and another photographer this afternoon - have needed medical treatment. So far, at least, moments of confrontation remain relatively rare and are soon over. Beyond the lines where police meet protesters, there are ordinary people enjoying the sunshine in the German countryside: overheated police sitting on their riot shields and downing energy drinks or playing doing crosswords in their vans; protesters lying on the grass reading newspapers and chatting with friends. This afternoon, just as police were trying a show of force by landing nine helicopters in a field right by 3,000 protesters, a German Green MP cycled up. He wheeled his bike through the line of police riot shields and went to chat to the protesters. He was given a polite round of applause. Maybe one of the G8 leaders should try meeting their people. http://www.newstatesman.com/200706070002 Day three: the protest Tamsyn East Published 07 June 2007 Print version Listen RSS The police are confronted by well trained and organised anti-G8 protesters As we rose this morning Rostock camp was a hive of activity. While Leila and I were putting the finishing touches to our presentations for the alternative summit, thousands of activists set out to take part in blockades around Heligendamm as the official G8 summit, or as one activist put it 'Kings on Tour' got under way. Reports from yesterday indicate that over 6,000 protesters took part in blockades and there do not seem to have been that many arrests. It seems that such numbers were not expected by police and as one activists described it: 'when I arrived at 8am at the meeting point I was surprised by the lack of police. Soon we were 1,000 people strong. It was then that the helicopters arrived, I think 10 in all, circling menacingly above our heads.' I spoke to one UK activist who took part in a blockade at the village of Rethwisch. "I was part of an affinity group with 7 others. It was my first time doing civil disobedience but I trusted my group, and over the last few days we had undergone a large amount of training that I felt confident about how to act in different situations, and that we would look out for each other. We set off in groups following different flags, aiming to get to specific roads - and I think we all managed to get to our target spots. The tactics we were taught worked. That said it was a very tense situation - the police used tear gas and water canons, but we did not let that put us off. We kept ducking off into adjacent fields to avoid the spray before pushing on till we got to where we wanted to go. I am glad that I did it for the cause.' Whilst thousands of people were taking direct action, thousands of others were taking action in their own way - whether it was sharing experiences at the alternative summit, using art as a political tool, or engaging in creative stunts, everyone has their niche, and it is this combination of activities that makes protests at the G8 in my mind so powerful. In Germany the dominate view is that the G8 is illegitimate and people are expressing this in whatever way reflects them best. There is even space to discuss the role and remit of the 'black-block' in a way that is not just centred on violence. While more reports about the blockades drift back to Rostock, we have just heard that our camp has been surrounded by police and people are not allowed to enter or leave. It looks like a search is imminent but as yet the police do not have a search warrant. It looks like yet another intimidation tactic by the police and the activists are not rising to the bait. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/world/german-police-arrest-900-protesters-in-g8-battles/2007/06/09/1181089377478.html German police arrest 900 protesters in G8 battles June 9, 2007 - 12:16PM After a final clash on the Group of Eight frontlines, German police said they had made more than 900 arrests over four tense days of demonstrations and defended their summit security operation. Activist groups said they were delighted with their campaign of blocking roads leading to the summit venue on the Baltic coast, while police denied they had been outwitted by protesters. Having succeeded in intruding into the maritime exclusion zone around the summit hotel in speedboats a day earlier, environmental group Greenpeace tried to fly over it in a hot air balloon, but police helicopters forced it to land. Two activists on board carried a yellow banner which read "G8: Act Now". There were renewed scuffles between thousands of demonstrators and police in the nearby city of Rostock yesterday, but nothing to compare with the violent clashes of previous days. Police said they had arrested a total of 932 people since the main demonstration against the summit descended into pitched battles between masked protesters in Rostock last Saturday. Knut Abramowski, who commanded the 16,000 police deployed for the summit, rejected accusations that he had been taken by surprise by the size and nature of the protests, insisting "we knew what to expect". He said that although his officers had started out with a policy of trying to avoid clashes, they had been forced to resort to "harder measures" when protesters had repeatedly tried to approach the 12-kilometre fence surrounding the summit hotel. At times the protesters had shown "a potential for violence that could not be over-estimated", Abramowski said. Protest groups claimed they had achieved their aims in attracting the world's media day after day to see a series of sit-ins on roads, sometimes featuring demonstrators dressed as clowns. Police used water cannon to clear some roads but on Wednesday the sit-ins had effectively sealed off the summit to traffic. Summit organisers were left red-faced when protesters on Wednesday blocked the tracks of the vintage steam train which was supposed to take journalists to the heavily guarded summit hotel. "We succeeded in paralysing the roads to the G8 for its duration. So we are more than satisfied," said Lea Voigt from the Block G-8 protest group. Another protest organiser, Manni Stenner, said: "We guaranteed democracy." Thanks to the security fence around the summit venue, the closest protesters came to the focus of much of their anger - US President George Bush - was when he landed at Rostock airport to jeers from anti-war demonstrators. Aside from the logistical problems caused by the demonstrations, many of the participants appeared to have little political agenda other than pure opposition to the meeting of the world's wealthiest nations - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States. A concert on Thursday featuring rock star and campaigner Bono attracted 70,000 people. The summit produced a pledge from the world's most industrialised nations to pursue "substantial" cuts to greenhouse gas pollution and leaders said they would "seriously consider" the goal of halving global emissions by 2050. AFP http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21858276-401,00.html Bush arrives for G8, met by anti-war protesters By Arnaud Bouvier in Rostock June 06, 2007 05:03am Article from: Agence France-Presse Font size: + - Send this article: Print Email ANTI-WAR protesters jeered US President George W. Bush when he arrived in Germany overnight for the G8 summit, as a massive security plan swung into action. Hundreds of demonstrators chanted "Bush, Merkel, Putin, Blair, we will fight you everywhere", as Mr Bush's plane touched down in Rostock in northern Germany. The G8 summit will begin on Wednesday (overnight AEST) in the nearby seaside resort of Heiligendamm. The protesters were kept about a kilometre from the airport, penned in behind a chain-link barrier patrolled by about 100 policemen with dogs. The protesters said they wanted to tell Mr Bush he was not welcome at the Group of Eight summit because of his pursuit of the Iraq war and Washington's controversial plans to place part of a missile defence shield in eastern Europe. The plan has triggered a row with Russia that has descended into Cold War rhetoric and threatens to overshadow the summit. "I think the shield will only divide Europe more," said Jan Tanasch, a Czech who came to Germany to protest against US plans to locate parts of the shield in his country and in Poland. "This will lead to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. I do not believe in this so-called threat. When we were told that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, I did not believe it either," he said. Mr Bush flew into Germany from the Czech Republic where he accused Russia of derailing democratic reforms, in a speech likely to further strain ties with Moscow. Germany fears that up to 100,000 anti-globalisation protesters will target the summit and has launched a massive security operation to prevent a repeat of the bloody clashes that have marked recent G8 summits. Heiligendamm has been sealed off by a razor-wire topped fence to keep protestors from besieging the summit venue. A total of 16,000 police are on duty for the meeting. Protest organisers said some 12,000 militants who have pitched their tents in nearby towns are planning to block the roads to the resort town to prevent delegations from reaching the summit. "We cannot stop (Mr Bush) and the other heads of state flying into Heiligendamm by helicopter, but we can try to stop members of their delegations, people like translators, coming in by road," said one protest leader. The run-up to the summit has already seen more than 1000 people injured in running battles between anti-G8 protesters and police. The summit will bring together the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the US. http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article2621808.ece Anti-G8 carnival turns sour as protesters clash with riot police By Tony Paterson Published: 07 June 2007 The Baltic seaside site of Germany's G8 summit was surrounded by thousands of anti-globalisation protesters despite the presence of more than 16,000 riot police who used baton charges, water cannon and tear gas in an abortive attempt to keep them at bay. While world leaders were flown in by helicopter, organisers had to rely on an armada of police launches to ferry other delegates to the summit in Heiligendamm, as protesters forced their way through a no-go area and reached asecurity fence surrounding the site. Jutta Sundermann, spokeswoman for Attac, one of the main anti-globalisation organisations, said two groups comprising about 10,000 protesters had blocked all land routes to the summit venue. "It is our style of civil disobedience and we appear to have outwitted the police," she said. Riot police used baton charges and fired water cannon and tear gas grenades at groups of demonstrators who attacked road checkpoints. Police said eight officers were injured in the clashes. Police insisted they had not been surprised by the protesters, but had decided to end an earlier policy of de-escalation and respond with force. Scenes at two police checkpoints resembled a battlefield yesterday afternoon, with the road littered with stones as ambulances sped in to evacuate injured officers. Masked members of Germany's so-called "black block" of anarchist demonstrators fought running battles with riot police. The protests started off in an almost carnival atmosphere as demonstrators, some dressed as clowns, trooped off from two camps south of Heiligendamm towards the summit. Thousands of protesters sidestepped police checkpoints by flanking off into woods or fields thick with poppies. They were pursued, Apocalypse Now-style, by 12 low-flying police helicopters. Police claimed that members of a group called "the rebel clown army" had sprayed officers with acid. A "clown army" spokesman denied the accusations. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 07:39:23 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:39:23 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Germany G8 Blockades 15 - analysis Message-ID: <094601c7adc8$a433ef80$0202a8c0@andy1> http://allafrica.com/stories/200706111124.html Rwanda: What Are the G8 Anti-Globalisation Protests About? New Times (Kigali) ANALYSIS 10 June 2007 Posted to the web 11 June 2007 Omar D. Kalinge-Nnyago Kigali Images of clashes between G8 protesters and riot police in the German port city of Rostock in which 1000 people were injured sent different signals to different people of the world. For Africans living under pseudo democratic regimes, it reminded them that there is no difference between the so-called developed world and their own, in real terms. Police will always crackdown, uncompromisingly and hard, on protestors. To police in Africa, it was an inspiration. Beating up protesters was not, after all, very uncivilised. To the African protesters who often stir up trouble to provoke the security forces to their advantage, it was apparent that theirs was a global tactic, not unique to them alone. "Even the Europeans do it". Police blamed the violence on some 2,000 militants known as the "black block." The protesters say that security forces infiltrated their otherwise peaceful demonstration to make the demonstrators look bad, and to present them to the world as irresponsible hecklers, thus diverting the world from the real issues at the core of the dissent, that is injustice and exploitation of the South by the so-called industrialised nations. The mass-circulation Bild am Sonntag newspaper declared the violence Germany's "G8 Shame!" "Yesterday images were formed in our country that will damage our reputation across the world," wrote commentator Claus Strunz in one of the newspaper's columns. All, then, are guilty and all are innocent. But why are people demonstrating against the G8 anyway? What is this anti-globalisation coalition that has sought to be heard since 1999? Anti-globalisation is a term most commonly ascribed to the political stance of people and groups who oppose certain aspects of globalisation in its current form. It is considered by many to be a social movement, while others consider it to be an umbrella term that encompasses a number of separate social movements. In either case, participants are united in opposition to the political power of large corporations, as exercised in trade agreements and elsewhere, which they say undermines democracy, the environment, labour rights, national sovereignty, the third world, and other concerns. The groups and individuals that would come to be known as the "anti-globalisation movement" developed in the late twentieth century to combat the globalisation of corporate economic activity and the free trade with developing nations that might result from such activity. Members of the anti-globalisation movement generally advocate alternatives to liberal economics, and seek to protect the world's population and ecosystem from what they believe to be the damaging effects of globalisation. Support for human rights NGOs is another cornerstone of the anti-globalisation movement's platform. They advocate for labour rights, environmentalism, feminism, freedom of migration, preservation of the cultures of indigenous peoples, biodiversity, cultural diversity, food safety, and ending or reforming capitalism. By contrast, certain paleo-conservative American opponents of globalisation, such as Patrick Buchanan, argue against globalisation from a point of view of economic nationalism. Against outsourcing, such paleo-conservative opponents of globalisation phrase their opposition xenophobic terms. "The industrialised world must protect itself against the Global South", Buchanan argues, because what he calls the "Third World" is racked with disease and the peoples there lack a Western culture. Economic globalisation, therefore, will result in the "Death of the West". It is therefore not difficult to know why Buchanan cannot be president. Although adherents of the movement often work together, the movement itself is heterogeneous. It includes diverse and sometimes opposing understandings of the globalisation process, and incorporates alternative visions, strategies and tactics. Many of the groups and organisations that are considered part of the movement were not founded as anti-globalist, but have their roots in various pre-existing social and political movements. The anti-globalisation movement has its precursors in such movements as the 1968 movement in Europe and the protest against the Vietnam War in the United States. It continues to oppose the invasion of Afghanistan and occupation of Iraq. Generally speaking, protesters believe that the global financial institutions and agreements undermine local decision-making methods. Many governments and free trade institutions are seen as acting for the good of multinational corporations. These corporations are seen as having privileges that most human persons do not have: moving freely across borders, extracting desired natural resources, and utilising a diversity of human resources. They are perceived to be able to move on after doing permanent damage to the natural capital and biodiversity of a nation, in a manner impossible for that nation's citizens. Some of the movements' common goals are; an end to the legal status of so-called "corporate personhood" and the dissolution or dramatic reform of the World Bank, IMF, and WTO. So, if you were in Rostock, would you or would you not have joined in the demonstrations? http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20070608115350638 The Black Bloc: The Demonized Face of G8 Protests Friday, June 08 2007 @ 11:53 AM PDT Contributed by: arch_stanton Views: 424 Violent anarchists have been dominating the headlines when it comes to G8 protests. Known as the Black Bloc, they see themselves as the ultimate opposition. Other demonstrators blame them for causing new problems. The Demonized Face of G8 Protests Violent anarchists have been dominating the headlines when it comes to G8 protests. Known as the Black Bloc, they see themselves as the ultimate opposition. Other demonstrators blame them for causing new problems. They are the demonized face of the G8 protests, the violent anarchists who are dominating the headlines and shoving the many thousands of peaceful demonstrators to the margins of the media coverage. They are known collectively as the Black Bloc and their attendance en masse at the protests this week has been met with trepidation among many who march beside them and those watching for the sidelines. The description of the Black Bloc in the recent reports of violence in Rostock and its surrounding areas insinuates that this is an international organization hell bent on vandalism and property destruction in the name of some anti-capitalist agenda. It gives the Black Bloc a greater air of threat to think of it as one malevolent force, an anarchist army under the control of a few powerful autonomists. Diverse beliefs In fact, the Black Bloc is a cover-all title for protestors from many different groups with a myriad of aims and tactics who normally join together in an affinity group to carry out one shared aim at a protest. While those involved in a black bloc within a larger demonstration may have come together to carry out one common act or tactic, the beliefs the individuals hold within that bloc can be quite diverse. "A new world order can only be created through violent struggle," a black blocker who gave his name as Ernesto told DW-WORLD.DE. "We have seen how ineffective peaceful mass protests have been. Millions took to the streets to try and stop the invasion of Iraq and yet the corrupt world powers still wage their war. Fighting for change is the only way -- otherwise we face a future of blind subservience, slavery and control." Taking back power Some fifty yards further into the roped off area of the Rostock Fischereihafen camp where black is the color de jour, a young Danish woman known only as Lena described her own motivation in slightly different terms. "It is a social justice movement which wants to take the power back.to give it back to the people," she said. "The G8 is nothing more than an organized crime family; the faces may change but the objectives stay the same -- money and power. We are taking the roll of citizen police because these people are criminals and have the real cops in their pockets. "Through direct action we intend to expose these criminals for what they are and lift the blinkers from the eyes of the masses." Displays of solidarity While some black blockers believe that this direct action should be of a violent nature, others believe that the power of the bloc comes from its togetherness and its displays of solidarity. "Did you see the bloc on Saturday?" asked Martin X, a black blocker from Berlin. "Before the rocks were thrown, the power was with that congregation of people. The message was the people themselves. "That black mass stood for solidarity, a revolutionary presence, a visible manifestation of our politics," he added. "When direct action is aimed at symbolic targets such as the buildings of multinationals and globalized franchises, I can condone that as a symbolic gesture but for me, the sight of the bloc moving as one is more powerful than the image of a burning car." Troublemakers? The diversity within the one perceived Black Bloc is not only ignored by some sectors of the media but is unknown to many of the peaceful, more colorful protestors who march beside the black-clad army. Some tar every demonstrator with the same brush. "For me there is no justification for the throwing of stones and the fighting of the police," said Andi Friedrich, a protestor from Berlin on the march to Rostock's Laage military airport. "It achieves nothing more than to turn the story of a thousand peaceful protestors into the story of a few violent idiots." "You know some have their reasons and that their politics lead them to believe that to fight is the only way to achieve their ends," said Carla, Andi's companion. "But we have seen what it achieves in reality. We have seen increased police brutality on innocent people caught up in the chaos; we have seen tougher restrictions, we have seen the hardening of politicians towards the real issues. "And these again are things we should protest about, but it makes no sense when you consider these new problems have been caused by those who march alongside you for peace and justice." http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/jun2007/rost-j07.shtml Anti-G8 demonstration violence in Rostock: questions and contradictions By Marius Heuser and Ulrich Rippert 7 June 2007 Use this version to print | Send this link by email | Email the author The acts of violence that occurred during the mass demonstration against the G8 summit last Saturday in Rostock have led to noisy appeals from the German political and media establishment for tougher police measures. Many commentators have chosen to blame the mass of demonstrators and the organisers of the protest for the excesses, and then sought retroactively to justify the attacks on the right to demonstrate and freedom of assembly that preceded the demonstration. Reinhard Mohr writes in Spiegel-Online that, as far as he is concerned, the demonstrators as a group were responsible for the riots because they did not distinguish themselves clearly enough from violent anarchist elements (so-called "autonomes"). Anyone who labels the elected heads of government and other G8 summit participants "gangsters and criminals" should not be surprised at the outbreak of violence, Mohr concludes. The author began his journalistic career as an editor of the Frankfurt anarchist pamphlet "Pavement Beach," which justified the street battles fought in the 1970s by his colleagues Joschka Fischer and Daniel Cohn-Bendit. Michael Bauchm?ller from the S?ddeutschen Zeitung draws a link between the burning of cars and masked stone-throwers and a political perspective that questions the existing social order. "All those, however, who together with the G8 want to consign the whole system to history [... ] should remain at home for the next few days. They are the bearers of discord in a world that is struggling for a better future." While the photos of street battles and reports of a thousand injured, including 430 policemen (it turns out that of the reported total of 400 injured and 30 severely injured policemen just two visited a hospital and these two were not so badly injured that they had to be kept in overnight), are being eagerly used to criminalise any fundamental criticism of capitalism, there is a decided lack of interest on the part of politicians and the media in determining precisely what took place in Rostock. In fact, the demonstration began peacefully and proceeded for many hours before marchers arrived at the final rallying place at the city's docks. At this point the protest had a decidedly festive character with theatre and cultural groups at the forefront. Demonstrators and organisers were shocked by the sudden outbreak of violence, with participants making a number of attempts to pacify both the stone throwers and the police. In addition, it should be borne in mind that hard-liners in the German interior ministry-in particular Interior Minister Wolfgang Sch?uble (Christian Democratic Union-CDU)-had announced the probability of outbreaks of violence weeks before, and then on the evening of the demonstration, with news stations showing burning cars and road barricades, called for a further arming of the police. Meanwhile CDU politicians are proposing the deployment of the notorious anti-terror GSG9 commando force at demonstrations and the equipping of police with rubber bullets. The next step can be predicted: a call from Sch?uble for the use of the German army to suppress domestic opposition. If, however, one begins considering the Rostock events by posing the question, "Who benefited from the riots?" then it is clear that the demonstrators lose out on all fronts. The interior ministry, on the other hand, is using the riots to justify both those attacks already carried out against freedom of assembly (as well as the assault carried out against left-wing organizations and globalization opponents, whose offices and dwellings were raided in the middle of May) and to prepare new and even more far-reaching attacks and police measures. In this respect it is necessary to examine a number of obvious contradictions in the behaviour of the police and the security forces. How is one to account for the fact that the police had warned weeks before of "autonomous rioters," but then allowed a closed formation of "black bloc" anarchists to parade unmonitored on one of the two demonstrations? Why wasn't this "black bloc" accompanied by experienced police units, as is usually the case? Why was a police vehicle then parked provocatively in the middle of the area leading up to the final rallying point? According to several eye-witness reports, the attacks carried out by some members of the "black bloc" on this vehicle were the trigger for the intervention by police. Why was no attention paid to repeated calls by the organisers of the rally for the removal of the vehicle by the large numbers of police escorting the demonstration? Who gave the order to obstruct photo journalists from taking pictures during the peaceful phase of the demonstration? Why were the authorities so keen that photos not be taken? It is well-known that at the start of the year the German authorities intensified the infiltration of undercover agents into the "violent autonomous movement." In its May 14 edition, Der Spiegel magazine wrote, "At the beginning of the year the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) declared globalization critics to be an 'operational focal point.' All preparatory meetings are observed, the groups involved are infiltrated" by undercover agents. Just one week before the demonstration, on 29 May, the Bild newspaper reported on "secret police plans" in preparation for the G8 summit. According to Bild, the first point of a three-point plan reads, "Undercover agents who were infiltrated a long time ago by the intelligence services are to provide early evidence of planned disruptive actions." The question therefore arises: how many undercover agents were operating in the "black bloc"? What information about acts of violence were communicated to the police command by these undercover agents, and why was nothing undertaken to prevent these acts of violence? Moreover, were undercover agents involved in the outbreak of violence, and to what extent? These are urgent questions that need to be investigated. In view of the large number of casualties, it is necessary to clarify the role played by undercover agents. Until this information is made available, it is impossible to rule out the use of undercover agents as agents provocateurs on the demonstration. Genoa 2001 The events of the G8 summit in Genoa in June 2001 took place just a few years ago and are still fresh in the memory. During the course of the protest, young demonstrator Carlo Giuliani (23) was killed. His family and other victims of police violence fought for years to clarify the circumstances leading up to his death. Finally, the Italian public prosecutor's office declared that the violence at the Genoa demonstration had been initiated by a hard core of approximately 200 persons, a considerable number of whom were either undercover policemen or right-wing extremists hired by the police. The provocateurs discussed their tactics with police, disguised themselves as anarchists and mixed with peaceful demonstrators before undertaking their criminal operations. While the rioters were left largely undisturbed, their violence in Genoa became the pretext for the police to move with extreme brutality against the rest of the demonstrators. A good deal of evidence has emerged about the police provocation. There are numerous reports of the use of massive force on their part. Guiliani was shot by a cop. At the same time a particularly savage assault took place on the Pascoli school, where hundreds of demonstrators were surprised in their sleep and savagely beaten. Afterwards a number had to receive treatment in intensive care units. The pretexts given by Italian police to justify its raid on the school were completely disproved by the public prosecutor's office. Police even brought along their own Molotov cocktails to plant on the young people sleeping at the school. Anyone who believes that similar things could not happen in Germany is simply ignorant of history. At the end of the 1960s the undercover agent Peter Urbach supplied bombs and weapons to members of the Berlin APO (Extra-Parliamentary Opposition), which later constituted one of the initial elements of the Red Army Faction (RAF). Ten years later a member of the BND blew a hole in the wall of the prison in the town of Celle in an attempt to stage a prison outbreak by RAF member Sigurd Debus and thereby enable the police to infiltrate the organization. There have been numerous reports in Germany of the use of police provocateurs in more recent years. In May 1993 when East German miners from Bischofferode protested in front of government buildings to oppose the closure of their pit, policemen garbed as anarchists smuggled themselves into the demonstration and then threw bottles and stones at their colleagues in uniform. When some workers intervened to stop the rioters and hand them over to the police, the latter showed a complete lack of interest. Instead the police officers arbitrarily seized a number of workers and beat them brutally. There have also been a number of reports of the role of deliberate police provocations in connection with the Gorleben anti-nuclear protests. Eye-witness reports In this connection it is necessary to take eye-witness reports by demonstrators in Rostock very seriously. On the Indymedia web site, a number of demonstrators have described their experiences. Almost all of the reports stress that for most of the day the demonstration had proceeded in a very calm and peaceful manner. At the same time, several demonstrators observed-independently of each other-that some members of the "black bloc" functioned independently of the main body of anarchists and seemed to be in contact with the police. Thus Rainer Zwanzleitner reports on Indymedia, "We were part of the demo, which came from the direction of Hamburg Street, quite near the front. When we reached the city's docks we observed how a group of police (approx. 10-20) positioned in front of a building site fence began, as if by command, to calmly commence putting on their helmets, i.e. to prepare for action. There had been no incidents up until that point." Fearful of a police intervention, Zwanzleitner removed himself with his group from this police cordon and continued to move towards the stage set up for the planned final rally. "From there we could observe that the police had set off towards the head of the demo point. At about the same time several police units from the direction of the city centre piled into the demonstration, which had come from the railway station." The final rally had already begun and after approximately 10 to 15 minutes a member of the organising committee appealed by microphone for the police to withdraw and desist with their provocative deployments. Instead the opposite took place. A police helicopter circled directly over the stage and flew so low that its noise dominated the entire area near the public-address system, making communication from the stage impossible. "When it became calmer we left the site of the rally at the docks and proceeded towards the pedestrian zone. What we saw on the way was nothing less than a police camp. There were police vehicles everywhere." Meanwhile another threatening situation was brewing at the university square. "A group of perhaps between 20 and 30 demonstrators dressed in black entered the square followed by police units. Some of these demonstrators remained at the square, some continued on to the city hall. Then we saw another 3 or 4 figures dressed in black, who differed considerably, however, from the usual picture of an 'autonome': They were notably broadly built, identically dressed (thin nylon anoraks, identical trousers and their faces were masked). Under the thin clothing it was possible to identify body armour. And even more remarkably: they left the square, fully masked, in the opposite direction to the others, i.e. directly towards the police, who were moving in. We were then unable to ascertain where they went to next." (http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/180968.shtml) Other participants on the demonstration report that they noticed that members of the "black bloc" brusquely rejected political material in the form of leaflets and flyers. "This is new for me with regard to the autonomous left ... I had the impression that something was not right with these people, they did not appear to behave like lefts, nor like left anarchists, " was the report by a participant, Anna U. "Organisational stupidity" It is not only demonstrators who have criticized the provocative behaviour of the police. In Deutschlandradio Kultur Munich police psychologist George Sieber described the actions taken by police in Rostock as "operational stupidity." The police were following outdated tactics and reacted with disproportionate force, Sieber said. When asked how the violence came about, he answered, "It was like this: an escalation had already taken place, long before it really heated up in Rostock. What everybody could see was how police officers appeared with very unusual body armour, at first glance one might have confused them with marines in Iraq." When asked by a reporter whether he thought the escalation had been caused by the police, Sieber said the escalation had already taken place: "They proceeded on the basis of extreme danger or actually felt such a danger, and then resorted to security precautions that represented a severe violation of human rights. This is what I call escalation-that was in fact the highest level of escalation." The demonstration was initially peaceful. "We had two observers on the spot, who notified us by telephone, 'there is an atmosphere here which resembles the Love Parade [an annual musical event in Berlin],'" Sieber reported. "Things first really got going when a police car was damaged and then a great deal happened, which one would describe as disproportionate reaction on the part of police officers." Sieber criticized the fact that the security forces had proceeded almost exclusively "in fixed formation." Such deployments, "in fixed formation, in the form of a chain, as a combat patrol," are completely outdated and have been described since "approximately the 1970s as simply operational stupidity." In Rostock "everything actually took place in opposition to what is taught in the textbook. And the officials naturally learn at the police academy that one should not do it such a way." Therefore "this deployment was from the start completely inappropriate." Following repeated demands by the surprised reporter, who asked whether he was really accusing the police command, Sieber replied, "No, this is not a reproach; it is possibly even what was politically intended." This is precisely the question: Were events set in motion with the knowledge that photos of burning autos and stone-throwing rioters could be used to justify the attacks on the right to demonstrate that had already taken place and to prepare for a new assault on democratic rights? Was this what was "politically intended"? An investigation is necessary to determine whether the riots were the result of a planned manoeuvre, in which undercover police operated as agents provocateurs in the "black bloc," while the police reacted with closed formations and the police command prepared to carry out a deployment which resulted in several hundred injured demonstrators. We appeal to readers who took part in the demonstration and possess any important information about what took place to send us their material and establish contact with the editorial board. http://www.newstatesman.com/200706080005 As the dust settles Leila Deen If the G8 leaders represent us, why are they forced to hide behind fences? As the 2007 G8 summit concludes today, we hear that the G8 leaders have been re-packaging their existing aid commitments in order to appear to be 'doing something' about poverty. But the aid increases were not enough back in 2005 and they are not enough now. And regardless of how much aid cash that rich countries are prepared to spend, there is something much more important at stake. As the activists have being saying here all week, for genuine change we need to fundamentally shift the way we structure our global economic system - but perhaps that is expecting a bit too much of the G8! As for their statement on climate change - that they will "consider seriously... at least halving global emissions by 2050" - this kind of woolly rhetoric is nothing short of insulting to the thousands of demonstrators in Germany and the millions facing imminent climate chaos across the world. We need to start a radical process immediately if we are actually going to make any positive difference to the impacts on millions of people around the world. While journalists, NGOs, and policy-makers pour over the detail of the communiqu? and file their verdicts, Rostock is set to return to normal. Delegates will fly home, activists will pack up their tents, and the camps and blockades scattered around Heiligendamm will move toward Rostock city centre for a closing rally by the harbour. Our experience has been a positive - one of collective action. Both the activists and the local people in Rostock have been incredibly welcoming to us, with only a few shops boarded up. A German friend told us that the headline of the Hamburg regional paper reads: "Success for the G8 blockaders." Not sure who or what they were referring to but this is an interesting statement to have seen in the press. Was it a success? The fact that thousands and thousands of people felt the need to travel to Germany to register their protest I think is a success in itself. The fact that protesters managed to successfully blockade roads, train lines, and attempted to block the sea is also a success. The fact that once again, people from all walks of life, ages and nationalities stood up to be counted - and that violence was minimal - is perhaps the greatest success of all. The G8 summit may have managed to continue, and produced little or nothing new, but they know that we were there in our tens of thousands. And when leaders are forced to hide behind huge fences - and spend millions on security evading the people they are meant to represent - the movement can only feel vindicated. As for us, it is time to take stock, reflect and relax with a beer, before packing up our tent, and making the long train journey back to the UK. I think we've earned it. http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/sharonlouise_trimble_and_philip_white/2007/06/words_are_not_enough.html Words are not enough As teenagers reporting from the G8 summit, we'd like to know how the leaders are going to fulfil the promises they made to the world's children. Sharon-Louise Trimble and Philip White Articles Latest Show all Profile All Sharon-Louise Trimble and Philip White articles About Webfeeds June 7, 2007 2:00 PM | Printable version We're reporting from the G8 summit. Well, from a seaside town further down the coast, which is as close as most journalists seem to be getting. The world is waiting to hear what the leaders are going to say. Since their promises made two years ago in Gleneagles, millions of children have died, millions are still desperately poor. What will the rest of this week mean for them? If the G8 leaders take on board what the public and charities are saying, it will make a difference; but if they don't, it won't. Protesters are making it clear what they want and what they don't want. They are here dressed as clowns and wearing identity cards on their heads. This is to show the police that they don't care what the authorities think. Others were blocking the roads with their bicycles and generally trying to cause as much chaos as possible. All this is happening some distance from Heiligendamn and we wonder what impression it makes there. We have just overheard some journalists say that no one is allowed to go there: are they even aware the protests are happening? This afternoon we visited the Alternative Summit in Rostock. The sun filtered through the beautiful tree-lined roads as we drove from Kuehlungsborn to Rostock. There was no sign of any protest, just a few happy, hippy campers strolling along the edge of the forest. On the forecourt of a garage, police in full riot gear waited. Parked close by was one tank and several water cannons. Maybe they'd stopped for refreshments. Riot control is thirsty work. In Rostock, we watched a Save the Children film, Running on Empty, showing malnutrition and hunger in Ethiopia. At the same time, President Bush and Chancellor Merkel were enjoying a private lunch. Even if they did talk about how they might help the world's poorest, words are not enough - that was Gleneagles, now we need real action. Later, back at the media centre, other journalists told us tales of blocked roads, and tractors on train tracks. Clearly, we'd missed out ... http://www.grist.org/comments/dispatches/2007/06/05/G8/ After the Storm Reflections from the scene of this weekend's G8 protests Michael Levitin is a freelance journalist living in Berlin. He has written for Newsweek, Slate, and the Los Angeles Times, among others. Tuesday, 05 Jun 2007 ROSTOCK, Germany If you dress head to foot in black, set cars on fire, launch stones and beer bottles at police, and brave hand-to-hand scuffles amid clouds of tear gas with choppers thundering overhead, best bet is you'll make the evening news. Which is too bad, because in the case of Saturday's late-afternoon riots in Rostock, the images of unrest have obscured and altered what most of us adults would have called the real story. Menace or blessing? Photo: Irene Pascual I say adults because the couple of thousand sullen-eyed, peach-fuzz-faced rabble-rousers who formed the Black Bloc averaged, say, 20 years old. Middle-class adolescents still living at home with mom and dad, the young anarchists weren't the ones who'd spent thousands of hours organizing the Alternative Summit that's running counter to the official G8 meeting, which starts Wednesday in nearby Heiligendamm. They didn't arrange Bono's concert here; nor did they coordinate the peaceful blockades against G8 delegates arriving at Rostock airport; nor set up large-scale encampments around the city; nor promote dozens of lectures and workshops on subjects ranging from immigration and agriculture to militarism, feminism, and global energy strategy. In short, the Black Bloc lacked the legitimacy to turn a peaceful, well-planned protest into mayhem -- yet that's exactly what they did. But let's look at it another way; by admitting, for example, that some of us -- OK, many of us -- go to demonstrations like these nursing the secret hope that things might turn a little rowdy. The hope of feeling, beyond all the costumes, music, and speeches, a greater whiff of excitement. Of being somehow in the fray. I went to Rostock, I confess, with some pretty big expectations. The media had so fixated on the G8 Summit -- from criticism of the seven-mile-long fence built to keep out protesters to speculation about Chancellor Angela Merkel's standoff with President George Bush over his last-minute climate policy proposal -- that the demonstration against it had to be sensational, right? Descending on Rostock I had arrived (with my own little global retinue of amigos, which included a Spaniard, a Brazilian, an Englishman, a Mexican, a Colombian, and myself, an American) packed body to body with other protesters on the morning train from Berlin. Chartered buses and trains were pouring in from cities across northern and central Europe, like Zurich and Cologne, Vienna and Munich, Stockholm and Copenhagen. Base camps had materialized around the Rostock region as demonstrators carrying rucksacks and tents and a week's worth of supplies flooded in. Putting a face on politics. Photo: Irene Pascual A whole cross-section of the continent appeared to have shown up: old men calling for just labor laws, young mothers with strollers marching against climate change, students appealing for fair trade and an end to the Iraq war. Actors dressed in elaborate costumes hoisted masks parodying the G8 leaders. Trumpeters blew horns, drummers beat out rhythms, and trance-music revelers danced as thousands of bodies kept rolling past. All the big NGO players were represented -- WWF, Oxfam, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth -- as were the vast array of antis: anti-racists, anti-capitalists, anti-fascists, anti-G8s, anti-about everything you could get your hands on. The wavy, rainbow-colored sea of signs, balloons, and placards -- "Down with the G8," "Stop Privatization," "International Solidarity" -- reflected the position stated simply on one flier: "The world shaped by the dominance of the G8 is a world of war, hunger, social divisions, environmental destruction, and barriers against migrants and refugees." Despite the tensions and global concerns prompting the march, up until 3 p.m. the mood was still bright. Heading toward the harbor where concerts were already under way, the protesters continued their relaxed march, by the tens of thousands, in what looked from a distance like a slow, musical, serpentine dance. But the anxious buzz of helicopters overhead was mounting. The green-clad cops were encroaching. Then suddenly, somewhere out of view, a provocation occurred. Instants later, acrid, dense, gray gas filled the streets. Bodies started running. Police units multiplied, emerging from all corners of the city and sprinting in neat lines toward the harbor where the flare-ups were taking place. There was something epic about the scene: on the waterfront, under the port's looming cranes, with sirens wailing, music blaring, giant banners and balloons bobbing, the sky threatening rain, and the authorities with their armored vehicles threatening injury. It didn't take long for the mainstream crowd to disperse, leaving several thousand young guys and girls clothed in black to engage in the fight. They hurled bottles and fireworks and chunks of concrete that they'd pried up from the street. They smashed bank and car windows, destroyed parking-ticket machines, and lit several cars on fire in what the German magazine Der Spiegel called "an orgy of violence." Only after many hours and injuries and arrests -- after the air became choked with smoke and gas, and after the Black Bloc tired of their showdown with water cannons -- did the police restore order. Close to 1,000 people, nearly half of them police, were reported injured, 50 of them seriously, before the day was through. Some 125 arrests were made. Sunday brought a rest for both sides, but on Monday and Tuesday they were back at it, with street skirmishes and armed conflicts between youth and authorities that led right up to President Bush's arrival with his entourage. Needless to say, the Alternative Summit's well-planned schedule -- of concerts and lectures, seminars, marches, and non-violence training workshops -- was vastly overshadowed by the more media-grabbing conflict. Message In a Hurled Bottle Give peace a chance. Photo: Irene Pascual The Alternative Summit organizers had tried very hard, and almost with success, to show the orderly and thoughtful face of the anti-globalization movement. But what they, and what we all, now have to ask ourselves might be this: If those late-afternoon images of chaos and confrontation hadn't occurred -- if the estimated 80,000 protesters had marched peacefully, vocally, and jubilantly to the demonstration's conclusion as planned -- would the world have even noticed? It may be, in fact, that the anarchic, violent spirit is already so embedded in the anti-globalization movement that it has become unthinkable for a G8 protest to conclude otherwise. This spring, in recent weeks especially, the German government seemed to be almost purposefully stoking the public's anger in the build-up to the summit. After police raided many activists' homes and offices for information last month, it became known that the collection and use of "scent samples" to track down suspected agitators, a method practiced by the secret police in the former East Germany, was suddenly back in vogue. Fanning the public's paranoia, an administrative court ruled last Thursday that demonstrators would not be allowed to come within a four-mile zone of the razor-wire-topped fence that has been erected around Heiligendamm. "The German government has militarized security levels as though they wanted to build a new wall and close themselves in," said an indignant Renate K?nast, Germany's Green Party chair. The decision overturned a lower court's ruling that protests could be banned within 200 meters of the security fence, which was built specifically to protect the Kempinski Grand Hotel, where the G8 leaders are scheduled to meet, but not around the entire town. Noting that security costs for the event topped $130 million and that more than 16,000 police officers have been engaged (the largest deployment in Germany since World War II), lawyer Carsten Gericke said the court's unconstitutional ruling marked "a black day for freedom of assembly in Germany." Now I am wondering, as I think back to the cramped train ride Saturday morning when the energy in the air was so palpable but also so peaceful, whether the violence that day might have been foreseen -- and if so, how it could have been prevented. When tens of thousands of people are able peacefully to amass and speak, sing and dance with many voices -- and ultimately with one -- it is a testament to the power and the potential of democracy. But unless we decide clearly, and discover a way to steer our fellow black-clad protesters into the non-violent fold, their actions will continue to define the anti-G8 agenda: fighting, rather than talking about the issues that matter to us most. After all, our heads of state and their policies may still pose our best chance of staving off the serious long-term effects of climate change. Then again, maybe negotiating calmly with our leaders, on their terms -- which is to say, voicing our complaints about poverty and our concerns about global warming, and being virtually ignored -- is not what many of us secretly want. In that case, so much for the days of peaceful protest. http://de.indymedia.org/2007/06/183680.shtml How did mainstream media cover the G8? Gerbrand 10.06.2007 12:21 Themen: G8 Medien Print How did mainstream media cover the G8? Were you at the G8? Find out how dutch, german, english and international television stations were reporting about the G8. Which programmes were giving a fair and accurate perspective on the negotiations, and on the protests? Users have been recording television news items and uploaded them to UNSPINTHEG8.ORG. Analyse the news items, and discuss with other users. UNSPIN THE G8 is a temporary toolkit for the analysis of media reports during the run-up to the G8 Summit in Heiligendamm, Germany (6-8 June 2007). UNSPIN THE G8 focuses on the clashing discourses and media representations of the players: world leaders, issue celebrities, activists, social movements, security forces, industry leaders and lobby groups. What are all these actors telling us? And how do mass media cover the G8 Summit and the G8 protests? During the run-up to the summit, UNSPIN THE G8 will serve as a collaborative blog deconstructing G8 PR and media coverage. Everyone can join. It's simple: upload a piece of video, or audio, a newspaper clipping or a press statement. It can be an eight o'clock news report, a press statement, an interview with an official, a photo, a background article from a newspaper, or any other media product. Then analyse: what's the full story of the interview, statement, news item or article? For video, you could look at what the images suggest. How do editing, voice over, framing, music, point-of-view, insert shots, etc. contribute to a story? What parts of a statement have been selected, and which have been left out? Who were interviewed, and what impression do these people leave on you? What do you sense when you look at the item? Do you believe the story? If several viewpoints are presented, which one seems more trustworthy and important to you, and why is that? What is the relevance of the item and why did the editors choose to broadcast this story? For newspaper clippings, you could have a look at the headline: what does it suggest? On what page and in what section did the article appear? Have other papers covered the same story, and how do they present it? What sources are quoted and what opinions have been included and excluded? Other users can comment on or add to the first analysis. http://www.unspintheg8.org http://www.unspintheg8.org/times-england-03-06-07-g8-activists-turn-peaceful-demo-riot Times (England) 03/06/07 'G8 activists turn peaceful demo into riot' Submitted by Lise on Mon, 06/11/2007 - 11:47. Lovely example of unbiased reporting by the Murdoch press... This is seriously the worst article I've found in terms of G8 media coverage. I have a short list of boxes to tick in terms of how the mainstream media misrepresent protests, and this manages to cover most of them. The opening paragraph sets the scene: 'It started as a good-natured march in which tens of thousands joined a protest on a bright Baltic sunlit day. People sang, danced and proudly waved their banners. Within hours, their demonstration demanding stronger action by the G8 on climate change, AIDS and poverty had been turned into a cynically manipulated operation to ensure that news about the summit would henceforth be dominated by scenes of water cannon, tear gas and stone throwing.' Now, you may agree with that analysis. Sadly, the reporter refers to a 'cynically manipulated operation' by protesters, rather than by either the media or the police. Two of the 'boxes' on my media misrepresentation checklist are the line which is drawn between 'good' and 'bad' protesters, and the idea that some protesters 'hijacked' events. These tropes are out in force here. For example: 'There seemed to be two separate protests running alongside one another - one innocent, the other chillingly aggressive.' This is seen by the reporter - and anyone whose main impression of such things comes from the media - as a clearly defined boundary, one side of which is beyond the pale. Needless to say, 'good' protesters are those who wish to stick to the legally sanctioned march route, attend a concert, and not in any way antagonise anyone. The problem here comes when you look at how much ('much' used in the most sarcastic sense possible) change can be brought about without some level of antagonism. Another line which sums up this attitude nicely: 'Among the beer and hot dog stands surrounding the stage, legitimate protesters, including several from Britain's Stop The War coalition, were indignant that the real messages would be lost by the actions of a few rabble-rousers.' Here the 'good' protester is given a clearer identity - a mainstream organisation, affiliated with a political party best known for selling newspapers and attaching front groups to the campaigns of the day. (Incidentally, there are many STWC participants, and even SWP members, who I have no small amount of respect for - my issue here is with the organisations themselves and the fact that they are seen as the 'legitimate' face of protest'.) The 'bad' protester, meanwhile, is an unwelcome guest who has crashed the party and - to continue that metaphor for a second - smashed up the house and vomited in the corner. And, of course, antagonised the G8, which is never the done thing. 'Good' protesters are also, it becomes apparent, keen to distance themselves from those who favour more militant means of getting the message across. The 'good' protesters are also, it transpires, victims: 'The peaceful elements in the crowd could smell the acrid tear gas sweeping across the harbour area.' One would almost think it was the anarchists who were letting off tear gas - a tactic of which I have yet to hear. At any rate, while the 'legitimate' protesters were feeling 'panic and disappointment', 'some young protesters clearly relished the battle. I heard one shouting, "Isn't this great!" as his friends hurled stones at policemen'. The reporter no doubt regards this as part of the 'cynically manipulated operation' referred to at the beginning of her article - of course, this is more likely than the alternative explanation, which involves youthful over-excitement underlain by some level of anger. The main culprits for the trouble, according to this reporter, were 'the Black Block [sic], a group of black-clad trouble-makers whose sole aim was to goad the police.' Ignoring for a minute the fact that those involved in Black Bloc regard it as a tactic rather than an organisation, their function is also rather misinterpreted here. In past mobilisations, their role has been to occupy the most vulnerable points of a demonstration, fighting off police aggression and to some extent defending other demonstrators - including the 'more peaceful' ones who are so upset here - from attack. Whether or not this is successful is a matter for debate elsewhere. However, the irony is that - after the first round of aggression was over, after the Black Bloc-ers had left due to being tired or battered or just seeing their role in events as over for the day, police turned on the more 'peaceful' concert-goers. This suggests that maybe the aggression was not necessarily initiated by any element of the protest. http://www.unspintheg8.org/media-gets-massage-uneven-battle-over-media The Media Gets the Massage - the uneven battle over the media Submitted by Kees Stad on Tue, 06/12/2007 - 15:15. "It's a battle lost before started", was our first reaction when on Tuesday 5 June, one day before the start of the G8 summit, we tried to pay a visit to the international media centre in K?hlungsborn, a seaside resort not far from Heiligendamm. Non-accredited journalists such as ourselves were not able to enter, but the German documentary filmmaker C. who travelled with us did manage to get an accreditation and would later go inside with a camera. Because the media centre had not yet been officially opened, the fences surrounding it had not been fully erected so we could walk around them and have a look inside. The preparations were in full swing: big video screens were being set up, a dance group was practising an opening sequence, golf buggies with flags of the G8 countries (and one EU buggy) were already standing in line and massage therapists were already warming up in the much-debated massage parlours located in colourful design tents. On both sides of the media village - set up by the Dutch tent constructor De Boer - the big TV stations were setting up their podiums from which they would do the reporting. The accredited journalist went inside to get his press package and came back 20 minutes later with expected stories about the generous offers of food, drinks and entertainment with which the journalists were being kept happy. Everything for free and offered in abundance. The instructive booklet handed out to journalists picking up their accreditation leaves no doubt: the G8 summit has organised a well-structured programme of press conferences and photo shoots. In order to enjoy the programme, however, the journalist has to step on a train bringing him/her straight to Heiligendamm. The train is protected on both sides with rows of razor wire and journalists "are not allowed to go to event locations [i.e. Heiligendamm] on their own", the booklet warns them in bold letters. In other words: journalists who try to reach Heiligendamm via regular roads - and therefore through masses of demonstrators via the three entry points at the fence around Heiligedamm - will be denied access. The only way into Heiligendamm is through the media centre and on the train. This tactic is known from other summits. The media village is set up in such a way that once the journalists are inside they do not want (or dare) to leave again to places where they could meet normal people or even encounter activists. Meanwhile, they are lavished with luxuries and messages from the leaders. We experienced a highpoint of this tactic during the EU summit in Amsterdam in 1997, when the media village was set up in such a way that once entered it was almost impossible to leave. When the 1997 summit had ended, we witnessed journalist all over the city logging wheeled suitcases - part of the press package - stuffed with presents from the EU (bottles of wine, computers, .). But it is a tactic that is only partially successful. Fortunately, most journalists are not so foolish as to fall into the trap and, after a while at least, feel the need to listen to other stories than the propaganda fed to them by their hosts. Stark contrast The manner in which the press is treated by activists can hardly differ more from the warm reception they receive by the G8 organisers. 'Commercial media' is not allowed to enter the three action camps where thousands of activists are camping with the aim to block the G8. There are strict rules to keep the media outside. There are several good reasons for this choice. Many activists see commercial media as an extension of the powers they are criticising and do not want to have to deal with them. Next to this, it is known that German police use media images to make a comprehensive database of activists' faces to aid in the prosecution of more militant activists. Finally, the blockades could themselves be endangered by film crews making pictures of activists planning them. But media presence also leads to much distraction: every time a journalist or film crew walk into a tent where people are holding meetings about actions, the meeting has to be stopped to answer media questions or to escort journalists outside. Despite all these hindrances, the camp organisers do their best to be at the service of media. At the entrance of each camp they set up a press tent where journalists can find answers to their questions. They created a space just outside the camp where journalists can film and make pictures and a few times they organise a tour through the camp, warning activists and campers beforehand that journalists are present. One such tour was joined by 100 journalists, leaving a rather surrealist impression on the activists watching on. The press group of the camps works day and night, trying to answer an array of requests. In the Dutch case, it did not always succeed: for example, when a Frisian paper was asking to interview activists form Freesia (Friesland). After searching the camp for possible interviewees, the two Frisians that were found had no interest in giving interviews. Now you can only hope the journalist concerned is not resentful and writes a negative piece about activists. Against the millions It is an unfair battle. Against the millions of perfumed & powdered journalists in the G8 media camp stand a few overworked and non-paid media activists in damp tents with mobile phones that fail more often than they work because the GSM network is continuously 'overloaded'. Where the G8 has professional media teams with well-paid PR-experts, the opposition has people who are busy with preparing blockades and who also have to take on chores to keep the camp going. The camps are organised in 'neighbourhoods' (barrios) that hold a meeting twice a day in order to split tasks. The toilets have to be cleaned, thousands of people have to be fed every day, security teams to protect the camp against Nazis and police raids, and infrastructure has to be set up, etcetera. And no one is paid a penny. In camp Reddelich (where around 3000 people are camping) two ingenious shower spots have been constructed where 20 people can shower at the same time under cold garden hoses. The realisation that the protests against the G8 also include a battle in the media is all-present. Especially after the riots ending the demonstration on 2 June, which marked the beginning of the protests, when the most fantastic rumours started circulated about the violent character of demonstrators, many felt that the media battle had now begun. Dutch activists then tried to answer queries of the Dutch media. First, all their requests to travel with a group of activists to the blockades or to stay in the camp had to be turned down in a friendly fashion. At the same time, however, media activists try to provide them with as much information as possible. The circumstance in which this was taking place, however, is far from ideal. Access to the internet and newspapers is limited in the camps so you don't have a good picture of what has been reported about the protests so far. So as not to make appointments in the camp, where filming is not welcome, we make an appointment early in the morning in the nearby village of Bad Doberan to give an interview with a film crew present. With a few hours sleep and a heroic attempt to shower under ice water at 8am, you have to answer questions with uncombed hair, in-between three preparatory meetings for actions whilst your phone continuously rings because your Media Bus has just been confiscated by police with the accusation that it is coordinating 'militant actions'. The agreement to stay in contact the day after fails to take shape because we are all arrested during a blockade and spend the rest of the Thursday in Guantanamo-like cages whilst all telephones and personal belongings have been confiscated. Typical is also a live debate I am allowed to take part in the radio programme 'Met Het Oog op Morgen' on "the violence of the demonstrators". It takes place at 11.30 pm via an old mobile phone in the midst of 3000 noisy fellow demonstrators after having spent the whole day running back and forth between blockades and demonstrations. Then try and explain that it is predominantly the police that are using violence and that the decent NGOs have to realise for once that they are just as problematic because they are not able to stand against the neo-liberal disasters that we are facing today. Trump card Facing the thousands of molly cuddled journalists in the media village you could be tempted to throw in the towel. However, a few factors are in our favour. Firstly, it becomes evident that the protests are so massive and diverse that journalists are attracted to them en masse. That does not yet imply they are also interested in our story about why we protest, but in any case it means they leave behind the safe village surroundings. Then what follows is a classic case of agenda-setting: the demonstrators have partially succeeded to put their critique of the G8 clearly on the agenda. Now the art (of demonstrators who are intending to block the G8) is to make sure that the media does not only give voice to the big NGOs and dogmatic Marxist groups who are not involved in the blockades and are merely freeloading on the spectacle. They, of course, have an easy time talking (and acting): they are not involved in the confrontational frontline actions, and even distance themselves from them and, unlike us, have no need to protect a largely criminalised 'membership' from further criminalisation and prosecution. A god-sent gift therefore is the incident on Wednesday 6 June, when a group of four police agent provocateurs are detected at a clearly peaceful blockade. The group of men is found logging stones to the blockade, trying to agitate the demonstrators to start attacking the police, but they do it so clumsily that the demonstrators start being suspicious and accuse them of being police. Three of them escape, but the fourth is overpowered and recognised by some demonstrators as a plain-clothed police officer from the northern German city of Bremen. After the initial denial, the police can no longer escape the hard facts and admit their use of agent provocateurs in the media: (http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/0,1518,487487,00.html). This story further hardens earlier claims by demonstrators that many escalations during the demonstration on 2 June were provoked by police teams. Another success was the fact that the journalists' train to Heiligendamm was blockaded several times. Demonstrators had promised to block all entry points to the summit and did not spare the privileged media. There was an attempt to transport journalists via boat to Heiligedamm which failed due to wild waters, so that the media had to return to the village to report on other events than the scheduled G8 press junkets. Excepting Volkskrant journalist Hans Wansink, who, already in the run-up to the summit, had given his approval of every state utterance whilst relentlessly mocking demonstrators. The perfect apotheosis was the press conference held by the 'Clowns Army' in K?hlungsborn on Friday June 8. Whilst everyone was holding press conferences, the clowns - who were actively involved in the demonstrations with a whole army - decided to also hold one in the same seaside resort that the media village was located. Rows of riot police tried to stop the cheerful group to walk towards the beach, but in vain. The crowd was too flexible to be stopped and trickled through the rigid police blocks, carrying water wings, inflatable ducks and whole plastic pools. Once arrived at the beach it appeared that the German TV stations NDR and ARD just started their live closing event. The podium was quickly filled with clowns and other demonstrators grabbing the microphones to make announcements, upon which groups of dangerous-looking riot police pulled them off the stage under the eyes of the audience outside and behind the TV sets. The presenters had to finish the rest of the programme surrounded by riot police whilst a clown choir shouted demands of "an objective press" and the exclamation the "we are all 129a" (the Article of the German Criminal Code that was applied against the G8-critics whose houses were raided a month before the summit). Football slogans ("So Sehn Gewinner Aus! So Sehn Gewinner Aus!") accompanied the finale of the TV broadcasting attempt. Direct action, also in the media battle, was the trump card of the demonstrators in Heiligendamm. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 07:39:57 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:39:57 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Germany G8 Blockades 12 - profiles of activists Message-ID: <094d01c7adc8$b81fba60$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,486543,00.html The Faces of Protest On the inside of the fence, eight world leaders will be discussing the planet's most pressing problems. Outside, up to 100,000 demonstrators will be marching against them. But what do the protesters actually want? SPIEGEL ONLINE takes a closer look. The faces of G-8 protest. There will only be eight world leaders present at the G-8 summit in Heiligendamm this week. But as many as 100,000 protesters have decided to join them. People from all over the world are descending on Germany's Baltic Sea coast this week, with hundreds of different organizations staging dozens of sit-ins, marches, blockades and demonstrations. Anti-globalization organization Attac, with its 90,000 members from 50 different countries, is merely the largest among equals. The protests got started on Saturday in Rostock, with tens of thousands marching through the harbor city. The demonstration was marred by violence, largely from a small minority of stone-throwing anarchists. Now, the German police is concerned that the rioting could continue throughout the week. An overwhelming majority of the protesters, though, say they have no interest in violence. And it is a colorful rainbow of groups: from Christians to anarchists, communists to human rights activists, environmentalists to politicians. Some want to block the summit, others just want to talk. SPIEGEL ONLINE has put together the faces of protest for this year's G-8 summit. Just click on the menu below to see what the opponents of the G-8 want. The Christian: Julia Bach, 31 The Communist: Walter Listl, 59 The Parliamentarian: Katja Kipping, 29 The Idealist: Fabian Ekstedt, 19 The Student: Rolf van Raden, 27 The Retiree: Dorothea H?rlin, 60 The Socialist: Paul Wellsow, 29 The Utopian: Lea Voigt, 21 The Union Member: Christoph Ellinghaus, 37 Julia Bach's beef has nothing to do with US President George W. Bush or any of the other heads of state and government who will be meeting from June 6-8 in Heiligendamm. In the 31 year old's mind, they're all the same. For Bach, fundamental issues are at stake. As a Christian, she wants to make her position be heard: "Capitalism is anti-Christian," the religion studies student from Heidelberg says. "What room does this system have for solidarity among people?" Since last week, she's been staying at a camp for G-8 opponents set up in the town of Reddelich, about 9 kilometers away from the site where the summit is to be held. Bach says she made the decision to travel to Heiligendamm more than a year ago. At first she planned to go alone, but then she decided to travel with friends from a Christian network. Her maxim comes straight out of the Bible: "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." If you use this Bible passage as the measurement, Bach believes, then representatives of the G-8 aren't doing a very good job. "The G-8 makes decisions that affect the entire planet -- but they mostly help themselves with those decisions. What right do they have to do that? The G-8 has no democratic legitimacy." Bach has a long history of attending protests. She's attended demonstrations against the transport of nuclear waste from German atomic power plants and she has protested at border camps to demonstrate against Germany's immigration policies. She has also taken to the streets in some cities to battle against right-wing extremism. She says, however, that she hopes there won't be an escalation or violence at Heiligendamm. "I don't believe in violence," she says. Walter Listl is a busy man. Last week, he was in Munich showing his support for the striking workers from Germany's telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom. The next day, he headed for G-8-summit-site Heiligendamm, with flyers in the trunk of his car. The 59-year-old is the spokesman for the Munich branch of the German Communist Party (DKP) and he is helping to coordinate preparations and travel arrangements for the city's G-8 critics. "I have had an appointment almost every night over the past few weeks," says Listl, who works as a painter and decorator. But it was worth it, "I feel the need to go to Heiligendamm, to be able to articulate what I think there." He wants to be able to show those back home watching TV "yes, you can do something." He won't use violence. "I am for peaceful militancy." Sit-in blockades, for example. It is "primarily the police and the media" who are interested in violence. The former have to legitimize their deployment, the latter need the images. But the demonstrators' demands are pushed into the background: for example, that war should not be used to push through political aims or that developing nations have to be offered a way out of the cycle of debt. Listl is a friendly down-to-earth guy from the post-war generation, and he talks a lot about justice. Many of his contemporaries made their careers in the public service and were involved in the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD). "I want more fundamental changes than the Social Democrats, I am in favor of abolishing the capitalist system, of combating it -- not just reforming it," the communist says. Suddenly there is a glint of toughness in his eyes. Compared with Attac's younger brand of protestors, Listl seems like a political type cast from the distance past. He was one of the founding members of the DKP back in 1968, experienced the historic collapse of East Germany ("I had a lot of hopes invested in that system"), has protested countless times against the Munich Security Conference, and stood as a candidate for Munich city council and then for the German parliament in 2005. It is a history of failure. Listl is fully aware of this: "We won't upset anything -- we're just a handful of lefties." He no longer lives in hope of experiencing "any great revolutionary overthrows." But he wants to be a "spanner in the works." "I don't just live from day to day, I'm not one of those frustrated complainers -- it's good for me." No, she won't spend the nights in a hotel outside Heiligendamm like other members of parliament. Katja Kipping has borrowed an old East German caravan from friends. "That's where I'll spend the nights in camp," she says. Katja Kipping, 29, from Dresden, is no ordinary demonstrator -- she's a professional politician, deputy leader of the Left Party in the Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament, and something of a figurehead of Germany's young leftists. She was one of the main speakers at Saturday's Rostock demonstration. Ask her why she's protesting and against what, and she says: "I'm doing so for fundamental democratic reasons." The G-8 heads of state and government represent just 13 percent of the world population but get to decide on the fortunes of all people, she says. "Hunger, climate disaster and war -- that's what the G-8 states stand for," says Kipping. She likes striking comments like these. The big industrial countries spent hundreds of billions of euros on arms each year rather than on development aid, they back the nuclear lobby, prevent the Third World from developing independently. The alternatives are similarly striking: "One should democratise and strengthen the UN , improve cooperation on energy and development, make debt forgiveness for the poor countries transparent. Kipping has published a book which she says serves as a basis for discussion. It's called: "G-8 Summit of Injustice." "Unfortunately it's not on the bestseller list yet," she admits. She's travelled around Germany mobilizing opposition to the G-8 summit, and it will be hard to overlook her during the protests this week. The Left Party is erecting its own tent where it will hold debates in the market square of the town of Bad Doberan near Heiligendamm. Kipping will make a number of appearances there. Fabian Ekstedt's goal for this week's G-8 summit is clear. "I don't want to be arrested," he says. On the Monday after the Heiligendamm summit he will be taking the exams for his high school diploma. "I hope the police will make it possible for me to be there." The 19-year-old is busy cramming for his exams, and the anti-G-8 protests will cost him a week's worth of study time. At least he was able to travel from his home in Bavaria to Germany's Baltic Sea coast cheaply: He managed to get hold of one of the much-in-demand ?45 tickets for a special train that the anti-globalization group Attac had chartered from Munich to Rostock. He'll be returning next Saturday using German rail company Deutsche Bahn's special cheap weekend ticket, which allows the holder to travel on regional trains -- which tend to be slow. "I'll have 14 hours to study," he says. It is a long way from Ekstedt's home town of Miesbach in the Bavaria foothills of the Alps to Heiligendamm on the Baltic coast -- politically as well as geographically. In the Bavarian state elections in 2003, the Christian Social Union (CSU) -- the conservative sister party of Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union -- won 66 percent of the vote. It's not exactly a very conducive atmosphere for criticism of globalization. But Ekstedt is defensive of the CSU. "Of course people sometimes say stupid things," he says. But there are also "tolerant members of the CSU," and he doesn't think that everything the party stands for is bad. "The good thing about the CSU is that they appeal to those voters who identify strongly with their homeland, which means these people don't get pushed in the direction of far-right parties like the NPD." Homeland? It's a curious word for a G-8 protestor to be using. "People need their homeland," he says. As the son of a Swede and a German, he knows that from first hand experience. "When I finally breathe Swedish air again after a long time, then I feel really good," he says. In the beginning, he saw himself simply as left-wing, Ekstedt says. Later he took to the Cuban variant of communism with its "national orientation." But the high school student has since lost his taste for Cuban communism. Now he sees himself as an "absolute democrat," he says. When he was 15, he took part in a protest against the annual Munich security conference and formed political friendships that he still has today. "We sat together for hours, drinking beer and discussing politics," he recalls. "We debated the relative merits of communism versus anarchism, going back and forth." And the result of all those late-night discussions? "We are closer now because we talked about all these things. And democracy is the most obvious solution for us." In March, Ekstedt and a friend started a Web site called Blick in die Zukunft ("A Look into the Future"), which he describes as an "unofficial association" for political discussions. He also wants to use a strategy based on dialogue in Heiligendamm -- he says he would like to speak to the radical anarchists, to "try to influence them." The anarchists are sometimes open to manipulation, he says -- which is why he wants to "watch out that they don't get provoked into violence, for example from police in disguise." For Ekstedt, violence is only acceptable in self defense: "The word is worth more than the stone." At first, it wasn't the big political questions of the day that motivated Rolf van Raden. It was his wallet. In 2003, university students across Germany took to the streets to protest against the introduction of tuition -- and van Raden was among them. "The beginning had to do with being personally affected," the 27-year-old says. Soon, though, the political science student -- who also studies literature and theater studies -- at the University of Bochum became much more political. He decided to take the path of resistance. His first step was that taken by many university students: He spent hours talking politics -- about government plans to cut education subsidies and to limit the country's generous social welfare system -- with others at the university. He also sought out contact with university employees whose jobs were in danger from the cuts. Soon, he was discussing unemployment initiatives. "At some point, it became clear to me that it doesn't make sense when each interest group only fights alone for a single issue," van Raden says. Even the national level isn't enough. "For a long time," he says, "there has been no movement that says 'no.'" Van Raden's position is a differentiated one. He doesn't reject globalization out of hand. "I don't want to be seen as a critic of globalization," he says. Indeed, he thinks the label is misleading. For him, the important thing is the policies being pursued by the G-8 nations. He is upset, for example, by the way Europe seeks to prevent Africans from immigrating via its southern flank using fences and razor wire. "Money can move freely but people can't," he points out. "People's living conditions aren't being globalized -- instead, the living conditions of many people are getting worse." Van Haden is planning to protest in Heiligendamm with some 500 students. But still, the G-8 remains merely a symbol for him. "Really, one has to fight against the power structures." Chiapas, Mexico, 1996. Dorothea H?rlin arrived from Mexico City with a truck full of provisions at a village of the Zapatistas -- a guerrilla movement which had turned to weapons in the fight for the rights of the native population. What she saw there changed her perspective. "People there have nothing, and yet they build their own villages and their own world," H?rlin says. "That really impressed me." The 60-year-old, who retired early from teaching for health reasons, has been married for 30 years, has two children, and lives in Berlin's Kreuzberg district. Since her trip to Chiapas, H?rlin has been to four World Social Forums in Nairobi, Porto Alegre and Caracas, where globalization critics from around the world meet. Now she is an activist for Attac. For the G-8 protest, she's organized the project, "Speak With Them." Among others, three women from the slums of Buenos Aires and Nairobi are taking part. H?rlin collected foundation money for their travel and is putting them up in her apartment. "These are people who don't wait for the state to change something. They are doing it themselves," she says. When she speaks, H?rlin's hands move through the air as if she's trying to grab hold of the world. This happens often when she describes individuals who effect change by working together. She calls it the "bee sting tactic," where many small bees can slay a large animal -- like the G-8. H?rlin criticizes Germany's Left Party, though. Many don't see that the world is too complex to explain with simple slogans, she says. It is a lesson she has taken from her life. In 1968, H?rlin moved from her parent's middle-class home in Stuttgart to Berlin. As a teacher, she thought she could replace grades with self-determination, like the students at Berlin's Free University, where she studied history and political science. It didn't work. In 1968, she says she still dreamed of a great revolution, but today there are a number of mini-revolutions. Reversing the privatization of the Berlin water management was one small victory for H?rlin. "In order to look at myself in the mirror every morning, I need to rebel," she says. "Even if it's only in small ways." He studied political science. He has been working for a while for a Left Party member of Thuringia's state parliament. And he runs his youth office in Erfurt. But for the next few days it wont be politics as usual for 29-year-old Paul Wellsow -- it will be about something much bigger: "I believe the summit in Heiligendamm and the leadership of the G-8 states are the focal point of wrong-headed policies," he says. "I want to deliver a clear 'No' to these policies." "These policies" -- for him they include "war worldwide, poverty and the basic dismantling of the welfare state." The Heiligendamm summit should become a summit for protesting "against the state of the world." To prepare, Wellsow has been traveling across Thuringia for the past few months, speaking, informing, and mobilizing. Even in cities where the left-wing politics tend to be sidelined, such as the deeply conservative Catholic Heiligenstadt: "There is now a certain receptive consciousness there," he says. "A big success for us." Wellsow and other groups have set up a Thuringian anti-G-8 network. Several hundred members of this alliance are making their way to Heiligendamm to protest. Wellsow is going in the Left Party bus. "I want to see what happens there." Will there be violence? When a big group of people come together then there is always an increased likelihood of violence, he says, "like football games." But he adds: "I categorically reject violence." The way Wellsow sees it, the G-8 states are pursuing a policy of violence. He doesn't want to use that to justify violence. "But it's important to think about it." If you ask Lea Voigt what she does when she's not blockading the G-8 summit, she seems like a relatively normal 21-year-old student. She heads to the bar; she watches "Gilmore Girls" on television; she reads cheap romance novels. "'Block G-8' is the craziest thing I've ever done," Voigt, from Bremen, says. But the spokeswoman for the alliance "Block G-8" has, in reality, been preparing for this moment since she was in the sixth grade. Then, the issue was a budget cut for a local youth center. Later, when she was 15, she organized her first school strike. After that, she became the speaker for her school class in Bremen, joined the leftist youth group "solid" and backed a far-reaching school reform program. She is a politically engaged young woman -- indeed, the magazine Emma wrote a portrait of her a couple of years ago. "I can imagine a non-capitalist society," Voigt says. "Materially, people must have the possibility to be free." At the moment, she says, this kind of freedom doesn't exist -- and the symbol for that lack of freedom is the G-8. Voigt is aware that what she has to say sounds a lot like the philosophy of Karl Marx where he talks about the ownership of the means of production. Which is why she's a bit hesitant to use Marxist jargon -- her vision for the world shouldn't sound like a stale, 19th century philosopher. She first became aware of the "Block G-8" from a flier she saw at her university in Bremen. And at first, she reports, she was skeptical. "I never really liked the summit-hopping engaged in by G-8 opponents," she says. Then she uses another phrase that she doesn't really like to use: "form of protest," something G-8 opponents say constantly. "It fascinated me from the very first meeting that people from widely divergent backgrounds take part and each finds their own form of protest," Voigt says. In the mean time, she has become the group's speaker -- and at the end, she'll be there at the form of protest all G-8 opponents have agreed upon: the blockade. For Christoph Ellinghaus, globalization is about how each individual is affected in his workplace, whether in Germany or India. The 37-year-old trade unionist is joining the G-8 protests in Heiligendamm because "the G-8 is the symbol of neo-liberal globalization. " Ellinghaus is the youth secretary for engineering and metalworking trade union IG Metall, and he's responsible for the eastern part of the state of Thuringia, in what used to be East Germany. "Working longer for less money," that's the impact of neo-liberal globalization that everyone can already feel in their workplace, says Ellinghaus. German wage negotiations for example are directly linked with the problems of India's metalworkers. And in exactly the opposite way than employers suggest: "They're using it to exert pressure -- on us in terms of lower wages, and on them in terms of quality." He calls it a "game played by the multi-national companies." Of course a trainee in an eastern German steel plant is better off than his counterpart in India. But both are confronted with the same problem. He wants to lobby for alternatives in Heiligendamm. "In the 1990s it looked as if there was no alternative to this development. But then the Seattle summit happened." Seattle sent a signal that it is possible to have a different world. That is the opportunity that Heiligendamm represents, he says. There's been a lot of discussion in recent months, at seminars and conferences. Ellinghaus will camp out near Heiligendamm with around 40 other young IG Metall members. "We want to protest where the rulers can see us," as far as that is possible. Non-violently, of course, in the best trade union tradition. "But in the end the behavior of the police is a decisive factor in how these protests pan out." http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070625/eshelman Are We Disturbing? Robert S. Eshelman Bad Heiligendamm, Germany As the leaders of the G-8 nations met at the opulent resort of Bad Heiligendamm along the Baltic Sea in Northern Germany, an international assortment of social justice activists opposed to the group's policies took up residence in three protest camps in and around nearby Rostock, carrying out an ambitious agenda of daily protests and direct action blockades, as well as an alternative summit. Things kicked off dramatically on Saturday, June 2 when nearly 100,000 people took to the streets of Rostock for the "Make Capitalism History" march. As the crowd reached the city's hundred-year-old harbor, where the demonstration was scheduled to end, police attacked a block of protesters, setting off a full-blown riot. Demonstrators set cars alight and pelted police with cobblestones excavated from the city streets. For their part, the police beat and detained those they could get their hands on. More than 1,000 were injured, equally split between police and protesters, and over 150 were arrested. For days, much of the media ran with stories of violent protesters who would destroy Rostock, rather than discussing the police violence and provocation at Saturday's protest and leading up to the summit. Furthermore, this discourse avoided a substantive discussion of protesters opposition to the G-8 itself. On Wednesday, following three days of peaceful marches focusing on agriculture and food sovereignty; immigration; and militarism, thousands of protesters flowed out of the camps during the early morning hours and took up blockades of the Rostock-Laage airport, where G-8 leaders were arriving, and the gates that led through the 12 kilometer long, two and a half meters high fence surrounding Bad Heiligendamm. At Camp Reddelich--overflowing with 7,000 campers and a hub of blockade organizing activity--spirits where high. Around 9:30 am thousands headed for the fence, hiking under the hot sun and over rolling hills blanketed with fields of grain. When groups of protesters encountered lines of police along the way, some of them stopped, some kept moving forward, some squatted in the waist-high grasses, others ran. The squads of police, burdened with helmets, body armor, shields and batons, were no match for the fluid and improvisational streams of protesters and their overwhelming numbers. Within hours, the two gates into Bad Heiligendamm were blocked. "It was awesome. There were rivers of people flowing through the fields," said Lisa Fithian, an Austin, Texas-based activist and veteran summit protester shortly after she returned to the camp. "It was a realization of thousands of peoples' power." At the east gate into Bad Heiligendamm, some 5,000 protesters occupied the road leading up to the gate as well as the railroad tracks running parallel to it. People were resting and sleeping on the pavement. Some read. Underneath the hundred-year-old trees of the historic Lindenallee, others listened to music pumping from the sound truck. Frequent announcements about negotiations with the police interrupted the soundtrack. Among the blockaders was Nadine Fischer, an unemployed mother from J?terborg, Germany, a small town outside Berlin. "I'm here because I want to do something against the G-8 summit," she said, her shoes and pants cuffs muddied from days spent at Camp Reddlich. "Hundreds of millions are spent for the summit and nothing is done for social services in Germany." The state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, within which Bad Heiligendamm and Rostock are located, is among the poorest in Germany. Unemployment tops 15 percent in many areas and promises of economic opportunities following unification have not materialized. The next day, over at the western gate, police violently broke up the blockade. Multiple water cannons doused the crowd with highly pressurized water that emitted a low mechanical hum as it was released from the vehicle's turrets. In front of the behemoth cannons were lines of cops, periodically pepper-spraying protesters and pulling them behind their lines. Karl Redrich, a protest medic from Dresden, summed up the day's casualties: a broken arm, one broken shin, many concussions and broken eardrums, and a lost eye. Yet in the face of this brutality, protesters remained steadfast in their non-violent resistance. Often, as the police pushed lines of demonstrators back from the road leading to the gate, the retreating protesters would raise their arms above their heads in order to show that they sought to avoid further violent escalation. Back at Camp Reddlich, Fithian echoed a common refrain during the blockades and a consistent rebuttal to police allegations of protester violence. "We don't need anything but our bodies," she said "because were putting our bodies on the line." Throughout the week, many other protesters sported canvas patches that were pinned to their shirts or pullovers that read, St?ren wir?, Are we disturbing? It was a question posed about the demonstrations to non-participants. Are they bothersome? But it was also put to fellow demonstrators. Are we disturbing enough? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 07:40:13 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:40:13 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Germany G8 Blockades 11 - reports on protest camps, preparations Message-ID: <094f01c7adc8$c1dd78d0$0202a8c0@andy1> G8 CAMPS AND PREPARATION http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foreignaffairs/story/0,,2095866,00.html Alternative G8 gears up for debate and protest Matthew Tempest, political correspondent Tuesday June 5, 2007 Guardian Unlimited Riot police push back anti-G8 protesters during a demonstration yesterday in Rostock. Photograph: Sebastian Willnow/AFP/Getty Images. The Group of Eight summit for leaders of the world's richest industrialised nations has become synonymous with what Tony Blair once dubbed an "anarchists' travelling circus" of anti-globalisation protesters. Environmentalists, anarchists and NGOs (non-governmental organisations and charities) seize on the event as an opportunity to lobby for changes in the developed world's priorities. Since the death of a protester at the G8 summit in Genoa in 2001, the leaders and their teams of negotiators and diplomats are herded behind miles of perimeter fencing, protected by squadrons of police and even - it is thought - anti-aircraft missiles. Germany's bill for hosting this year's summit alone at Heiligendamm, in the former East Germany, is estimated at around ?68m, and this Saturday's opening demo in the nearby port city of Rostock saw stones thrown, a tear-gas response from German riot police and several hundred injuries. That sparked a call by the British Wombles - white-clad anarchists with the slogan "move fast, strike harder" - for protesters outside the German embassy in London today to condemn the "heavy police brutality". But organisers fear that the German Black Block of anarchists, predominantly from the Kreuzberg area of old West Berlin, are intent on direct action. At Gleneagles in 2005, protesters tried to prevent the "second tier" of support staff, especially translators, from reaching the conference venue, but security was so tight they failed to do so. Alongside the enclosed "green zone" of heads of state, politicians, "sherpas" (negotiators who agree outline positions in advance of the summit) and translators, there is an autonomous alternative event of workshops, seminars, concerts and street demos. >From Britain, the largest organised contingent of demonstrators is likely to be from Globalise Resistance, an umbrella group of activists from the anti-war, climate change and anti-globalisation movements, who are promising to "spoil Tony Blair's farewell gig". However, the group has been dubbed by others as "Monopolise Resistance" for being dominated by contingents from the Socialist Workers party. >From France, the biggest protest group is Attac, which formed in the 1990s out of a campaign for a so-called Tobin Tax on international financial transactions. With Heiligendamm out of bounds for anyone without a VIP pass, the G8 "alternative summit" is being held in Rostock from today until Thursday. The opening panel of the alternative G8 is "Rethinking globalisation" (5pm, Nikolaikirche, Rostock), with guest speaker Jean Ziegler, the UN special rapporteur on the right to food, alongside Thuli Makama of Friends of the Earth Swaziland and immigration campaigner Madjiguene Ciss? from Senegal. On Wednesday, as well as workshops and film screenings, a blockade and protest at Rostock airport are expected, as well as attempts to blockade the various entry points to the seven-mile long perimeter fence around Heilingendamm. Also on Wednesday, British Marxist professor Alex Callenicos, professor of European Studies at King's College London, lecturers on "The movement for global justice - balance and perspectives" on a panel that also includes Susan George of the Amsterdam-based Transnational Institute. Topical fringe meetings such as "The national missile defence and eastern and middle Europe" will probably find an echo at the real G8, judging by the frosty response by Russian president Vladimir Putin to US plans for missile basis in Poland and the Czech Republic. Another seminar of interest to Economist readers as much as anarchists would be "Hedge funds: triggering the next financial crisis?" It is also worth noting that, in accordance with its ideals, the alternative G8 will offer free round-the-clock cr?ches and fair-trade organic catering for "delegates". "Alternative Nobel prize" winner and ecologist feminist Vandana Shiva will give the closing speech at the Nikolaikirche on Thursday. The Indian economist won the "Right Livelihood" prize, known as the alternative Nobel, in 1993, for her work on biodiversity. Thursday will see a final attempt to blockade the perimeter fence before a concert from http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,486748,00.html June 05, 2007 Font: PLANNING PROTESTS IN A DISUSED SCHOOL Clowns Rub Shoulders with Anarchists in Anti-G-8 Headquarters By Ulrike Demmer, Gunther Latsch and Marcel Rosenbach While the world's leaders will be staying at a swanky Heiligendamm hotel during the G-8 summit, anti-globalization protesters are using a rundown former school in Rostock as their headquarters. But while they agree that "Another World Is Possible," their opinions differ on just about everything else. www.gordonweltes.com The anti-G-8 press office. The groups are headquartered in a disused school in Rostock. If the Baltic Sea resort of Heiligendamm is famous in Germany for being the "white city by the sea," then the Rostock district of Evershagen, located just 20 kilometers away, is its gray counterpart. Despite some recent colorful renovation work, the neighborhood consists mainly of drab concrete Communist-era apartment blocks. A decrepit school building from the old East German days stands right in the heart of this concrete sprawl, directly on the four-lane Bertolt-Brecht-Strasse. Numerous banners hang from the facade, the walls are spray-painted with slogans like "Resistance Rocks" and "Nazis Suck," and the red-and-black flag of anarchy flies on the roof. In the fenced-in schoolyard, a group of longhaired young people are trying to piece together some kind of means of transportation from a huge pile of scrap bicycle parts. Locals still refer to the building, which is situated next to a shopping mall, as the Ehm Welk School. In actual fact, the structure should have been demolished a long time ago -- a company had already been hired to tear it down. FROM THE MAGAZINE Find out how you can reprint this DER SPIEGEL article in your publication. But the G-8 summit in nearby Heiligendamm gave the crumbling old school a brief reprieve from the wrecking ball. Now the building has become the command center for the resistance. Since March, a mixed bag of G-8 opponents have been preparing their headquarters for the protest against global capitalism -- collecting discarded furniture and other reusable refuse in Saturday "subbotniks," as volunteer labor brigades were called back in East Germany. The old school building serves a number of functions. It's an organizational office, a communal kitchen, a party zone and massive crash pad all rolled into one. But first and foremost it's an alternative media center. During the summit, there are plans to transform it into a studio, with live Internet TV broadcasts every night at 9:00 pm. The school in Evershagen can be seen as a microcosm of the anti-globalization movement. If the building had a doorbell with a nameplate, there would have to be room for hundreds of first names and dozens of cryptic abbreviations. Groups range from the "Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army," with its colorful rubber noses, to relatively established anti-globalization movements like Attac, to radical far-left anarchists. In the building's 55 rooms, a myriad of different strategies for forms of action are debated. With so many divergent approaches under one roof, organizers have decided to call the school the "Convergence Center" -- a place to meet and find common ground. German "rock legend" Herbert Gr?nemeyer rounds things off. http://www.newstatesman.com/200706040058 Day one: on the way to the G8 Tamsyn East Published 04 June 2007 1 comment Print version Listen RSS In the first instalment in a series of articles on the G8 summit in Germany, Tamsyn from the World Development Movement describes why she thinks the G8 is illegitimate. As the G8 leaders jet into Germany to begin another barbed summit surrounded by thousands of feet of protective fencing (apparently costing 13 million euros!) and tens of thousands of angry protesters, Leila and I are frantically triple checking that our reports, leaflets and cameras are at the ready in time for our 7 o'clock eurostar. Today is day three of a week of protest and debate in Rostock, the nearest accessible town to the summit, and we are on our way to make the World Development Movement's presence felt. The news coverage I have seen in the UK has been slim so far but it seems to have been dominated by the activities of some violent activists and Blair and Merkel statements that the summit will be critical for Africa and climate change. On the former I have heard from activists on the ground who are saying that the demonstrations have so far been peaceful with a diverse group of people taking part, including many children. The violence so far has been undertaken by a small minority. On the G8 summit itself, I don't believe it will deliver for the 1.1 billion living in extreme poverty. The language of a recently leaked draft communiqu? is pro-business and anti-development. It's pushing for investment deregulation, strengthening of intellectual property rights and the opening of markets. These sort of measures are more likely to lock millions into poverty. Bush's recent proposal on climate change to set up long term voluntary goals for countries to reduce global green house emissions is nothing but an attempt to distract from the existing UN negotiating process. The US also opposes any mention of the need to stop average global temperatures from increasing beyond 2 degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels. This kind of horse-trading over the G8 'text' is par for the course. And at the World Development Movement we have learned not to expect much from the G8 . The G8 is not accountable to anyone, it is a self selecting group and rarely delivers on the promises it makes. You only need to look at Gleneagles - the year of Make Poverty History -where expectations on debt, aid and trade were high. The promises made were disappointing - promises that in many cases have not been fulfilled . With climate change dominating the agenda it would seem strangely perverse to fly to the event, though many decision makers inevitably will. In the UK, international aviation is the fastest growing source of emissions, yet even though these are increasing, and have a 2-4 times greater warming effect because they are emitted directly in the atmosphere, the government is refusing to include them in their own emission reduction targets. We will be attending the alternative G8 summit in Germany- taking part in a number of workshops, demonstrations, protests and cultural activities, as part of the anti-corporate globalisation movement, we will speak out about the illegitimacy of the G8. Tonight we will be catching the overnight train to Rostock from London, joining other activists who are making their way by land to the summit. On arriving in Rostock we will be setting up camp with other activists, before what I expect will be a busy few days. http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=153416&version=1&template_id=39&parent_id=21 'Happy campers' ready for G8 showdown Published: Wednesday, 6 June, 2007, 01:57 AM Doha Time Activists from anti-globalisation organisation Oxfam dressed as (from left) US President George W Bush, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pinocchio costumes pose at Rostock's harbour yesterday REDDELICH: Spirits were high, the food was good, and the mood among 4,500 happy campers was determined yesterday in the largest of three makeshift villages for protesters on the eve of the G8 summit. Undeterred by chilly weather, drizzle and 16,000 German riot police, an eclectic array of anti-G8 protesters from around the world were preparing their blockade strategies for the Group of Eight, eager to throw a spanner in the works where possible. "The people are enjoying themselves and it's a very sociable atmosphere, but we all know we're not here just to have fun and there's a steely determination to disrupt the G8 meeting where we can," said Kevin J Smith, 34, a demonstrator from London. "We've had a fantastic culture programme here in Germany but everyone's up early today, attending the workshops and preparing to block the roads and shut down the G8," he added. Set up in a meadow near Reddelich, 8km south of Heiligendamm, the camp of tents and converted vans has a surprising range of amenities: solar-powered showers, kitchens, a bar, a concert stage, toilets and even Internet service. But today, when the three-day G8 summit begins, an alcohol ban will grip the camp, and the relaxed 'Woodstock' atmosphere will give way to the serious business of protest. "We're here for a reason - to make a visible disruption of the events and show that there is a resistance to the G8," said Joanna Smith, 28, a sociology student from Birmingham, England. Yesterday, Pascal Hovahl, a Berlin carpenter, was playing with his 3-year-old daughter Phyllis at a makeshift playground in the camp at Reddelich, whose normal population is just 883. "She's having a great time," said Hovahl, 32, who left Saturday's rally in nearby Rostock just before violence flared. "The atmosphere is great. We're all peaceful. It's the police that are causing all the stress," he added, just as a German Air Force fighter jet made a low pass above the camp. The camp has a "concierge" to welcome arrivals at an entrance that is staffed 24 hours a day. The concierge provides information about such things as the special "demonstrators' rail ticket" (15 euros for the G8 week) and collects a five euro per day "donation" to live in the camp, which is divided up into a dozen areas or "barrios". "It's a huge social event," said American Michal Osterweil, 28, a Ph.D. student at the University of North Carolina. "It's an amazing environment. It's why we come to the camps instead of staying in a hotel somewhere." There were, however, almost no power outlets in the camp and about 100 cell phones were plugged into a few overloaded sockets for recharging at the concierge's tent. The fighting that marred the Rostock rally is hotly debated. Leaders of various anti-G8 groups have condemned the violence, but many campers accused the police of provocation and said violence was to be expected. "There's a lot of discussion about the violence," said Kim Bryan, 30, from Brighton, England. "Some are adamantly opposed to it but others feel it was justified." Osterweil isn't "a frontliner" but expects more trouble. "Many people are glad the violence happened," she said. "The state repression was just too much for some. Our purpose is to block the G8. What are a few rocks compared to all the dying around the world caused by the G8 policies?" Many said they would do whatever they could to disrupt the G8 meeting. World leaders may avoid the demonstrations by flying into Heiligendamm by helicopter from Rostock airport, but their delegations may have trouble getting there. "We'll disrupt as much as we can," said Sonja Brunzels, 43, from southern Germany. - Reuters http://www.politics.co.uk/issueoftheday/economy/world-economy/world-economy/block-g8-we-will-cut-off-summit-from-its-infrastructure-$474492$474469.htm Block G8: We will cut off summit from its infrastructure Wednesday, 06 Jun 2007 12:25 The Block G8 campaign group have vowed to disrupt the summit today by blockading the roads used to transport food and media to the centre. The summit is surrounded by a seven-mile fence but thousands of activists have gathered to surround the venue. Police are using water cannons to disperse the protestors. There was widespread violence and disruption last Saturday when far-left groups and police clashed in the German city of Rostock. Both sides blamed the other for starting the violence, and there were several injuries on both sides. Block G8, one of the groups organising the protest, said: "We will not only demonstrate; we will actively block the G8 and the access roads to the conference centre over which the staff of diplomats, translators and service providers need to pass in order to get to Heiligendamm. "We will not leave these access roads voluntarily, because our action is not intended to remain symbolic. We want to actually and effectively block the G8 Summit and cut it off from its infrastructure: We've come, and we're here to stay," it said. The group claims it is constituted of activists from "the environmental and anti-nuclear movement; the globalisation-critical networks and the radical left; from non-violent action and autonomous antifascist groups; from the youth-wing of political parties and trade unions, as well as church groups". The protests mark the return of anti-capitalist movement to the media spotlight. Demonstrations organised around G8, WTO, IMF and EU summits were common towards the end of the last decade but took a back seat to anti-war protests following the September 11th terrorist attacks. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6720291.stm Q&A: Who are the G8 protesters? Thousands of demonstrators have converged on Rostock in northern Germany, ahead of the G8 summit in nearby Heiligendamm. The BBC News website's Jacqueline Head examines the different groups protesting. Who are the groups? An estimated 30,000 people held protests at the weekend There are a broad range of groups rallying, from environmental and anti-poverty campaigners to anti-globalisation and multi-faith groups, with one overarching common interest: social justice. Organisations include the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP), Greenpeace, Oxfam, Christian Aid, trade unions, Friends of the Earth, Block G8, Attac and "Black Bloc" demonstrators. They are divided into two main thought camps. One recognises the G8 as a legitimate way to bring about change, and uses the summit to lobby for causes they believe should be addressed or acted upon by the leaders. The other is rallying against the notion of G8. They believe that having leaders from eight different nations making decisions on global issues is not democratic, and that those nations are responsible for many of the world's current problems. What kind of people are marching? There are a wide range of ages and nationalities attending rallies around the G8 summit. Various ages and nationalities are represented in Rostock They are reported to include boy scouts and over-50s groups. Some movements, such as those under the Block G8 umbrella - a movement aiming to block the entrance to Heiligendamm - are made up primarily of young Germans, organisers say. Others, such as GCAP or Greenpeace, have supporters in Germany from all over the world, including France, the UK, China, Japan, the Philippines and Africa, along with a wide range of ages. What are the main issues for the protesters? The most prominent issues centre on this year's G8 agenda - above all, poverty and climate change. Many groups are calling for cancellation of developing nations' debt, trade justice, better healthcare, education, water and sanitation across the globe and action to tackle climate change. Others are using the summit as a platform to draw attention to other issues, such as war and torture, GM crops, militarisation and "discriminatory" immigration policies. GCAP are calling for the leaders to fulfil the promises they made at Gleneagles in 2005, saying that the G8 nations are falling short of the targets they originally set themselves. Ciara O'Sullivan, GCAP spokesperson, said they plan to present UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and German Chancellor Angela Merkel with a petition of one million voices calling on them to fulfil their promises. Tricia O'Rourke, spokesperson for Oxfam, said: "We are reminding them that they have to deliver." "In 2005 in Gleneagles they promised they would increase aid to $50bn (?25bn) by 2010, but we recently calculated following current trends they will be short by $30bn." Greenpeace have an action list they want the leaders to fulfil, which includes reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 30% by 2020 and 80-90% by 2050. The EU has pledged to slash CO2 emissions by 20% from 1990 levels by the year 2020, and UK ministers have outlined proposals to cut emissions by 60% by 2050. Greenpeace campaigner Agnes de Rooij said there was no point in the G8 allocating aid to countries if they could not deliver on climate change. "You can give aid to developing countries, but if you don't solve the climate problem it won't make any difference. They need to solve the climate problem or the aid won't be effective." How are people protesting? The majority of demonstrators are holding peaceful marches. Some have chosen to block roads with their bodies in an effort to stop traffic from entering Heiligendamm. Others have drawn up action points they hope leaders will take note of, or petitions from different countries. The majority are adamant that their protests are peaceful. The Black Bloc, who include anarchists, wear black clothing and masks. Campaigners on the ground say only a very small minority are involved in violence. Why are people protesting against G8 itself? Some people believe that the G8 is not a democratic method of making decisions that could affect the rest of the world, or that the countries involved are not effective in bringing about the right kind of change. They want a more "democratic" approach - stemming from grassroots activism, rather than from the most powerful leaders in the world. Block G8 is an umbrella of 125 groups organising a massive blockade against the summit. Christoph Kleine, a spokesperson for the collective, said their protest is a "clear sign of our rejection of the G8 and our belief that the G8 is completely illegitimate. "These are the governments of eight countries who think they can rule the world because they are the richest and most powerful. This is not democratic. "We can see the result of domination by these countries - war, social injustice. They stand for the danger of climate change. They are the countries who are responsible for most of the emissions." But other groups take a contrasting view and use the G8 summit to push their own agenda. Tricia O'Rourke, from Oxfam, said: "The G8 have it within their power to end poverty. They can deliver on climate change. These are the people who can make a difference." http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,132403,00.html Makeshift German village for anti-G8 protesters Camp has bar, solar-power showers, Internet June 07, 2007 SPIRITS were high, the food was good, and the mood among 4,500 happy campers was determined yesterday in the largest of three makeshift villages for protesters on the eve of the G8 summit. (Top) The camp has basic facilities like a bar and a place to wash dishes. -- Pictures: AP Undeterred by chilly weather, drizzle and 16,000 German riot police, an eclectic array of anti-G8 protesters from around the world were preparing their blockade strategies for the Group of Eight, eager to throw a spanner in the works where possible. Issues like global warming, Aids, poverty in Africa, and the world economy are expected to be discussed at the summit which starts today and ends on Friday. But some protestors feel that despite its positive agenda, the G8 is a means by which powerful nations impose their will on poorer ones. Mr Kevin Smith, 34, a demonstrator from London, told Reuters: 'The people are enjoying themselves and it's a very sociable atmosphere, but we all know we're not here just to have fun and there's a steely determination to disrupt the G8 meeting where we can.' SOLAR-POWERED SHOWERS Set up in a meadow near Reddelich, 8km south of Heiligendamm, the camp of tents and converted vans has a surprising range of amenities: Solar-powered showers, a bar, a concert stage, toilets and even Internet service. When the three-day G8 summit begins today, an alcohol ban will grip the camp, and the relaxed 'Woodstock' atmosphere will give way to the serious business of protest. 'We're here for a reason - to make a visible disruption of the events and show that there is a resistance to the G8,' said Ms Joanna Smith, 28, a sociology student from the UK. (Top) An anti-G8 protesters camp in Reddelich, Germany. The camp has a 'concierge' to welcome arrivals and provide information about such things as the special 'demonstrators' rail ticket', which costs 15euros ($31) for the G8 week, and collects a five euro per day 'donation' to live in the camp, which is divided up into a dozen areas or 'barrios'. Each camp is self organised with campers taking on the collective responsibility for food, cleaning, security and other daily takes. Each night in large nightly meetings held in huge circus tents. campers gather to report on the day and to gather volunteers for the many tasks. This is also where decisions are made about important questions regarding safety and security. 'It's a huge social event,' said MsMichal Osterweil, 28, an American PhD student at the University of North Carolina. 'It's an amazing environment. It's why we come to the camps instead of staying in a hotel somewhere.' There were, however, almost no power outlets in the camp and about 100 handphones were plugged into a few overloaded sockets for recharging at the concierge's tent. The fighting that marred the Rostock rally is hotly debated. Leaders of anti-G8 groups have condemned the violence, but some campers accused the police of provocation and said violence was to be expected. Many said they would do whatever they could to disrupt the G8 meeting. World leaders may avoid the demonstrations by flying into Heiligendamm by helicopter from Rostock airport, but their delegations may have trouble getting there. http://www.grist.org/comments/dispatches/2007/06/05/G8/index1.html Michael Levitin is a freelance journalist living in Berlin. He has written for Newsweek, Slate, and the Los Angeles Times, among others. The Real Gains As the G8 summit wraps up, a global movement gains steam Dispatch: 1 | 2 Friday, 08 Jun 2007 CAMP ROSTOCK, Germany Klaus had tromped through forests and across fields, marching 15 miles back here to his ramshackle tent at 3:00 in the morning, so it's understandable that he was too beat to be euphoric. He'd taken whacks from billy clubs and swallowed pepper spray as he and more than 10,000 demonstrators -- who employed a kamikaze-like "five finger" tactic, in which their groups split abruptly and individuals sprinted in all directions -- broke through police lines, blockaded roads and railways, and claimed victory in their bid to disrupt the G8 summit. The face of a new movement? Photo: Marc-Steffen Unger Today, as rich-nation leaders wrapped up their Baltic coast vacation -- in which posturing about fighting climate change and poverty in Africa replaced any of the nuts-and-bolts strategies required for doing so -- the image of those celebratory masses of young people parading by the thousands across Germany's rolling farmland, with hundreds of slender white wind-turbine blades spinning symbolically in the background, has somehow overtaken the official debate in its seriousness and importance. In a not-yet-quantifiable way, the anti-globalization movement has been reignited in Rostock. Reinjected with passion. Reinforced with solidarity; with organization, with clear-marked acts of bravery, and with what author and activist Susan George called the public's "invincible" will to bring a more socially just world into being. George, the former vice president of Attac and current chair of the Transnational Institute in Amsterdam, encouraged the direction the anti-globalization movement is taking alongside author John Holloway in one of several hundred panel workshops that took place at the Alternative Summit in Rostock. "Everyone knows that capitalism is raping the planet, this is absolutely clear," said the 73-year-old American-turned-French citizen. The public's first task, then, is "to denounce, to challenge, and expose [those in power] through detailed arguments, and to find spectacular, persuasive ways" to put issues like climate change and debt cancellation at the top of the agenda. "This movement is still very young and it has its best days ahead of it," she said. Using a more blunt -- and in America, it would seem, unthinkable -- language of revolution, Holloway, who has been described as the poetic voice of the anti-globalization movement, spoke about "a moment of rupture," describing a vision of global social struggle filled with hope. We need "to think of revolution -- of the possibility of creating another world -- not in terms of a breakdown, but as a breakthrough," he said. He likened the weeklong events of protest in Rostock, and in Seattle and Genoa before it, as a "crack through which the seeds of a new society are pushing. We [the anti-globalization movement] represent a force that is pushing through and, like cracks in an ice floe, can spread with incredible and unpredictable speed." A New Movement Sound like over-the-top anarchic Euro-speak? Well maybe, coming from the intensely capitalist system we in America have embraced since our inception as an all-or-nothing option. But the point is that change is afoot, and that Klaus and his army of merry pranksters who lit up the Rostock region this week -- proving themselves unrelenting in their blockades and peaceful demonstrations despite the violence of tear gas, water cannons, and beatings police waged against them -- are the latest incarnation. Protesters on parade. Photo: Marc-Steffen Unger Look also, if you haven't already, at Thursday's jaw-dropping, made-for-Hollywood high-speed boat chase that occurred a few hundred yards offshore from Heiligendamm, providing the biggest drama of the summit. Three rubber speedboats operated by Greenpeace succeeded in breaching the Navy-patrolled security zone. They intended to carry a petition demanding substantial carbon cuts to the heads of state, but instead got engaged in a 15-minute, hair-raising adventure at sea. Dwarfed and out-horsepowered by the armored German military vessels that pursued them, the maverick pilots made risky maneuvers at top speed that could have easily lost them their lives; when the chase was over, in the moments before they were gathered into custody, they hoisted the banner "G8 Act Now" defiantly into the air, facing the helicopter cameras as their tiny boat rocked on the waves. It was bravest act of idealism -- putting the planet over their lives -- that I have ever seen. As for the ways the G8 leaders did not act -- specifically, the way George Bush once again bucked scientific consensus and global political and public pressure in failing to come on board with specific targets to cut carbon emissions -- it's nothing we haven't heard. Merely agreeing to begin discussions in Bali in December on the road toward creating an international climate framework that can work as a successor to Kyoto was, apparently, enough a concession by the U.S. for embattled Chancellor Merkel to herald the "deal" a success. Depressing stuff. But wait, there's an upside to the last six and a half years of criminal, irresponsible Bush leadership: the world, in the meantime, has gotten busy. At the Alternative Summit in Rostock, which went under the slogan "Another World Is Possible," I saw numerous examples of movements and initiatives that have sprung up virtually in direct response to American actions -- and may now be leading the rest of us with their progressive vision. One is the modern peace movement in Europe, which Jan Tamas, chair of the Humanist Party in the Czech Republic, announced at a panel session on the G8 and war is "just being born." The cause: America's aggressive approach to installing anti-missile bases in Eastern Europe, rekindling what many perceive here as old Cold War rhetoric. Tamas helped found the No To The Bases initiative last July; in February, his party ushered the Europe for Peace Declaration into being; and on Tuesday, he demonstrated with some 2,000 people during Bush's visit to Prague to protest the proposed missile defense sites. "Everything was going fine after the Berlin Wall fell," he said, "and now [they're saying] we should be stuck again in the armament race? The perception of the U.S.," he added, a country that formerly championed his people's right to freedom, "has definitely changed among Czechs in the last five years." (A note: After Bush's tummy-ache at the summit on Friday morning kept him out of meetings with China, India, Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa, he flew off to Poland to further his calls for a missile base in that country. But not before hearing out Russian Premier Vladimir Putin's proposal to form a joint U.S./Russian anti-missile platform in Azerbaijan instead, an offer that surprisingly perked up his ears.) If peace campaigning is on an upswing thanks to aggressive U.S. policies, so is economic planning in countries where U.S. and World Bank strategies have failed, or have been absent altogether. In Latin America, for example, a transnational finance initiative known as the Bank of the South has been worked on by the Committee for the Abolition of Third World Debt, a Belgian NGO, along with the Venezuelan government of President Hugo Chavez, and could go online as an institution as early as this month. Speaking to an audience of about 40 crammed into a stuffy room on the third floor of Rostock's Nikolai Church, the group's spokesperson, Virginie de Romanet, described the mega-cooperative as a Latin American counter to heavy hitters like the World Bank and IMF. The Bank of the South will give grants for social projects, housing, education, and health care in the poorest countries, she said, with the intention of "paying off the social debt the governments have toward their peoples. We talk about financial debts, but not about the social needs that have been abandoned in Latin America since neo-liberal plans have been imposed there [by the North] in the last 20 years." And then, of course, there were the workshops on the topic of the day, which the U.S. administration has disregarded, to the world's detriment, more than any other: climate. At a discussion called "Mobilization for Global Climate Action," activists, city council leaders, and students from around Europe brainstormed strategies to raise awareness for an international demonstration for climate to be staged December 8 during the talks in Bali. Given the mushrooming in recent years of so many groups focused on the one game in town -- Climate Alliance, Climate Action Network, Stop Climate Chaos, and Climate Forum, to name a few -- the issue confronting these NGOs now is how to "be concrete" with their message. "We must be explicit in our goals" as groups and as a movement, said Klaus Milke of the research institute Germanwatch. For example, he said, Europe needs to turn its attention toward its less developed members like Poland and Romania, reaching out with something akin to "climate ambassadors" who will help bring those countries up to speed with carbon reductions and renewable technologies. The climate movement, without question, has become a global driver bringing people and communities together. But some are worried that too much emphasis is going toward organizing protests for climate awareness and accumulating followers, rather than working on the hard-and-fast science and policy aimed at solving the crisis. "The strategy is to get bigger climate demonstrations every year. 'We'll have a demo, we'll make it bigger than the last one.' But I don't see a plan," says James Lloyd of the U.K. student environmental group People and Planet. "I think there needs to be a debate on what strategies for public awareness have the most impact. It's not a campaign we can fuck up -- and I'd hate to think five years on we're still organizing rallies." The Herd Is Not Enough Neither rallies nor blockades nor conferences among the world's elites will be enough to save us from the impending climate disaster. It will take, as Greenpeace said so simply from its boat at sea, Action Now. Already next week, a "Midnight Sun Dialogue" in Riksgransen, Sweden, among environment ministers from 20 countries will pick up in the area where Heiligendamm left off: by beginning to lay the groundwork to launch formal climate negotiations in Bali at the end of the year. Clearly, global leaders have heard the call and are now hustling to put one foot after the next in the glacial process toward writing a sound climate policy for the future. Americans should learn from this week's large-scale, peaceful, and professionally organized turnout against the G8 in Rostock. They should be emboldened by European activists' efforts and should pick up where the blockaders on the Baltic left off. "We got sprayed, we got hit, but they didn't stop us," Klaus told me as he sat with sunburnt face, rolling a cigarette the morning after the all-night blockades. He was one of 6,000 who'd made Camp Rostock his home for the week, and who walked away feeling that "with this political message, we made protest history in Germany. We said we'd block them and we blocked them. The rest is details." As Tycho Boender, a Dutch activist and founder of the climate awareness group Inside Collective, told me, a lot about his and his country's future is riding on our world leaders' decisions about cutting carbon levels and developing renewables -- namely, in the kind of legislation they write and how quickly it can be made into law and enforced. Some parts of his country already sit six meters below sea level, he said. "I might need a snorkel to sit in my house soon." http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/2007/490/index.html?id=np1343.htm Activists with ideas HAVING SET up camp amongst the five thousand or so protesters at the international anti-G8 camp, members of the Committee for a Workers' International (CWI) made their way to the starting point for the demonstration. We then assembled a contingent of up to 200 members and supporters representing our sections in Germany, Ireland North and South, England and Wales, Scotland, Sweden and the Netherlands. Festooned with posters, banners and placards, our truck headed the contingent. From here marchers heard speeches from Socialist Alternative (SAV) councillor Christine Lehnert (Germany), SAV and WASG executive member Lucy Redler (Germany), and UNISON executive member Roger Bannister (Britain). Rapping about issues ranging from war and poverty, to the cuts in social security, to the lessons for today from the Communist Manifesto, SAV member Holger Burner put the message across that we need a socialist alternative as well as ensuring our bloc on the demo was among the liveliest. >From 10am to 6pm when we left the closing rally of the demonstration for our CWI rally, CWI members worked tirelessly distributing leaflets, selling 500 papers and raising 3,000 euros for our campaigns by selling political badges and T-shirts. In a situation where all sorts of ideas were being raised, we were able to discuss with that highly significant layer of people who had come to the protest in the hope of finding a solution to the problems of capitalism. This was reflected in the 150 people who attended our evening rally and by the fact that already a number of people had agreed to join the CWI. They included people who had travelled to Rostock with SAV members but who had not before been convinced of the need to join our ranks officially. But in Rostock the CWI stood out. No other group had as many members who were confident to go out distributing material and engaging protesters in the crucial discussion of how the G8 and their system can be defeated. No other bloc on the demonstration was so well stewarded or so clear in its political analysis. Speakers from our platform differentiated socialism from the rotten capitalist system we now suffer under but also from the undemocratic Stalinist system that had existed in the old GDR (East Germany). We explained, in our material and in the discussions with youth, the crucial role that must be played by the working class and the need now for new mass workers' parties and for a socialist transformation of society. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/06/08/wsummit508.xml Organised anarchists with a passion for protest By Harry de Quetteville outside Heiligendamm Last Updated: 2:17am BST 09/06/2007 With a waft of something illicit in the air and a phalanx of riot police in the background, a host of G8 protesters flopped on to the grass after a good hosing down from the water cannon. More than 1,000 had assembled on cue in a scene that resembled Glastonbury pop festival between acts. "Just because we're anarchists doesn't mean we're not well organised," said Terry Hume, who left London for the G8 with 20 friends two weeks ago. >From anarchists to absurdists, from the violent revolutionaries of the 'Black Bloc' to Greenpeace, a grand coalition of protesters once again gummed up the summit yesterday -- and Britain was well represented. The vast majority were young, many were tattooed and pierced, and some were drenched by the police as, for the second day running, roads to the summit venue at Heiligendamm and the scenic railway reserved for the world's media were blocked. Many protesters left their makeshift camps before sunrise in an attempt to outflank police. "Obviously it's exciting, trekking through the forests and trying outwit the police," said Lorne Brown, who had travelled from Brighton. "I want to express my disdain for the way the world is run," he added. "But there are people who just come for a punch-up." The biggest reputations for violence came from within the ranks of the 'Black Bloc', recognisable for their dark clothes, hoods and masks. While most of the colourfully dressed protesters advocated peaceful opposition, many 'Black Bloc-ers' espoused violent revolution. "A lot of people here are worried about the Black Bloc," said Lucas Schmidt, as police water cannon repulsed protestors. "I'm here to campaign for free education, not to have a fight." Behind him, the showdown between protesters and security forces protecting the luxury resort was unfolding like a Napoleonic battle. A few hundred yards from their goal -- the security fence surrounding Heiligendamm - demonstrators marched slowly towards their adversaries until they were in the line of fire. Then the police unleashed their liquid artillery, sending the most adventurous sprawling. "We don't pose a threat. We post a symbolic threat," said Mr Hume, who said he was surviving on ?3 a day. He and his colleagues had bunked down with activists espousing a cocktail of environmental and globalisation concerns who were fully prepared to get doused by the police. But for a minority of well-equipped and well-drilled others, violent revolution was clearly an end in itself. From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 07:40:20 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:40:20 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Germany G8 Blockades 13 - repression reports Message-ID: <095001c7adc8$c5b3d530$0202a8c0@andy1> G8 REPRESSION http://www.eux.tv/article.aspx?articleId=9627 EXTRA: German police defend detention of 1,057 at G8 Rostock, Germany (dpa) - German police kept 1,057 violent demonstrators in special detention centres during the G8 summit and were still holding 125 of them Friday, the summit security chief said in Rostock. Police commander Knut Abramowski said the police strategy had "basically" worked but admitted that he had been caught off-guard by demonstrators swarming through fields to the fence at the Heiligendamm compound. "In country areas, police are inherently disadvantaged against highly mobile demonstrators," he said. Police planners had known that protest tactics might include dodging police roadblocks, but only knew "at the last minute that this was actually happening." His remarks suggested it was too late at that stage to redeploy police, so the authorities had let the blockade of the G8 site proceed, as long as protesters kept peaceful. He thanked peaceful protesters who "in many cases intervened to de-escalate conflict" and "came to the protection of police officers against the criminals." He defended the preventive detention of violent protesters saying he had to protect his officers. Leftist groups have denounced the conditions in the holding centres and asserted that many inmates were only held for donning the attire of the Black Block, a loose formation of anarchists and communists in the crowds. The radicals have been recognizable by black clothing and hoods, face-masks and sunglasses to hide their faces. Leftists charged that protesters were lodged in 25-square-metre "cages" with lights left on at night. Wolfgang Grenz of the human rights organization Amnesty International said he had inspected the holding centres but did not consider them cruel for short periods of detention. "They do look like cages, but there is no comparison whatever to the US prison camp at Guantanamo Bay," he said. Grenz said the allegations about the lights and that access to lawyers was limited were serious and would be checked. http://www.independent.ie/national-news/irish-pair-held-after-protests-695117.html Irish pair held after protests Saturday June 09 2007 AN Irish man and woman were among 125 protesters being held in custody by German police in Rostock last night. The 25-year-old man, who is from Dublin, and the 23-year-old Cork woman were arrested by authorities on Thursday on public order charges. They had travelled to Germany to take part in demonstrations at the G8 summit of world leaders. The Irish embassy said the pair have requested consular assistance. Police made more than 1,000 arrests during protests at the summit in Heiligendamn, near Rostock. Protestors spent the past three days blocking roads around the summit and, at one stage, even managed to lead authorities on a high-speed boat chase through the Baltic. Police rammed two Greenpeace inflatable speed boats during the week, which had breached a maritime security zone. Dramatic television footage of the chase shot from helicopters showed a small armada of Greenpeace inflatable boats driven by outboard motors speeding into a 10km wide security zone off the seaside resort of Heiligendamm hosting the summit, taking police patrol boats completely by surprise. After some delay, five high-powered police vessels went in hot pursuit of the Greenpeace intruders in a chase worthy of a James Bond film. Yesterday police said their strategy of "de-escalation" had been a success. This saw authorities allow protests to go ahead, even within an exclusion zone around a fence protecting the summit, and only step in when things went out of control. BREDA HEFFERNAN http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_headline=protester-blinded-by-water-cannon&method=full&objectid=19277521&siteid=50061-name_page.html Protester blinded by water cannon Jun 11 2007 by Caroline Innes, Liverpool Daily Post A LIVERPOOL man was blinded in one eye by a police water cannon as he staged a protest at the G8 summit in Germany. The 33-year-old from Aigburth spoke exclusively to the Daily Post of the horror and pain of being directly hit in the face with the powerful jets by officers he claimed were using the crowd control devices as weapons. The protester, a member of Liverpool's Social Forum, is suffering from shock and witnesses to the incident, which occurred at the protest in the Baltic Sea resort of Heiligendamm on Thursday, said they saw his eye come out of its socket. Speaking last night from the Eye Unit at the Royal Liverpool Hospital, the victim, who wishes only to be called Matt, said a CAT scan had revealed he had sustained internal bleeding, extensive damage to his Iris and possible damage to his retina. Doctors have now told the keen reader, cyclist and amateur photographer, that he will face future operations, cataracts, and glaucoma. They told him that because of the internal bleeding it would be between six to eight weeks before they could assess the damage to his retina but warned that permanent harm had been caused and that he will never fully regain the vision in that eye. Matt said: "I went to Germany to take part in a peaceful protest and to be honest at the start of the day there was a very jolly, almost carnival, atmosphere. "There were three lines of police and all of a sudden things got more aggressive. "There were a few baton charges so all the protesters just linked arms and stood firm. It was all still very peaceful. "I have never seen water cannons before and all of a sudden there were eight or nine of them. The police made an announcement in German but none of us understood it and then we were fired at. "I was knocked to the floor at first and then when I got up I was hit right in the face. "The pain was incredible. My eye had come out and I just ran off holding it to find an ambulance." Matt was one of seven protesters and a German journalist who were taken to Rostock University Hospital with eye injuries. He said one protester had also been knocked unconscious by the water cannons and another suffered a perforated ear drum. Matt added: "They were using water cannons as weapons, which they are not supposed to do. "Their actions were deliberate and vindictive and completely unnecessary. "I went there to express my feelings peacefully as I am entitled to do. What they did to me was absolutely dis- graceful. Doctors can't believe what they have done to me. "The German activists we spoke to said they have never before seen the police use this type of water cannon or fire at people heads." Matt added that he was going to take advice about suing the German police and will campaign for a stop to water cannons being fired at protesters' heads. http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/jun2007/germ-j08.shtml German high court upholds police ban on G8 summit protest By Justus Leicht 8 June 2007 Use this version to print | Send this link by email | Email the author On Wednesday, the federal constitutional court, Germany's highest court, confirmed the police ban of a demonstration against the G8 summit scheduled to take place June 7. Protesters had planned to carry out a so-called Star March to the Baltic resort of Heiligendamm where leaders of the world's largest economies are currently meeting. The decision by the constitutional court represents a fundamental attack on the democratic right of free assembly. The court came to its decision while acknowledging that the original demonstration ban imposed by police, and then confirmed by a state court in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, was unconstitutional. Instead the judges argued the outbreak of violence in Rostock June 2 was sufficient to justify the ban. An increasing body of evidence suggests that the acts of violence last Saturday in Rostock were initiated or encouraged by police provocateurs. On the evening prior to the court's ruling a group of five police officers, dressed in the manner of the "black bloc" anarchists, was apprehended and unmasked by demonstrators at the security fence surrounding Heiligendamm. The undercover policemen had been seeking to incite protesters to commit criminal offences. Plans for the star-shaped march were originally announced last October 30, but in discussions held this May 10 between police and protest organizers, police representatives declared that the planned march could not be held. The authorities declared that an area comprising approximately 40 square kilometers around Heiligendamm had to be kept free, enabling roads in the vicinity to be used. In response, the organizers declared that they had no intention of blockading the summit and proposed alternative routes. One week later the police banned both the protest march and the proposed alternative routes. The demonstration organizers then filed an appeal against this prohibition with the administrative court in Schwerin, which decided in their favour. The court ruled that the prohibition was entirely inappropriate. However, the higher administrative court of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania reversed this decision and ruled that demonstrations could only take place in neighboring towns. The federal constitutional court ruling Wednesday stresses the fundamental importance of the basic right of assembly and stipulates that neither the original police ban nor the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania court decision could be regarded as duly constitutional. It goes on to point out that the fundamental right of assembly protects the interest of the organizers to conduct protest "in the closest possible proximity to the symbolic area-in this case, the G8 summit." Otherwise the purpose of the assembly would be rendered invalid. The text continues by noting that the sensibilities of foreign politicians "are not sufficient to justify limitations to the right to freedom of speech and assembly." The "constitutional protection of the right to criticize power" is "not limited to criticism of domestic ruling powers." This clause appears to be aimed against the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania court, which justified its decision by arguing that one of the reasons for the prohibition was protecting the "international reputation of Germany." Drawing on previous rulings, the constitutional court declared that the freedom of assembly must be guaranteed for peaceful participants even if a minority commits violent acts. As the court notes: "Otherwise minorities would be able to transform the protest against the will of the other participants into illegal demonstrations"; in practice, many large demonstrations could be banned, namely all those in which it becomes known that a section of the participants harbor violent intentions. In fact, however, all these pompous statements simply dress up the reactionary decision eventually made by the court. The latter goes on to justify the ban of the protest by citing precisely the intentions and actions of "a violent minority." Here the court mentions the figure of 2,000, which has been suggested by the police. The judges in Karlsruhe then take five paragraphs to justify their ban on the demonstration based on "findings" by the police about alleged planned rioting. According to the police "there is the danger that the planned star march could become a particular point of attraction for militant disruptors." Wagging their finger, they then go on to lecture about the consequences of, "according to the police, several hundred police officers" injured, and "considerable damage to property" on June 2 in Rostock. The figures given by the police of injured and damage caused are not challenged by the court, which also fails to examine what role the police could have played in the escalation of the violence. The court also has nothing to say about the hundreds of peaceful demonstrators who are victims of police clubs, water cannon and teargas. According to the Karlsruhe judges, the demonstrators must simply accept the fact that they will not be able to exercise their democratic rights and be forced to march kilometers away from the objects of their protest. The arguments employed by the constitutional court can be used to justify bans on demonstrations on the basis of possible violent activity of a minority. This discussion has particularly sinister implications under conditions where there is now growing evidence that the German security forces were actively involved in the riots in Rostock. The decision represents a fundamental attack on the right to assembly and gives the state the means to suppress any demonstration that it declares to be threatened by the activities of a minority. In another development, a German court began handing down harsh sentences to protesters involve in the clashes with police in Rostock. A German man and a Spanish citizen were found guilty of attempted grievous bodily harm and disturbing the peace and sentenced to nine months in prison without parole, a court spokeswoman told the media. A Polish man was given a six-month suspended citizen and another Spaniard was sentenced to 10 months in prison. http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,486825,00.html June 05, 2007 THE WORLD FROM BERLIN 'There Is No Such Thing as Perfect Police Tactics' The debate in Germany over how to deal with violent anti-G-8 protesters heats up, with politicians calling for the use of rubber bullets and the deployment of the elite anti-terrorism unit the GSG-9. DDP A police officer wears a so-called multi-purpose pistol, which can be used to fire both tear gas grenades and rubber bullets, during an anti-G-8 demonstration in Rostock Monday. As security forces in Heiligendamm prepare for the arrival of US President George W. Bush and the start of the G-8 summit (more...), bracing themselves for further violence like Saturday's riot in Rostock (more...) where around 1,000 people were injured, the debate over how best to deal with violent protesters continues to heat up in Germany. After earlier calls for a crackdown on the anarchists of the so-called Black Bloc (more...), politicians Tuesday were calling for more specific -- and tougher -- measures, namely the use of rubber bullets by police forces and the deployment of Germany's elite GSG-9 anti-terrorism unit. In an interview with the tabloid Bild published Tuesday, Sebastian Edathy, a Social Democratic member of parliament and chairman of the Bundestag's domestic affairs committee, suggested rubber bullets could be used. "We should examine if we should allow the use of rubber bullets for the self-defense of police officers in especially dangerous situations," he told the newspaper. Representatives of the police union DPolG had earlier asked on Monday for police to be equipped with rubber bullets. Most G-8 protest groups can be included in the anti-globalization camp. Unfair G-8 trade policies and market liberalization contribute to social and economic inequality, which perpetuates a host of other problems, they say. Attac and Move Against G-8 are two of the larger groups protesting globalization. Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Oxfam, Attac, WWF, and Germanwatch are a few of the groups who will be demonstrating for the G-8 to commit to a policy to fight climate change and develop renewable energy. Because they emit the majority of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, protesters say G-8 countries are responsible for solving the problem. The Jubilee Debt Campaign and Oxfam are among G-8 critics who say the world trade policies of rich industrialized nations are perpetuating poverty in developing nations. Groups are focusing mainly on debt-relief for impoverished countries, health and education aid, and fair trade policies to ease the desperation in countries they feel the G-8 continues to take advantage of. FREIeHEIDe, Oxfam, religious groups and others are critical of G-8 country involvement in world conflicts like Iraq and Afghanistan, in addition to their contribution to arms sales. Exporting weapons directly contributes to conflicts which lead to poverty, environmental destruction, human rights violations, refugee crises, and general instability, protest groups say. The label "autonomen" refers to radical libertarian and anarchist groups in Germany, though it doesn't refer to a specific, organized group. Like many on Germany's well-established, left-wing fringe, the autonomen grew out of the leftist movement in the 1960s and 1970s. They often take part in demonstrations against atomic energy and also frequently join peace marches. They are not always welcome participants in such demonstrations due to their willingness to participate in violence. Indeed, they have also been called the "Black Bloc" because of their tendency to wear all black and to cover their faces with black masks during demonstrations to avoid being identified by the authorities. While autonomen generally recognize that complete independence of social networks is not possible, they reject outside influence as much as possible. The autonomen are considered potentially the most violent of the anti-G-8 activists and were likely behind the rioting on Saturday afternoon in Rostock. Smaller groups and NGO's who plan to protest and lobby at the summit include anti-racists, anti-capitalists, feminists, trade unions, agrigulture groups, ant-fascists, human rights groups, immigrant and refugee advocates, and religious groups, among others. Many groups have banded together to create blanket organizations in order to facilitate mass protests of the summit. The largest among these are Move Against G8, Dissent! G8, Block G8, and the Avanti Projekt. While the agendas of the individual groups may differ, every blanket group aims to reject the legitimacy of the G-8 and its policies, often citing the G-8 as the cause of their group issues. However the proposal was criticized by other voices in the police. Another police union, the GdP, rejected the suggestion Tuesday, saying that experiences in other countries show that rubber bullets entail a high risk of injury for innocent bystanders and that their use would only have aggravated the situation in Rostock. The special G-8 security police unit Kavala also rejected the idea. "This kind of discussion is absolute stupidity," said Kavala spokesman Axel Falkenberg dismissively. Wolfgang Bosbach, a senior politician in Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), also rejected the suggestion of rubber bullets. "In that respect I would be very reluctant," he said Tuesday. Conservative politicians also called for Germany's secretive elite anti-terrorist unit, the GSG-9, to be deployed to stop the violence. CDU politician Ole Schr?der told Bild that the police were overwhelmed and were not able to control the violent protesters of the Black Bloc. "The federal interior minister should therefore offer assistance by offering to deploy the GSG-9," he told the newspaper. This suggestion, too, met with widespread criticism. "The GSG-9 has completely different tasks," explained Interior Ministry spokesman Christian Sachs in a statement given to the German news agency DDP Tuesday. Sachs stressed that the GSG-9 was being deployed "around the summit," but declined to give details. Bosbach also rejected the suggestion that the GSG-9 be deployed around Heiligendamm, saying it was an "anti-terror unit," not an "anti-demo unit." According to sources in security circles, the GSG-9 is exclusively for fighting terrorism and serious crime -- it has never been used against demonstrators. Meanwhile German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her support for the police Tuesday. "It was confirmed in Rostock, in a sad way, that strict security measures are necessary," she said in an interview with the German news agency DPA. "The police have in this respect my complete confidence. ... Last Saturday made it clear once again -- also for the peaceful demonstrators -- that tolerance for those who perpetrate violence is completely misplaced." Commentators writing in Germany's newspapers Tuesday were consistent in their condemnation of the violence but divided about how best to proceed. The center-left S?ddeutsche Zeitung writes: "The opponents of the G-8 summit prove their strength if they reject violence. They prove their credibility if they not only denounce suffering in the big wide world, but also reject the anger of anarchists on the Mecklenburg coast. They show their humanity if they have compassion not only with the distant victims of hunger and war, but also with the severely wounded policemen, whose worried families sat in front of their televisions watching the riots in Rostock." http://www.brooksbulletin.com/news/world_news.asp?itemid=63209 Fence, heavy security at G8 summit in Germany evokes memories of Iron Curtain Workers clean the security fence in the sea near Heiligendamm. The fence is 12 kilometers long and 2.5 meters high, surrounding the whole village and sealing off the beach of the Baltic Sea. (AP Photo/Thomas Haentzschel) DAVID RISING Monday, June 04, 2007 HEILIGENDAMM, Germany (AP) - Bystanders gazed in curiosity and disgust Monday at the razor-wire-topped fence that will separate Group of Eight leaders from the rest of Germany during this week's summit - part of security measures that, for some, evoke memories of life behind the Iron Curtain. "It's not good given the history of Germany - we had it in East Germany, and now it's up again," said Ralf Klonschinski, on vacation from a home in eastern Germany, as he looked at a security camera and floodlight perched atop the 2.5-metre fence. "I'm not so sure it's necessary." Cutting across 11 kilometres of verdant farmland near some of Germany's main seaside playgrounds, the fence is reviving memories of the Berlin Wall as authorities confront the modern realities of global terrorism and radical protest movements. German officials say a 16,000-strong police presence at the G8 meeting was the only way to safeguard the free expression of nonviolent demonstrators, after more than 400 police officers and 500 protesters were injured in nearby Rostock over the weekend. But some precautions don't feel so benign to Germans with long memories. Prosecutors already face criticism for taking scent samples in a pre-summit investigation of a handful of G8 opponents, a technique used by the dreaded East German Stasi secret police to track dissidents with dogs, and for intercepting and opening the mail of another suspect. Like other vacationers, Klonschinski and his wife hiked to the edge the fence supported by massive concrete blocks at every post and reinforced with iron bars driven into the ground to prevent people from going underneath. Protesters will not legally get anywhere near the barrier, after a court last week upheld a ban on demonstrations within about six kilometres of the fence. An alliance of activist groups that plans a June 7 march has appealed to Germany's highest court. On Monday, officers on foot patrolled the inside perimeter. Police vehicles periodically drove along the dirt road built along the outside of the fence, bisecting lush green fields and a forest. The public could see the fence only where it meets the sea, with the other area restricted to journalists and officials. Inside the fence, all was quiet. A small red fox even emerged from a farmer's field to examine the barrier between him and the forest before retreating. On Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel will host the leaders of Britain, France, Japan, Italy, Russia, Canada and the United States for discussions on issues including global warming, aid to Africa and the world economy. Days before the summit starts, armoured personnel carriers, trucks with water-cannons atop and other support vehicles were put into place, while police helicopters flew overhead. "I wanted to go a little further, but there's a tank," vacationing Hamburg resident Ingeborg Seipel said as she turned her bicycle around. "It's all a little much." She cycled to the fence from the Baltic resort city of Kuehlungsborn, crowded with media covering the summit. Seipel said she knew that the G8 would land in the middle of her three-week holiday, but didn't expect such tight controls. "These measures I couldn't imagine," she said. Kuehlungsborn hoteliers say a drop in tourists because of the G8 has been made up for by journalists coming in. Klaus Selck, who runs a seaside bratwurst stand along the path between Kuehlungsborn and the summit site in Heiligendamm, said normally 2,000 to 3,000 tourists would be in and out of his patch every day at this time of year, compared with a small trickle on Monday. But nodding to dozens of police vans and armoured vehicles in the parking lot in front of his stand, he said the officers were making up for the drop-off in tourist business, and he certainly prefers them to the black-clad anarchists who torched cars and broke windows in Rostock. "I'm happy they're here," he said. "We don't want those others here." As a lifelong resident of the Kuehlungsborn area, once located in communist East Germany, he rejected any similarities to border controls to the era before the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. "In East Germany you'd never get close to the border fence - they stopped you 10 kilometres away," he said. "There's no comparison." ? The Canadian Press, 2007 http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=26&story_id=40549 Riots test protester and police strategy 5 June 2007 Hamburg (dpa) - Riots in the German city of Rostock have sorely tested the strategy of both police and protesters for this week's G8 summit in Germany. While German politicians said that a soft policing approach known as "de-escalation" must be kept in place, police unions called for a switch to "zero tolerance" when people in crowds break the law. Organizers of Saturday's demonstration, which police said comprised 30,000 people, have denounced the behaviour of about 2,000 radicals in the crowd who set fire to cars, threw cobblestones and brawled with police in Rostock. "This type of person is not welcome," said Peter Wahl, a protest organizer with Attac, a European protest group which regards globalization as dangerous. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was swift to praise the peaceful wing of the protest movement: "It was important that the organizers of the main demonstration completely dissociated themselves from the violence." Before Saturday, the protest movement had emphasized its unity, with church, trade union and pacifist groups anxious to avoid criticizing tough leftist allies who show up for rallies wearing masks and black clothing. Police said these "Black Block" militants included reinforcements from other parts of Europe when the mayhem broke out Saturday in Rostock, a port 25 kilometres northeast of the G8 summit site at Heiligendamm. The block has its roots in "autonomous" communities in Hamburg, Berlin and the Danish capital Copenhagen. On websites, they denounce the European political system as "totalitarian and capitalist." Riot police face a battle whenever they try to enter "autonomous" city compounds. Pacifists, whose militancy stops at blocking roads with mass sit-ins, now admit they have only limited influence on their more radical, stone-throwing brethren. Werner Raetz of Attac told the newspaper Hamburger Abendblatt: "We have to keep them committed to mutual action. Otherwise we'll be excluding them, and then they will do whatever they please." The next key test this week is likely to be on Wednesday, when demonstrators hope to gather at Rostock Airport to shout disapproval when jets bring delegations from the eight nations attending the G8 summit. On Thursday, protesters had hoped to converge on a steel gate, two kilometres from the summit hotel, but they have been ordered to stay on a main highway which comes no closer than six kilometres to the beachside resort. In an indication that mainstream groups are now warier of providing cover for the militants, protesters were Monday seeking court permission for just 600 representative demonstrators to walk to the gate. Wolfgang Wieland, a politician with the Greens party, which sent its youth section to the Rostock protest, said the violence made it less likely any close-up protests would be allowed. "But I still think it is feasible for us to demonstrate within sight and hearing of the summit leaders," he said. Police unions, meanwhile, voiced impatience at the de-escalation strategy, which they blamed for the casualty toll of 433 injured police and 520 injured demonstrators on Saturday. Wolfgang Speck of the German Police Union said robust policing was needed. Konrad Freiberg of the GDP union said protesters should be searched before joining the demonstration: "If they have stones, knives and clubs, they belong under arrest." But German interior officials said they would stick to de-escalation, which includes close consultation with protest leaders and keeping riot police out of sight in side streets until they are urgently needed. Reinhard Hoeing, a police spokesman, said the policy would stay, though police would act "resolutely" against "violence-prone" protesters. He stressed police were also tasked with "protecting the peaceful demonstrators." Harald Ringstorff, premier of Mecklenburg West Pomerania state where Rostock is located, suggested Monday one solution might be to put known violent protesters in preventive detention till after the summit. http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,486736,00.html June 05, 2007 LEARNING FROM THE PAST G-8 Rioting Has Germans Second Guessing Policing Strategy By Charles Hawley in Berlin Is it possible to avoid violence at the G-8? For years, police in Europe have been trying to perfect their riot-control strategies. But Saturday's rioting in Rostock has the Germans questioning what they've learned. It seems as though someone hit the rewind button. The scenes from the Rostock Rumble (more...) that flashed onto television screens across the globe on Saturday could just as well have been file footage from the 1999 Battle in Seattle, one of the first of the violent, anti-globalization riots. Or it could have been taken from Genoa circa 2001, when prolonged street battles resulted in the death of a demonstrator. DDP German police entered the G-8 saying they wanted to follow a strategy of de-escalation. Now, they aren't so sure. Now though, the images of burning cars, of black-clad rioters throwing stones, and of police wading through the crowds, Billy clubs at the ready, will forever be associated with the 2007 G-8 summit in Heiligendamm. And even before the meeting has started, frustration has spread across Germany. What, both police and protestors are asking themselves, went wrong? It's a variation of a question that both police officers and riot control experts have been asking for years. Ever since the Seattle debacle, an increasing number of specialists have been taking a closer look at the dynamics of mass protest in the age of international demonstrations targeting international governmental and financial institutions. At the same time, police have increased cooperation with colleagues in cities already experienced in hosting G-8 summits or other international events. Research into the G-8 Indeed, the German police have been preparing for this year's G-8 for years. Observers from Germany were on hand to take a close look at how British police patrolled the G-8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland in 2005. They went to Genoa to talk to their Italian colleagues. And John Vine, the man who directed the police response in Gleneagles, is on hand in Germany this year. "We do talk to one another and I think it is very important that there is learning particularly for events such as the G-8," Vine told SPIEGEL ONLINE. "Before the Gleneagles meeting, we did a lot of research into the G-8 event itself to see what kind of tactics have been used before by anarchist groups. We also visited a number of places in Europe." Still, he went on, "in hindsight you can say that worked well and that didn't work well. There's no manual on how to police a G-8 summit and there's no right way." Perhaps not. But there are an increasing number of experts looking for the silver bullet of protest control. Indeed, even a brief look at the Heiligendamm security plan makes it clear that the police have been listening. In "The Policing of Transnational Protest," published in 2006, co-editor Donatella Della Porta, a widely published riot expert from Italy, makes clear that so-called "red zones" -- blocked off areas inaccessible to protesters -- have become de rigueur at international events. Other newer strategies, the book says, include " individual police officers are more commonly equipped with 'less lethal' arms; databanks of 'traveling troublemakers' have been constructed; special anti-insurgent units have been created; and in some cases the military has also been deployed for public order tasks." Avoid Confrontation All of those strategies, except for military deployment, can be seen in Germany this year. The 12-kilometer-long, razor-wire-topped fence surrounding Heiligendamm has gotten the most press. But weeks prior to the event, German police began raiding the homes and offices of radical leftists and stepped up border checks, having turned away 85 people from entering Germany and arresting an additional 35. Conflict control teams accompany every march. Deploying the military domestically remains illegal in Germany, but on Monday, a number of representatives from the conservative Christian Democrats called for the deployment of the anti-terrorist unit attached to Germany's federal border police. http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,486573,00.html June 04, 2007 REACTION TO ROSTOCK RIOTS Politicians Call For Crackdown on Violent G-8 Protesters Germany was shocked by violent clashes between anarchists and police in Rostock Saturday after an anti-G-8 protest turned nasty. Politicians and police representatives have criticized the police strategy of de-escalation, while several anti-G-8 groups have distanced themselves from the violent anarchists. AFP Riot police and anarchists clashed in Rostock Saturday. Politicians have criticized the police approach, while peaceful anti-G-8 groups have distanced themselves from the violence. Germany was shocked this weekend by images of violence in the Baltic port city of Rostock, where violent anti-G-8 protesters clashed with police (more...) just days before the start of the G-8 summit in Germany. Around 1,000 police and demonstrators were injured in violent clashes which followed an otherwise peaceful demonstration, with anarchists throwing stones at police and setting cars on fire. In the aftermath of the violence, politicians and police are debating how best to prevent a repeat of such violence as the G-8 leaders prepare to meet in the Baltic Sea resort of Heiligendamm. Meanwhile non-violent protesters have distanced themselves from the rioters. Conservative politicians have called for a crackdown on the violent anarchists known as the Black Bloc or Autonomen, who are seen as being behind Saturday's violence. Saarland premier Peter M?ller, who belongs to the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), called for rioters to be "withdrawn from circulation early" and put into "preventive custody." Fellow CDU politician Volker Kauder urged peaceful demonstrators to "clearly separate themselves from left-wing anarchists who want to riot." The conservative interior minister of Bavaria, G?nther Beckstein, criticized the organizers of Saturday's demonstration, saying they had a "large moral responsibility" for the violence. "They did not succeed in making sure that their own demonstration went off peacefully," he said in a radio interview Monday. "There can be no accusations against the police, rather things went wrong on the side of the organizers." http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/06/g8-summit-versus-article-8-of-the-german-constitution/ G8 Summit versus Article 8 of the German Constitution by Daniel Vallin / June 4th, 2007 During the past ten years, the G8 Summit meeting has become more than another meeting of world leaders. Particularly since Genoa, Italy in 2001, where a protester was killed by police, the meeting has become a symbol of all that is wrong with the trend toward an unrestricted, globalized capitalist economy, and evidence of how far we have moved away from democratic systems in favor of ones which are dominated by corporate interests. This year's summit, from June 6-8, in Heiligendamm, near Rostock, Germany is proving to be a showcase of encroaching neo-liberal imperialism while politicians insist on maintaining an ever-thinner facade of democracy. Much like during Bush's visit to Mainz in 2006, where the entire city was essentially locked down like a US prison, much to the horror of its inhabitants, even German police complain about the American "security" demands, which they said were both unrealistic and did not allow them to fulfill their duties and respect the German constitution . Funnily enough, it is article 8 of the German constitution which guarantees freedom of assembly to the German people, and exactly this freedom was trampled upon when the self-proclaimed defender of world liberty came to visit and demanded that no demonstrations be allowed within 5km of the meeting place. Actually this is not true: demonstrations are forbidden within 5 km of a 3-meter-tall barbed-wire fence which surrounds the village - built at a cost of 12 million Euro to German tax payers. It certainly makes a splendid monument to American-style liberty and democracy. In keeping with this new, American style of democracy, only certain journalists are allowed access to the meetings. Those who have "reported critically" in the past have been black listed and barred from attending, according to German TV ARD and news magazine Der Spiegel. In keeping with a modern, American-style nomenclature, then, I recommend giving this new style of democracy a Rumsfeld-esque descriptive name: confidential, non-consensual democracy. It is, after all, taking place behind closed and locked doors, without freedom of the press and surrounded by the largest contingent of armoured police that the German Republic has ever seen. As if the event were not already enough of a mockery, George Bush, leader of the American regime, has brought with him his own plan to confront global warming, an issue which, at home, he has either ignored or dismissed as non-existent. While his European counterparts argue for strict and concrete goals for CO2 emissions, Bush prefers each country to set its own, voluntary goals for CO2 reduction. Most Europeans, meanwhile, seem to be of the opinion that this voluntary plan will work about as well as the American system of gun control. Those who do not agree with the decisions being made in this new fortress of bogus democracy, or those who merely would like to ask that certain issues are addressed adequately - action against global warming, relief for third world debt, more aid for Africa, an end to the unrestricted flow of capital which moves jobs out of a country without warning, or cheaper AIDS medication - would have little if any chance to express their opinion, which is clearly neither wanted nor of any consequence. Despite all of this, nearly 100,000 people gathered in Rostock on Saturday to voice their opinions. This meeting unfortunately took place not where the participants of the summit might see it, but some 20 km away in Rostock. The true distance between the people and the government seems so much greater, though. I had wanted to take part in the protests from the time I learned that the summit would be taking place in Germany. Despite this long-term goal, I found myself quite unprepared and poorly informed shortly before the actual demo was to take place in Rostock. While already a convoy of bike riders had left from my hometown, as well as other cities in Germany, Sweden, Italy and elsewhere, to draw attention to global warming and the need for environmentally friendly transport, I was only able to arrange a journey by train. I had no idea what to expect: a peaceful protest march? Attacks from the police? Full-blown 1968 streets of fire? I quickly packed a jacket in case of rain, a warm hat, some sandwiches, my camera, a bandanna and glacier glasses in case of gas attacks. I woke up at 4 am reminded of mountain climbing - getting up in darkness and wondering if I really wanted to do this, but knowing that an early start is essential. Riding through the dawn mist to the train station, I quickly found my prospective travel partners - a group of four 19-year-olds. I made the fifth person and we bought our special weekend family ticket for a price which has gone up sharply since the last time I used one. Furthermore, recent news had stated that the railway personnel had now been recruited by the police, in an echo back to the East German "Stasi" secret police, and would be informing the police ahead of time if there were any suspicious passengers in the trains. The train journey lasted over 6 hours, and by the time we got there I was just about ready to go back home. Despite dreary weather, we were greeted by a train station that was overflowing with people. Outside even more were awaiting us, although the bicycle riders had not yet arrived. There must have been some flat tires in the Alps, I reckon. All in all there are nearly 100,000 demonstrators from many countries, from nearly every age group, and from all walks of life. These are, apparently, the "extremists" or "terrorists" that the G8 leaders are afraid of, though a better word for them would be "citizens" or maybe "people from the countries you claim to represent." I was surprised that the first speakers were from Italy and Spain, and a short translation followed each speech. Among the speakers were a local politician, the father of the protester murdered by the police in Genoa, and an environmentalist from China. Certain themes emerged: global warming needed action ten years ago, not ten years from now, George Bush and Tony Blair are war criminals, large companies moving their factories to the country with the lowest wages and environmental standards is not good for the workers or the environment, and George Bush is not a very popular person (you know what I want to mention here), though, in fact, no one wanted to place all of the blame on him alone. The American folk singer David Rovics sent us off with an excellent but perhaps too hopeful song, claiming "We will shut them down." The march met at the harbor and we were asked to form blocks- the Italian group, some various trade unions, people for environmental action, people against various free trade pacts, something which seems to lump all females together - independent women, women against war, lesbians and transsexuals. I walked on the outskirts and took photos. Along the route, there were giant puppets fighting over pieces of the world, impersonators of the 8 leaders scrambling for resources from the developing world, flags of hundreds of organizations flying, hundreds of banners and signs, and clowns who entertained the the walkers, watchers, and police. There was one block of marchers with a slightly different take on the event; the black-clad Autonomen, mainly from Berlin, setting off firecrackers as they walked past the police, who until this time had shown restraint and posed no threat to the protesters. This all changed when we arrived at the harbor. For reasons I still do not know, a phalanx of black-clad armored police, carrying sticks and shields, suddenly stormed in behind the last protesters, in a move that can only be seen as threatening, and were met by another group dressed in black. After a short spat of stone-throwing and general boisterousness, the protest organizers radioed to the police and convinced them to back off, and their sudden retreat is met with cheers from the crowd now assembled. The band starts playing a song titled "Relax," and for a while, it looked as if we would indeed have our peaceful demonstration. Tall sailing ships are anchored and adorned with banners from Greenpeace urging action on climate change, as well as from Doctors without Borders, asking for more medical aid for Africa. I board a ship which offers vegan food and drinks, while police helicopters circled above, reminding us of the splendid new democracy this G8 meeting has given us. Some hours later, a huge truck rebuilt into a sort of two-storey techno van begins leading the protesters out pied piper style, as they dance along behind it. It is a scene that one would more likely expect from a very lame music video or an American TV commercial for Mountain Dew. But as we were dancing into the sunset, we heard fire engines and turned to see smoke behind us. Cars set ablaze, rocks flying, pepper spray and flailing batons, it was everything most of us had hoped to avoid. It seems that our friends dressed in black- the police and their lesser-armed but equally angry rivals - had started to fight after all. I would later be surprised to read that the German press was careful to point out that only a small group of those assembled had taken part in any violence, and that the police were also partly blameworthy. Thinking of these clashes, disturbing though they may be, I can only wonder; a few burning cars and thrown stones? Is this the awesome danger that required the complete recall of democracy, the total secrecy in place of transparency, the gagging of the press in place of open information, the 12 million Euro fence that did more to provoke than to protect? Is this what European democracy has come to? But the answer is already known; just as the G8 has trumped article 8 of the German Constitution (freedom of assembly), our European democracy has been trumped by a new, American style "democracy," also called authoritarianism and government by the corporate "elite." http://www.guardian.co.uk/g8/story/0,,2098485,00.html German police deny heavy-handed G8 tactics Patrick Barkham in Heiligendamm Friday June 8, 2007 Guardian Unlimited TV images of a Greenpeace boat being chased and run over by a German anti-terror police speedboat at the G8 summit. Photograph: G8 TV/AP German police today defended their use of force, after a police launch rammed a Greenpeace dinghy in the first notable breach of security around the G8 summit. Police said they had warned the 11 high-speed inflatables to stay outside the restricted zone of the Baltic Sea spa resort of Heiligendamm. They added they had no alternative but to use force to stop one boat when it got within several hundred metres of the shore. Greenpeace condemned the tactics as "very heavy-handed" and said it had radioed ahead to assure the authorities it would be a peaceful protest to deliver a petition calling for action on climate change. One activist was in hospital under observation last night. Five were released with minor injuries. On land, the anti-G8 movement claimed another small victory, when protesters temporarily blocked the two main roads into the resort. Up to 3,000 people have been camping deep within the restricted area - but still 400 metres from the security fence surrounding the resort - for 24 hours. Several have reached the fence before giving themselves up. Demonstrators put on aerobics displays in front of riot police as operations were stepped up to retake the main roads. Protesters were driven back with water cannons laced with pepper spray. Reinforcements from the 16,000 officers in the G8 security operation arrived on nine helicopters, as protesters chanted: "We're peaceful, what are you?" Clowns blew bubbles in the faces of armed riot squads. Police said 257 people were arrested yesterday and 300 were detained the previous night. Greenpeace joined many of the protesters in condemning the police's use of force. A spokesman said: "Ramming and then running over inflatables is very heavy-handed when the inflatables were engaged in a peaceful, non-violent protest to deliver a petition calling for action on climate change on behalf of the people of the world who are being kept out of the resort courtesy of an 8ft high barbed wire fence." Police said their operation could be considered a success so far because there had been no breaches of the fence. "The police have managed to keep militant protesters out of the restricted zone and the G8 summit meetings are going on without any restrictions so in that sense everything is going fine," said Christian Zimmer, a spokesman for Kavala, the police coordinating group for the G8 operation. "There might be cases where we cannot tolerate a roadblock and we have to clear it by appropriate means after warning people to leave the site. But there has been no excessive use of force by the police." http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/june2007/100607g8falseflag.htm G8 False Flag Terror Attack Averted? US "security men" attempted to smuggle C4 plastic explosive past checkpoint Paul Joseph Watson Prison Planet Sunday, June 10, 2007 It looks highly likely that a false flag terror attack to be blamed on protesters of the G8 summit in Germany was averted after German surveillance stopped a team of "US security men" attempting to smuggle C4 plastic explosives past a checkpoint at Heiligendamm. The alarming revelation was buried at the end of a Deutsche Press-Agentur news article about the ongoing battles between police and protesters at the global forum. Sources told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that US security men tested German security by trying to smuggle C4 plastic explosive past a checkpoint at Heiligendamm. German surveillance machinery detected the tiny stash in a suitcase in a car and the Americans in plainclothes then identified themselves. German police declined comment. Was this simply a "test" as is claimed or more likely, an aborted false flag terror attack that was set to be blamed on protesters to legitimize the powerhouse G8 nations and the global elite while demonizing anti-globalization activists and justifying the use of lethal force against demonstrators? If so, it wouldn't be without precedent. During the Genoa G8 summit in 2001, police planted petrol bombs in schools and other residences of protest groups in order to justify brutal raids on the properties during which activists were severely beaten and jailed Police claimed the raids were justified because the protesters were planning violence. After the trial against the police got underway, the bomb evidence conveniently "disappeared". http://www.vivelecanada.ca/article.php/20070608130407969 Friday, June 08 2007 @ 04:04 PM MDT G8 Summit a battlefield of protest versus fascism Contributed by: Sgt_ShockNAwe Trust the Germans to teach the world a lesson on proper use of fascist police tactics. German Police Chase Greenpeace Boats Near G8 Zone As the deal was reached, Greenpeace caused a stir when it led German police boats on a high-speed chase through the Baltic sea. Three Greenpeace inflatable speed boats penetrated the security zone in the waters off the Heiligendamm meeting site. The activists unfurled a banner reading 'G8 -- Act Now." The chase came to an end when a massive police ship rammed two Greenpeace boats, sending crew members into the water. Three activists were injured and taken to the hospital. Greenpeace didn't stop there -- earlier today the group tried to send a hot-air balloon over the summit with the word 'FAILED' written across its "G8 - Act Now" slogan. Police helicopters forced the balloon to land before it could reach the G8 meeting site. Meanwhile thousands of people continue their protests on the summit's last day. http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372790.html G8 Police 'Almost Raid' Rostock Camp rostock reporting | 06.06.2007 22:50 | G8 Germany 2007 | Globalisation | Repression | World The police intrusion at the Rostock G8 camp this evening was a clear attempt at provocation. Arriving in force they entered the adjoining field which had effectively been squatted to accomodate the spill over campers from when the site had become crowded. Report follows below: At first the police wanted to enter the whole camp saying they had a warrent to enter, but when challenged they said that they had only applied for a warrent to raid the camp, and were waiting on the approval. Even so, convoy after convoy of vehicles kept arriving outside the camp - well over one hundred in total - with police units in riot gear and with shields forming up into squads opposite the entrance to the camp and forming lines along the parts of the camp fence that bordered the road. For a while the atmosphere was incredibly tense, especially as more units arrived and seemed to be preparing to enter the camp. It should be said that the people inside the camp near the front gate seemed calm given the high level of intimidation that the police actions represented. Police officers were reportedly heard discussing their operation saying that they would need more units to seperate the good from the bad, and that they had to find evidence of the bad protestors participation in disturbances. Inside the spillover camping area where around 30 police officers in riot gear had entered, the campers made light of the situation, playing guiters, dancing, and sitting down in front of the police. As time passed more people were returning to the camp, with some being subjected to random searches of their clothes and bags. As more press arrived at the camp entrance and began filming and interviewing the senior officer it became clear that the police were standing down as they began to pull their units back and leave the spillover camping area. What had begun suddenly was over equally quickly with the vehicles pulling out and speeding off in their convoys. As people emerged from behind the camp gate many were discussing the police actions. "Sure, they just want to intimidate us" said one. "They wanted to provoke us" said another camper, "but they couldn't". Another person said they thought it was a ploy to attract people back from the ongoing blockades to show solidarity with the camp. Whatever the truth about the intentions of the 'almost raid', the real story of the day is the success of the multiple blockades encircling the roads that lead to the G8 at Heillingdam. While it seems the authorities have declared all anti-G8 protests tomorrow to be illegal, hundreds of those still blockading the roads have just voted to remain in place throughout the night, maintaining their protest, expressing their dissent. And I for one, salute them. rostock reporting http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/373539.html German G8 Police: Lies, Propaganda and Provocation (report) investigations continue | 13.06.2007 12:44 | G8 Germany 2007 | Globalisation | Indymedia | Repression | World Below are a few examples of the lies and propaganda spun by the police during the G8 protests in Germany, as well as direct evidence that the police were at times using infiltrators to try and create conditions to justify further repression. There are for sure many more examples of this during the last two weeks or so and civil liberties monitoring groups are investigating other incidents. It should also be said that while the media were able to report what appeared to be a tolerant attitude to the blockades at the East Gate, in other places sit down protestors were water cannoned, pepper sprayed and beaten. Also the police tried to provoke violence at various different protests and actions, arrested people for nothing more than having the wrong clothing on them, and failed to give medical assistance to injured people in a number of incidents. Police have also been criticised for using water canon at close quarters against peaceful blockaders resulting in several serious eye injuries, including a man from Liverpool who has lost the use of his eye after it was dislodged. Further criticism has come regarding the use of the military against protestors including the army on the A19 autobahn and the use of Panavia Tornado jets in low fly reconnaissance / intimidation runs over protest camp sites. Other tactics used by the police included mass unrpovoked arrests, closure of transport systems to prevent people reaching legal assembly points and systematic feeding of misinformation to the media - details of which below: *Police Lie About Number of Injured Officers In the immediate aftermath of the clashes that occured at the end of the march on Saturday 2nd June at the Rostock harbour rally, the police press released figures that claimed that over 400 police officers had been injured during the fighting, with 30 of them severely injured. These shocking figures were reprinted across the world's media along with the pictures of a burning car and protestors clashing with police. And yet it has now emerged that just 2 police officers required hospital treatment and that these two were not so badly injured that they had to be kept in overnight. *Police Lie about Clowns Using Chemical Weapons Against Police Following the confiscation of a water pistol from one of the clown army activists, the police told the press that several (eight I think) police officers had been treated for the effects of chemical weapons. They said the clowns had been spraying officers. The truth of the matter is that if officers had indeed been treated for the "effects of chemical weapons" it would have been from their own use of gas and pepper spray - it was observed by several people that some officers were also caught by gas and spray used by their colleages. The accusations against the clowns were again picked up by the world's press and printed in newspapers and websites around the world. The police later admitted that no such chemical attack by the clowns had taken place. *Police Admit to Using Undercover Officers *Agent Provocateurs Unmasked at East Gate Blockade *Police Lie to the Press About East Gate Protestors The authorities have admitted they did indeed have undercover agents participating in the actions and blockades. This admission comes after their initial denial that such police tactics were being used. At the peaceful sit down blockade at the East gate of the G8 security zone which lasted for two days, an undercover police officer was found dressed as 'black bloc' encouraging others at the blockade to prepare petrol bombs for use against the police. He was recognised by one person as a local officer and when challenged about his identity he failed to say anything. In the end he was thrown out of the demonstration area by blockade organisers along with others from the legal team. Some reports said this person was with three others who were dressed exactly the same. It's significant that at the same time as he was operting at the peaceful blockade, the police were briefing the press that the blockaders at the east gate were now arming themselves against the police and that they feared officers would come under attack. This was all happening at the time when it appeared the police were readying to move in against the blockade. The police have since admitted that the earlier information they provided about the protestors arming themselves was incorrect. It should also be noted that several people dressed as 'black bloc' demonstrators were observed at several places talking to police officers or water cannon operators and then being allowed through cordons or getting into police vehicles. It's also suspected, but not 100% confirmed, that at least one police officer was posing as an Indymedia activist at the blockades. *Police Lie about Seizure of Media Bus When police in Bad Doberan decided to confiscate the Dutch Media Bus which was working with independent journalists, media activists and indymedia they set about spinning a justification for this attack on alternative media. Arresting two of the people working with the bus the police first said the bus was going to be used as an illegal radio transmitter. As both the Dutch and German journalist unions were protesting at the confiscation and arrests, the police changed their story saying that the media bus was a co-ordination office of the 'black bloc'! Both stories were of course untrue. *Police Attack Photographers and Video Teams *Leftist Journalists Refused Accreditation Several photographers have been singled out for a beating by police officers, some having their cameras smashed by officers. This particularly happened at the night time Reclaim The Streets party in Rostock which police dispersed and where they seemed determined to ensure there were no pictures of their actions. When questioned about attacks on other journalists with G8 media accreditation a senior officer said it would never happen, then failed to comment when shown video footage of a videographer being pepper sprayed directly in the face. Also during the run up the the start of the G8, a total of around 40 journalists had their applications for G8 media accreditation refused, many of them because of the political outlook of their work. ------------ These are just some of the examples and many more will no doubt come to light over the next weeks and months. One of the main things to take from this is the importance of alternative and independent reporting of such events. Sources of information that do not swallow the spoon fed lies from the authorities without question, and that encourage mass participation in the telling of truths. Big thanks to Indymedia germany and the other alt media crews and all the international media activists who set up a fantastic reporting infrastructure and helped tell the true story of the 2007 G8 resistance. investigations continue From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 07:40:27 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:40:27 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Germany G8 Blockades 7 - long article by David Rovics Message-ID: <095101c7adc8$ca35b3d0$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=2007rovics-g8 David Rovics: G8 Warm-Up Tour: Whose World Is This? Sunday, June 10 2007 @ 07:19 PM PDT Contributed by: Admin Views: 158 The riots in Rostock, Germany began around 3 pm last Saturday. In European riots outside of G8 meetings and such, generally all sides refrain from using lethal weapons. (If anybody breaks with this tradition - such as Genoa in 2000 or Gothenberg in 2001 - it is always the police.) The riots on Saturday were part of a long series of such confrontations around Germany, around Europe, around the world. G8 Warm-Up Tour: Whose World Is This? by David Rovics June 9th, 2007 The riots in Rostock, Germany began around 3 pm last Saturday. In European riots outside of G8 meetings and such, generally all sides refrain from using lethal weapons. (If anybody breaks with this tradition - such as Genoa in 2000 or Gothenberg in 2001 - it is always the police.) The riots on Saturday were part of a long series of such confrontations around Germany, around Europe, around the world. On one side were many thousands of police brought in from all over Germany, dressed in space-age green or black riot gear. On the other were thousands of mostly young men and women, mostly German but including participants from all over Europe and a smattering of other places, many wearing balaclavas or bandannas over their faces, most dressed in black. These events are strangely beautiful, partly like a brilliantly choreographed modern dance performance with the city as it's stage, partly like a medieval battle. Many of those who don't wish to be involved leave the scene in a hurry, many others find some high ground and watch the melee unfold, and quite a few more try to keep on with whatever they were doing before the riot started and hope it ends soon. For months before the event tension had been building, as is standard before these big convergences. As if following a script, the German authorities raided leftwing social centers throughout the country looking for people they described ominously as "terrorists." (What a useful word for anybody you don't like.) These raids were reported throughout the European press, of course. The idea is to scare people off from coming to the protests. As usual, it worked, and the crowds were probably less than half what they would be if so many people had not been afraid to go. Police were stopping people driving suspicious-looking vehicles, looking for gas masks, fireworks, or other things they didn't want at the G8 protests. Of course, anybody coming in a day early driving a normal-looking rental car like me had no problems and could have brought anything into Rostock, but if you were trying to bring some banned item in with a home-made "pull-me-over" car, or a big bus full of anarchists, you had problems. But all the efforts of the police were in vain, since one of the most effective weapons people use in these confrontations are readily available in unlimited quantities in every European city - cobblestones. The streets of Rostock were littered with broken cobblestones that young people had been smashing on the street and breaking into fist-sized pieces to throw at the cops. The most impressive part are the modern equivalent of the archers, those firing flares, lighting up the sky, arcing far over the heads of the crowd and landing in the packed lines of riot police. Many times the police retreated, many times they charged, and many times they tripped over each other in the narrow streets, where their numbers simply couldn't be accommodated. By the end of the day there were hundreds injured, dozens with broken bones, including quite a few police. The day began with my friend Lisa dropping me off at the main train station, where one of the two opening rallies was to take place. She forgot her cell phone in the hotel room and it took her hours to drive back to it. For the whole day it seems the police had shut down most of the roads leading into the city. Sometimes roads leading out were also closed, but mostly it was easy to get out but hard to get in. For days leading up to June 2nd, mostly youthful alternative-looking sorts of folks were streaming out of the main train station, coming from all over, then heading purposefully from the train station to the main Convergence Center or one of the three camps within twenty kilometers of Rostock, surrounding the small resort town of Helingendam, where the G8 meetings are taking place as I write. On Saturday morning the crowd kept doubling in size every ten minutes or so until by 11 am there were tens of thousands of people, and the same thing was taking place at another site in town for the other opening rally. The crowd was a multigenerational collection of people with very diverse views, but united in the idea that this world could be a very different place. There were representatives of the massive German anti-nuclear movement, there were those calling for the G8 nations to end their wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, or to do something about global warming. There were quite a few Turkish communists, there were Danish union members, Dutch squatters, and many, many others with no particular political affiliation or ideology. Just people who know that things are not as they should be, this world is not quite the world we want, and these G8 leaders need to be held to account for the world they have, in so many ways, created for us. They are essentially asking the question that is as old as what we dare call "civilization." Whose world is this? Is it for the corporate elite and their pseudo-democratic governments to rule in the interest of profit, or is the world's wealth for us all to share more equally? Is our world a place where we can allow any nation's army to bomb cities in another nation? And when all this death and destruction is all about oil and control, what then? What is the appropriate response when our air is being poisoned by coal-burning power plants, our food and soil poisoned by pesticides, our water poisoned by nuclear waste, and we're all dying of cancer? Is this how things should be? If not, how can we change the situation? One of the speakers was from the MST, the landless peasants movement in Brazil. They have answered the question of whose world is this by seizing the land that the rich call their property and they are forming collective farms. They have chosen to eat and fight rather than to starve and die. The questions are immediate, the stakes high, and in Brazil, as with many other countries, much blood has been spilled over these questions. In modern Europe there have been historic compromises between the haves and the have-nots, and most people live in relative comfort. The struggles rarely result in people getting killed these days. But as in the rest of the world, all over Europe the historic struggle goes on, continually trying to answer the question in one form or another, is the world here for the private gain of the few or for the public good of the many? One of the things that's always so striking about these mass convergences such as this week of action going on right now in and around Rostock is how few of the people I know in various activist networks around Europe are actually there. There were tens of thousands of people present at the big rally last Saturday, but they clearly represent a small fraction of the European left. Throughout my tour of Europe leading up to the G8 protests I asked people if they were planning to go. There were always one or two, sometimes a few, who were. But most said no, they couldn't get off work, or they had to take care of their kids, or they were concerned about getting arrested, or they were on probation from the last arrest, or they were too broke to afford the train ticket. Yet here we were on June 2nd, with the big public space in front of the train station thronged with tens of thousands of people. Behind the stage for everyone to see were two large banners, proclaiming in German and in English, "another world is possible." I sang, a German hiphop artist performed, and then there were several speakers from around the world, including the woman from MST. It was a long and peaceful march to the site of what was supposed to be the main rally, which turned into a smaller rally than the opening ones, as many people left, others stayed and fought, and a few tried to pay attention to what was happening on the stage, which kept on starting and then stopping again depending on what was happening around it. June 2nd was the main rally against the G8, but the actual G8 meetings are happening now, with smaller groups (many thousands) based at their various camps engaging in road blockades and many other different types of actions to try and prevent the meetings from happening, or at least to disrupt them. Already the G8 meeting organizers have cut their meetings down from three days to 1-1/2 days. They presumably have their reasons why they're doing this, but everyone knows the real reason - fear of us, fear of humiliation, fear that the world will see them naked, humbled by a few thousand citizens determined to let them know that their elitist, corporate version of "democracy" is not ours. My "G8 Warm-Up Tour" began with a flight to Copenhagen at the end of April. As soon as I dropped off my stuff in Norrebro I took a walk to the place that's now being called "Ground 69." 69 Jagtvej was the address of what was Copenhagen's oldest leftwing social center. Built by the union movement in 1897 and called Folkets Hus - the People's House - it eventually fell into disrepair and was squatted by leftwing youth in 1982 and called Ungdomshuset - the Youth House. Since then and until last March it was a thriving center that included a bar, an infoshop, several performance spaces including a ballroom with a stage and a great sound system, a kitchen where thousands of meals were cooked, practice rooms for local bands, and rooms for all kinds of other industrious and creative activities. A whole generation of youth had grown up in and around Ungdomshuset. Many of them had kids who also grew up with the Youth House being a center of their daily lives, as their parents from the 1980's generation mostly moved on to other things. In March the anti-terror police landed with helicopters on the roof of Ungdomshuset, filled the building with tear gas, arrested it's defenders, and destroyed the building within a week. They had to use masked construction workers imported from Poland to destroy the building, since none of the Danish unions would work under police protection, out of principle. In the taxi on the way from the airport, and walking down the main street in Norrebro to 69 Jagtvej, the evidence of the battle for Ungdomshuset - for the right of the youth to have their house, and more broadly, the rights of people other than yuppies to exist in the quickly-gentrifying Norrebro neighborhood - was everywhere. There were thousands of posters carpeting the city advertising upcoming demonstrations. Ubiquitous graffiti saying things like, "I still feel like rioting." Official-looking signs saying "Jagtvej" had replaced many street signs that used to indicate that you were on another street. But now, evocative of the end of the film, Spartacus, we are all Jagtvej now. The two numbers that everyone in Denmark knows as synonymous with Ungomshuset, "69," had replaced many addresses. My taxi driver was complaining about how much harder it is now to find the addresses of his customers since last March. He was also complaining about the riots. Like many Danes, he was sympathetic with the struggle of the Youth House up until the several nights of rioting that followed the police occupation of the building. But many others were either involved with, supportive of, or at least not particularly bothered by the riots, which were seen by many as a sensible or at least understandable reaction to the events that led up to them. This was also evident as soon as I got into the city. Many varieties of Ungdomshuset t-shirts and hoodies were everywhere, worn by many really young kids who had probably never seen Ungdomshuset when it existed. Many youth had made homemade patches saying just "69" or "Ungdomshuset Blir" - Ungdomshuset Stays - also the title of a song that became a national hit last fall. The scenes on TV of the riots - and they were well-publicized on national television - had caught the imagination of many young people, who identified viscerally with the young men and women battling with the police. For several days, several neighborhoods in Copenhagen were characterized by burning barricades made largely of bicycle tires - as with anywhere, you burn what's available, and in Copenhagen you can't walk down the sidewalk without tripping over hundreds of old bicycles on each block. Broken glass, broken cobblestones, tear gas and sirens were the order of the day. To a very large extent, the youth of Denmark were on the side of those throwing the stones, not the ones firing the tear gas, whether or not they were entirely clear on the origins of the conflict. It was a shock to see how narrow the new dirt lot was, where Ungdomshuset had stood. The building was a lot taller than it was wide, I realized upon visiting Ground 69. But what really brought back the memories of that place where I have played shows to so many great audiences was when we were outside the prison where fifteen of Ungdomshuset's defenders were being held, close to three months after the destruction of the building. It was there that I came into contact once again with the microphone that had been used for all of my shows there, and for many other shows as well. The mike smelled like someone who had not brushed his teeth in years, it was the worst-smelling microphone I've ever encountered. I suddenly could see the clouds of smoke, behind which sat or stood a hundred black-clad youth, listening attentively, or singing or shouting along with me, facial piercings reflecting the lights. Every Thursday since the beginning of March, different groups were taking turns organizing protests and marches with sound trucks through the city. Many people from the early days of Ungdomshuset have come out of the woodwork, along with many young kids who had never seen the place other than in a photograph. I was in town for several rallies. On my first real day of gigs, May Day, I sang in the morning in the nearby town of Roskilde for members of the red-green coalition, Enhedslisten, who have a number of people in the parliament and are the extraparliamentary left's biggest ally in parliament. In the afternoon I sang at the communist-sponsored May Day stage in a big park near Norrebro. In the evening I was hanging out by a park with anarchist youth and others there to party for May Day, who had put lots of burning rubbish in the street, something which has recently once again become a Copenhagen tradition, particularly since March. Police stayed a hundred feet away. This time nobody threw anything at them, and they didn't try to clear the street. One rally and march was on the 69th day since the raid of Ungdomshuset. Many hundreds of us were marching behind a very loud sound truck, and for the first time I was able to appreciate techno. It reminded me at the time of hearing the call to prayer coming from the mosques inside Israel. A very different social milieu, to be sure, but in both cases there was a kind of loud statement of existence, this affirming cry of "we're here." People from Christiania had come and added to this, bringing with them dozens of little homemade instruments consisting of tin cans and latex formed in such a way that when you blew into them lightly they would screech with twice the volume of a good bugle. The more conservative end of the establishment is often characterizing the growing Danish youth movement as a bunch of self-centered brats, and with that in mind, one scene on this particular march was notable. There was a police "escort," as always, on both ends of the march. At one point they were suddenly agitated. Not speaking Danish, I didn't know what they were yelling about, but it was suddenly clear as an ambulance was making it's way down Norrebrogade. But as soon as the march saw the ambulance coming, with no need for any prompting, the street suddenly cleared of people and the ambulance sped through unimpeded. It was a few days later that I got my first taste of Danish tear gas. The conservative government in power in Denmark has decided to "normalize" Christiania. For decades there was a sort of d?tente between the Danish government and this 900-person commune in the middle of the city, two blocks from the Christianshavn metro stop. But since Anders Fogh Rasmussen came to power this is all changing. He has sent Danish troops to assist the US occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan (though they are now leaving Iraq). He and his rightwing political allies in the racist "Danish People's Party" have turned Denmark into one of the least friendly nations in Europe for immigrants and refugees. And, among his other crimes against the people, he has embarked on a project to "normalize" Christiania. Christiania is a magical place, and is one of Denmark's biggest tourist attractions. In 1970 it was an old military barracks, no longer being used as such, and the counter-culture decided to take it over and create a community on these several hundred acres of land. They cleaned up the land and the water beside it, fixed up the buildings that were there, and built many more funky, artistic dwellings. They decorated the land with artwork, built cafes, restaurants, music clubs, and a very successful bicycle-making workshop, among other things. They provided office space for activist groups and a large building was given over to be used exclusively by people from Greenland. (Still a colony of Denmark, much of Greenland's population has suffered at the hands of their Danish colonizers and suffer from alcoholism and other problems.) The continuing existence of Christiania has been an inspiration for people around Europe and much of the rest of the world. It is essentially a small town with no cars, no police, no landlords, no rent, generally bustling with tourists and residents. Until Fogh's police went in several years ago and busted the open hashish and marijuana market, it was the only place in Europe outside of the Netherlands where hash and pot could be bought openly on the street, in a safe environment. With no police force, hard drugs were kept out of Christiania by mutual agreement between the residents and the people running their stalls on what is still known as Pusher Street. The people of Christiania resoundingly answered the question of to whom the city belonged by taking land that was not being used and declaring that it belonged to the people. The buildings had long ago been built and paid for, why should anyone "own" them? Why pay rent or mortgages for them? Who needs police or other such services? They pay directly to the utility companies for their electricity and water. Rather than being a burden in any way to Danish society or taxpayers, they are a top tourist destination. But the government apparently can no longer stand this kind of example being set. They say they want to create a park and "low-income housing." What the residents of Christiania already have is a beautiful park for any visitors who care to come, and free housing - but so close to the center of the city, on property that could presumably be sold for hundreds of millions of dollars, and Copenhagen's real estate developers are salivating in the back rooms behind the Prime Minister. So on the morning of May 14th, after claiming that "normalization" negotiations with the commune had broken down (they hadn't), police arrived unannounced with a bulldozer and proceeded to destroy one of 52 houses which the government wants to destroy, for one reason or another. They're not up to code, they're built in the wrong place, or whatever. As the house was being destroyed, supporters of Christiania - including many also involved with the struggle for Ungdomshuset - started sending text messages to each other, and within a couple hours there were hundreds of people there. By afternoon there were hundreds more, and still more by evening. I got there by around 4 pm, about seven hours after the house had been destroyed. I was walking from the metro station towards Christiania and I saw a couple of women from Ungdomshuset that I recognized. I had heard that the main road that runs alongside Christiania was completely blocked off by the police, and it had occurred to many of us that looking "normal" could be a good strategy for getting through the police lines. These women, however, had multicolored dreadlocks and facial piercings. I asked them about that. "We're under cover!" They said. "We're not wearing black!" And it was true. I hadn't noticed. The police were still blocking off the road, but there was one smaller road that went into a residential neighborhood, and they were letting people in there. From that road you could get into Christiania. As soon as I stepped foot into Christiania I found myself running with a crowd of people away from a cloud of tear gas. Groups of mostly young people had made barricades to keep the police out, and set them alight if the police were trying to come in that way. The crowds would then stand back and throw rocks and bottles at the police, who would fire tear gas back. It went on like that all night. On the roofs of the buildings many people were watching the show, and trying to be helpful, making noises when police were coming from around the corner. This was not the preferred response of many in the Christiania community, who are coming from a more nonviolent, hippie orientation. The spokeswoman of Christiania duly distanced herself from the rock-throwing. In response many youth that I talked to complained that the hippies just weren't responding. But if they had waited a few more hours they would have seen how people at Christiania were responding. Overnight several dozen people built a new, very artistic house on the site where the house had just been demolished. A few days later there was what you could call an anarchist-hippie unity march. I stood on the sound truck, which was a more improvised version of the ones used by the Ungdomshuset supporters, a more colorful Christiania version, pulled by a tractor, one of the few motorized vehicles driving on the narrow dirt roads of Christiania. It was raining, but not too hard. Behind the crowd of several hundred people was one of the main entrances to Christiania. On top of an arch that you pass through to get in or out it said, in English, "You are now entering the EU." Despite the fact that the house had been destroyed, Christiania felt more like Christiania than it had in years. Since the hash market was busted by the police, gangs of cops had been roaming around Christiania nightly, randomly searching the bags of anybody they wanted to. This kind of behavior is very unusual for police in Denmark anywhere outside of Christiania, but ironically, it had become one of the least safe places to smoke weed anywhere in Europe. That week was different. Thanks to the burning barricades it had once again become a liberated zone, and people were taking the occasion to roll and smoke lots of big spliffs. The sound man and I were feeling good by the time we got to the government building downtown. There we were met by the other half of the march, the weekly Ungdomshuset march that the Christiania march was timed to coincide with. The rainbow flags and the black flags intermingled, punk rock, hiphop and acoustic music once again on the same stage, completely surrounded by hundreds of riot cops, who stood around looking mean but didn't do anything. The new movement for Ungdomshuset was well in evidence, with many very young kids there along with the more typical teenagers and folks in their 20's. As with marches every Thursday, there were older folks with vests that said (in Danish), Parents Against Police Brutality. They were keeping an eye on the cops at these marches, but not trying to play the unpopular role of "peacekeepers," just watching out for the cops, and everybody liked them. One of the people who performed was a woman named Nia, a great singer, sister of a great singer named Billie, daughter of a pair of legendary Danish rock stars, Annisette and Thomas Koppel of the band Savage Rose, generally identified by the 1960's, but still going strong today. Thomas died unexpectedly of a heart attack not long ago, at the age of 60, and he is sorely missed by many. Only days before he died he finished a CD of instrumental music, which rose to #1 in the Danish charts posthumously. He also wrote something called Message From The Grassroots, a sort of "where do we go from here" piece, around which many older and younger Danish activists formed a group of the same name, and their banners and sweatshirts were well-represented at the rally. (Annisette was also at the rally, but didn't sing that day.) The weekend before the house demolition in Christiania I was in Sweden. I had played at a three-week-long film and music festival in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle in Malmo, just over the bridge from Copenhagen, and my next stop in Sweden was further north, in Gothenberg. I was singing at a rally against NATO. It was the second anti-NATO rally I had sung at in Sweden, which seems particularly odd since Sweden is not a member of NATO. But there in the harbor of the lovely, canal-filled city of Gothenberg were dozens of warships from the US, Britain, Spain and elsewhere. Sweden, like most places, is a land of contradictions. It is by far the most welcoming place in Europe for Iraqi refugees, while at the same time it sells large amounts of high-tech weaponry to the US to bomb Iraq with. In fact, I understand that per capita, Sweden is the biggest arms exporter in the world. Officially "neutral," whatever that means, it is a member of the European Union and has hosted many NATO events. The anti-NATO rally was the biggest in Gothenberg in a long time, with thousands of people there by the harbor across from the warships. After the European summit in 2001 during which a protester was shot in the stomach by the police with live ammunition, the police were trying to be friendly, but of course they were there to protect the warships from us, posted every few feet along the harbor. Here we had another very privileged European country with a large chunk of the population concerned and asking basic questions. Why are we hosting a meeting of an organization that is busily making war with half the Muslim world? Why are we exporting so many arms to nations at war when we claim ourselves to be "neutral"? Unlike some other countries in Europe, Swedes these days don't do a whole lot of rioting. The same can be said of Norway, which was the next stop on my G8 Warm-Up Tour. I had gigs in Oslo and in Trondheim. Trondheim is a city of 150,000 or so, seven hours on the train due north of Oslo, but not even halfway to the northern tip of Norway, which is well into the Arctic Circle. Around both cities could be found posters and graffiti in solidarity with the struggle at Ungdomshuset. Along with them can often be seen "Blitz Blir" - Blitz Stays. Blitz is Oslo's answer to Ungdomshuset, another leftwing punk rock social center that has been in downtown Oslo since the '80s. You'll also find posters saying (in Norwegian), "Norway out of NATO, NATO out of the world." Not long before I got to Oslo, NATO had a meeting there, and it was met by a small but festive protest which the authorities and the media were referring to as "violent." It certainly was no riot by Rostock standards, but there was a bit of fence-shaking and a lot of tear gas. Because of this, my friend Stein was once again in the news. Since the heyday of the Norwegian squatters movement in the 1980s, if anything exciting happens in Oslo, Stein gets the blame for it. He doesn't seek the publicity, but if there's a protest and he's saying something into the bullhorn along with many others, more often than not it's his picture that's in the paper and his words on the television news broadcasts. Walking with him from the train station to his house and back, about a 20-minute walk altogether, he was greeted by at least a dozen people, some of whom he knew, and harassed by one cop who he didn't know. It was about a year before the NATO meeting when Stein and many other people were playing support roles for 23 young men from Afghanistan who were doing a very public hunger strike while camping on the grounds of a large church in the center of Oslo. The Afghans were asking the people of Norway a simple question. Is Norway a country where people like them shall be deported back to war zones from which they had fled for their lives, or a country that shall give them safe haven? For 26 days they ate nothing, wasting away in front of the eyes of the masses of passing shoppers, commuters and tourists. I was in Oslo for a week or so during that time, spending a good bit of it hanging around the churchyard. Every day at 5 pm there would be a cultural event for the Afghans, their supporters, and the passersby. While I was around there were performances by musicians from all over Asia, Norway and, at least in my case, the US. I first met the Afghans by playing for them, and realized in the process to my delight that most of them were quite fluent in English. It was an eventful week while I was there. The most memorable occasion was when the police came at dawn one morning to destroy the tents and arrest the hunger-strikers. I was there with several dozen other supporters, including many from Blitz, surrounding the Afghans and trying to prevent them from being removed. As usual, the television crews spent much of their time following Stein with their cameras to see what he might do or say next. If they tried to talk to him he'd tell them that the Afghans have a spokesperson and he'd point to Zahir, a tall, thin, intelligent man of all of 23 who was working day and night in the position his comrades had chosen for him. When the hunger strikers ultimately were taken away by the police and then released, they all came back and stayed in the churchyard with no tents. It was a heartwarming moment when soon thereafter the Norwegian Red Cross came and erected their own tents for the Afghans, and also hooked them up with running water. The Norwegian parliament then finally said they'd reconsider each case. After 26 days of not eating this was the best offer that had been made, and the Afghans decided to end their hunger strike. Since then, however, Norway has deported many more people to the war zone that is Afghanistan today, occupied by Norwegian troops along with many other NATO soldiers. After riding in the train through the snow-capped mountains and small villages dotting the landscape here and there from Oslo to Trondheim, I was met at the train station by activists from the UFFA anarchist social center and taken to a protest downtown. Not only was it roughly the anniversary of the hunger strike in downtown Oslo, but it was also the one-year anniversary of the killing of a young immigrant from Nigeria by a Trondheim cop. It was a classic story, repeated ad nauseum in the US. It was almost identical to a story I had heard just weeks before in Sonoma County, California. The young man from Nigeria had low blood pressure and had gone too long without eating. In front of the social welfare office he was feeling delusional and apparently acting out. If he were a white Norwegian, of course, the cop probably would have recognized the situation for what it was and sought medical help for him. Being black, however, he instead strangled him to death. Over a thousand people there in downtown Trondheim, and over a thousand at the same time in Oslo, wanted to let the authorities know that this kind of racism is not OK in Norway. There also at the rally were many of the Afghans I had met in Oslo a year earlier. They had chosen that day to embark on a long march from Trondheim to Oslo to highlight their plight and that of other asylum-seekers who are daily being deported back to war zones like Afghanistan. I sang for them as they began their walk. As I write this, they are about three-fourths of the way to Oslo. Many people were concerned about how they'd do in the very sparsely-populated, snow-covered mountainous regions that they had to walk through to get to Oslo, but they assured everyone that they had had lots of experience walking through snowy mountain ranges escaping their homeland and getting to Europe. They all made it through those mountains just fine. That night after the rally in Trondheim I was to play at UFFA's annual three-day music festival. Before the festival I was talking with one of the organizers, Bjorn-Hugo, about the differences between the activist scene in Norway as opposed to other European countries. "It's hard to be very militant when they keep giving you what you ask for," he explained. For example, when the old UFFA center burned down by accident, the anarchists demanded that the government give them another building. The government did. It's a bit further from the center of town, but it has a bigger backyard than the last one, and everybody's happy with it. But the folks at UFFA still have a lot to be mad about. Although the society is prosperous and nobody's going hungry, Norway is an oil-rich nation that encourages fossil fuel dependency and global warming. It's a big arms exporter. Its troops are occupying Afghanistan. And a member of the Trondheim police force strangled an African immigrant to death last year, to name a few concerns. It's summer, and in Scandinavia in general, and northern Norway in particular, the sun never really sets. It always feels eerily like it's about 5 pm. Long shadows, a dusky light, but never dark. For maybe a half hour at about 2 am it almost got dark, but then it started getting lighter again. When the festival was over, at 4 am, several dozen fairly intoxicated anarchists - they had been drinking a northern Norwegian specialty called Kolshk, a mix of moonshine and coffee - marched towards the social welfare office where the Nigerian was killed. It was only a few blocks from UFFA. Along with the march, in a shopping cart, they brought with them a toy wooden police wagon, about a meter tall and a meter wide, big enough for a child to sit in and pretend to drive. "It's Trondheim. We don't burn real police cars here," someone explained. They wheeled the toy police wagon up to the social office, doused it with moonshine and set it on fire. In the early dawn light, beneath the cloudy sky, the bright red fire and black smoke was beautiful, and far more dramatic than I had imagined burning a toy police car might be. A couple of real police cars circled us but didn't do anything provocative like get out of their cars or anything . . . The fire department responded with impressive speed, looking like they had just gotten out of bed and thrown their gear on, and were not happy to be awoken so early for no good reason. They dutifully put out the fire, turning the black smoke white, leaving a smouldering toy police wagon still sitting in the shopping cart. Without missing a beat, folks bid the social office adieu and wheeled the cart back to UFFA. Some of them climbed onto the roof and planted the partly-burned, still-smouldering toy police wagon on top of the chimney for all passersby to see. I suspect the partly-blackened police car atop UFFA will be staying there for quite some time. "From dreaming comes knowledge." Armand was quoting an ancient Arab writer. I was in the Netherlands, starting the Holland leg of my tour. Armand and I were backstage at the ACU club in downtown Utrecht, smoking big spliffs. "What kind of weed do you recommend I get at the coffeeshop down the street?" I asked. He looked at me skeptically. "I don't touch the stuff from the coffeeshops. I only smoke outdoor organic." The Netherlands is now the only country in Europe where you can buy pot and hash over the counter in coffeeshops (since the Danish police put an end to Pusher Street in Christiania). It hasn't always been that way in Holland, though, and Armand remembers those days well. When he was a young man in the late 1950s he first smoked cannabis with some folks from the Carribean he met at the harbor in Belgium, and he's been a proponent ever since. In the '60s Armand became a household name in Holland and Belgium (the Dutch-speaking world, you could say). As in Denmark, the US, and much of the world, it was a time when leftwing hippies like Armand could become rock stars, and he did. He had many hits, and was known as the Dutch Bob Dylan. Stylistically there is certainly a resemblance, though his lyrics, from what I'm told (they're almost all in Dutch), focus largely on cannabis, with peace and love and other nice ideas thrown in for good measure. At age 61, with a full mane of long, bright red, dyed hair, and very multicolored clothing, he can enthrall an audience for hours. He used to pack stadiums. Now he packs smaller venues, though with significantly larger audiences than I'd normally get most places, so doing several gigs in Holland with him was a pleasure for various reasons. Armand and I were first playing at a G8 informational event, encouraging folks to go to the protests, talking about what was going to be happening there, before the music started. The fear tactics of the German authorities seemed to be crossing borders, since just the week before a hundred bicyclists were mass-arrested for having an unpermitted Critical Mass bike ride there in Utrecht. The general consensus was that the Dutch authorities were looking for names of people who might be going to the G8 protests in nearby Germany, to pass their information on to the German authorities, since mass-arrests of bicyclists is not the norm in this otherwise very bicycle-friendly nation. That night I slept in a large squatted building only a couple hundred meters from City Hall, in the center of downtown Utrecht. There had been a big fire in the building fifteen years ago and the building was abandoned. Taking advantage of Dutch laws which say that buildings left abandoned for a certain amount of time can legally be squatted, it was squatted and fixed up at least to the point where people could safely live in it. As in cities throughout Europe, real estate prices have gone through the roof, and abandoned buildings these days are rare, so there are always palpable tensions between the scruffy squatters and their yuppie neighbors who otherwise populate the downtown areas. Is living in the city you grew up in a right or a privilege? You'll find very different answers depending on who you ask. The same tensions can be found between those favoring more industrial development and highways and those favoring more forests, farms, bicycles and villages. Sometimes these tensions exist poetically within the same family. My friend Antwan has been campaigning for many years on behalf of the forests, farms and villages. Campaigns he's been involved with have gotten quite a bit of media attention, and he has at times been a bit of a celebrity, in some sense Holland's answer to England's Swampy or Julia Butterfly in the US. Antwan's brother, on the other hand, is known for a different reason. He started a multi-million-dollar business, running a factory in China that makes plastic trees and sells them to corporations around the world who like that sort of thing. You just can't make this shit up. One of the gigs I did with Armand was on the outskirts of Amsterdam, in what is essentially a small village called Ruigoord. Ruigoord used to be a small village to the west of Amsterdam, right on the harbor. Below sea level, like most of Holland, separated from the water by a dike. There were a hundred or so nice old houses and a big old church in the village, with farmland and forest surrounding it on three sides. In the early 1970's the Dutch government decided they wanted to expand the industrial harbor, make way for more industry, make more money, dump some more toxins into the air, clearcut the forest and pave over the farmland. With these lofty goals in mind, they forced the people of Ruigoord to sell their houses to them, with the intention of destroying this lovely village. The hippies of Amsterdam, upon hearing about the fate of Ruigoord, thought rather that the village should stay. They moved in to the now-vacant buildings and started a thriving community there in 1973, and they - and now a whole new generation in addition to the original squatters - have been there ever since. Until very recently, Ruigoord was a village under constant threat. The harbor company kept on expanding, taking more and more farmland and forest. Facing the loss of the last bits of farmland only a few dozen meters from the edge of the village, in the late 1990's members of the Ruigoord community and supporters from around Holland acted decisively. They set up camps on the threatened land. They lived in treehouses and tunnels beneath the roads, to prevent bulldozers from taking down the trees or using the roads. Antwan lived in a tunnel day and night for a month, and was nearly buried alive there when the harbor company ignored the fact that he was living under the road and tried to drive on it anyway. "For ten years, every year was the last year for Ruigoord," Armand explained. But after the campaigns, all the media, and some sympathetic politicians, recently a Ruigoord was officially allowed to stay. The forests and the farmland around it are gone, but the village remains. Next door, the first company to move in to one of the industrial buildings by the new expanses of harbor was Starbucks. When the wind is blowing the right way, the acrid smell of roasting coffee beans hangs in the air. Capitalism stinks, literally. The occasion for our concert was the annual Ruigoord poetry festival. The poetry was all really boring (it was all in Dutch). But there were some fantastic bands in the big church, and Armand and I on another stage outside. Hundreds of big, sturdy, but lightweight rectangular buoys were all over the field outside the church. Normally these multicolored box-shaped things are used to keep ships from scratching up against docks, but somehow lots of them migrated to the village . . . They make great seats, as well as fabulous toys for kids, like giant Legos you can climb. Reminiscent of the Merry Pranksters, there were two buses on the field, beautiful buses with windmills on top. One was from the older generation, and on the back, in big lettering of the sort that was used to advertise Grateful Dead shows at the Fillmore, were the words Amsterdam Balloon Company. The other bus was the creation of the younger generation of Ruigoord, and on the front of it were the words, Dutch Acid Family. Now that Ruigoord has finally been more or less legalized, many from the community are planning on boarding the ABC bus to go support Christiania later in the summer. Others were planning to head to Germany. That was my next stop. My first stop in Germany was the Rostock Convergence Center, then an anti-war protest about 120 kilometers south of Rostock, then back to Rostock for the G8 protests. The first G8 rally was still almost a week away, but the Rostock Convergence Center was already buzzing with activity. Every hour small groups of people were arriving from all over Germany, Russia, Spain, the US, all over. The Convergence Center was a big old disused school building, but what it had become was unmistakable. Political art and graffiti was everywhere. A large banner hung from the top floor proclaimed "kein mensch ist illegal" - no one is illegal. Inside the building were posters, announcements and proclamations from all kinds of different groups, each playing their part in making these protests a historic event. Without any central leadership, the place had the familiar atmosphere of a beehive. There were those organizing the massive undertaking of feeding organic vegan food to thousands of people each day. There were those organizing anti-racist actions against eastern Germany's sizable Nazi skinhead population. There was the Clown Army planning their own unique disruptions to business as usual. There were the techies setting up computers with high-speed internet access. There was the legal team, the people organizing shuttles to drive everyone to various locations in the area, and of course many groups making plans for a multitude of direct actions. I played an acoustic show there at midnight. The next day I went to visit the camp in the small town of Reddelich. Reddelich is a farming community of 150 people or so fairly close to the resort town where the G8 meetings were to take place. When I first visited the camp there were maybe a hundred people there setting up tents, digging latrines, rigging up electricity, preparing the kitchen for thousands of people who would be coming, and so on. I talked to the cultural working group who happily scheduled me in to do a show on June 1st at the bar, then I headed out to Hamburg. Hamburg is a beautiful city where I have spent a lot of time over the years. I visited friends there, and caravaned with some of them to a small town 120 miles south of Rostock, where local people have been in a legal battle with the German government over the fate of a large chunk of land which used to be a military practice area for the Soviet military. Since the wall fell this area of land which was once covered with dust and Soviet tanks has now turned back into a lovely forest, and the people in the area want to keep it that way. The German government, after some talk of turning the land into a park, have in more recent years been talking about once again using it as a practice bombing range. Once again the familiar theme, the familiar question which can be found everywhere you look - whose world is this? As is so often the case, the people and the government are at odds. The military typically uses pyramid-shaped targets for their bombing practice, and the people there had small and large pyramids they had made, with the slogan on them and on signs all over the place, "every target is a home." After spending the night at a pristine campground by a lake near the prospective bombing range, I spent the morning talking to folks who are veterans of the anti-nuclear movement. Hearing about villages in the Wendtland region where there is a nuclear fuel processing plant, villages where the farmers have become very politicized, not just about the dangers of nuclear power in their backyard, but about the bigger realities of who shall control our planet's destiny. I remember visiting the Wendtland region just before the G8 protests in Italy seven years ago. In small farming villages I passed signs wishing people luck at the protests in Genoa. I heard stories of the unusual creatures of the area, the giant moles that mysteriously dug huge holes beneath the railroad tracks to prevent the nuclear transport trains from moving, or at least to delay them massively. For many years it has gotten to the point that tens of thousands of police are necessary to allow the train to make their way across the country. When tens of thousands of police arrive in the area, people know a transport is coming, and soon there are far larger numbers of farmers as well as activists from across Germany there to lay down on the tracks, dig holes beneath them, flood them with water, cut them with saws, block the roads with tractors to make police movements very difficult, and so on. The nuclear transport is a ritual that goes on every year, but this year it's not happening, apparently because the police throughout Germany are too busy keeping the G8 meetings from being shut down instead. After a festive rally outside of what is known as the Bombodrom - the land where the government wants to do their target practice - people headed in to camp on the land illegally and be arrested. The arrests never came, however, perhaps because the German police had other things to worry about further north. After the rally ended and folks were headed into the forest to set up camp, others of us headed up to Rostock. Most of the rest were planning to head there the next morning. I sped down the highway with a car full of anarchists from England, Belgium and the US that I had picked up, and made for the Convergence Center. As I had anticipated, it was jammed with people and full of activity and anticipation. Everything was in high gear. Information was flying around about who was being stopped on the highway, which borders were being closed, who was being turned away from Denmark or Holland, were the police in one of the camps or not, which roads were open in the city, how many people were still being held from a protest the day before in Hamburg, how many arrests had their been at an anti-Nazi protest nearby, and so on. With another car full of people I headed out to Reddelich Camp. It was June 1st. The camp looked nothing like what I had seen only a few days before. What had been tents had turned into buildings made of pallettes and other pieces of found wood or downed trees dragged out of the forest. Near the bustling tent-turned-building where I did my concert, people had built a huge children's play area, including a merry-go-round type thing which was fit for an amusement park. Eight people (kids or adults) could fit on the eight seats that surrounded a large pole with ropes connected to each seat. Once other people pushed it clockwise so the ropes were wound up around the pole, it could spin fantastically for five minutes or so on it's own. Nearby was a very impressive jungle jim kind of thing. The kitchen was in full swing, feeding thousands of people. There was a welcome center to help people orient and figure out how to plug in to what was happening. There was a building with computers with broadband internet access, and many, many more structures that I didn't have a chance to investigate. Hundreds of people were milling about at the bar by the time the sound system and the improvised mike stand was constructed, at 11 pm. One friend of mine there from the US was skeptical about whether this crowd of mostly anarchist youth was going to be interested in some guy with an acoustic guitar, when it might be assumed that many of them were more into punk rock. As soon as I started strumming, though, the milling crowd turned instantly into an attentive audience, and suddenly I recognized people I knew from all over Europe and North America. There they were, people I had just recently seen in Utrecht, Gothenberg, Copenhagen, and other folks I hadn't seen in months or years from England, Belgium, Berlin . . . And, as always at these mass convergences, mostly just lots of good people I had never met before. I headed back to town in the wee hours of the morning to get some sleep before heading to the train station for the big rally. I thought about the jaded leftists I've known who say these mass convergences are pointless, and how completely wrong they are for saying this. Whatever did or didn't happen in Heilingendam this week, thousands of people from all over the world have worked together, marched together, sat in together, made new friends, and they'll be bringing these connections and these experiences home with them. Whether the G8 meetings were seriously disrupted or just inconvenienced, the authorities and the world at large has once again had to take notice. All is not well in paradise, and just who calls the shots, and in whose interests, is not at all set in stone. Whether refugees shall be welcomed or shunned, whether countries shall export arms or build windmills, whether forests shall be forests or bombing ranges, whether villages shall be villages or industrial harbors, whether recreational drug users shall be productive members of society or shall be thrown away in prison, these are all matters of life or death, and these matters are by no means decided. Democracy is in the streets, in the big cities, the small towns, the forests - but not in the seaside resorts. Sometimes - often - governments are compelled, forced to listen to their people, especially when the people shout loud enough, long enough, sit down in the streets and refuse to move. And sometimes when so-called democracies feel they must defend themselves with armies of riot police, the cobblestones get broken. They can be replaced. David Rovics is a singer-songwriter who tours regularly throughout North America, Europe, and occasionally elsewhere. Read other articles by David (http://www.dissidentvoice.org/author/DavidRovics/), or visit David's website (http://www.davidrovics.com/). From NevadaSpirit1 at aol.com Wed Jun 13 07:44:09 2007 From: NevadaSpirit1 at aol.com (NevadaSpirit1 at aol.com) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 10:44:09 EDT Subject: [Onthebarricades] Re: [bangla-vision] Germany G8 Blockades 12 - profiles of activists Message-ID: They will simply never get what they want as they do not have the authority, resources, contacts, political power and influence and above all, THE TYPE OF JOB to effect change. In a message dated 13/06/2007 15:40:52 GMT Daylight Time, ldxar1 at tesco.net writes: The Faces of Protest On the inside of the fence, eight world leaders will be discussing the planet's most pressing problems. Outside, up to 100,000 demonstrators will be marching against them. But what do the protesters actually want? SPIEGEL ONLINE takes a closer look. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From NevadaSpirit1 at aol.com Wed Jun 13 07:49:43 2007 From: NevadaSpirit1 at aol.com (NevadaSpirit1 at aol.com) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 10:49:43 EDT Subject: [Onthebarricades] Re: [bangla-vision] Germany G8 Blockades 12 - profiles of activists Message-ID: People also tend not to listen to and take students very seriously. After all, they have not yet achieved any real position of power / authority that warrants being listened to. Its not the level of your formal education but the level of YOUR JOB that ultimately counts and how you are judged and measured on at the end of the day. Rubina. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 09:15:02 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 17:15:02 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Fw: [Prison_Petitions] Fwd: Petition for Civil Rights and Redress Message-ID: <0c1901c7add6$00c86c50$0202a8c0@andy1> ----- Original Message ----- From: aeblankenship at aol.com To: undisclosed-recipients: Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 5:46 PM Subject: [Prison_Petitions] Fwd: Petition for Civil Rights and Redress http://www.upetitions.com/petitions/190/EndPoliceBrutality! Please log on to sign the petition! Petition for Civil Rights and Redress UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE We, the undersigned, residing in the commonwealth state of Virginia, city/county demand a federal investigation seeking to abolish the Roanoke city, and state of Virginia police brutality, civil-human rights abuses, subjected to police intimidation, and-or unlawful arrest. TO: U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue,NW Washington, DC 20530-0001 Office of the Assistant Attorney General, Main Washington, D.C. 20530 Department of Justice Main Switchboard - 202-514-2000 Office of the Attorney General - 202-353-1555 Telephone Number for the General Public - (202) 514-4609 Alberto Gonzalez, Attorney General Washington D.C. AskDOJ at usdoj.gov Darrell McGraw, Attorney General, Virginia consumer at wvago.gov webmaster at wvagrx.com FBI, Washington D.C. http://washingtondc.fbi.gov/ FBI, Virginia http://norfolk.fbi.gov/ On 06/17/06, an African American male was stopped by a Roanoke city police officer, and was asked to get out of his vehicle. He was handcuffed and searched. A officer asked Ricky Poindexter for his wallet , and he told the officer that he couldn't find it.The officer, along with Ricky Poindexter then stepped out of the view of the camera in his vehicle that was recording the incident. Another officer searched the vehicle, and found Ricky Poindexter's wallet. The officer, escalating, shouted obcenities at Poindexter and hit him, knocking him back several feet in the view of the camera. Several officers tackled Ricky Poindexter and began hitting and kicking him while in view of the camera. Link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dsh_MPSnQZE This is just ONE senseless example of the shameful exacerbation, in all impunity, of Police racist, unabated brutality in the City of Roanoke, Virginia For more information and support, please contact: Pastors Against Injustice What does the 4th of July mean to a person of color, or Thanksgiving to a Native American? http://maskedbro.tripod.com/ pastorsagainstinjustice at yahoo.com Roanoke, Virginia End Police Brutality, Racial Profiling, Civil/Human Rights Violations, in the City of Roanoke and the State of Virginia, NOW ! _____________________________________________________________________ PASTORS AGAINST POLICE MISCONDUCT Pastors Against Injustice ... a God who sits high and looks down low who can see the injustice caused by racist or cowardly police officers and justice will ... http://maskedbro.tripod.com/ http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeo9ewi/idrissstelleyfoundation/ Law Enforcement Accountability Direct Services Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Psalm 1:1 http://maskedbro.tripod.com http://www.myspace.com/maskedbro iolmisha at cs.com What does the 4th of July mean to a person of color, or Thanksgiving to a Native American? The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue. http://maskedbro.tripod.com Pastors Against Injustice Roanoke, Virginia iolmisha at cs.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- See what's free at AOL.com. __._,_.___ Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages | Files | Photos | Links | Database | Polls | Members | Calendar Visit and put these links on your website! Prison Ministry Reference Library and Online Store: http://FreeBible.us we bring inmates home, changed! 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Connect with others. . __,_._,___ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 09:19:37 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 17:19:37 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Fw: (SPN) Protest demo against Farooq Tariq detention Message-ID: <0c4b01c7add6$a4b217d0$0202a8c0@andy1> ----- Original Message ----- From: Rizwan Atta To: socialist_pakistan_news at yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 3:12 PM Subject: (SPN) Protest demo against Farooq Tariq detention Protest demo against Farooq Tariq's detention LAHORE: Labour Party Pakistan (LPP) Tuesday ( 12 June) organised a protest demonstration against the illegal detention of LPP's General Secretary Farooq Tariq in front of Lahore Press Club. Braving a high temperature of 47 degree centigrade, over 300 protestors gathered at 4: 30 pm amidst sizzling heat in Lahore. They were raising slogans against General Pervaiz Mushrraf regime and demanding immediate release of LPP leader and all other political prisoners. They were holding posters with Farooq pictures, banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the repressive regime of General Mushrraf. The charged crowd chanted anti- Mushrraf slogans with full voice while police looked on. The red party flags were hurling all around. Among most recited slogans include "Go Mushraff go", Release Farooq Tariq, " Free Farooq Tariq and political activists", "No to dictatorship", "No role for army in politics" etc. A large number of LPP workers, representatives of civil society organizations, trade unions and political parties participated in the protest demo. At the end of demo some activists delivered brief speeches. They vowed to continue struggle against Mushrraf regime and demanded of the government to withdraw cases and immediately release Farooq Tariq and all other political prisoners. Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion include Secretary Pakistan Social Forum Irfan Mufti, Convener Lahore High Court lawyers committee for coordination with civil society Kawar Hehmood Khatana, President All Pakistan Teachers Federation Muhammad Azam Butt, General Secretary National Workers Party, Malik Aslam, Chairperson Labour Party Pakistan, Nisar Shah, Prof. Nisar Saffadar advocate, Mahmood Butt General Secretary All Pakistan Bhatta Mazdoor Union, Azra Shad Chairperson Women Workers Help Line, Yousif Baloch and Moin Nawaz Pannu of National Trade Union Federation and Eng. Saleemulla of Jamiat Ulamia Pakistan. The protesters peacefully dispersed after one hour demonstration. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! oneSearch: Finally, mobile search that gives answers, not web links. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. 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Mail Next gen email? Try the all-new Yahoo! Mail Beta. Y! Messenger Want a quick chat? Chat over IM with group members. New web site? Drive traffic now. Get your business on Yahoo! search. . __,_._,___ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 13 09:21:01 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 17:21:01 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] IRAQ: Oil workers claim victory as talks resume Message-ID: <0c6401c7add6$d67be980$0202a8c0@andy1> Iraqi Oil Workers Claim Tactical Victory as Negotiations Resume and Ministry of Oil Rebuked PRESS RELEASE Monday 11th June 2007 Dear all, Below is the full translation of a message received today, Monday 11 June 2007, from Hassan Juma'a, president of the Federation of Oil Union (IFOU) declaring a tactical victory in the ongoing struggle of Iraqi oil workers. On behalf of Naftana, we would like to extend our thanks to all, from across the world, who have campaigned and written to express solidarity with the oil workers and the IFOU. Naftana will continue to relay news of the oil workers in their struggle to improve living and working conditions, assert trade union rights and protect Iraq's oil from the proposed oil law, championed by the occupation governments. Naftana Full text of message: "Warm greetings, We would like to inform you of the latest developments in the oil workers strike in the south. Finally the workers have won in demanding their legitimate rights. That is why an enlarged meeting was held with his excellency the minister of State for the Parliament Affairs lasting five hours resulting in the cessation of all the failings resulting from the conduct of the Iraqi Ministry of Oil and the irresponsible stance of the oil minister. Most of the issues within the remit of the prime minister were dealt with. The meeting was very successful, because the minister represented the prime minister. The activation of the committee formed by the prime minister to deal with the outstanding problems was affirmed. And after deliberations within our union, the two sides agreed to halt the strike and to use dialogue in dealings to resolve the outstanding issues. On the other hand, all problems were presented to His Eminence Sayyid Sistani, and the Iraqi ministry of oil was reprimanded for its improper conduct. Therefore, we would like to say to all that the workers will is indestructible. The workers can achieve what they want by the means available to them and their strength. And the oil workers are very strong, because they have a legitimate right. The workers have scored a third victory in demanding their rights. Long live the Iraqi working class. Regards, Hassan Juma'a Awwad -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 22 08:57:02 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 16:57:02 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] PAKISTAN: Leftists protest budget Message-ID: <035301c7b4e5$fa7b6610$0202a8c0@andy1> On Monday, 18th of June, the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party (CMKP) and People's Rights Movement protested against the recent budget outside the Parliament House, Islamabad. The protestors from CMKP were holding placards that read: "down with the anti-poor, pro-elite budget"; "free judiciary, media, and people"; "down with the Military Inc."; "down with fascism, power to the people". The agitators raised slogans against military dictatorship, the burdensome expenses of Pakistan Army, and their involvement in businesses. Listening to the slogans of the "reds", Liaqat Baloch, MNA, approached the demonstration, and told that it has been a long time since he heard the slogans of the *surkhas*, the last time being during the college. He appreciated the work being done by the leftist forces in the present anti-military struggle. As soon as he left the microphone, the agitators raised the slogan: "zinda hein surkhey, zinda hein"; "Lenin ke jialey, zinda hein"; "insaaf ke khatir, zinda hein". The protest was given good coverage by the media. The pictures of the CMKP cadres holding the placards with radical messages appeared on a number of newspapers. Media Coverage: Demo demands cut in defence budget Staff Reporter http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_IsbNews.aspx?dtlid=103082&catid=17&date=06/19/2007&fcatid=14 ISLAMABAD: The People's Rights Movement (PRM), Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party (CMKP) and other leftwing political organisations Monday held a protest demonstration outside the Parliament House urging government to reduce defence budget. They also condemned the statements of federal defence minister and other government functionaries who have said the defence budget could not be made public and there was no chance of reducing it. The protestors were holding placards and chanted slogans garnering the attention of members of Parliament. Asha Amirali of the PRM said the defence minister's statement was deplorable as it showed the utter contempt that the ruling class harboured towards working people and their democratic demands. __._,_.___ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 22 10:01:15 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 18:01:15 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Fw: GREECE: "Anarchists" gatecrash festival, injure performer Message-ID: <047901c7b4ee$f30ed480$0202a8c0@andy1> Not sure quite why anarchists would go after this event - maybe anti-sexism against Beastie Boys? Or is this just the media tagging everything on "anarchists" again? http://www.pr-inside.com/underworld-dj-injured-in-riot-r157510.htm UNDERWORLD DJ INJURED IN RIOT Print article Refer to a friend Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com) 2007-06-19 09:23:17 - UNDERWORLD DJ RICK SMITH was injured in a riot at the Ejekt Festival in Athens, Greece on Saturday (16Jun07). The Born Slippy group cancelled their set alongside Madness and The Beastie Boys after Smith was left needing medical treatment following the furore. A 30-strong group of masked vigilantes stormed the festival during the Beastie Boys' performance at 11.20pm on Saturday, carrying iron bars, baseball bats and tear gas. The self-described "anarchists" damaged cars and properties and their actions led police to evacuate the stadium. Smith was initially admitted to an Athens hospital, but is now seeking further treatment in his native Britain. http://www.mirror.co.uk/showbiz/2007/06/22/lager--lager--lager----fighting-89520-19337715/ LAGER, LAGER, LAGER .. FIGHTING Brit band bashed as mob storm gig By Laurie Hanna 22/06/2007 a.. More Showbiz DANCE music stars Underworld were battered when a 300-strong mob invaded a rock festival. The masked thugs sprayed CS gas and set about hundreds of fans with baseball bats, clubs and iron bars. Several people were seriously hurt. Underworld, famous for their Born Slippy "lager, lager" anthem, used in hit film Trainspotting, were attacked as they got ready to play. Producer Rick Smith was hit on the side of the head by a rock and rushed to hospital covered in blood. Guards hustled fellow Brit band Madness out of Athens' Olympic baseball ground, which was evacuated as the chaos worsened. The yobs, thought to be anarchists, stormed the stage as US rappers the Beastie Boys performed. A fan said: "Cars were torched and several people hospitalised. They broke everything, beat the c**p out of people, destroyed bars and threw bottles into the crowd." Organisers of the Ejekt festival blamed Greek police for turning up "several hours" after they were called. An Underworld spokesman said: "Rick was struck on the head but there appears to be no lasting damage."" He flew to the UK for further treatment after his night in hospital. http://www.ministryofsound.com/news/features/20070620_underworld Underworld Caught Up In Riot 20 June 2007 Rick Smith injured as masked men invade festival stage... Kings of live electronica, Underworld, had to cancel their performance at the Ejekt Festival in Athens at the weekend when the event degenerated into a full scale riot. A group of around 30 masked men armed with baseball bats, iron bars and CS gas and reported to be local 'anarchists' stormed the stage at around 11.20pm as the Beastie Boys were performing. Underworld producer Rick Smith, vocalist Carl Hyde and DJ Darren Price were preparing to close the festival, but in the following chaos Rick was among those who got hurt. A statement on the band's website says: "As cars were burned and property damaged, the stadium was evacuated. Underworlds' Rick Smith was one of the injured. He was hospitalised for a time in Athens, but has now returned to the UK for further treatment. Several other people including security guards were seriously hurt." Such actions by anarchist groups have been known before in Greece. Meanwhile fans have been assured the incident won't effect Underworld's big UK summer appearance at Renaissance Wild in the Country. They top the bill alongside the likes of Hot Chip, Sasha & Digweed, 2ManyDJs, Eric Prydz, Tiga and Francois K. at the event at Knebworth on June 30th. http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php?id=23882_0_2_0_C Underworld member gets beaten by Greek anarchists Posted on 20 Jun, 2007 - Bookmark at del.icio.us The British electronic music duo Karl Hyde and Rick Smith aka Underworld have been forced to cancel their set at the Ejekt Festival in Athens, Greece last Saturday. Around 30 Greek masked anarchists apparently armed with CS gas, iron bars and baseball bats stormed the stadium while the Beastie Boys were performing. Rick Smith was also attacked and suffered injuries after which he was taken to a nearby Athens hospital. It's not unusual in Greece that anarchists cause an uproar. Underworld are currently finishing their fifth studio album, "Oblivion with Bells, expected to be released in October of 2007. A single from the new album should be released in summer 2007. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: printer.gif Type: image/gif Size: 1299 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 22 16:10:08 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2007 00:10:08 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] INDONESIA: Workers protest against outsourcing Message-ID: <08f801c7b522$7bb7b120$0202a8c0@andy1> Scrap outsourcing, laborers demand Jakarta Post - June 18, 2007 Jakarta -- Hundreds of laborers with the Force Labor Alliance staged a rally at the Cakung Bonded Zone, North Jakarta, to demand the government scrap the current outsourcing and working-under-contract system. "We demand that the system be scraped as it is unfair for laborers," alliance's coordinator Ilhamsyah told Antara newswire on Saturday. He explained the system affected wages and income and caused uncertainty among laborers about their employment period. Under the current Labor Law, companies can outsource their workforce to reduce the need for human resource administration. Although some critics say the law was introduced to avoid paying severance pay and additional annual bonuses. Business people argue the country's real sector needed to take measures to compete with emerging manufacturing hubs like China and Thailand. But laborers under the alliance said the system only provided benefits to companies. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 22 16:17:10 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2007 00:17:10 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] BRAZIL: Report from MST Congress Message-ID: <093f01c7b523$76f5c6d0$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.redress.cc/americas/ikenfield20070619 Landless rural workers confront Brazil's Lula -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brazil's workers vow to continue struggle for land and against agribusiness interests By Isabella Kenfield* 19 June 2007 Isabella Kenfield highlights the gap that is developing between Brazil's President Luis In?cio "Lula" da Silva and his erstwhile allies in the Movement of Landless Rural Workers over the president's failure to overturn many of the neo-liberal policies imposed on the country by Washington and his general failure to move to the left politically. Last week the Brazilian Movement of Landless Rural Workers (MST) held its fifth National Congress in Bras?lia, the country's capital. The power the MST has garnered throughout its 23 years was palpable, as more than 17,500 delegates from 24 states and almost 200 international guests marched to the Square of the Three Powers, situated between the buildings of the Executive, Judicial and the Legislative branches of government. Marchers hung a huge banner in the square that read, "We accuse the three powers of impeding agrarian reform." In the minds of most MST members, President Luis In?cio "Lula" da Silva and the Workers' Party (PT) have failed to implement the radical economic and social reforms that were promised, especially agrarian reform. According to Jos? Maria Tardin, who was elected the first mayor of the PT in the state of Paran? in 1989, and now works in the MST, "For the left, Lula is the biggest political tragedy in the history of Brazil." In a discussion with reporters, founder and national organizer of the MST Jo?o Pedro Stedile recalled that when Lula was elected in 2001 the MST hoped that Brazil would overturn many of the neo-liberal policies imposed on the country by Washington and institutions like the International Monetary Fund. However, "nobody can say that Lula is implementing an alternative project. We cannot be so simplistic as to say that everything is Lula's fault, but the Lula government does not represent the working class, and is not on the left," Stedile said. He pointed out that, during Lula's first four-year mandate, the financial sector accumulated more capital than it did during the previous eight years under President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. This public acknowledgment of the fracture in the MST's historic alliance with Lula and the PT represents a major shift toward a more confrontational stance. One MST member reported that Lula requested to speak at the Congress, but was refused. Lula had previously turned down requests to meet with the MST since he was elected for a second term last October. Thursday's [14 June] march was important for the MST's relationship with the rest of Brazilian society, as many urban Brazilians, also disillusioned, still believe the MST supports Lula. The MST's grievance with Lula reflects his failure to move to the left politically, unlike other leaders in Latin America, such as Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, Evo Morales in Bolivia and Rafael Correa in Ecuador. Not only has Lula not slowed the advance of foreign capital in Brazil, in many ways he is speeding it up as with, for example, his recent promotion of Brazil's ethanol production for export to the United States. In terms of geographic size, population and economic power, Brazil is the largest country in Latin America. As long as Brazil does not take on Washington's neo-liberal policies, the region's ability to consolidate its leftward shift will be impeded. Increasing anger and hostility directed at the United States was also a major subject during the Congress. On route to Three Powers' Square, the marchers passed the US embassy, where they deposited coffins with the names of countries, including Iraq, Palestine, Haiti and Afghanistan, and threw garbage onto the lawn of the embassy. Fran?ois Houtart, Director of the TriContinental Centre in Belgium, declared, "Neo-liberalism is in crisis, and the imperialism of the United States is in decline. Imperialism is losing, but it is still strong." Houtart said that global capital is searching for "new frontiers of domination", citing agricultural biotechnology, agribusiness and the privatization of public resources. Juan Reardon, National Coordinator for the Friends of the MST, based in Santa Cruz, California, agreed with Houtart's assessment. "Iraq is showing that the US military isn't invincible," he said. "The war in Iraq is calling into question the entire US military power structure." The Congress closed with a videotape message from Subcomandante Marcos of the Mexican Zapatista movement. He said the MST has our affection and our respect, and also has our admiration... We feel fraternity for all of the organizations and people that struggle for land, because not one nation can be truly called sovereign if the land is not in the hands of those who work it. There can be no social justice as long as production is for the foreign thieves and not the workers. Marcos's message highlighted the importance the MST has assumed in the growing global struggle against neo-liberalism, especially in Latin America. Since its founding in 1984 it started organizing landless, poor rural families to non-violently occupy the unproductive lands of large landowners. The MST has also played a significant role in the organization of the international Via Campesina, a social movement active on four continents with over 150 organizations. Indeed, despite the various challenges the MST faces in building an alternative project in Brazil, there were also many reasons for the Congress delegates to celebrate. The MST has pressured the government to settle over 370,000 families on land, and has also advanced significantly in the area of education, especially literacy for adults. With the slogan "Each and every Landless studying," the MST has formed relationships with federal and state universities, and foreign governments such as Venezuela and Cuba, to increase popular education in literacy and medicine. The MST is also in the vanguard in the adoption of agroecology and food sovereignty policies, both of which have been gaining increasing popularity in more progressive development circles since the early 2000s. As the movement has evolved, it has become increasingly aware of the need to reject industrialized agriculture, especially monoculture with the use of agrotoxins, and production of commodity crops for export. Agroecology is viewed as a way for people, especially the rural poor, to secure independence from multinational agribusiness corporations. The Congress was also used as a forum for the MST to raise support for the Via Campesina's occupation of the Syngenta corporation's experimental site in the state of Paran?, which was taken over by the movement on 14 March 2006 after the Brazilian government confirmed that Syngenta had illegally planted transgenic soy. The site is located within the protective boundaries of the Igua?u National Park, which was declared the Patrimony of Humanity by the United Nations in 1986. The social movements have joined forces with Governor Roberto Requi?o to expropriate these holdings of the agribusiness multinational. In its final letter to Brazilian society, the MST declared that it will continue to "struggle so that all of the large landholdings are expropriated, with the properties of foreign capital and the banks being prioritized". It will "combat multinational corporations, like Monsanto, Syngenta, Cargill, Bunge, ADM, Nestl?, Basf, Bayer, Aracruz and Stora Enso, that seek to control seeds and Brazilian agricultural production and commerce". -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Isabella Kenfield is an associate of the Centre for the Study of the Americas (CENSA), Berkeley, California, and a journalist based in Curitiba, Brazil, writing about the social movements, agribusiness, agrarian conflicts and rural development. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 22 16:21:43 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2007 00:21:43 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] US, CANADA: Prison uprisings Message-ID: <095201c7b524$1a067770$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7007679136 New Brunswick Prison Locked Down After Riot June 18, 2007 4:43 p.m. EST Valerie Chang - AHN News Writer Renous, NB (AHN) - A federal prison in New Brunswick was locked down through Sunday after inmates began rioting. Reports from the Canadian Press indicated that more than 50 inmates refused to return to their cells on Saturday, and began rioting after one inmate complained about the quality of health care services he received. Among other things, the inmates had attempted to start a fire at the prison. Although there were no reports of injuries, the maximum security prison remained in lockdown through Sunday while prison authorities and the RCMP investigated the matter. http://www.timesleader.com/news/20070618_18riot_1a_ART.html 4 hurt in riot at juvie PA Child Care juvenile detention center focus of police departments. Juveniles in 1 dorm reportedly ganged up on staff. TERRIE MORGAN-BESECKER and SHEENA DELAZIO PITTSTON TWP. -- More than 100 police officers from 16 departments across Luzerne County converged on Luzerne County's juvenile detention center Sunday to quell a riot involving 13 juveniles and staff. Pittston Township police said four people - two staff members and two juveniles - were transported to hospitals for injuries. Police believe one staff member may have suffered a broken jaw. The extent of injuries to the others was not known late Sunday night. Pittston Township officer John Alaimo said the disturbance at PA Child Care began with two juveniles. Staff tried to break it up and other juveniles "ganged up on the staff." Alaimo said a contingent of officers stormed the dorm at around 9:30 p.m. Juveniles had blocked the doors with mattresses, chairs and tables, but officers were able to break through. All the juveniles had already retreated to their rooms by the time the officers entered. "They must have heard us coming and they went back to their rooms," Alaimo said. One staff member inside the dorm locked him or herself in the bathroom for safety. Things were under control within 30 minutes after arrival, Alaimo said. He said there was extensive damage to the dorm including broken furniture and smashed windows. He estimated damage at at least $10,000. Alaimo said the large contingency of police was called in because initial reports indicated the entire facility was under riot. It turned out that the disturbance involved only one dorm. "We got the call everyone was rioting; we didn't know it was one dorm that held 15 people; there are five other dorms here with 10-15 juveniles each," Alaimo said. Don Hudzinski, president of the Pittston Township Ambulance Association, said there are approximately 50 juveniles at the facility. Pittston Township assistant police chief Leonard Trotta said all of the juveniles involved are from out-of-state. The call came in at 9:20 p.m., said Alaimo, who was first on the scene by 9:25 and waited for backup. Initially, SERT squads, similar to a SWAT team, were called in, but were later canceled. The officers began clearing the scene by about 11:12 p.m. "We have no idea what started the riot," Hudzinski said, adding there are certain protocols for officials to follow for this type of situation. "It depends on the number of injured people. We're really equipped to handle any situation." State police from multiple barracks, as well as cruisers spotted from West Pittston, Duryea, Kingston, Hughestown, Edwardsville, Exeter Township, Wyoming, Forty Fort, Avoca, Moosic, Dupont and Scranton were at the scene. A joint investigation will be performed by Pittston Township police, state police and the district attorney's office, Trotta said. They expect charges will be filed against juveniles, but specific offenses were not clear. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 22 16:42:50 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2007 00:42:50 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] JORDAN: War on terror political prisoner at risk during hunger strike Message-ID: <0a6601c7b527$0cc02720$0202a8c0@andy1> Not quite sure how this Islamic theologian has been tarred as "al-Qaeda" - guilt by association I guess... http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L17704829.htm Qaeda mentor health deteriorates in hunger strike 17 Jun 2007 14:21:41 GMT Source: Reuters AMMAN, June 17 (Reuters) - The health of Jordanian Sheikh Abu Mohammad al-Maqdisi, a leading al Qaeda thinker, has deteriorated after a three-week hunger strike to protest his two year imprisonment without trial, his family said on Sunday. Maqdisi, who was regarded as the spiritual mentor of slain al Qaeda leader in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was re-arrested in July 2005 following his acquittal at a trial of Jordanian and Saudi sympathisers of al Qaeda. Family sources said Maqdisi, 48, who is held in solitary confinement in the intelligence headquarters, was barely able to stand on his feet and held by prison guards when they saw him on Friday during a short visit. "His health has deteriorated. He has been on hunger strike for the last three weeks and this has begun to affect his condition," a close family member who requested anonymity told Reuters. Maqdisi was angry at the authorities' refusal to allow him to attend the funeral of his father who died last month, his family said. They said he had also been subjected to beatings to try to make him recant his beliefs. No security official was immediately available for comment. Maqdisi and Zarqawi shared a cell block for four years between 1995 and 1999. Both were freed in an amnesty. Zarqawi later went to Afghanistan then Iraq. U.S intelligence officials say Maqdisi is a major jihadi thinker who wields more influence over Islamist ideology than leading militants such as Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahri. A study by a private think tank of the U.S. military academy West Point last year described Maqdisi, a self-taught religious intellectual, as the most influential living Islamist thinker. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 22 16:49:08 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2007 00:49:08 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] Kimberley gas protest Message-ID: <0ac901c7b527$ee10d120$0202a8c0@andy1> Conservationists protest Kimberley gas plant Activists have converged on a drilling rig off the Western Australian coast to protest against plans to build a major gas plant. The protesters say a Japanese project will destroy one of the world's last wilderness areas. Arriving in boats and seaplanes, the activists hung banners on a drilling rig at the Maret Islands, north-east of Broome. Japanese company Inpex is using the rig to assess the area for a liquefied natural gas plant to service one of Australia's biggest reserves, the Browse Basin. The conservationists and tour operators travelled hundreds of kilometres to highlight their concerns. Protester and conservationist Malcolm Douglas told the crowd the plant would destroy one of the world's last great wilderness areas. "We've come to the Maret Islands to protest because we've got the beginning of industrialisation of the Kimberley," he said. "If they were doing this at Uluru, if they were doing this off the Great Barrier Reef, the whole of the east coast of Australia would know what's going on," he said. Neither the Western Australian Government nor the Commonwealth, who have been asked to approve the project, would comment. Inpex also declined to be interviewed but it labelled the protesters' claims as "scaremongering" in a statement. The island's native title claimants earlier announced they were willing to negotiate a deal with the company. Lyndon Schneiders Queensland Campaign Manager The Wilderness Society 136 Boundary Road WEST END Q 4101 073 844 6499 wk 0407 667 076 m cape.york at wilderness.org.au Lucinda Douglass Community Campaigner (Brisbane) and Northern Australia Working Group COnvenor The Wilderness Society (QLD) Ph: (07) 3846 1420, (mob) 0425 266 926 Fx: (07) 3846 1620 Address: PO Box 5427 2/136 Boundary St (up stairs from St Vinnies) West End, 4101 mailto: lucinda.douglass at wilderness.org.au Website: www.wilderness.org.au Protecting, Promoting and Restoring Australian Wilderness - For Life on Earth You can help - Call 1800 030 641 today! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _______________________________________________ BlackGreenSolidarity mailing list BlackGreenSolidarity at lists.perthimc.asn.au http://lists.perthimc.asn.au/mailman/listinfo/blackgreensolidarity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 22 17:18:47 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2007 01:18:47 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] CHINA: Thousands resist eviction in Inner Mongolia Message-ID: <0b4801c7b52c$126780b0$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20070616204453174 Inner Mongolia, China: Thousands of residents resist eviction by riot police Saturday, June 16 2007 @ 08:44 PM PDT Contributed by: Anonymous Views: 148 According to a New Tang Dynasty TV Station (NTDTV) report, on June 8, a battle between riot police and more than a thousand local residents in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, left twenty people injured, with three critically wounded, and three more arrested. Conflict in Inner Mongolia By Tan Hohua, The Epoch Times June 15, 2007 (www.ntdtv.com) According to a New Tang Dynasty TV Station (NTDTV) report, on June 8, a battle between riot police and more than a thousand local residents in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, left twenty people injured, with three critically wounded, and three more arrested. In order to secure land to build a Genghis Khan-themed square in a residential district in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, the Chinese communist regime evicted more than three thousand families from their homes. According to Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy, there are 13,000 families located in the district; most of them are employees of state-owned railway companies. According to local residents, the regime only offers 1,300 yuan (approximately US$168) per square meter for their relocation, far below the market value of 3,500 yuan (approximately US$454) per square meter. According to the Information Center, the conflict began when the riot police and demolition workers started to clear the fences around the district. "The police beat them and twisted their arms until they broke. An old man stood in front of a police car to prevent it from leaving. People demanded justice, but the police didn't care," one female local resident told NTDTV. "The city government played deaf. We called newspapers and radio stations, but no one came. The government called the local hospitals and told them not to treat injured civilians. We had to go to a hospital very far away." The conflict triggered thousands of locals protested and blocked several highways. It affected at least five highways in the city of Hohhot and caused traffic jam from 12 noon until six in the evening. Illegal land seizures have become commonplace in mainland China, but mainland media have been forbidden to report this topic. Please view NTDTV's video report at NTDTV.com: http://www.ntdtv.com/xtr/en/2007/06/14/a_49889.html http://chinaworker.info/en/content/news/206/ Residents fight forced evictions in Inner Mongolia Wed, 13 Jun 2007. 5,000 railway workers and their families confront police in the city of Hohhot in China's latest outbreak of unrest Thousands of workers and local residents clashed with armed police last Friday in a struggle against eviction from their apartments - earmarked for demolition by city government. This outbreak of mass civil disobedience in the nominally 'autonomous' region of Inner Mongolia, coming just days after violent protests in Chongqing, Zhengzhou and in an ethnic Tibetan region of Sichuan province, makes it hard to believe official claims that 'mass incidents' are less frequent in China this year. According to a report from the Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, based in Hong Kong, about 500 police plus workers from a construction company faced some 5,000 residents determined to protest a compensation offer set at just 40 per cent of the city's average housing price. At least 20 people were reported injured, three were arrested and several police vehicles were damaged as the residents fought for most of last Friday to prevent the destruction of a fence around their community, which lies adjacent to the city's main railway station. Most of the residents of the community - numbering 13,000 - are railway workers and their families. An officer from one of Hohhot's police stations told the German press agency, DPA, that six police vehicles were damaged. The city government declined to comment on the incident. The residents blocked several roads for about six hours according to reports. The action comes on the heels of a report from an international housing rights group that catalogued serious abuses in the redevelopment of Beijing and other cities in China. These abuses included giving little or no notice of eviction, false promises of compensation, violence and intimidation, the Geneva-based Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) said in a report. "In Beijing, and in China more generally, the process of demolition and eviction is characterized by arbitrariness and lack of due process," the COHRE report noted. Working class unity in struggle Hohhot is the provincial capital of the nominally 'autonomous' province of Inner Mongolia. The incident comes as the city gears up to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, a sensitive issue especially among the younger generation of ethnic Mongolians who have become more outspoken in their hostility to continued Han Chinese domination. Mongolians make up less than a third of the population of the province, which is also home to many smaller ethnic groups. The province's economy has boomed in recent years on the back of the surge in prices for coal and other resources. But this newfound wealth have been pocketed by a business and political elite, with ordinary workers and farmers seeing few benefits, while the region's environmental problems have only been exacerbated. The protests in Hohhot underline the need for the unity of the poor and oppressed of all ethnic groups in order to stand up to the injustices of capitalism, official corruption and police brutality. The clashes in Hohhot come at the end of a week that saw more than 2,000 residents fight with police in China's largest city, Chongqing, after a flower seller was beaten by police. A similar incident involving a young female student who had her teeth knocked out by city inspectors triggered a riot by several thousand students and workers in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province. Meanwhile in the southwestern province of Sichuan, violence erupted as Tibetan farmers tried to protest against a mining company's encroachment on local land. The Chinese government have released figures for 2006 claiming to show a decline of about one-third in the number of so-called 'mass incidents' (protests involving 100 people or more). These events - all in the same week - do not lend much credibility to official claims. Many other incidents are never reported. http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=75815 Chinese residents clash with police Thursday, June 14, 2007 BEIJING - Reuters About 5,000 people clashed with police in northern China last week during a protest against forced relocation, a Hong Kong human rights watchdog said yesterday. At least 20 people were injured, two women seriously, and three were arrested during the incident in the Inner Mongolia region last Friday, in which three police cars were smashed, the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said. Thousands blocked a highway in the city of Hohhot to protest against inadequate compensation for their homes' demolition to make way for a new plaza, it said. "We are dealing with this carefully, but the situation is now under control," Meng Shude, spokesman for the Communist Party in Inner Mongolia, told Reuters. The incident comes as Hohhot gears up to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.Chinese have become increasingly bold about protesting over home demolitions, pollution and corrupt land grabs as China's booming cities and factories swallow up neighborhoods and farmland. http://www.chinapost.com.tw/international/112310.htm 5,000 clash with police in north China Thursday, June 14, 2007 BEIJING, Reuters About 5,000 people clashed with police in northern China last week during a protest against forced relocation, a Hong Kong human rights watchdog said on Wednesday. At least 20 people were injured, two women seriously, and three were arrested during the incident in the Inner Mongolia region last Friday, in which three police cars were smashed, the Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said. Thousands blocked a highway in the city of Hohhot to protest against inadequate compensation for their homes' demolition to make way for a new plaza, it said. "We're dealing with this carefully, but the situation is now under control," Meng Shude, spokesman for the Communist Party in Inner Mongolia, told Reuters. The incident comes as Hohhot gears up to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Chinese have become increasingly bold about protesting over home demolitions, pollution and corrupt land grabs as China's booming cities and factories swallow up neighbourhoods and farmland. Thousands marched in the streets this month in the southeastern seaside city of Xiamen to demand that plans for a paraxylene plant be scrapped. Villagers in Guangxi rioted and burned cars in May to protest overly strict enforcement of family planning policies. Official figures show the number of so-called "mass incidents" was 23,000 in 2006, compared to about 10,000 in 1994, but down from 74,000 in 2004. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 22 18:00:14 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2007 02:00:14 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] OAXACA: Protesters mark anniversary of unrest Message-ID: <0ce901c7b531$dcc0db40$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=13266§ionid=3510207 Mexican protesters mark riot anniversary Sat, 16 Jun 2007 03:05:15 Thousands marched the streets in Mexico's southern city of Oaxaca to mark the first anniversary of a clash between police and striking teachers. Thursday demonstrators were carrying photos of their jailed leaders and chanting "June 14 is not forgotten, nor forgiven!" the demonstrators marched to the central square of the city and held a peaceful meeting, AP said. Last years' demonstrations erupting in June had plunged the country into chaos which lasted for several months. On June 14, 2006, Oaxaca Governer Ulises Ruiz sent police to dislodge striking teachers from the square but the demonstrators retook the square and chased police out of most of the city. Later in October the federal police recaptured the city, and arrested some protest leaders on various charges including property damage for the buildings and vehicles burned during the five months of unrest. Protesters continue to demand the ouster of Ruiz, who they say used excessive force against protesters last year. MRJ/HAR http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2007/06/87260.shtml June 15, 2007 02:06PM EDT [general.addtranslation] Download Article (PDF) [ insert language bar ] Hundreds of Thousands March and Reconstruct Barricades in Oaxaca City June 14th-one year anniversary of the attempted eviction of the teachers strike in OAxaca By Barucha Calamity Peller JUne 14th one year anniversary-barricades are reconstucted in Oaxaca CIty as thousands march on the capitol Keywords: Analysis, Global, War & Peace, Bradley Will, At around five in the morning on Thursday, June 14th, 2007 hundreds of fireworks cracked the quiet dawn and burst in the sky above Oaxaca CIty Mexico. Though the streets remained still people began waking up and movement chants could be heard coming from the windows of houses. "If Ulises doesnt go there wil be no peace!". This isnt like any other day in OAxaca. Thursday marked the one year anniversary of the violent attempted eviction by the state police of the Section 22 teachers sit in strike in the Zocalo, and what happened that day set off a chain of events that led to a state wide uprising and a popular movement with millions of participants to remove the right-wing governor Ulises Ruiz from office and replace the entire state government with popular assemblies. An organization of thousands of civil groups was formed, called the People,s Popular Assembly of Oaxaca(APPO). Physically removing local governments from office, the APPO the people of Oaxaca lived autonomously in the capitol city and other communities for nearly five months until the entrance of the PReventive Federal Police in the last days of October. In the early afternoon of June 14th a megamarch of over 300 thousand participants began to arrive in the Zocalo of Oaxaca City. The march began at the airport nearly 8 kilometers away, and as the beggining of the march entered the Zocalo people were still leaving from the airport. Contigents from Chiapas and Michoacan and other states in Mexico particiapted in the march aswell. At approximatly 7pm barricades reappeared for the first time sinse Novemeber throughout the city. People spontaneaously constructed barricades, and at least two major thourofares were blockaded using buses and cars. Crowds gathered to reinforce the barricades, and a festive mood took over Oaxaca City Though the movement to remove Ulises Ruiz from office and replace the existing government with popular assmeblies was brutally repressed and many memebers of the movement were forced into hiding after the violent battle between protesters and police on Novemeber 25th, 2006, the struggle in Oaxaca is far from over. On May 1rst and again on June 14th, 2007, hundreds of thousands of people marched in Oaxaca City in a strong show of force of the remaining presence of dissent among the Oaxacan people and their continuing demands for justice and autonomy. By Barucha Calamity Peller macheteyamor at gmail.com http://www.ww4report.com/node/4074 Oaxaca: "mega-march" commemorates start of uprising Submitted by Bill Weinberg on Fri, 06/15/2007 - 04:46. In a "mega-march" extending more than 10 kilometers, thousands of teachers from the Section 22 union and their supporters in the Popular People's Assembly of Oaxaca (APPO) marched through southern Mexico's Oaxaca City June 14 to mark the first anniversary of the clash between police and striking teachers that sparked months of political unrest. The marchers chanted "June 14-not forgotten, not forgiven!" and carried posters with the faces of imprisoned APPO leaders Flavio Sosa y C?sar Mateos, two of the nine Oaxaca activists who remain behind bars. The march finally assmebled in the city's central square, where the initial clash took place one year ago, and which subsequently became the nerve center of their movement. There a public meeting was held, presided over by Section 22 leader Ezequiel Rosales Carre?o. Smaller groups of protesters blockaded streets with rubble and commandeered buses-a tactic used during the 2006 protest, in which the plaza was seized and held for months. Most of the barricades erected at Thursday's commemoration protest were removed after a few hours, however. The protesters continued to demand the ouster of Oaxaca's Gov. Ulises Ruiz, which became the central demand of the movement following the June 2006 violence. (El Universal; AP, June 14) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: jebraili20070615060333671.JPG Type: image/jpeg Size: 10897 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 22 18:34:04 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2007 02:34:04 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] ZIMBABWE: police attack student meeting Message-ID: <0e0601c7b536$96f5c8a0$0202a8c0@andy1> http://allafrica.com/stories/200706141061.html Zimbabwe: Riot Police Disrupt Students' Meeting in Bulawayo Email This Page Print This Page Visit The Publisher's Site SW Radio Africa (London) 14 June 2007 Posted to the web 14 June 2007 Lance Guma There was commotion at the Bulawayo Polytechnic Thursday when riot police disrupted what was meant to be a meeting of students to discuss issues affecting them. A statement from the Zimbabwe National Students Union says 4 truckloads of riot police were used to disrupt the gathering. The students had gathered at the 'Hunger Square' a popular assembly point and discussing the issue of top us fees which has seen authorities demanding Z$750 000 fees for accommodation per student. Those who fail to raise the amount are being denied the chance to sit for examinations. Former Bulawayo Polytechnic SRC president Blessing Vava and Clever Bere who leads the National University of Science and Technology student body, all addressed the students. Other student leaders like Mehluli Dube, Themba Mapenduka and Pritchard Bhebhe were present. Students at the meeting took issue with the problem of constant power cuts, which they say are disrupting their learning. Others are not happy with government attempts to bond them in return for government loans which they pay back in the end. The students have meanwhile resolved to embark on class boycotts in order to put pressure on government to address their concerns. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: s_trans.gif Type: image/gif Size: 61 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: curnw10_2_ffffff_e8e8ff_e8e8ff.gif Type: image/gif Size: 104 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: curne10_2_ffffff_e8e8ff_e8e8ff.gif Type: image/gif Size: 104 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: cursw10_2_ffffff_e8e8ff_e8e8ff.gif Type: image/gif Size: 104 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: curse10_2_ffffff_e8e8ff_e8e8ff.gif Type: image/gif Size: 104 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Sun Jun 24 15:45:08 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2007 23:45:08 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] US: Successful blockade of anti-immigrant protest Message-ID: <008701c7b6b1$52426ca0$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-blacks24jun24,0,6820293.story?page=1&coll=la-home-center A group of 100 marchers waving American flags headed south on Crenshaw Boulevard on Saturday to protest illegal immigration and what they called its damaging effects on the black community. But they never reached the park that was their destination,and the rally turned into two tense hours of confrontation under a hot sun with counter-protesters on the opposite side of the street. Insults and epithets flew across the asphalt as hundreds of Los Angeles Police Dept officers kept guard.Although some people expressed concern about anoth- er May 1 melee,in the end,police earned praise for restraint to calm the crowd. Police defused the standoff,both sides dispersed and five people,including organ- izer Ted Hayes,a longtime activist for the homeless,were arrested peacefully. The marchers,made up of black activists & Minutemen,homeless people & neigh- borhood residents,held a city permit for a afternoon rally at the historic Leimert Park in the Crenshaw district. Nearly 500 counter-protesters,mostly black and Latino,some with Mexican flags & others with antiwar placards,swept down the other side of Crenshaw Boulevard. They converged on the park first & blocked original marchers from entering. Some said they heard those marchers would include KKK members & the coun- ter protesters denounced racist outsiders trying to incite violence. As the two chanting groups faced off,police kept watch,some on bicycles and some in riot gear,batons held in position.Police negotiators shuttled between the 2 groups as some protesters heckled them. The two groups called out contrasting slogans and songs.One marcher bellowed Lift Every Voice & Sing,also known as the Black National Anthem,through a bull- horn.Other marchers followed with The Battle Hymn of the Republic. On the other side of the street,some chanted: The whole world is watching.We remember McArthur Park,referring to the May 1 melee between police & immi- grant-rights marchers. At times,the gathering felt like a street festival,with mothers with babies in stroll- ers and musicians playing drums.Other times,tensions mounted in the heat as some protesters in the park called the police pigs. Officers finally donned helmets & stood in lines,quietly facing protesters on both sides of the street.The groups finally dispersed peacefully,and some leaders on both sides praised the LAPD for effectively avoiding a violent situation. LAPD did a tremendous job in how they handled the protest,said activist Najee Ali.It could have been very volatile. Some members of the original march,however,criticized counter-protesters for denying them entry to Leimert Park. The march to the park was led by Hayes,who's organized an African American group opposed to illegal immigration.He was joined Saturday by members of the Minutemen Brigade as well as some black marchers who said that illegal immi- grants from Mexico & Central America are taking their jobs & flooding schools & hospitals. During negotiations,police commanders prevented march organizers from enter- ing the park,saying they were forced to take that step for public safety reasons. The crowd inside the park included many children & families,they explained. I realize you have a permit,incident commander Deputy Chief Charlie Beck told black activists & Minutemen jammed on a sidewalk outside stores across the street from the park. I have to deny you access to the park.I do this for public safety,said Beck,speak- ing through a megaphone. Many of the marchers protested loudly,characterizing the counter-protesters as Spanish-speaking illegal aliens who already were taking their jobs & now were denying their right to enter the park. What country is this,a woman yelled at Beck. Dont forget to do it again in Spanish,another called out mockingly. At one point,a group of women,mostly white & grasping rolled-up American flags,sat on the pavement across from the park,chanting; we want our park. Several said they are members of the California Coalition for Immigration Reform,based in Huntington Beach & had come to South Los Angeles to stand up for the black community & against illegal immigrants,who they said are taking jobs from African American residents. They pointed across the street at the waving Mexican flags. That is the border,a man said. After spirited & sometimes angry talks with Beck & other police,Hayes told his followers that he planned to be arrested and that others could choose to join him,one by one.The energy ebbed among marchers,some of whom had pushed to march past police lines into the park. One of Hayes supporters,holding American flag,waited politely to be hand- cuffed.Even some of the most outspoken Minutemen members said they would abide by Hayes decision. Across the street in the park,many of the counter-protesters faulted the marchers,saying they were invading the Leimert Park community & try- ing to incite tensions between blacks & Latinos. They are coming in here,not knowing our community,said activist Bilal Ali. There are no black and brown problems in this community.These people are too intelligent to fall for that.We see this as a scam. Counter-protesters carried signs that said; in our ghettos,black & brown = one love & Together under one community. Said Pedro Reyes,a South LA resident; were all suffering the same in- justices.So there is no need to try and divide us. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Sun Jun 24 16:37:12 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2007 00:37:12 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] UK: Animal liberation action Message-ID: <00b501c7b6b8$9a225f10$0202a8c0@andy1> Van: _Animal Rights Movement_ (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=31033735&MyToken=f2b61394-71d7-4f73-b84c-44ba3a6c15 e3) Datum: 24 jun 2007, 22:29 As a direct response to the state repression concerning the official World Day for Lab Animals march we bent our wrath towards an animal abuse establishment in Lincolnshire. We struck where we would not be suspected, after all we are at war with all forms of animal torture... our target tonight was an intensive duck farm - fueling the greed of Britain's sadistic diet. As midnight struck, so did we, and the door to the unit was wrenched off of its hinges. Our masked-up commando's slid into the shed, where they were greeted by the calls of thousands of adorable ducklings. It did not take long for our cell to round up 107 of the delightful birds. The three-week old ducklings, already over sized due to growth hormones, were placed into crates and transported to our vehicles. As dawn broke over the avian death camp in Lincolnshire, our new found friends were getting accustomed to their new life. It was a joy to behold as they frolicked in grass, and splashed about in their water bowls - the first water they had ever been able to play in. It was a shame that they had not been given the chance to develop their natural water-proofing, but in their new and loving homes, it will not be long before they are swimming with the best of them. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Tue Jun 26 02:13:06 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2007 10:13:06 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] AUSTRALIA: Paramilitary occupations of Aboriginal communities - lifestyle prohibitions, health checks imposed Message-ID: <019601c7b7d2$36614cf0$0202a8c0@andy1> http://iafrica.com/news/worldnews/142448.htm AUSTRALIA Aussie govt stealing Aboriginal land? Tue, 26 Jun 2007 Aborigines on Tuesday said the government was trying to steal their land under the guise of responding to a crisis that Prime Minister John Howard has labelled Australia's own Hurricane Katrina. Canberra began deploying police and soldiers to the Northern Territory outback this week under a controversial plan to combat widespread child sex abuse in Aboriginal communities. Indigenous leaders presented a letter bearing more than 90 signatures to Aboriginal Affairs Minister Mal Brough on Tuesday condemning the plan, which involves Canberra taking control of leases on Aboriginal land for five years. Pat Turner, who was once Australia's most senior Aboriginal bureaucrat, said Howard's conservative government was trying to reverse hard-fought indigenous land rights. "We believe that this government is using child sexual abuse as the Trojan horse to resume total control of our land," she told reporters. "No compensation will ever, ever replace our land ownership rights." The crackdown - including bans on alcohol and pornography, as well as medical check-ups for all children under the age of 16 - follows a damning government report into child abuse in indigenous communities. Strong action was needed While critics have branded it a paternalistic return to the past, Howard said strong action was needed to address a national failure comparable to Washington's botched response when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. "Many Australians, myself included, looked aghast at the failure of the American federal system of government to cope adequately with Hurricane Katrina and the human misery and lawlessness that engulfed New Orleans in 2005," Howard said in a speech late on Monday. "We should have been more humble. We have our Katrina, here and now. "That it has unfolded more slowly and absent the hand of God should make us humbler still." http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2007/06/26/2003366917 Australian army, police move into Aboriginal zones CONTROVERSIAL: Police and the military seized control of villages in the Northern Territory, where they will enforce bans on alcohol and pornography AFP, SYDNEY Tuesday, Jun 26, 2007, Page 5 Police and soldiers began deploying to outback Australia yesterday as part of a radical plan to end child sex abuse in Aboriginal communities, a move that has been criticized as a return to the nation's paternalistic past. Australian Prime Minister John Howard last week announced he would use police backed by military logistics to seize control of indigenous camps in the Northern Territory to protect women and children. The controversial decision, which includes bans on alcohol and pornography and medical check-ups for all children under the age of 16, was taken following a damning government report into child abuse in indigenous communities. Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough said 20 Australian Defence Force personnel were already on the ground and their number would be boosted in coming days as they prepared to deploy to remote communities. "Right now I'm trying to stabilize in the order of 70-odd towns in the territory -- that is a massive undertaking," Brough said. Federal police also began arriving in the Northern Territory capital, Darwin, yesterday, along with those from several states, each of which has been asked to contribute 10 officers. But one of the most troubled communities, Mutitjulu, near Uluru, has questioned what some of its leaders termed a military occupation. "The fact that we hold this community together with no money, no help, no doctor and no government support is a miracle," community leaders Bob and Dorothea Randall said in a statement released by their lawyer. "Police and the military are fine for logistics and coordination, but healthcare, youth services, education and basic housing are more essential," she said. They also questioned whether children should undergo medical checks. "Of course, any child that is vulnerable or at risk should be immediately protected, but a wholesale intrusion into our women and children's privacy is a violation of our human and sacred rights," the Randalls said. Former conservative prime minister Malcolm Fraser also criticized the plan as a throwback to paternalistic practices of the past, such as the removal of Aboriginal children from their families. "People must be treated with respect, and in relation to this point they have not been," Fraser told ABC. "In relation to that, I said it was a throwback to past paternalism because it clearly this time has been put in place, announced without any consultation with the communities," he said. Howard dismissed accusations of high-handedness over the plan, which was devised without consultation with Northern Territory leaders. "I have no doubt that the women and children of indigenous communities will warmly welcome the federal government's actions," he said. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Thu Jun 28 04:25:51 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2007 12:25:51 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] G8: article on undercover police Message-ID: <010f01c7b977$16d67a30$0202a8c0@andy1> http://studentpa.info/spip.php?article196 Who are these "blacks"? by Irene Sacchi 27 June 2007 G8 demonstrations were disrupted by violence -- but not always from the most expected origins. Friday, 8th of June, 16.00: the Rostock-Berlin motorway is packed with police cars. The busloads of Special Forces and plainclothes police stand out a mile. The line of vehicles seems endless -- there must be at least a hundred of them, maybe more. And this is only a small proportion of the 16.000 policemen that are in operation in and around Rostock and Heiligendamm this week during the G8 meeting. Now everything is over, the high-security fence around the conference location is being taken down -- with the utmost care, incidentally, since it has already been sold to a private investor. This way the government can cover the costs of its expensive adventure in hosting the controversial event. The week's big winner is without a doubt the German chancellor Angela Merkel. The yellow press even crowned her MISS WORLD (Bild-Zeitung). Such tributes are not only due to her exquisite sense of fashion but also to her leadership, which has seen the only female in the pack dominating her guests like a real Alpha wolf. As for the results of the event, we can now apparently look fearlessly into the future: by 2050 the climate change problem will be half as bad as foreseen, Africa (against all statistical indicators) will be twice as rich (do they mean poor?) and global terror will have been wiped off the planet by an international counterforce. The other topics treated (the nuclear crisis in Iran, the independence of Kosovo, the political tensions in Sudan and the problems of emerging economies) produced equally clear results -- namely none at all. What was left of this year's G8 conference was harmony. Enough time for the big guns to address their private issues -- the US-missile shield or the cell phone of the freshly elected French PM Sarkozy. Meanwhile, the rest of the world was succesfully protected from itself. The crackdown on private flats and alternative cultural centres at the beginning of May, the restrictions and modifications of freedoms of speech and assembly, the across-the-board criminalisation of ordinary Joes has known no limits in recent weeks. Neither did the Big 8. No wonder that in both camps there was a lot of fuss and plenty of hot air. Yet the hot air, which soon vanished into smoke, could not make up for the one thing that was lacking: content. Rostock in flames and nobody knew why. But what is this growing "Black Block" of autonomous anarchists, who throw restaurant chairs and stones? If the Black cloth is their only real characteristic, then half of Berlin and most of its artists would be members! However, there is another even more sinister element in the Black Block. This was brought to light by the case of a police officer from Bremen, who got caught by his own colleagues -- also dressed in black -- while trying to turn peaceful protesters into ravaging rioters. After the press spokesman of the "Kavala" Special unit had repeatedly denied it, he had to admit on Saturday the 9th of June that there had been an incident of this kind. The masked civil servant was gathering information about criminal elements and intents, but ended up being caught in his own trap. Now the officer is facing charges from the district attorney of Rostock. In fact, cases like this are not rare in recent German protest history: look at the incidents at Anti-Nuclear-Plant protests or the Springer Blockade in 1968 at the Frankfurt show. On that particular day, policemen amusingly recognised and thus exposed their own colleagues, who were fighting in the lines of the demonstrators. All this in the name of provocation and escalation, just to justify mass arrests of protesters. At this year's G8, the same questions were raised again. Some of the protestors may well have asked themselves, stuck in their cages: "Who was that loud guy next to me?" Maybe it is time to move away from mass protests in the streets, because they are too transparent and easily abused by others. In an economic world like ours it might be time to think about different ways to protest. That means hitting them where it hurts -- in their wallets. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Thu Jun 28 17:37:15 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2007 01:37:15 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] WEST PAPUA: Tapol denounces presence of war crimes suspect Message-ID: <009601c7b9e5$ad11c220$0202a8c0@andy1> MEDIA RELEASE Embargoed to 00:01, 28 June 2007 Indonesia: Remove indicted colonel from West Papua Crimes against humanity suspect a threat to Papuans 28 June 2007 - The presence in Papua of a senior Indonesian army officer indicted on crimes against humanity charges in East Timor (now Timor-Leste) endangers human rights defenders and political activists and is a sign of the Indonesian government's lack of commitment to justice and accountability a coalition of Indonesian and international human rights organisations said today. In an open letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia (see http://tapol.gn.apc.org/news/files/let070628.htm), the organisations called for Col. Burhanuddin Siagian, commander of the Jayapura sub-regional military command (Korem 172) in Papua, to be withdrawn immediately and suspended from active duty. They urged the Indonesian government to review all evidence against Col. Siagian and other high-level East Timor suspects to determine whether proceedings should be commenced and to extradite to East Timor those indicted by Dili's Special Panel for Serious Crimes. "It is shocking that a government supposedly committed to military reform and fighting impunity would appoint an indicted officer to a sensitive senior post in Papua," said Paula Makabory, the spokesperson for the Institute for Human Rights Study & Advocacy West Papua ELS-HAM. "Papuans will continue to have their rights trampled on until the civilian authorities exert control over military behaviour and ensure accountability for past abuses," she added. Responding to Papuan demands for a review of their history, Col. Siagian last month reportedly threatened to "destroy" anyone who "betrays" Indonesia. This echoes similar statements he allegedly made when based in Maliana as military commander of the Bobonaro district of East Timor. Two indictments issued in 2003 state that he made speeches threatening to kill East Timorese independence supporters and was responsible for the deaths of seven men in April 1999 (See http://jsmp.minihub.org/indictmentspdf/Cailacoindnannexeng07feb03) and http://jsmp.minihub.org/indictmentspdf/Maliana_Burhanuddin22_7_03.pdf) The organisations pointed out that Papuans who campaign peacefully are not betraying Indonesia as alleged by Col. Siagian, but simply asserting their right to express their political views. It called upon President Yudhoyono to show his commitment to freedom of expression and support this right. Col. Siagian is not the only person accused of serious crimes in East Timor who has continued in an active position of command responsibility. In April this year, Major General Noer Muis, former military commander of East Timor, controversially co-directed a joint military training exercise with the United States (see http://www.etan.org/news/2007/04muis.htm). In 2003, Timbul Silaen was appointed chief of police in Papua despite being indicted on charges arising from his occupation of the same position in East Timor in 1999. A number of senior suspects, including Major-General Adam Damiri former military commander of the East Timor region, were involved in military operations in Aceh. Indonesia's ad hoc human rights court tried 18 defendants (not including Col. Siagian) on charges relating to crimes against humanity in East Timor, but the proceedings were widely regarded as a sham. Twelve defendants were acquitted and five had their convictions overturned on appeal. The only conviction still standing is that of East Timorese militia leader, Eurico Guterres. The UN-established serious crimes process in East Timor indicted 392 suspects, but Indonesia refused to co-operate and more than 70 per cent of those indicted, including all the non-East Timorese nationals, remain free in Indonesia. "We are dismayed by Indonesia's lack of respect for the rule of law and its apparent determination to perpetuate a cycle of impunity that encourages military personnel to believe they will escape justice for past and future violations of human rights," said Matthew Jamieson Secretary of the Institute for Papuan Advocacy & Human Rights in Australia. "Indonesia has failed to keep its obligations under international law and Indonesian domestic law to prosecute Col Siagian for his alleged crimes." ENDS Contacts: Australia: Matthew Jamieson, Institute for Papuan Advocacy and Human Rights; +61 418291998; matthew at hr.minihub.org UK: Paul Barber, TAPOL, +44 1420 80153; plovers at gn.apc.org US: John M Miller, ETAN, +1 917 690 4391; etan at igc.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Sat Jun 30 06:59:34 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2007 14:59:34 +0100 Subject: [Onthebarricades] HONG KONG: Chinese PM visit sparks pro-democracy protests Message-ID: <002101c7bb22$83d0a640$0202a8c0@andy1> http://newsbox.msn.co.uk/article.aspx?as=adimarticle&f=uk_-_olgbtopnews&t=4023&id=5784843&d=20070630&do=http://newsbox.msn.co.uk&i=http://newsbox.msn.co.uk/mediaexportlive&ks=0&mc=5&ml=ma&lc=en&ae=windows-1252 Protesters try to reach Hu in Hong Kong By James Pomfret HONG KONG (Reuters) - Rights activists planned to try to give a letter urging a reassessment of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown to China President Hu Jintao on Saturday as he visited Hong Kong for the 10th anniversary of its return to China. Hu landed in the former British colony on Friday and the normally buttoned-down leader has been on a charm offensive to try to win over Hong Kong's citizens, many of whom have been calling for direct elections in the city in 2012. Security around Hu has been tight, and an organiser of the group planning to march to Hu's hotel with the petition said it was unclear how close they might get. The letter also calls for political prisoners to be freed. Lawmaker "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung, known for his colourful and often raucous protests, said he planned to try to get into a banquet at Hu's hotel later to protest. Chinese troops killed hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people on the night of June 3-4, 1989, when they advanced into central Beijing to forcibly clear student-led pro-democracy protesters from Tiananmen Square. The government maintains force was necessary to quell a "counter-revolutionary rebellion". Earlier on Saturday, Hu met with former Hong Kong leader Tung Chee-hwa, who was strongly criticised for his weak governance. Hu also donned a green "Mao suit" and inspected army troops stationed in the city of nearly seven million people. In public comments Hu has been bullish about Hong Kong's future, though at a Friday dinner hosted by its Chief Executive Donald Tsang he urged the city's leaders to heed the public more. "(I) hope everybody can faithfully fulfil a principle of governance that places the people first," Hu told guests. "GET CLOSE TO HEARTS" "Get close to the people's hearts, understand public opinion, and strive to provide a high-quality service to the people. Hu did not mention how the city might reconcile growing calls by the public and a vocal pro-democracy camp in the city's legislature for direct elections. Hong Kong's post-handover constitution says universal suffrage is the ultimate goal, but is vague on a timetable, giving Beijing scope to dictate the pace of reform. Beijing's parliament has ruled out direct elections until at least 2012. Amnesty International said in a Friday report that public fears of a significant deterioration in human rights in Hong Kong after the 1997 handover "have not been borne out". However, it added, "the authorities have missed several key opportunities to take concrete steps to enhance protection of the basic human rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong over the last 10 years. Elsewhere, members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement, banned on the mainland and branded an "evil cult", staged a sit-in protest in front of the Chinese central government's offices in Hong Kong. The group says more than 140 members from Taiwan were blocked from entering Hong Kong in recent days. Hong Kong's immigration department has declined to comment directly, but said it had the right to decide who enters the territory. Hu dispensed with suit and tie on Friday, meeting families in their homes and presenting them with gifts. He even played an impromptu game of table tennis with a 13-year-old boy. On Saturday night, he planned to attend a pop gala and a bell ringing ceremony to mark the minute Britain returned Hong Kong to China after 156 years as a colony. At the same time, pro-democracy lawmakers plan to re-enact a protest many staged a decade ago on the balcony of the city's legislative council building, calling for universal suffrage. On Sunday, Hu will swear in Hong Kong leader Tsang and his cabinet to a new five-year term. Pro-democracy legislators and other activists plan an annual protest march on Sunday and a Hong Kong pollster predicted up to 60,000 people could turn out, the South China Morning Post reported. Hu will likely be gone by then. (Additional reporting by John Ruwitch) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2007-06-30T094858Z_01_NOOTR_RTRIDSP_1_OUKTP-UK-HONGKONG-ANNIVERSARY.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 3932 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 22 16:35:43 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 23:35:43 -0000 Subject: [Onthebarricades] ROSTOCK G8: Workers' power reports Message-ID: <0a3001c7b526$4fe34e70$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.fifthinternational.org/index.php?id=14,1168,0,0,1,0 "Police debacle in Heiligendamm" - "Demonstrators outfox police" 8 June 2007 These are the headlines on the website of the prestigious German news magazine Der Spiegel. Reuters likewise reported "Thousands of protesters successfully blocked delegates from accessing the G-8 venue at Heiligendamm on Wednesday." Reports on the Der Speigel, Indymedia and other websites and directly from League for the Fifth international and Revolution members participating make it clear that the blockading of the summit on its first full day was a tremendous success. Of course nobody seriously expected that the G8 criminals themselves could be prevented from gathering at the luxury Grand Hotel Kempinski at the Baltic seaside resort. They all flew into the Rostock-Laage airport and were duly ferried by helicopter over the 16,000 police and 10,0000 demonstrators. But the large numbers of "sherpers" and journalists who had hoped to come in by rail and road were seriously disrupted. The high court ruling, extending the anti-democratic ban on all demonstrations to a large area beyond the steel, concrete and razor wire fence, was openly defied and proved completely unenforceable. Der Spiegel makes this clear. "Outwitting the police: protesters at the G-8 summit in Germany managed to sneak past officials to the security fence at Heiligendamm." The only cavil one can have with this is that a column of 2000 demonstrators marching through open oat fields, with helicopters clattering overhead can hardly be described as "sneaking." Der Spiegel continues with 'sneaking' admiration: "It was also a clear indication that the anti-G-8 crowd are outstanding strategists. Fully 16,000 police are on hand for the event and the roads near Heiligendamm on Wednesday were crawling with bright green police vans speeding in every direction. Police helicopters likewise buzzed overhead. Nevertheless, the long-prepared policing plan proved to be deeply flawed. Groups of demonstrators -- some numbering just a few dozen, others as strong as 2,000 and more -- appeared almost out of nowhere to block important roads and thoroughfares in the area." According to police themselves some 10,000 protesters made it as far as the 12-kilometer-long fence reaching the east entrance gate and other points along it. The police are not only frustrated and wrathful but their moral is sagging badly. As reported to Der Speigel, Konrad Freiberg, the head of Germany's police union, said that uniformed officers were already "exhausted." He reported that the police looked like "zombies" and that they had been suffering from a lack of sleep and G-8 deployment shifts that ran upwards of 20 hours a day." He said reinforcements were desperately needed from across Germany. Another important feature is the effective rejection of diversion of holding a counter summit during the blockades perpetrated by the official sponsors of the anti-G8 mobilisation, in particular, Attac, the Linkspartie and the NGOs. Only a thousand of so attended the spiritless gathering and even they, when a representative of League said that it was an absolute shame that this had been deliberately organised to clash with the blockades, he received loud applause. The mobilizations, as our comrades on the spot have reported, have been a remarkable success. Heligendamm- Rostock has renewed the militant spirit of the anti-capitalist movement. It has been a mobilization of unprecedented length - seven days already- no wonder the police are tired. The demonstrators are also obviously feeling the effects of a weeks camping, tear gas and water cannon, marching and blockading. But they are buoyed up and urged on by solidarity and success, as well as by belief in the justice of the cause for which they are fighting. They realize that they represent millions of victims of the G8- victims who are now rising up and g fighting back. This gives them a combative spirit the hired heavies of the G8 criminals can never achieve. Of course frustration and rage may lead the police to further brutality. If they do, as in Genoa it will only compound their defeat and multiply the forces of resistance. After the Summit we must ensure that the spirit of the protests - anticapitalism and anti-imperialism, is taken back to every country, that the movement of resistance grows and becomes more militant. It must be a spur to unity in action to fight the G8 and their system, honest debate about the kind of world we need to replace their one with, and the methods for reaching it on every front Subscribe to NEWSWIRE, the weekly newsletter from the L5I Your Name: Your E-mail address: http://www.fifthinternational.org/index.php?id=14,1167,0,0,1,0 After the violent police assaults on the mass demonstration one thing is clear: they cannot break our resistance! L5I Statement, 8 June 2007 The events of recent days during the mass protests against the G8 summit in North Germany are of extraordinary importance. Rostock became a microcosm not only of imperialist "democracy" but also of the resistance against capitalist globalisation. On June 2nd, 80,000 people demonstrated against the G8 summit in the North German town. They expressed the broad rejection of capitalist globalisation by the working class and youth. The reaction of the ruling class is instructive. They used every means at their disposal to defend a meeting of the most powerful terrorists in the world. The police attacked the protesters with extraordinary brutality; water cannon, teargas, physical assaults, more than 100 arrests. Nothing was too much for the state's well-paid fighters in their attempts to silence the protest. The scandalous result of this orgy of state violence was 1000 wounded. The police even tried to disrupt the demonstration for the rights of migrants with arrests and a blockade of the previously agreed route. Police helicopters hovered over the protesters' camp sites without a break. At the same time, recognising the unpopularity of the G8 summit amongst the general population, the ruling class launched an ideological offensive in its attempt to weaken the resistance to capitalist globalisation, to divide it and to prepare for increased repression. The Bild newspaper, a reactionary hatemonger, ran the headline "Do you hooligans want deaths?", suggesting the demonstrators were trying to provoke a situation in which someone would be killed. It then demanded the intervention of the anti-terrorist units against the demonstrations. The supposedly left liberal media such as the "Tageszeitung" joined the campaign against militant resistance with the headline "Rostock, never again!" By these means the bourgeoisie is trying to justify the expansion of its repressive apparatus. Reactionary politicians and police representatives, including the police trade union, are demanding even more brutal attacks on the demonstrations, the use of rubber bullets, the sharpening of the so-called gagging orders and the wider use of the provisions of emergency powers. The ruling class is trying to create the climate for a second Genoa! That is what their "democracy" looks like! Of course, every few years we can put our vote in the ballot box. But this doesn't have the slightest influence on the power and the policies of the capitalist class whose interests the various governments serve. In order to preserve their interests against resistance, the capitalist class maintains a state apparatus which it can use against the protests of the working class, the youth and migrants, violently if necessary. Their "democracy" is the hidden dictatorship of the capitalist class! Despite this, the plans of the counterrevolution have for some time not been achieving the success they wanted. Instead, they have actually strengthened the activists against capitalist globalisation. On June 2, there was a massive and fully justify resistance by many demonstrators against the brutal police attacks. It was clear that the police were taken by surprise by the scale of this resistance which left them with 480 wounded. On June 4 , even according to police estimates, there were more than 10,000 on the demonstration for the rights of migrants and that is despite the remoteness of the site, the fact that it was a work day and the numerous attempts by the police to prevent people reaching the demonstration. Among the activists there is a broad solidarity against the batons of the ruling class. We demand the immediate release of all those arrested! No deportations of those being held! Stop the repression and the suppression of democratic rights! The camp against the G8 summit in Rostock deserves the solidarity and support of the labour movement and all the oppressed of the whole world through mass demonstrations, mass meetings and protests. That is not how the official representatives of the movement see things. They can't move fast enough to give in to the demands of the bourgeoisie. ATTAC's speaker, Peter Wahl, associated himself with the police position by laying the blame on the radical sections of the demonstrators, demanding their exclusion from the demonstrations ("we don't want you here!") and calling for their denunciation. In a similar vein, the leading PDS politician, Monty Shaedel, a speaker for the demonstration organisers, argued on television that in future they would need to work more closely with the police and help them to identify lawbreakers. The real face of any political force doesn't show itself in Sunday speeches and empty party conference decisions but in the real class struggle. In Rostock, the reformist ATTAC leaders showed that when it comes to the crunch they will stand on the side of the capitalist state and not on the side of the anticapitalist workers and youth. They act as strike breakers and agents of the bourgeoisie within the ranks of the movement. That doesn't alter the fact that there are many activists who want to fight capitalist globalisation. Rostock shows that a whole new generation of fighters has grown up in recent years. These activists understand ever more clearly that the root cause of the evils of war and poverty are not simply this or that bad leader but the capitalist system itself. This shows itself in the politicisation of the protests. The left critic of globalisation, Walden Bello, drew attention to this in his speech to the demonstration on June 2 when he pointed to the difference between the G8 protests today and those in Scotland two years ago, where the scene was dominated by pop stars such as Bono and an NGO elite. At that time the motto was "make poverty history" today it is "make capitalism history". All this confirms the analysis of the world situation and the perspectives of the League for the Fifth International. The crisis of the capitalist system is leading to an increased sharpening of political and social contradictions and of class struggles. However, at the same time, the world situation is also characterised by a dramatic crisis of leadership of the working class. Under fire from the capitalist offensive, all the reformist leaders seek to defend the interests of the ruling class and are therefore more and more prepared to make compromises at the cost of the workers and youth. As we have seen, they go so far as to offer themselves to the capitalist class as strike breakers and informers. With such representatives we certainly cannot win. We have to replace these traitors at the top of the movement who are prepared to sell out to secure their own place within the capitalist system. This is the task facing everyone who wants to see the victory of this resistance against the offensive of the ruling classes, imperialism and capitalism. The League therefore calls on all organisations and activists of the anticapitalist left to work together to coordinate their activities. Such an anti-imperialist and anticapitalist coordination could more effectively intervene not only in common actions and campaigns against the capitalist offensive but also within the mass organisations of the class, in the trade unions and in the social movements such as the European Social Forum and the World Social Forum. In all these struggles, we must fight for the self organisation of the class; for the building of new organisations based on, and controlled by, the rank-and-file members - action committees, strike committees, self defence organisations for demonstrations against the attacks of the state or the fascists. The experience of Rostock shows that the creation of organised self defence against police provocation and repression is vital if our struggle against the politics of the G8, against imperialist war, torture, plunder of the world and exploitation of the working class, is to be led successfully. Coordination of the struggles and of the fighting organisations, however, will not be enough. We also need a discussion over the perspectives for the movement and its political direction. The struggle of the working class and youth needs a revolutionary perspective, a perspective of determined struggle against all the attacks of the bourgeoisie with the objective not of reforming the system but of destroying it and replacing it with a socialist society. We need an organisational force which can put this perspective into practice, a revolutionary party. Such a party is necessary not only in each individual country but internationally. We need a world party for the socialist revolution, a new, Fifth International. In Rostock we were able to demonstrate the progress that has already been made. On June 2, we marched together with the comrades of the Italian trade union, COBAS, in one demonstration block and on the next day organised a meeting with their leading representative, Piero Bernocchi. For some time, we have been working together closely with numerous organisations in the "Anti-G8 Alliance for a Revolutionary Perspective" and the "Anti-imperialist and Antifascist Action Alliance against the G8" which included organisations such as, ATIK, the New Democratic Youth, ILPS, AGIF and Young Struggle. Together with these comrades, and thousands of others, we have defended the demonstrations on the second and fourth of June, and organised action against police attacks. Everybody who lived through these days in Rostock knows that something quite out of the ordinary has happened. We have experienced days not only of capitalist attack but also of determined resistance, days of solidarity and collaboration among the anti-imperialist and anticapitalist forces. They can't break our resistance! We will go forward together in the struggle for another world. It is now more clear than ever: no future without socialism! No socialism without revolution! No revolution without a party! Forward in struggle for the Fifth International! http://www.fifthinternational.org/index.php?id=14,1170,0,0,1,0 Resist police repression in Rostock! 8 June 2007 Press Statement on the Police Repression in Rostock by the Internationalist and Revolutionary Barrio, the Anti-G8 Alliance for a Revolutionary Perspective, and the Anti-imperialist and Antifascist Action Alliance against the G8 June 5, 2007 Yesterday, 10,000 people demonstrated against state racism, one of the biggest ever demonstrations for the rights of immigrants in the Federal Republic of Germany. Comrades and activists from every area of the social movement, from migrants' organisations and from the radical and revolutionary left, took part in the huge demonstration of solidarity and at the meeting in Rostock Lichtenhagen. It was precisely because of this that the meeting in Lichtenhagen, which was held in memory of the pogrom against the asylum-seekers hostel that took place there in 1992, and the demonstration in Rostock on June 4, came under massive attack and many comrades were arrested. Water cannon were used and sections of the demonstration, including our block, were surrounded. Above all the state had the blocks of the radical and revolutionary left in its sights. Even the police's own account showed that all the dirty tricks carried on against the demonstration, and the ban on it marching through the city centre " because it was too big", were decisions taken at the highest level. These attacks are a continuation of the strategy of the police, public prosecutor's office and the government, in other words the entire state apparatus, against a growing and increasingly militant protest movement. The state and the bourgeois press libel us and denounce us, they try to criminalise us and divide us precisely because we are fighting against the imperialist war policy of the Merkel government and the G8, the attacks on the workers and immigrants and to defend our democratic rights. The G8 is organising the plundering and impoverishment of the world, they are building a terror network that is calling forth the justified resistance of the workers and oppressed peoples of the whole world. They libel us because they fear a united resistance and the ever-growing solidarity and unity of the movement. That is why the demonstration on June 2 was attacked with water cannon, teargas and assault troops and our block in particular was brutally assaulted. In our block alone, 19 comrades, including 10 women, suffered head injuries. Those of us in the "internationalist and revolutionary block", together with thousands of others, defended our right to demonstrate. In particular, we solidarise with the Turkish comrades and organisations, such as the ILPS, who are at present being criminalised and denounced. The resistance by the demonstrators was not only justified and legitimate, it was necessary. We condemn the police repression which is one part of the strategy of increasingly harsh measures to spy on, limit and obstruct the actions against the G8 summit and increasing internal repression. We will not simply accept this but decisively oppose it. We thank all the people and organisations who have supported us. Let us maintain this solidarity and continue the struggles together against the G8, their wars and their imperialism. We demand: The release of all those arrested! No deportations! An end to restrictions on the right to demonstrate! No criminalisation of legitimate resistance against the G8! The Internationalist and Revolutionary Barrio Anti-G8 Alliance for a Revolutionary Perspective The Anti-imperialist and Antifascist Action Alliance against the G8 http://workerspowerg8protests.wordpress.com/ Photos and video from the G8 Saturday demo Posted by workerspowerg8protests on June 19th, 2007 Mixed photos, some from the Revolution and L5I contingent and some from Indymedia http://revolutionsweden.wordpress.com/2007/06/10/22-bilder-fran-g8/ Some more of us from the Austrian section of the League http://arbeiterinnenstandpunkt.net/phpwcms/index.php?id=16,260,0,0,1,0 In theses ones you can see us marching with the contingent of the radical Italian trade union Cobas on the Saturday. There is also this quite well produced video from the Saturday demonstration which showed some of the polive provoked disturbances at the front of the march. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJNDQ-8rURY Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments ? Blockades at the G8 Posted by workerspowerg8protests on June 8th, 2007 Wednesday was the first day of blockades at the summit. Demonstrators gathered at several points around the Heiligendamm area and attempted to block the froads and transport infrastructure that would take people to the G8 summit. Early blockades of the airport were cleared ruthlessly by police and convoyrs of activists in cars were intercepted and arrested. The movement achieved a victory when it was reported that for a time during the day all the roads to the G8 summit buildings were blockaded - this is despite the police repression and media onslaught against us, warning people to stay away. Although the summit eventually went ahead when the lackeys of the G8 were brought in by boat or helicopter, the success of the blocakding tactics carried out by the movement meant that the security operation was effectivly overcome, for a time. Our day started quietly as we left the site and made our way to a rally point by train and coach. When we arrived there were very few activists there most had arrived at the second rally point at the airport earlier in the morning. We waited for sometime before the organisers told everyone to make their way to Bad Doberan, a village on the road that leads to the G8 red zone. We took sometime to get there because the transport was constantly being stopped by the police. When we arrived the blockade sat peacefully in the road, vans of riot cops in the distance. League members commented on what a strange sight it was for their to be so few police around. It turned out that this was 'legal' blockade, pre arranged between the state and the Block G8 group. The organisers of the G8 security wanted to create a safety valve protest which would allow the pacifist to demonstrate in a peaceful way. A few others had come to this blockade as well , black block and some other groupds, zho just sat around and chatted. As we walked around selling our literature? A few hundred people began to make their way into the fields around the' road; trying to find a place to blockade another road. About 10 helicopters circled around, reminiscent of a scene from Apocalypse Now. After an hour a unit of riot police walked through the blockade, practicqlly kicking so,e people in the heads as they went passed. They made their way up the road to the main part of the legal blockade. As a few anti imperialists began to link arms to protect the protest the pacifists told them to stop and that they were 'ruining the demo'. There is no helping some people! We left the demonstration when it was clear that they did not want assistance and that this legal demo was achieving nothing. Many thousands of activists eventually made their way across the fields to other roads, fighting occastional battles with the police who used water cannon to disperse them. Whilst the lack of a central co-ordination for the movement the spontaneous attempts by militants to carry out meaningful blockades meant that we scored an important victory.By the Wednesday many leaders of the left in germany, including ATTAC leaders and members of the Linkspartei had condemned the protests as being 'violent' - failing to point the real finger of blame at the state and their provocations and attempts to defeat our demonstrations. Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments ? Police threaten raid of Rostock camp! Posted by workerspowerg8protests on June 7th, 2007 A quick update on the security situation - yesterday at around 8pm comrades taking part in the blockades were informed that the Rostock camp where we are staying was surrounded by police who threatened to raid the camp. Claiming to have a warrant (which turned out to be untrue!) the police wanted to come in and look for evidence of protestors taking part in `disturbances? over the last few days. The situation was very tense, and those comrades still in the camp began to organise with others for its defense in case of an attack. The police eventually withdrew from the camp entrance but maintained cordons around the camp which harrassed people coming back to the camp, searching bags and questioning protestors. Earlier in the week the police had said that they had `no intention of going into the camp? during the protests. Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments ? Monday: Freedom for Palestine! Countersummit and preparations for blockade Posted by workerspowerg8protests on June 6th, 2007 After two quite tense days of confrontation with the German state forces, Monday, we decided, should be a more peaceful and relaxing day. We were aware that, while the police can change shifts and bring new forces into the fray, we could not. So comrades were encouraged to relax and focus on the coming blockades. Of course, this did not mean that we were idle. Far from it. In the morning a team of six of us attended the demonstrations planned to protest at the corporate greed of companies like Caterpiller and EADS, which sell arms and equipment to the Israeli Defence Forces for use in the repression of the Palestinian people: blood money! We held a rally at the Caterpiller plant near our campsite to protest at the manufacture of armoured bulldozers, which have only one use: to destry the homes and infrastructure of Paestinians on the West Bank, often pulling down the homes of the families of suspected militants: a tactic of finding people "guilty by association" that the Americans and British have now exported to Iraq. We then took the train to Wernem?nder, where there was an administration building of the giant arms manufacturer EADS and a military harbour of the German state. The police again trided to stop the demonstration, ordering people back onto the train, searching bags but finally letting us pass. By the time everyone had arrived, we were around 3,000 At the assembly point, I met Boris Kagarlitsky and a few other Russian comrades. Kagarlitsky recognised the Fifth International and warmly greeted us. He said there were many discussions taking place among the Russian left about how to intervene - and whether it was possible to intervene - into the mass Other Russia movement, led by liberal - and neoliberal! - Gary Kasparov. Indeed, this movement, which only has in common its opposition to Vladimir Putin's anti-democratic and repressive measures, also has on its far right wing fascist organisations. Neverthless, it was important for the left to battle against the right and far right while trying to win support for democratic and working class rights. Kagarlitsky also said that, while the social forums were currently in decline, the new, independent trade unions were growing, now organising around 20,000 to 30,000 workers. They were particularly strong in the car industry and among postal workers Indeed, the latter had recently launched a brave, but ultimately unsuccessful strike for unioon recognition. Kagarlitsky rightly felt that it was a good sign that the struggle was made and the movement was for the better as a result. After the demonstration we returned to the campsite. Later that evening we decided to hold an organising meeting for the G8 blockades. However, there were a couple of tasks that were shared out. One was to go to the counter summit, which was holding its opening plenary in Rostock, the other to go in a car and try to join the blockade at Rostock-Laage military airport. George Bush was expected to arrive at 5pm. I went to the pleanry, which was held in Nikolaikirsche in Rocstock city centre. Unfortunately we arrived too late to hear the speeches, but in time to meet the participants coming out of the chirch. Bizarly the main speeches ended, the "big wigs" left with much of the audience, leaving 150 or so people to continue the discussion from the floor. Is this what democracy looks like in the new altermondialiste movement? The audience of under 1,000 was largely made up of older activists and paid fulltimers of the various NGOs. Only one person that I spoke to intended to go to the blockades in the morning. While there was quite a lot of openness to our ideas and quite a few people bought our literature, there was a striking divide between the countesummit and the campsites at Bramow and Reddelich. It is as if the movement has really split into two. For example, I spoke to three young activists from France. While they all listened to what I had to say, and bought the League's publications, they said that they had voted for - not Olivier Besncenot of the Ligue Revolutionaire Communiste but - Jose Bove, the leader of the Confederation Paysanne, who only polled 0.4 per cent and was not at all active in the struggles of the banlieue black and Arab youth or the workers and young peoples magnificent fight against the first employment contract. Meanwhile, the LCR was nowhere to be seen (in fact they have, to my knowledge, been absent all week). While we were in town, the other comrades were taking a look at the police and army operation for the arrival of US President Bush. The self-appointed "world leader" had thousand upon thousands of riot police, water cannons, helicopters and tanks (!) were deployed. There was no chance whatsoever of getting near Bush. This massive operation, at working class taxpayers' expense, shows just how thin the veil of bourgeois democracy can be at times. The elected president of the world's superpower has to be shielded from his subjects by the real power, the state apparatus. Needless to say, the German state was taking the opportunity to show the world too that it has ambitions to rise, along with its EU partners, to the same military level as the US. The comrades returned to find the campsite in a serious mood. Gone was the hip hop tent, the techno field, which had thitherto been pumping out the beats 24-7, and the beer stalls. A "no alchohol" policy had been introduced by consensus at the campsite general meeting to ensure maximum alertness and effectiveness the following day. Excitement and nervousness rushed through the veins in equal measure, as small huddles of black blockers and anti-imperialists were to be seen discussing tactics for the next day: how to get to the motorways, how to prevent the police closing down the protest and preventing effective blockades, how to minimise arrests and injuries. But also a sense that, like in Genoa 2001 and Seattle before that, the whole world was watching tonight. Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments ? Sunday: which way forward out of anti-capitalist paralysis? Posted by workerspowerg8protests on June 5th, 2007 Following the mass demonstration on Saturday the League for the Fifth International and REVOLUTION, the socialist youth group, spent Sunday 6th June discussing the way forward for the anti-capitalist movement. REVOLUTION hosted a seminar with comrades of the New Democratic Youth and Socialist Youth on the need for a youth international to unite the struggles. Some eighty people assembled in the bario of the Alliance for a Revolutionary Perspective at the Rostock camp. Speakers from Austrian and German REVO groups looked at the role of young people in the great struggles against neoliberalism, war and racism that have marked the early 21st century. They stressed the need to co-ordinate action nationally and globally to drive back the offensive of capital and the importance of political discussion on the slogans, actions and programmes that could bring victory. Lastly, they pointed to the defeats of the last century as affirming the view of Trotsky that socialism could not be built in one country - as the Soviet Union had once claimed. The comrades of New Democratic Youth analysed the attacks on education and youth rights in Europe and emphasised the need for joint actions. The discussion that followed was marked by a great deal of diversity - ranging from attacks on abortion rights to the collapse of the Soviet Union with much in between. This was arguably a weakness of the meeting leaving it without a strong focus on a specific topic. However, one issue that was raised repeatedly in the discussion was whether a revolutionary youth organisation should be constructed first on the national and only later on the international terrain. As a comrade of the League argued in one of the closing interventions seperating the national from the international in this way was like trying to build a plane with only one wing, i.e. both the national and international were vitally important to the current struggles. The organisations present at the meeting agreed to work on a joint declaration and pursue joint work in the coming period. Concrete proposals were work to build a youth wing of the Network for a Left Opposition, convene a conference of German youth groups in the autumn and organise solidarity action in the event of any attack on Iran. After the meeting I moved quickly to join other comrades of the leadership League for the Fifth International to discuss with the leaders of Cobas - the Italian radical trade union that marched alongside the League and REVO on Saturday's demonstration. We had some two hours of rich and fruitful discussion on the state of the anti-capitalist movement and the Italian political situation. I don't have time in this blog to outline the discussion in any length, but we have been promised by Cobas an interview for the next issue of Fifth International journal. Piero Bernocchi opened the discussion with an analysis of the Italian left since Rifondazione joined the government of Prodi. The latter has kept Italian troops in Afghanistan, sent further troops to Lebanon and carried out attacks on workers. He outlined how there was now mass disillusionment with Rifondazione amongst their radical base and this meant Cobas was now able to rally new forces in action - albeit, the size of strikes and mobilisations had lessened from the mass movements of the 2001- 2003 because Rifondazione now ceased to call such action. In addition, we discussed the paralysis in the World Social Forum and the prospects for the class struggle in the future. At the World Assembly of Social Movements on Friday I had heard that the assembly had won an interesting concession from the International Council, which had for the first time called for actions in January 2008. The International Council once insisted its status as a "space" not a "movement" made the calling of actions impossible. The only catch with the call is that it was to be around "whatever the networks wanted" i.e. everything and nothing. Bernocchi agreed with us that this was a trap; in refusing to give any leadership the International Council hoped such actions would fail. Nevertheless, he argued that interesting actions could be organised in some countries in January and he hoped they would take the movement some steps forward. The comrades of the League stressed the importance of the coming class battles in France and the vital need not only for political solidarity but also an international political discussion on strategy. The question of what programme could smash the Sarkosy offensive and open the door to socialist revolution in Europe was critical. We also outlined our analysis of the changing political situation in Italy, arguing that it clearly went through a prolonged pre-revolutionary crisis between 2001 and 2003; beginning with the Genoa G8 protests a series of huge mobilisations challenged the Berlusconi regime making possible a real fight for working class power and socialism. When these mobilisations were not turned to the struggle for power and subsided in 2004, the leadership of Rifondazione looked once again to a possible government with Prodi similar to the coalition it joined in the late 1990s. This despite Bertinotti, the leader of Rifondazione, promising to "never again" join a capitalist government at the Florence ESF in 2002. There were two important areas of difference in the discussion. Firstly, Cobas were resistant to our proposals to forge a left wing of the anti-imperialist and class struggle forces in the social movements. They argued instead that common action should be pursued on concrete questions, as the political differences between themselves, the League and the Left Stalinist forces on the left made further unity unrealistic. A further difference, raised towards the end of the discussion, was the primacy of the need for a revolutionary party and international in the League's politics. Cobas describes itself as a trade union, cultural and political organisation. Bernocchi argued it had a hetrogenous membership of trade unionists whose focus was social struggles and this membership would not take easily to the forming of more structured alliances with communists, let alone taking the initiative to develop such organisations. Lastly, Bernocchi stressed the importance of continued participation in the movements. He said the committment the League had shown to the movement had made it a "respected force". While, no concrete proposals were agreed at the meeting both sides promised to continue the debate and work together wherever common goals were held, as they had been on the demonstration. Much of this political discussion was repeated in the meeting of Cobas and the LFI that followed. 60 people participated in the meeting. Bernocchi opened by thanking the comrades of the League and REVOLUTION for marching together on the manifestation of Saturday 2nd June. He gave an introduction on the situation in Italy and the anticapitalist movement, but sadly had to leave to get a flight before he could hear the reply of Richard Brenner for the League. Richard Brenner pointed to the intensification of class struggle and outlined the need for revolutionary parties and a Fifth International. We were very much of the view that the day confirmed the analysis of the crisis of leadership in the anti-capitalist movement (see latest issue of Fifth International) and also that the left wing could take small steps forward towards challenging it. It is a sign of the flux of the current period that forces from diverse political traditions are having a new dialogue and debate with one another. We hope to continue it and deepen our collaboration in the future. Luke Cooper, League for the Fifth International Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments ? Asylum rights demonstration faces police repression Posted by workerspowerg8protests on June 5th, 2007 Monday saw the biggest ever demonstration in Germany in defense of immigrants and asylum seekers. Between 10-12,000 people marched around Rostock calling for open borders and solidarity with immigrants that face oppression from the state and the bosses across Europe. The protest started with a rally of around 2,000 people near the Sonnenblumen House in Lichtenhagen where fascists burnt down a Hostel which housed immigrants in 1992. >From the beginning the police acted provocatively, surrounding the rally and pushing and shoving with protesters. The League, together with members of the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Turkey (MLKP) and the International League of Peoples Struggle (ILPS) formed a bloc and defensive rows in order to defend the demonstration from police attempts to disrupt it. As soon as we formed up many other people also joined our contingent; linking arms to prepare to move forward against the police. Thankfully the confrontation did not escalate and the rally ended relatively peacefully. The demonstrators then took the train to the migrants rights marc which was starting at the outskirts of Rostock. Whilst walking from the train station to the site the police ambushed our contingent and a comrade from one of the Turkish groups was arrested. We formed a bloc and demanded that the Turkish comrade be released - the police formed lines and attempted to intimidate us. However we stuck together and marched in formation passed the police. When we neared the demonstration start point the riot police surrounded the anti imperialist contingent and demanded that we be searched and hand over our flags and banners. Comrades did not doubt that it was due to the anti imperialists blocs defense of the demonstration on Saturday that we were being targeted again by the state. There was about 30 minutes of negotiation between the contingent stewards and the police - but the situation ended when thousands of protesters came around us. The demonstrators chanted solidarity slogans with us and the police backed down - allowing us to continue towards the march start point without further trouble. As the demonstrators assembled the police moved three water cannon trucks towards us, hoping to intimidate us. But the mood of the demonstration was buoyant and people kept chanting and dancing to the music played by the sound system truck. The immigrant rights groups had large contingent, smaller blocs of Linkspartei members, marching together with the IST and CWI in one bloc were behind us. In front a massive tractor pulling a trailer covered in posters and with sound equipment relayed information on the situation and played music. When over 10,000 people had assembled the police blocked the road and said that we could not march because some people were wearing masks. They made us wait for over an hour before clearing the road hoping that so,e of the demonstrators would become frustrated and throw stones or try and push through the police, this would give them the excuse that they needed to disperse the demonstration. However the demonstrators were aware that there were people at the rally that were sans papiers, asylum seekers who would face severe repression by the police and possible deportation for being on the march. So we were patient and waited, but when the police finally did allow us passed we began to chant loudly again, calls of 'Hoch, De, Internazionale Solidaritat' and 'refugees have the right, here to stay here to fight' and choruses of the Internationale we made our way into Rostock, flanked by riot police. However as we came into the centre of Rostock the police stopped the march again, claiming that there was only permission for 2,000 people to come on the protest. The demonstration organisers attempted to negotiate a route for the protest but were told by the police that they had to end the march and disperse. Negotiations to continue the route of the march failed and the organisers asked everyone to disperse and make their way by foot, bus or train to the rally point near the harbour. Although the demonstration had been a victory because it was so big and resisted police attempts to provoke an attack, itwas also a defeat that the state had effectively closed it down before it could march through the centre of the city. Rostock has a relatively large fascist movement and the attack on the hostel in 1992 showed that there was a real need for a mass anti racist manifestation in the town. The state wanted to prevent this and to reduce the effectiveness of the anti capitalist movement and deny us our right to demonstrate. All of this is taking place within the context of a massive media campaign against the G8 protests. Popular newspapers like the Bild had a headline that seemed to accuse the anti capitalist demonstrators of wanting to murder people on the street. The public debate is around how to best to police the demonstrations, a political discussion that allows the right wing to push for massive repression against the Anti G8 activists in order to 'keep the peace'. After the riot police attack on the Saturday demonstration the chief of police said that they would stop using 'soft tactics'. This can only indicate the intent of the state to violently break up the blockades over the next few days. Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment ? 80 thousand join Rostock protest against the G8 Posted by workerspowerg8protests on June 4th, 2007 Saturday 02.06.2007 In a huge success for the European and, in particular German anticapitalist movement, 80,000 protesters turned up for the mass demonstration in Rostock, northern Germany. Despite the police attacking the demonstration at the end, our message was loud and clear. Filipino activist and writer Walden Bello summed up the mood e violence. For them and us it makes no difference who started the disturbenceon the streets, when he said, "This is not the spirit of Edinburgh, when pop stars gt in the way and distorted our protest; this is the spirit of Genoa. We don't want to persuade the G8; we want to block the G8!" The large majority of the protesters were from Germany. Ver.di and IG Metal unions, which have been in conflict with the neo liberal and militarist grand coalition, led by Angela Merkel, were present in large numbers. So to was the PDS LinksPartei. However the French and Italian movements were less well represented. The Parti Communist Francais and CGT, and Refondazione Comunista and CGIL, which had previously brought large numbers to international protests were hardly visible. The latter is a result of the RC joining the Prodi government and voting for neo liberal counter reforms and supporting the Italian troops going into Afghanistan and Lebanon. Also noticeable by their poor showing were the centrist forces of the International Socialist Tendency and Fourth International. This is a sign that despite, the 1.5 million votes the LCR received in the general election in April their remains a crippling crisis of leadership in the French movement. As for the Cliffites, their German section Linksruck continues to politically liquidate itself into the WASG, which will unite with the Linkspartei next week. The League for the Fifth International and the socialist youth movement Revolution had a positive effect on the demonstration taking part in the lively and militant anti imperialist contingent. We attracted many to our ranks because of our clear slogans against not just the US military occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, but also raising fighting demands against the European Union's neo liberal offensive and the attempt to build up a 100,000 strong European Army. At the height of the demonstration we had between 150 and 200 workers and youth marching with us. Importantly the Cobas contingent joined with the L5I marching alongside us. The small but militant Italian union has been leading the struggle against Romano Prodi's l'Unione government, organising demonstrations against Italy's participation in the war on terror and the new US military base in Vicenza. This possible marks the start of an important collaboration. Inevitably the German police attacked the demonstration with repeated baton charges, tear gas and water cannon. The cops had provocativly parked an empty police vehicle along the route of the march. Angry demonstrators duly paid it some attention which was all the police needed to let vent an entire rear end of the protest. As the police attacked the demonstration, the black block retreated back into the crowd, leaving the anti imperialist block at the front of the march. Despite being repeatedly attacked by the police the ILPS, MLKP and Revolution and League contingents formed solid blocks which defended the demonstration from the police charges. By the end thick plumes of smoke and jets of cold water, infused with tear gas, dispersed the closing rally. The police even sprayed the concert stage. While the black block certainly played into the police hands most demonstrators had no problem understanding who were the real culprits of the violence. For them and us it makes no difference who started the disturbance the point is the state forces were out to protect the G8 criminals and criminalise all opposition to the war mongers. Back at the anti G8 camp in Bramow a small solidarity protest for the 168 people arrested was organised. It immediately ran straight back into police resistance and water cannon. While the comrades were released due to the negotiations of the legal team, the episode started a serious debate about camp security. Many people remember the attack on the school in Genoa and the murder of Carlo Giuliani at the G8 protests in 2001. Again the L5I played a role in organising the defense of the camp against a potential raid by the police. At the camp general meeting we argued for the physical and political defence of the site while ensuring the safety of those too young or too injured to fight. In a step forward it was agreed to discuss our security within the barrios, into which the camp is divided, and take decisions at a delegate meeting. At moments of urgency, the libetarian tradition of consensus and general plenaries are insufficient. Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments ? Rebellion in Rostock! Posted by workerspowerg8protests on May 31st, 2007 What is the G8? The G8 are the unaccountable rulers of the world. Made up of the heads of state of the imperialist nations - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, UK and US - they meet once a year to decide how to divide up the global wealth to benefit the rich - while at the same time relegating the poor to greater misery and destitution whether by imposing their will through war and military aggression or through economic strangulation. Together, the eight countries make up 14 per cent of the world's population yet represent about 65 per cent of the world economy. The member states account for 49 per cent of global exports, 51 per cent of industrial output, 68 per cent of military expenditure (US alone accounts for 48 per cent), and 49 per cent of assets in the International Monetary Fund. The G8 is a closed club of the biggest powers - it does not rest on an international agreement and does not have formal admission criteria, a charter or a permanent secretariat. Yet its decisions affect the lives of every person on earth. This year G8 is meeting Heiligendamm, a rich seaside resort near Rostock in one of the poorest regions of Northern Germany, from the 6th to the 8th of June. What is on the agenda? Every year the G8 picks a couple of pressing issues which are discussed within the framework of maintaining the stability of the capitalist system - the primary objective is to protect their profits and increase their return. This year George Bush, Tony Blair and their cronies will be discussing: . Reducing global imbalances between the imperialist nations: current account deficit in the US, insufficient growth in Europe and Japan, and growing foreign exchange reserves in Asia, especially US dollars held by China. They won't be discussing how to reduce the growing disparity between the rich and poor across the globe. . Africa: the G8 says that African countries will need to develop structures that will "encourage private investment, partnerships on reforms and stable economic growth" so that the transnational companies can rip out even more natural resources and profits from Africa without worrying about their investments. These economic reforms are also tied to debt cancellations so that if a country refuses to implement these changes, their debt spiral will increase. Out of every $1 that Africa receives in aid, it repatriates $14 to service the debt mountain. . Climate change: the G8 is looking for a post-Kyoto framework, as the agreement runs out in 2012. Yet in no way can this framework contravene the dictates of the World Trade Organisation and its mantra of free trade, which means that a country cannot set up barriers to trade even if it benefits the environment. Plus the US, which produces 25% of all emissions, never signed up to Kyoto. This G8 summit is also significant because it coincides with EU presidency and comes at the time the EU presidency is just coming to an end. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will her position of strength to push forward Agenda 2010 - the plan to make Europe as competitive as the US by attacking workers rights and privatising public services - and also to re-launch the constitution process without public referendums. Protest The G8 and their right to rule can't go on unchallenged. Every place they meet, we - trade unionists, workers, students, anti-war, anti-racist, anti-capitalist campaigners, San papiers, immigrants, women, youth - must be there to challenge their warmongering, neo-liberal agenda, and privatisation of our public services. From Cologne 1999, to Genoa 2001, Evian 2003, Gleneagles 2005 and last year St. Petersburg, hundreds of thousands of people have come to the G8 summits to make their voices heard - and to shut it down. That is what Workers Power, as part of the League for the Fifth International, is planning to do - shut it down. We don't believe that we can reform these capitalist institutions, whether it is the G8, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, or the World Economic Forum. We argue that they all must be destroyed, along with the capitalist system, and a new system, a socialist system based on need not greed, must be built. We will be participating in the mass demonstration as well as the blockades to make it impossible for the cabal to meet in secret. Join us. War The G8 countries, four of whom are also permanent members of the UN Security Council, continue to be among the most substantial distributors of the weapons and other military equipment used in conflicts and the violation of human rights worldwide. In 2005, the traditional big five arms-exporting countries - Russia, US, France, Germany and UK - still dominated global sales of major conventional weapons, with an estimated 82 per cent of the market. Although not on the official agenda, the G8 leaders will take the opportunity to canvass support for the continuation of military aggression, wars and occupations, across the globe. Bush and Blair will be drumming up support for their war on Iran, pushing for more support troops in Iraq and Afghanistan; Merckel and Chirac will be pushing the idea of an EU fighting force; and Japan has recently passed a rearmament resolution in parliament after 50 years. Not to mention the day to day brutal war that Putin is waging on the Chechnyens. Protest Diary G8 Rostock/ Heiligendamm June 2 - Sat Mass demonstration against summit in Rostock June 3 - Sun Day of action on agriculture (genetic food, etc); counter summit event in evening June 4 - Mon Day of action on migration: open the borders, for the free movement of people June 5 - Tues Day of action against militarism, war, repression; evening counter summit June 6 - Wed Beginning of summit and mass blockading; parallel counter summit June 7 - Thurs Mass blockading; parallel counter summit June 8th - Fri Final demonstration Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments ? G8 Summit here we come! Posted by workerspowerg8protests on May 31st, 2007 This online blog will be a forum for Workers Power members at the G8 summits in Rostock 2007 to put up reports of the demonstrations and meetings that we will be attending. Workers Power is the British section of the League for the Fifth International, so there will be other comrades and supporters from countries like Austria, Czech republic, Sweden - and of course Germany. We have organised a series of meetings, a number of these have beeen organised in conjuncture with the anti-imperialist network where we will be organising a meeting to discuss the anti-imperialist struggle and organising a left wing within the ESF and WSF movement. Keep checking back as we will provide regular updates of the protests and demonstrations. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: leer.gif Type: image/gif Size: 43 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 22 17:54:58 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2007 00:54:58 -0000 Subject: [Onthebarricades] PACHAMERICA: Verticalists win out at indigenous summit Message-ID: <0cdf01c7b531$6c01c9f0$0202a8c0@andy1> http://towardfreedom.com/home/content/view/1058/1/ Indigenous Resurgence in Abya Yala Written by Ramor Ryan Friday, 15 June 2007 "The only good Indian is a bad one." Continental Summit of Indigenous nations and pueblos, Iximch?, Guatemala, March 2007 As the historic march flooded into the old colonial central plaza, there was a moment of great jubilation. From the side streets flowed legions of people from the feeder marchers, swelling the ranks of the main body. As the rivers of indigenous marchers merged, a tremendous roar filled the air as hundreds of smiling faces greeted each other like long lost brothers and sisters re-uniting-which of course in many respects, they were. Guatemala City had never seen anything like it: thousands of Indigenous people from almost every country of the Americas coming together, celebrating their culture, and organizing resistance. This is the grand finale march on Guatemala City to top off the successful weeklong summit at nearby Iximch?. The grey, suffocating streets are filled for once not with smog and gridlock, but with a blaze of color from the forest of rainbow colored flags and banners, and the sound of drums and pipes and maracas and the multitude of voices each with their own distinct language uniting to chant and sing together. Like the march of an army of the dispossessed-the lowest of the low, the invisibles-reclaiming the city of fear where once, not so long ago, they were hunted down, disappeared, and murdered with impunity by the state security forces. "After more than 500 years of oppression and domination," proclaimed the Bolivian speaker from the stage before the cheering crowd, "they have not been able to eliminate us. Here we are alive and united with nature. Today we recuperate together our sovereignty.Our task is to begin to govern ourselves." The Intriguing Annals of Iximch? This Third Continental Summit of Indigenous Peoples and Nationalities of Abya Yala (referring to the North and South American continents in the Kuna language) is being convened amidst the ebullient upsurge in the fortunes of indigenous peoples across the Americas. The flagship on the rising tide is Evo Morales presidential victory in Bolivia. He is not the first indigenous president elected in Latin America, but he is the first indigenous and staunchly left representative in office-as much part of the indigenous revival as the Latin American left turn captained by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. And this is the starting point of this summit-indigenous, left, and premised on the theme "from resistance to power." "The indigenous people have decided to recuperate our identity, citizenship, natural resources, and culture," explained one representative from Ecuador, "and now we are setting our sights on taking political power." This latest indigenous' summit (the first was held in Mexico 2000, followed by Ecuador, 2004) is being convened in a suitably prestigious location. The sacred Mayan site of Iximch?, 60 miles outside of Guatemala City is a place with a both lauded and turbulent past. The great city was once the capital seat of the Kaqchikel people. Typical of the rambunctious nature of indigenous history in general, Iximch? -founded in 1470-has a complicated past. The Kaqchikel first collaborated with the invading Spanish conquistadores led by Pedro De Alvarado in 1524, against their old rivals, the neighboring K'iche states. Such a duplicitous collaboration soon came undone as they learned the true nature of the avaricious Spaniards. The Kaqchikel rebelled, overrunning the Spanish garrison in 1527. The Spaniards in turn came back in greater numbers and with new local allies, eventually vanquishing the Kachikel. This week Iximch? is transformed from a museum of the past and a case study for academics to being a vibrant theater for political discourse and cultural dynamism. Foremost on the minds of the organizers is to cleanse the space of the bad vibes left by President Bush, who visited here two weeks earlier while on his monumentally doomed Latin American tour. In an elaborate cleansing ceremony-signifying ignominy for the US President-the Mayan priests purified the space to replace "the politics of war with a politics of life, dignity, equality, transparency, inclusive democracy, and indigenous people's unity founded on a sustainable co-existence with Mother Nature." In the shadow of the old ruins, huge tents have been set up and a flurry of activities is going on as workshops and plenums take place in multiple locations. It is an autonomous space, controlled for the duration of the summit by the people themselves, without the presence of cops or authorities from the state. Among the hordes of colorfully dressed delegates, the most prominent are the enthusiastic 70-strong Bolivian delegation, wearing distinctively beautiful textiles and the women in their signature bowler hats. The press is all over them, snapping away photos, knowing that this exotic indigenous eye-candy sells. But as Ecuadorian Blanca Chancosa points out in her opening address - "We are not just for folklore or adornment, we want to be authors and constructors (of our own destiny)." So each day, after the pre-dawn spiritual ceremony, such cosmological immaterialism is overshadowed by hardcore anti-neoliberal political discourse. The themes highlighted by the summit and its numerous workshops and panels include: land and territory, the depletion of natural resources, the environment, climate change, autonomy, migration, and privatization. Concrete campaigns and struggle against neo-liberalism, militarization, the US war and the US border wall were consolidated, as well as specific campaigns such as promoting economic alternatives, legalization of coca leaves and opening up Bolivia's access to the sea. Bolivia's foreign relations minister David Choquehuanca sets the tone of the discussions, quoting a Chotewanka by saying , "Our minds are colonized, but not our hearts. It is time to listen to our hearts, because this is what builds resistance." Indigenous people, he said, should look how to "live well," to seek a "culture of life" rather than the one-dimensional development. "Our world is not for sale," continued Blanca Chancosa. "Bush is not welcome here. We want instead people who support life. Yes to life! Imperialism and capitalism has left us with a historical debt and they owe us for this debt." Bush is not welcome, but the US contingents are warmly received. Making the link between struggles north and south-across the despised Rio Brava wall-a representative from the Western Shoshone people said, "The indigenous here are facing the same kind of issues we are facing in the North, and face the same threats by the multi-national corporations such as mining and environmental contamination. These affect the traditional foundation of our nations which is the land, the air, the water, and spirituality." Linking the environmental and the political is a constant underlying theme here in this construction of a "culture of life." Capitalist neo-liberalism is fueling environmental destruction, as Miguel Palacin from Peruvian peasant organization CONACAMI emphasizes: "They are trying to create economic blocs to impose treaties based on the exploitation of nature. But now we are becoming visible, because they are messing with Mother Earth, and we are organizing in order to respond. " From the panels discussing Territory, Natural Resources, and the Indigenous People, Magali Rey Rosa, of the Guatemalan Madre Tierra organization has the final word: "Mother Earth is not bearing up any more with the kind of use that the dominant civilization is imposing on its ecosystem. Development is smothering life. If we continue with this boss," she said wittily, "our Earth will not survive." The Zapatista No-Show The set up of the indigenous summit is modeled on the World Social Forum, both in method and style. There is the usual elaborate registration process, accompanied by the ubiquitous paraphernalia-t-shirts, shoulder bags, glossy brochures, and posters. Oxfam and other NGOs are footing the bill. Considering that the political formation of many groups and organizations is old-school Left, the methodology of the summit is centralized and hierarchical. There is little of the new methodology of the more anti-authoritarian elements of the movement-no horizontalidad or Zapatista-style assemblies. Indeed the absence of a Zapatista delegation is telling, being so close to Chiapas. Chavez and Fidel are the non-indigenous inspirations here, not Marcos or Flores Magon. Said one Guatemalan delegate hailing from a group linked to the ex-guerrilla URNG, "We think the Zapatistas have ceased to have any significance." So the dominant political overture is about constituting a new democratic Left. The new Continental-wide radical indigenous resurgence is marked by a division between the Zapatista model-anti-Capitalist, anti-electoral, and focused on building grassroots autonomy-and the Bolivian model-anti-neo-liberal, constitutional, and seeking power by uniting social movements in a common electoral platform. While many people in the attending the summit would probably position them in varying degrees between the two poles, the final documents and declarations clearly assume the latter line. And going down the constitutional road in an effort to take political power necessitates a strong central leadership. As Bladimir Painecura, Mapuche, points out, "The maturity of the leaders participating today and the solidity they bring to the discussions [is the strong point of this movement]. As a result of this maturity, the movements have been consolidated and bring social transformation to the nation-state, as witnessed in Bolivia. Indigenous peoples have advanced and have continued resisting, so much so that they have arrived at power, and are administering well." Tecpan: Building a Culture of Life from the Ruins of War In a vast old rustic town hall, thousands of delegates join with the local townspeople to celebrate the finale. Although Tecpan is a racially evenly mixed town, it's noticeable that very few of the Mestizo population have come out to celebrate with the indigenous. The wounds of Guatemala's 30-year long brutal civil war linger in rural towns like these despite the peace accords signed over ten years ago. The rebels were supported predominantly by the indigenous poor and the state by the Mestizo middle class. Tecpan was witness to guerrilla combat, army massacres, disappearances, and all the horrors of counter-insurgency repression. Like all encuentros of this kind, much of the important work is done beyond the official panels and workshops. At social events like this, personal and political networking takes precedent, and the unofficial stories emerge. For example, why did Nobel Peace Prize winner and prominent indigenous rights spokeswoman Rigoberta Menchu not appear at the summit? She is currently running as a presidential candidate in the upcoming Guatemalan election. Although she has little chance of winning, one would expect support from this very summit considering she is indigenous, of the Left, and running for political power. "She is a thought to be a pawn of the Right Wing and the ruling class," a community leader from the Coban region tells me. "She doesn't represent the indigenous; she is interested in power and has cut a deal with the Mestizos and the rich. They tolerate her so as to show the world that Guatemala has changed and has stopped oppressing the indigenous. But it's a lie." The time for speeches and presentations has arrived. I discover to my horror that they are awarding all the different delegations with plaques to commemorate their participation in the event. When the moment arrives to call the Irish delegates to receive theirs, it seems I am the only Irish person present to accept the award. The other two Irish are nowhere to be seen. The truth is that I am here somewhat accidentally-a gatecrasher of sorts-and certainly don't merit any sort of accolade. I had been traveling across Guatemala on my way to cover a story in Nicaragua when my Irish magazine, Island, sent an email to say they had folded, and there was no more Island to write for. Fortunately the photographer I was traveling with noticed in the morning newspaper that there was an indigenous summit taking place nearby. So we came here on a whim. Now I am approaching the organizing committee who are all smiling broadly to collect the plaque, and I'm wondering what I can possibly say. What have the Irish ever done to help the indigenous of the Americas throughout the ages? Should I quote the infamous US General of Irish descent, Philip Sheridan-the racist mass murderer who led the "Indian Wars" in the 1860s-accredited with the charming ditty "The only good Indian is a dead one"? I am spared the ordeal as someone snatches away the microphone to make an important announcement. I scurry away with the impressive ornament feeling like a bit of a shyster. Later that night, over strong local hooch given out for free for those delegates still going strong by midnight, a garrulous Canadian delegate is telling me about the militant Six Nations struggle in Ontario where the indigenous resurgence is gaining ground, and he re-quotes Sheridan. "You see, buddy, the only good Indian is a bad Indian!" Yo, high five-slap! The Declaration of Iximch?: From Resistance to Power Back on the central streets of Guatemala City, the thousands of marching delegates are joined by thousands of local indigenous peasant farmers from the CNOC, CUC, and CONIC organizations. These are groups formed by war victims, refugees and support base of the 80s resistance, and the remnants of the near genocidal state onslaught that claimed more than 100,000 lives, mostly rural indigenous. I remember being here in this same city in the early 90s staying at a human rights house, feeling petrified as police agents tailed us and death threats were left on the phone. To be a "bad Indian" in those days meant death. Now, here they are-the rebel indigenous, re-emerging from the shadows and re-claiming public space one more. Amidst spiritual ceremony and music and dance spectaculars, the celebrated "Declaration of Iximch?" is read out, to "announce the continental resurgence of the Pachacutic (the return) along with the closure of Oxlajuj Baq'tun (long count of 5,200 years), and as we approach the door of the new Baq'tun, we journey together to make Abya Yala a "land full of life." Then the declaration gets down to the hard political specifics: against the FTAA (Free Trade Agreement for the Americas), against transgenics, against multinational mining and resource extraction, against Bush's war and the US border wall and condemning the practices of the Inter American Development Bank, the World Bank, and similar global institutions which manipulate the indigenous. The document stands firmly for indigenous peoples' sovereignty, autonomy, and self-determination, ratifying historical rights to stolen territories, and consolidating unity between the different indigenous groups. To the somewhat mysterious and haunting epitaph, We Have Dreamt Our Past and We Remember Our Future, the demonstration and the summit concludes, and the multitude disperses into the ominous dusk of the dangerous and insecure city. The departing mood is not triumphant but resilient and quietly optimistic. Despite everything-500 years of colonization, dispossession, poverty and migration-the resurgent indigenous of the continent have survived and are looking to the future. Ramor Ryan is the author of Clandestines: The Pirate Journals of an Irish Exile (AK Press, May 2006). -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: printButton.png Type: image/png Size: 910 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: emailButton.png Type: image/png Size: 985 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: cumbre-tf-.gif Type: image/gif Size: 20908 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: indigconference copy.gif Type: image/gif Size: 27878 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 22 18:16:31 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2007 01:16:31 -0000 Subject: [Onthebarricades] CANADA: Anti-capitalist protest at free trade summit Message-ID: <0cf201c7b534$703692a0$0202a8c0@andy1> Disturbing levels of persecution after the protests - people released on bail being banned from associating with each other or protesting is clearly a violation of basic rights. Police apparently tasered one activist who was trying to help someone injured by police! Another was tasered unconscious, and a third hospitalised by police rubber bullets. Notice how the mainstream media whitewashes the police repression and violence and the repressive court actions instead of denouncing these as the atrocities they are. What's bizarre is that "allegations" such as people being hospitalised after being tasered unconscious or being tasered while applying first-aid to an injured person are verifiable claims - a quick bit of investigation would have instantly resolved the truth of the matter and shown the police claims of "restraint" to be utter lies. See the bottom for an analysis of Black Bloc failings and police repression at Halifax and Rostock. http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=71679a77-124c-4132-a47c-b6ca5308ee70&k=9223 Twenty arrested in violent Halifax protest Two police officers injured as rocks pelted over free trade conference CanWest News Service Published: Friday, June 15, 2007 HALIFAX -- A protest outside a conference on a proposed free trade zone for eastern Canada and the northeastern United States turned violent Friday in Halifax. Twenty people were arrested and two police officers were injured when demonstrators started pelting officers with rocks and balloons filled with paint. Passers-by had to duck for cover and some of Halifax's busiest streets were littered with broken glass before police, using tear gas, could quell the disturbance. The violence started when a group of protesters calling themselves the "Black Bloc" broke away from the main march and confronted police. "Well, I guess people have a right to protest, but it got a little out of hand," said Bud True, who operates a food stand that was hit by paint balloons. The march had started peacefully as a protest against the Atlantica free-trade conference. Organizers said they didn't want the protest to turn violent - they just wanted to make a point. "We think Atlantica is a horrible policy. We think it's going to roll back the minimum wage and attack labour and collective bargaining rights and it's not going to be good environmental stewardship and we want to out that," said David Bush of the Alliance Against Atlantica, one of the protest groups taking part. But as the march weaved through streets cleared of traffic, tempers frayed. Some of the protesters complained police used allegedly heavy-handed tactics. Police denied that and pointed out two officers were injured Friday. "We respect everyone's right to protest peacefully," said Const. Teresa Brian of the Halifax Regional Police. "When a small group begins committing criminal acts, then we're forced to use action. We used a very measured reaction." Police were on standby for more protests Friday night. Business groups from around the region are attending the conference, which promotes the idea of a trade zone that would include eastern Quebec, the four Atlantic provinces and the New England states, and make the region the gateway for Asian trade. Critics say the plan will not fuel economic development for the region. http://novascotiabusinessjournal.com/index.cfm?sid=37758&sc=107 Confused Atlantica protest turnout low Post a comment BY RICHARD DOOLEY, TRANSCONTINENTAL MEDIA The Nova Scotia Business Journal Fewer than 100 protesters crowded a downtown street corner Thursday, demanding Nova Scotia Power stop increasing electricity rates, implement a fixed power rate for lower income people and stop backing Atlantica. The focus of the protesters shifted from the front doors of the World Trade and Convention Centre a block north to NSP parent company Emera's headquarters at Scotia Square. Thursday morning, business delegates attending a conference discussing an economic cross-border zone referred to as Atlantica walked through about 100 protesters making noise with buckets and whistles to demonstrate against the proposition. Around noon, the demonstration shifted to Scotia Square, where protesters shredded fake power bills and urged the government to take control of the utility. One protester held a sign saying high power rates force her to decide between paying bills or feeding her child. "That's a choice I have to make every month," Dianne said. She refused to give her last name. Dianne said she joined the protest during her lunch break because she's tired of not being able to afford electricity. But she knows little about the Atlantica connection with the protest. "I am learning more about it, though," she said. Jill Ratcliffe of the Halifax Coalition Against Poverty said the protest wanted to focus on the power company because it's a proponent of Atlantica and the hardship power rate increases cause for low income Nova Scotians. "That's the catalyst for this sort of protest," she said. Ratcliffe said there could be more protests against the power company, including urging people to engage in a "power strike" where power bills aren't paid for a month. A small group of protesters met with Nova Scotia Power officials in the lobby of the office tower. The protesters presented them with a letter outlining their concerns. NSP spokeswoman Margaret Murphy said the power company is "open to a conversation with them" about helping low income families cope with electricity bills. One of the points raised by the protesters is that low-income families are often shut out of energy efficiency programs because of the cost. Murphy said that is something the company is willing to look at when broadening the scope of similar programs. Protest organizers said they're not discouraged by the relatively low turnout. Some people predicted between 500 and 1,000 people will show up for the protests today and tomorrow. -- The Daily News http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20070619200049428 Friday, June 22 2007 @ 06:03 PM PDT Most Atlantica arrestees forbidden from associating with each other, protesting Tuesday, June 19 2007 @ 08:00 PM PDT Contributed by: Anonymous Views: 216 Eighteen adults were released on bail Monday after spending a weekend in jail on charges stemming from an anti-Atlantica protest that damaged some downtown Halifax businesses. The defendants faced a total of about 65 charges, including unlawful assembly, resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer. Some were also charged with committing a crime while disguised with a face mask. Protesters released on bail Most of the 18 adults, one youth forbidden from associating with each other, protesting By LAURA FRASER The Chronicle Herald HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA | Tuesday June 19, 2007 Eighteen adults were released on bail Monday after spending a weekend in jail on charges stemming from an anti-Atlantica protest that damaged some downtown Halifax businesses. The defendants faced a total of about 65 charges, including unlawful assembly, resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer. Some were also charged with committing a crime while disguised with a face mask. In Halifax provincial court Monday, Judge Michael Sherar released all 18 on bail. Most of the defendants are not allowed to associate with each other or participate in public protests until they reappear in court in September. A 17-year-old from Sussex, N.B., was also arraigned Monday on similar charges in Halifax youth court. He will also return to court in September. He cannot be identified under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. A line of police officers with dogs and a metal detector crowded the entrance to the provincial courthouse. Upstairs, more than 60 people packed the courtroom where the protesters were arraigned. Family members occupied most of the first row, while the protesters' comrades filled the bulk of the courtroom. For many of those charged, it is not the first time their activism has put them in the media spotlight. Aaron Doncaster, 31, is a well-known Halifax activist who made headlines only six months ago as one of the masked activists who rallied against "race realist" Jared Taylor's appearance in Halifax. Earlier this year, Fredericton native Emma Strople, 18, alleged that she was the victim of police brutality during a march in Montreal for International Women's Day. Her allegations were featured in a number of websites and student newspapers. Tension peaked when a defendant's father shouted at activists who were in the courtroom to support those who were charged. "My son just spent a weekend in jail," Jordan House's father said. "And if you make these people upset, he may be spending another weekend in jail. So I'd really appreciate it if, when the judge comes back in, there's none of this stuff." The outburst happened shortly after flyers circulated through the courtroom asking for donations to help with the defendants' legal costs. Most defendants agreed to provide cash bail. Crown attorney Christine Driscoll asked for a $500 bail deposit from most of the Canadian defendants, whereas at least one of the American defendants needed to provide $1,000. Supporters let out a small cheer as the first defendant, Marc Baille of Kingston, Ont., entered the courtroom. The crowd let out sporadic cheers as friends were led to the bench. The parents, however, were less enthusiastic. Muhammad Rashid left Fredericton at about 3:30 a.m. and spent the day at the courthouse waiting to see his son, Asaf. He said that his son usually expressed his views by writing in student publications and attending peaceful rallies, adding that Asaf, 31, had never before been arrested. "If he's done any damage to property, I don't think that I can support those kinds of things," said Mr. Rashid, a finance professor. In May 2006, Asaf Rashid was arrested outside Fredericton city hall. He and a group of about 20 people were handing out pamphlets to raise awareness about refugees when officers asked them to leave, CBC News reported at the time. He alleged he was the victim of racism after he was taken into custody by police, sparking an external investigation into the Fredericton police force. More than three-quarters of the protesters, like Mr. Baille, don't call Nova Scotia home. Mr. Baille, 20, is a University of Toronto student and the creator of the "Those who Think that Vandalism is as Beautiful as a Rock in a Cop's face" Facebook group. Stephanie Cameron is listed as an organizer of anti-poverty protests and sit-ins in Vancouver on a number of websites. Others charged appear to have little or no connection to Halifax, or even the Atlantic provinces. A handful of supporters remained outside the courthouse during the arraignment after refusing to provide the police with identification. While court staff, lawyers and media known to sheriff's deputies weren't stopped, other people couldn't enter the courthouse. Monday's security measures went beyond what Rocky Jones had seen before. "I'm 66 years old and I've been in and out of court since I was 20 and I've never seen anything like that," the Halifax lawyer said outside the courthouse. The young people sat in a circle on the grass outside, sharing food as they waited for friends to be released. At the end of the day, the loyal crowd threw up their arms and cheered each time a defendant appeared. ( lfraser at herald.ca) With Patricia Brooks Arenburg, staff reporter, and Josh Visser Protester angry at violent cohorts http://www.hfxnews.com/index.cfm?sid=38507&sc=89 He has no regrets about spending the weekend in jail for a cause he believes in. But self-described anarchist Ian James Matheson had some harsh words for a few of his fellow protesters yesterday. The 23-year-old Haligonian castigated the tactics of a small number of anti-atlantica protesters - calling them cowards and idiots - who on Friday tossed rocks, paint-filled light bulbs, and smashed the window of a downtown bank. "Someone could have been hurt; other protesters could have been hurt," he said after he left court. "There were cowards at the back throwing towards the front. Other protesters were struck, I believe." The people in the bank, he said, were "responsible for none of this. Serious harm could have been done to many civilians who have no part in this." Police arrested at least 20 people Friday and used stun guns and pepper spray. Protest organizers said officers were heavy-handed, but police have said their response was measured. Of those charged, 19 were held in custody over the weekend. Most are not Nova Scotians, hailing from New Brunswick, Ontario, British Columbia or the United States. All were released yesterday on a number of conditions - including having no contact with each other and not participating in protests or public demonstrations. They left the courthouse one by one, to cheers from about 40 supporters outside. Matheson said he is opposed to the atlantica concept, which he worries is bad for the poor. He said no political parties were taking a stand against atlantica, and he feels opposition falls to those like him. The young man said that before Friday, he'd had little contact with the come-from-away protesters. Matheson said he was armed only with eye wash to treat pepper spray, and got arrested when he went to help a fellow protester. He said he was Tasered and thrown to the ground by police. Matheson said he is charged with unlawful assembly and spitting on a police officer - a charge he denies. A number of concerned parents were also in the courtroom. Muhammad Rashid had travelled from New Brunswick when he learned his son, Asaf Rashid, had been arrested. "I was very upset. I was very sad. Asaf is very peaceful," the father said in an interview, adding he is opposed to violence. rcuthbertson at hfxnews.ca http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20070615214358567&query=atlantica Halifax officers injured during anti-capitalist protests Friday, June 15 2007 @ 09:43 PM PDT Contributed by: Anonymous Views: 553 HALIFAX -- Two police officers and a protester were injured in a series of violent skirmishes Friday in downtown Halifax. Halifax officers injured during violent protests Updated Fri. Jun. 15 2007 4:20 PM ET Canadian Press HALIFAX -- Two police officers and a protester were injured in a series of violent skirmishes Friday in downtown Halifax. Police confirm they used pepper spray as they arrested 20 anti-free trade protesters, some of whom pelted officers with paintballs and threw bottles. Police spokeswoman Theresa Brien says one of the injured officers was hit in the head with a rock. The other was overcome by some sort of "chemical agent.'' The injured protester was also made ill by the unknown chemical. The arrests followed a largely peaceful march to Halifax City Hall, where about 200 protesters denounced a conference on promoting enhanced trade between Quebec, Atlantic Canada and the northeastern United States. John David Price of the Anti-atlantica Alliance claims that one protester was Tasered by police until he was unconscious, and another was hit by rubber bullets. However, Brien says she was told Tasers and rubber bullets were not used, though police are still reviewing what happened. http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20070617160923817&query=atlantica In response to the person asking "how the combat went".... it looked like the people arrested had the shit kicked out of them, and no one could help them. I wasn't there but it looked pretty familiar to what happened at the end of the G-8 in berlin. There weren't enough people to engage in a black bloc and the police were able to line the bloc with their most violent cops. They then trapped the demonstration and paticularly violent officers started settling scores. I wasn't going to let some angry cop kick the shit out of some crusty kid half of the size of him who was holding a banner in front of me. Long story short I ended up holding a banner for this kid and earned the animosity of quite a few asshole cops, which then I decided it was a bit too hot and left for the middle of the demo. 15 minutes later the crowd parts for a snatch squad that tackles my unsuspecting self and then kicked the crap out of me and threw me in solitary confinement for a day and a half and rejected my demands to call the legal #. I got let out a day and a half later from my concrete hole to some random east berlin neighborhood without my glasses (which they stomped for good measure) to make my way back to a hostel. So much for international solidarity. Shields might work against getting sprayed, but unless you outnumber the cops 2 to 1 you're not going to get anywhere even with full riot gear on, and worst case alot of people are going to get the shit kicked out of them. Having 18 or 19 people arrested and (presumably) having the snot kicked out of them by kicks, punches and I guess electric prods out of a 50 person black bloc is pretty much a worst case scenario. Moral of the story: Any action is the culmination of a shit ton of organizing to get people out on the streets. If the organizing hasn't been done then militancy at an action won't make up for it... instead it will land you ass in jail for as long as the cops want you there. Liberating actions might wind you up in jail... that's the nature of struggle, but by the looks of it, the few paint bombs and windows broken weren't worth the arrests and the organizing work around the demo should be reevaluated before the tactical decisions made at the time. http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20070621164721362&query=atlantica Atlantica Halifax: Diversity of Tactics Thursday, June 21 2007 @ 04:47 PM PDT Contributed by: Anonymous Views: 226 We wish to contribute to the existing discussion regarding the militant action that took place in the June 15th demonstration against atlantica that is circulating within our community, as well as clarify and focus the discussion on some points which need to be expressed. We reinforce that we are not pacifists and never have made the claim to be peaceful. As long as we continue to feel the direct and devastating impacts of globalized capitalism and neo-liberal ideology on our lives, we will not sit passively in wait as the institutions of the State along with capitalist enterprises dictate the conditions under which we live. As our lives and lifestyles are attacked, we will fight back. The monopoly of violence was contested directly on June 15th. Whenever we enter in conflict with the police, courts and media, there is an inherent power imbalance centralized in the hands of those who defend this monopoly. In our efforts towards the shut down of atlantica, it is important to deconstruct the relationships between the police state and those defending themselves, their demonstrations and future. Our only defense it to attack the continually growing normalization and submission to violence perpetrated by the State and Capitalism in our lives. We are continually let down by the disempowering and generally ineffective methods of change offered by the State and furthermore recognize that the revolutionary changes we wish to see are unattainable through these avenues, as they require the State's abolition. We are more interested in exploring tactics that reach beyond the boundaries of the State's acceptable avenues of change simply because we think they are more effective. However a sincere acceptance of a diversity of tactics is something we feel is absolutely fundamental to create and sustain a successful and inclusive movement. For the demo on June 15th, a collective body of autonomous individuals, acting out of their own volition, came together and agreed to explore a diversity of tactics, recognizing and respecting each individual's autonomy. We hope that the anti-authoritarian movement can continue to grow with respect and solidarity at its roots and that these sorts of discussions can continue to happen in a positive manner within our community. We have never sought out normalcy, our desires reach beyond the existent. - A few "Wannabe Revolutionary Twirps." From the actions in Halifax. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: comments.gif Type: image/gif Size: 167 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: print.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 759 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: speck.gif Type: image/gif Size: 43 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: inews_anticap.gif Type: image/gif Size: 5737 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 160_cp_halifax_protests_070.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 8769 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: inews_opinion.gif Type: image/gif Size: 5476 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 22 09:58:42 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 16:58:42 -0000 Subject: [Onthebarricades] US: Students protest military recruitment, bring school board to halt Message-ID: <046b01c7b4ee$e8f401f0$0202a8c0@andy1> STUDENTS TELL SCHOOL BOARD, "WE'RE HERE TO SAY WE'VE HAD ENOUGH" http://oreaddaily.blogspot.com/ Student protesters in Seattle brought a school board meeting to a halt. A group of about 70 students protesting military recruitment in their schools marched into the meeting before Acting President Darlene Flynn could even take roll, chanting: "Yo School Board, what's up? We're here to say we've had enough." Some students covered with fake blood collapsed on the floor, then were carried around the room. The school board refused to talk to the kids except to demand that they get out. "It's OK, it's OK. I want to say this is what democracy looks like. But this is not what a school board meeting looks like," said board member Darlene Flynn. Interesting comment. After an unheeded final warning, board members left behind the rowdy crowd and moved the meeting to a quiet room, angering the students. "You should be ashamed! You should be ashamed!" the students shouted. The students said recruiters target low-income and minority students. "I've had recruiters lie to me and my friends," said Shanay Salas, one of the protesting students. "They say you'll never go to combat. They say free college, jobs for life but really these things aren't true." After the demonstration, the students spoke to the meeting's attendees in support of a proposed policy they wrote that would allow for a district-wide recruitment fair once a semester. Hardly unreasonable. The following is from Youth Against War and Racism. Seattle Students Shut Down School Board Demanding Military Recruiters Out of Schools By Philip Locker, Dylan Simpson, and Marianne Mork "What do we want? Recruiters out! When do we want it? Now!" chanted over 70 antiwar protestors as we marched into to the Seattle School Board meeting Wednesday night. The spirited protest, called by Youth Against War and Racism (YAWR), demanded the school board finally take real action against military recruitment in our schools. As the local TV news King 5 said, it was "intended to be political high theatre, and it certainly was effective." Another reporter commented: "it was the most dramatic anti-military recruitment rally to date." YAWR is calling for military recruiters to be banned from Seattle public schools. But to stay within the legal paramaters of the "No Child Left Behind" law, we are demanding that all recruiting be done at a district-wide recruitment fair once a semester. This would create equity between the access to students that the military, college, and job recruiters have. Currently, military recruiters have a massive budget and a huge advantage over college and job recruiters. A district-wide recruitment fair would also stop military recruiters from carrying out their predatory tactics within our schools and disproportionate targeting of schools that are predominantly made up of poor and minority students. Student activist Kristin Ebeling said: "Our public schools should not be military recruitment stations for the Iraq war. Instead of wasting $500 billion on a war for oil and empire, we need money for jobs and education." High school students, teachers, parents and community activists rallied outside the school board for an hour. With the start of the meeting the rally moved inside, energetically chanting and sitting in at the front of the room. To bring the reality of the war home, some students enacted a "die-in," lying across the floor covered in blood, while the school board politicians huddled at the side of the room. Addressing the board and the whole room, Shanay Salas and Ramy Khalil from YAWR then explained our demands to restrict military recruiters. We urged that the board amend its agenda for 10-15 minutes to discuss our proposed policy. Unfortunately, the board refused to discuss our policy, nor would they start the meeting until we ended the sit-in and moved away from the front of the room. Board member Darlene Flynn condescendingly lectured the students: "This is what democracy looks like, but it's not what a school board meeting looks like, and we have to have a school board meeting." This statement, ironically exposing the undemocratic nature of the board, brought loud jeers from the demonstrators. With the protestors holding their ground, the board hurriedly left and reconvened in a back room closed to the public. This comes against the background of the board refusing to enforce their own policy to restrict military recruiters that was passed two years ago. After a city-wide student walkout of 800 students on April 18 to protest military recruitment, attending numerous school boards meetings and sub-committee meetings, and still having the board refuse to let us speak, we decided to take matters into our own hands and organize a sit-in. However, the meeting could have easily continued if the school board had simply been willing to grant our modest request to discuss our proposed policy at their meeting for 10-15 minutes. Since the board refused to listen to the public, we decided to continue the meeting and took public testimony from those who had already signed up to testify. A number of school bus drivers spoke about their struggle to unionize to overcome the terrible wages and conditions they face, which the board is refusing to support. While some members of the audience complained that we had disrupted an official board meeting, an overwhelming majority of the crowd voted to support our decision to continue the meeting in defiance of the board members. While school board members claim that they cannot implement our policy because it would mean losing $40 million a year in federal funds, the fact is that our policy was carefully constructed to remain within the legal confines of the No Child Left Behind law. By restricting military recruiters to a recruitment fair on equal grounds with college and job recruiters, this policy would have absolutely no effect on federal funding. (See relevant section of No Child Left Behind and our proposed policy at: http://groups.google.com/group/novapeaceclub) Wednesday's school board action was a major success in bringing real pressure to bear on the board and raising the issue of military recruitment in the public consciousness. All the local TV news gave very prominent coverage to the protest (see list of links below). But to win we will need to keep up the pressure on the school board and build an organized, active antiwar movement. This fall YAWR is organizing a major student walkout, which we are trying to spread nationally, to show that business as usual will stop until the military is out of Iraq and out of our schools. Get active with Youth Against War and Racism and the fight against military recruiters! Please come to the next YAWR meeting on Sunday July 1, 4-6pm, at Uptown Espresso (2504 4th Ave and Wall St.) where we will be planning our next steps. Contact us at: www.yawr.org * redeye76bw at hotmail.com * (206) 526-7185 We want to thank all the organizations that made this protest possible: Nova High School Peace and Justice, Lake Washington High School Peace Club, Renton High School Youth Against War and Racism, Seattle Central Community College Students Against the War, Team Victory, and Socialist Alternative. Please donate! Support YAWR's need to make leaflets, posters, buttons, and T-shirts by sending donations payable to Youth Against War and Racism to 5032 21st Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105. Support First Student Bus Drivers! We fully support the struggle of the First Student bus drivers to win a union and decent wages, benefits and conditions. It is an outrage that the school board will not stand on the side of workers' basic rights. We are calling on antiwar activists, students and workers to come to a rally in support of the First Student bus drivers on Friday June 22, 9am - 12pm, at 130 South Kenyon Street. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: seattle.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 19626 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 22 10:00:16 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 17:00:16 -0000 Subject: [Onthebarricades] POLAND: Police attack nurses' protest; solidarity march by miners Message-ID: <048101c7b4ef$1aed9630$0202a8c0@andy1> http://oreaddaily.blogspot.com/ MINERS JOIN NURSES IN POLAND The article below is just a follow up story on yesterday's post concerning protests by Polish nurses. See http://oreaddaily.blogspot.com/search?q=poland for further information. The following comes from Reuters Alert (UK). Polish miners lend support to nurses' protests Polish miners raised protest banners on Thursday to support hundreds of nurses who are demonstrating at the prime minister's office for more pay in a growing challenge to the conservative government. State medical workers say they have been left behind by the rapid rise in salaries for other professions, partly the result of a booming economy since Poland joined the European Union in 2004 and of emigration that has led to a tight labour market. Hundreds of hospitals have been affected by strikes for six weeks and nurses have been protesting outside Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski's office for the past three days. Public radio said 1,000 miners, many from southern Poland, were expected to join the protest. At this stage, they are not threatening to go on strike themselves. "It shows we are not alone and that we have a point," said Barbara Wysocka from a hospital in Gdansk on the Polish coast. "Maybe now that they can see that we are not alone, poor women, they will start listening to us." Kaczynski has offered pay rises of 15 percent per year over the coming three years, but doctors and nurses say their wages were low to start with and those for other workers are rising faster. Deputy Health Minister Boleslaw Piecha said the government was ready to talk to the nurses, but only after the departure of four who are occupying one of the rooms in the office building. He also accused the opposition of fanning the protest. "We have seen more politicians in front of cameras than nurses," Piecha said. Kaczynski has said he would not deviate from "economic realities" in talks with the nurses. Polish wages rose almost 9 percent year-on-year in May and that has raised expectations that interest rates will go up again soon. Minutes from the central bank monetary policy council's meeting in May, which were released on Thursday, showed rate-setters saw the labour market as the main risk factor for boosting inflation. "Living on 800-1,000 zlotys ($280-350) a month is just not enough," Wysocka said, adding she would follow the thousands of Poles who have left for Western Europe in search of better pay if nothing changed. COPS ATTACK NURSES IN POLAND Polish riot police used batons to break up a protest by nurses in Warsaw on Wednesday, escalating an already bitter stand-off between the conservative government and health workers demanding better pay. Although the nurses are not on strike, Poland's conservative government is already confronting a go-slow by hospital doctors who are also seeking pay hikes. The nurses, many dressed in their white hospital uniforms, had remained at the site after Tuesday's rally, where about 10,000 health workers had called for a 30-percent pay raise, following a similar hike last year, and an increase in government health care spending. At that rally many in the crowd shouted, "We want to work, not to emigrate." Poland's state-employed medical workers are notoriously poorly-paid, like their counterparts in many former communist bloc countries. "I'm demonstrating because with 1,100 zlotys (290 euros, 388 dollars) a month, I can't feed my children," Anna Niewczas, a 35-year-old nurse from Radom, south of Warsaw, told AFP. France's News 24 reported although the security forces cleared the street itself, the nurses managed to continue camping on a nearby verge, where they were ringed by police. Local residents turned out to support the protesters and gave them coffee. "The police pushed us brutally onto the grass," said Zofia Kolanko, a nurse from the southern city of Krakow who had spent the night on the street. "We're going to carry on camping here until the government representatives come out to talk to us. Up to now they've been ignoring us," she added. "The government isn't going to solve this problem with police batons," said Juliusz Piotrowski, a doctor from Warsaw's Banacha University The following is from EUX-TV (Netherlands). Police force protesting nurses off street in Poland Police used force Wednesday to break up a roadblock by some fifty Polish nurses in front of the prime minister's chancellery in Warsaw aimed at securing wage hikes in Poland's chronically underfunded public health sector, Poland's TVN24 news channel reported. Two protesting nurses were rushed to hospital by ambulance after the police intervention. One woman reportedly suffered a heart attack. "I can't believe my eyes - these nurses were treated like football hooligans, there could have quite simply been talks," Civic Platform opposition MP Elzbieta Radziszewska told TVN24. The protesting nurses were vastly outnumbered by police dressed in riot gear. "Road blocks are illegal. We spoke with the nurses all night, we met their requests but this didn't change the situation," Warsaw police spokesman Mariusz Sokolowski told TVN24. He denied heavy force was used to remove the nurses camped out on a central Warsaw street in front of government buildings. Doctors and nurses in Poland's chronically underfunded health sector are demanding wage hikes, which the government has said are impossible to meet in this fiscal year. The protestors have appealed to Poland's First Lady Maria Kaczynska to facilitate negotiations with the government lead by her brother-in-law conservative Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski. Several hundred medical workers marched through the Polish capital Warsaw Tuesday in protest of low wages in the public health sector. Physicians and nurses have also been staging a go-slow protest job action in hospitals and clinics for nearly a month. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Solidarity-11.gif Type: image/gif Size: 19085 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: nurses.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 16271 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Fri Jun 22 16:13:44 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 23:13:44 -0000 Subject: [Onthebarricades] SPAIN: Anti-repression protest as police state grips Barcelona Message-ID: <093801c7b523$4c8c3b90$0202a8c0@andy1> http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/373942.html?c=on#comments Barcelona's Police Surround and Repress Protest Again stop repressi?! | 18.06.2007 18:57 | Repression | Social Struggles | World On Sunday, 17 June 2007, about 1000 people gathered in Barcelona to protest against police repression, under a banner that read "la represi? mai ens taller? les ales," ("Repression will never cut our wings") part of the crowd surrounded by lines of cops The demo was organized by several antirepression groups, the Zapatista solidarity group, several political prisoners support groups, and the Squatters' Assembly of Barcelona. Early in the demo the police arrested someone who refused to identify himself. After a number of speeches the march set out from Plaza Universitat, heading towards the top of Las Ramblas.The main aim of the demo was to protest against a 'new' police strategy in the city that begun about two months ago, which completely surrounds and halts every radical protest that takes place in downtown Barcelona. The police provocation is intended to control protests "so to prevent property destruction", but the main reason is to discourage protesting in general by punishing anyone who participates with the tense and frustrating experience of being surrounded and effectively detained en masse for hours. The strategy may have attained results already, as this protest was significantly smaller than it was hoped. And shortly after the march set off, 450 riot cops surrounded it, permitted it to go two blocks, and bottled it up. A police helicopter hovered overhead, and a caravan of at least 30 police vans followed the protestors, taking up more space than the march itself. And for the next several hours, the demo remained surrounded at the corner of the Plaza de Catalunya, where it proved to be quite an attraction for tourists and locals. In the end, the surreal scene they created backfired for the police. The harmless and calm group of protestors chanted: "This is your democracy!" and "Freedom of Expression, No Police!" while the legions of armed cops backed by helicopter and sinister vans with flashing lights surrounded them, refusing to let people out, and occasionally attacking people on the edge (they refrained from making arrests, aware that the entire protest would fight back and chaos would break out). The whole scene became a clear demonstration of the current police state in the city, and thousands of people, many more than those in the actual demonstration, flocked to watch. Soon, the crowd of people and passers-by began throwing bottles of water, crackers and sandwiches over the line of riot cops into the cheering throng of corralled protestors. These were more than tokens of solidarity, they were so numerous as to keep the entire demo well fed and with enough water. The crowd behind the police lines began arguing with them, joining in the chants of the protestors, leading some people on the inside to yell at the police "We have you surrounded, surrender!" At one point some demonstrators threw one of their banners to the crowds on the outside, who unfurled it and spread the protest beyond the police lines. The riot cops soon responded by charging this group of people repeatedly, further driving home the protestors criticisms about the police. Finally, half of the police withdrew in anticipation of the hooligans who would be hitting the streets at the end of a major football match occuring the same day. At this point, the protestors were able to leave without further incidents. See photo reports here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/setgemossos/ and here: http://www.lahaine.org/index.php?p=23297 Timeline of events (in spanish) here: http://www.lahaine.org/index.php?p=23285 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 373943.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 47641 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: extlink.gif Type: image/gif Size: 73 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ldxar1 at tesco.net Wed Jun 27 09:30:42 2007 From: ldxar1 at tesco.net (Andy) Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2007 16:30:42 -0000 Subject: [Onthebarricades] AUSTRALIA: Paramilitary invasion of Aboriginal land Message-ID: <00a101c7b8d8$cbe97570$0202a8c0@andy1> See also: http://iafrica.com/news/worldnews/142448.htm http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2007/06/26/2003366917 There has been an emergency protest of 150 people in Hobart: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GreenLeft_discussion/message/44310 Protest planned in Brisbane: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GreenLeft_discussion/message/44014 Solidarity protest in New Zealand/Aotearoa - 2nd JULY http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/73248/index.php Scroll to the bottom for a statement by the Mutijulu community, one of those affected. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GreenLeft_discussion/message/44306 Aboriginal leader denounces plan http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/73244/index.php National Sorry Day Committee denounces plan http://indyhack.blogspot.com/2007/06/elders-speak-out-over-military.html Stolen Generations group denounces plan http://www.australiansall.com.au/a-statement-from-the-stolen-generations-alliance/ Response from indigenous college professor: http://www.apo.org.au/webboard/comment_results.chtml?filename_num=154957 Collective punishment against indigenous Australia - international boycott call http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/node/51228 See also: http://www.socialistworker.org.au/online-features/howards-indigenous-plan-selective-cynical-and-racist/ http://leftclickblog.blogspot.com/ http://www.greenleft.org.au/2007/715/37127 http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/jun2007/sep-j23_prn.shtml http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6229628.stm http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GreenLeft_discussion/message/44050 http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/node/51230 http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/node/51225 More links (thanks to GreenLeft_Discussion): * Sam Watson condemn's Howard's racist attack on NT communities * Another tricky Howard ruse - Gregory Phillips, Age June 23 * BBC: Aboriginal abuse curbs 'racist' * Sam Watson, Michael Mansell & Nicole Watson slam Howard's racist plan * ABC: Indigenous plan 'discriminatory'- anti-discrimination chief * Mutitjulu leaders question need for 'occupation' * International Herald Tribune - Aborigines threaten to ban tourists from climbing Uluru in response to Howard's racist attack * National Indigenous Times writer Graham Ring attacks Howard's racist plan * Judy Atkinson, director of the Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples at the Southern Cross University, on Howard's 'emergency plan' * Malcolm Fraser, Lowitja O'Donoghue & Brian Butler slam Howard's 'return to paternalism' Some comments on Infoshop: Authored by: arf on Monday, June 25 2007 @ 11:47 AM PDT Instead of giving the Aborigines what they wanted Howard has given neo-nazi skinheads what they want. For Howard and his govt to say that the Aborigines are degenerate perverts who cant even handle their beer is openly racist and evil. There are plenty of obnoxious yobs in England and Australia who get drunk and break the law but no one in power says they cant have alcohol. This is an outrageous double-standard. PS: I now consider Australia to be a true dystopia as of June 25, 2007. It's official. If Australia wasnt dystopian before it sure is now. [ Reply to This | # ] Australia imposes draconian restrictions on Aboriginal communities Authored by: Cam on Monday, June 25 2007 @ 08:28 PM PDT No Australia became a dystopia in 1788 when invaders from Britain landed. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://perth.indymedia.org/index.php?action=default&featureview=521 Howards military plan causing panic in Indigenous communitues From the newswire: June 27, 2007 "...they think the army is coming to grab their kids and the police are coming to help them. The women and the kids are scared and they are running to the sand hills..." Aboriginal and community groups are urging the Federal Government to rethink the "military plan" to end indigenous child abuse in the Northern Territory. The delegation from all states and territories call for Howard to consult with indigenous people on ways to tackle the root causes of the abuse rather than send in the troops. Michael Anderson, founder of the Aboriginal Embassy in Canberra and spokesman for the Gumilaroi nation in NSW and Queensland, says that Howard is a past master at finding an emotive matter to disguise his real agenda. READ MORE... Mr Howard says he will abolish the Aboriginal permit system and mobilise extra police and defence forces into remote Indigenous communities. The Federal Government says it may compulsorily acquire as many as 70 Northern Territory Indigenous communities. Federal Police officers began arriving in the Northern Territory this week with other states to follow. Aboriginal mothers in the NT are taking their children and fleeing into the sandhills because of fears the government will take them away. "They want to flee, to get out of there. That's the level of panic and fear that this has caused out in the communities. It's pretty draconian and drastic..." Mutitjulu Elder Vince Forrester says the changes are unnecessary and are causing widespread fear in Central Australia. Police and the defence force are expected to be deployed to Mutitjulu next week and Mr Forrester says many Aboriginal mothers are taking their children into the sandhills because of fears the government will take them away. Mutitjulu locals accuse the commonwealth of treating their community as a "political football", saying it should concentrate on health, education and social services instead of sending troops. They charge that government neglect had brought the situation to a crisis point. Vince Forrester said. "You don't bring an army into the community, this is just intimidation of the aboriginal community in the Northern Territory."Read more: Mutitjulu question "military occupation" of their small community The dog of "white supremacy" returns to its vomit. The National Sorry Day Committee says there is now a real danger of the creation by the Howard government of another Stolen Generation. http://perth.indymedia.org/index.php?action=newswire&parentview=93268 Howards military plan causing panic in Indigenous communitues by Elliot K - Perth Indymedia 2007-06-26 2:17 AM +0800 "...they think the army is coming to grab their kids and the police are coming to help them. The women and the kids are scared and they are running to the sand hills..." June 26, 2007 - A group of 60 Aboriginal and community groups will deliver a letter to Prime Minister John Howard urging him to rethink his military plan to stamp out indigenous child abuse in the Northern Territory. The delegation from all states and territories call for Mr Howard to consult with indigenous people on ways to tackle the root causes of the abuse rather than send in the troops. Mr Howard says he will abolish the Aboriginal permit system and mobilise extra police and defence forces into remote Indigenous communities. The Federal Government says it may compulsorily acquire as many as 70 Northern Territory Indigenous communities. Aboriginal mothers in the NT are taking their children and fleeing into the sandhills because of fears the government will take them away... Federal Police officers began arriving in the Northern Territory this week with other states to follow. The Federal Justice Minister David Johnston says the Prime Minister can force states to send officers to join the invasion. Olga Havnen, a prominent Aboriginal leader in the Northern Territory, warned the intervention model announced by the government, could do more harm than good. "It's crazy stuff. I don't think people have thought through the unintentional consequences," said Ms Havnen, the deputy chief executive of the Northern Land Council. "People there are scared stiff," she told a corporate media source. "They want to flee, to get out of there. That's the level of panic and fear that this has caused out in the communities." She said the plan for every child to have a compulsory health check was met with "shock and horror". "It's pretty draconian and drastic, one would have thought," Ms Havnen said. Mutitjulu Elder Vince Forrester says the changes are unnecessary and are causing widespread fear in Central Australia. Police and the defence force are expected to be deployed to Mutitjulu next week and Mr Forrester says many Aboriginal mothers are taking their children into the sandhills because of fears the government will take them away. The community says the Howard Government declared an emergency at the local health clinic more than two years ago. It says since then Mutitjulu has been without a doctor, has had health and youth programs cut and the council has been sacked. The leaders say community members must be consulted to ensure the success of any program. Greens leader Bob Brown says years of inaction by Mr Howard have forced the Government into dangerous racial discrimination territory. "It is a pre-election push which is action on a scale that is absolutely not needed," he said. Democrats Senator Andrew Bartlett says it is an outrageous authoritarian crackdown, and he is outraged Mr Howard did not first consult the Indigenous communities. "If they aren't involved in developing the solutions, then the solutions aren't going to work," he said. Mutitjulu locals accuse the commonwealth of treating their community as a "political football", saying it should concentrate on health, education and social services instead of sending troops. They charge that government neglect had brought the situation to a crisis point. "We have been begging for an alcohol counsellor and a rehabilitation worker so that we can help alcoholics and substance abusers but those pleas have been ignored," they said. "When your bringing armed forces into the communities obviously people's minds are going to start playing tricks on them," Vince Forrester said. "You don't bring an army into the community, this is just intimidation of the aboriginal community in the Northern Territory." Mutitjulu resident Mario Giuseppe says the community is in "terror". "I thought the government was here to protect the women and children and they are scaring the living daylights out of them," he told the ABC. "This is bringing back a lot of memories and opening a lot of scars for these old people here, they are running to the hills and hiding." Women were scared that police were being sent out to the community to take away their children, Mr Giuseppe said. "They think the army is coming to grab their kids and the police are coming to help them. The women and the kids are scared and they are running to the sand hills." Former prime minister Malcolm Fraser, who calls the measures "a throwback to paternalism," along with indigenous leader Lowitja O'Donoghue, also criticise the Commonwealth proposal. They say the Government measures show a lack of consultation and funding. "Without respect, without discussion and agreement it is difficult to see any measures working as effectively as we would all want..." they said. They pointed also to the disbanding of ATSIC, saying Australia was alone among the western democracies in not having elected representation for its indigenous people. Mick Dodson, professor at ANU noted the Little Children are Sacred report had emphasised that "the majority of perpetrators in Aboriginal communities are non-indigenous men people who come into the communities to work". The Federal Government has established a panel including WA magistrate Sue Gordon, the Australian Federal Police's Shane Castles, former Woolworths boss Roger Corbett and former AMA boss Bill Glasson. Mr Howard confirmed cabinet would soon extend the quarantining of welfare payments for Aboriginal people. The West Australian Premier, Alan Carpenter, says the action is an election-year stunt, declaring there was no doubt this was Howard's "new Tampa". WA Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan says he has no plans of sending officers to the Northern Territory. Mr O'Callaghan says police working in regional areas of Western Australia already have their hands full. Professor George Williams from the University of NSW says it is the most significant takeover of territory power since self-government, and it highlights the paternalistic relationship between the Commonwealth and the NT. "We've never seen such extensive intervention, nor such an intervention that would affect so many people within the Territory," he said. Aboriginal leaders in the territory want to know whether the Federal Government will provide the money needed for housing, education and health in remote areas. "If the Government does not provide the funds it will be seen to be playing politics with Aboriginal people's lives," said Tracker Tilmouth, a former head of the Central Land Council. The Territory needs 4000 houses, at a cost of $1.4 billion. Even if Canberra put up the money it would be impossible to find workers and materials to build them immediately. The need for schools is estimated at $60 million a year over 10 years just to provide teachers and facilities for school-age children if they all turned up for classes each day. A further $50 million a year for the next 10 years is needed to fix health services. Aborigines threaten to ban tourists from climbing Ayers Rock in government policy protest The Associated PressPublished: June 25, 2007 E-Mail Article Listen to Article Printer-Friendly 3-Column Format Translate Share Article Text Size CANBERRA, Australia: The traditional owners of Ayers Rock threatened Tuesday to ban tourists from climbing Australia's iconic monolith, and other Aborigines accused the government of trying to roll back indigenous land rights with its plan to crack down on Outback child abuse. Aboriginal leaders also said some families were fleeing their townships fearful that police and troops being deployed under the government's plan were coming to take their children away. Prime Minister John Howard rejected criticism of his plan, saying it was interventionist but necessary to stop the child sexual abuse that a recent report concluded was rampant in Aboriginal communities in Australia's Northern Territory. Officials said the first police and troops sent to restore order under the initial phase of the plan would arrive in a handful of communities on Wednesday. Howard announced a strategy last week he said would protect children in impoverished Aboriginal settlements where substance abuse and violence are rife. The government plans to ban alcohol and pornography in those communities and reduce welfare payments of parents who do not adequately care for their children. The strategy also demands mandatory medical checks of all children living on Aboriginal land for evidence of abuse. One of the first townships to be subject to the plan is Mutitjulu, in the shadow of Ayers Rock, or Uluru, the red monolith in the central Australian desert that draws some 500,000 visitors a year. Media reports last year of child prostitution and of children trading sex for gasoline to sniff prompted the recent government inquiry. Local families are terrified their children will be taken away under the new plan and are fleeing to the sand hills to avoid authorities, Mutitjulu elders said Tuesday. "I thought the government was here to protect them. They're scaring the living daylights out of the kids and women," resident Mario Giuseppe said. "They think that the army's coming to grab their kids and the police are coming to help them take them away." The fears expose a lingering wariness of child welfare authorities among Aborigines, many of whom are victims of now discredited government assimilation policies that lasted until the 1970s in which generations of indigenous children were forcibly sent to live with white Australian families. Mutitjulu leader Vince Forrester said Uluru's traditional owners are also considering a civil disobedience campaign that would include a ban on climbing the rock. "The tourist industry brings a lot of dollars into the territory and tourists all come to Uluru," Forrester told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio. "Obviously, civil disobedience can come in protest form." The traditional owners have always been uneasy about anyone walking on Uluru, which they regard as a sacred site, and occasionally ban climbing at important ceremonial times such as funerals. However, thousands of tourists snake their way up the 340 meter (1,115 foot) -high rock each year anyway, pulling themselves up over a simple chain fence. Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough said there was no need for families to flee. "It's a ridiculous thing for anyone to be doing and I don't believe they would be doing that unless someone had deliberately told them lies about what's occurring," Brough told the ABC. Dozens of indigenous leaders and welfare workers signed an open letter to Howard, saying his strategy was overly punitive. "Successfully tackling these problems requires sustainable solutions which must be worked out with the communities, not prescribed from Canberra," the letter said, calling for more funding for child protection and domestic violence support services, and more spending on housing, health and education. Pat Turner, a spokeswoman for a central Australian Aboriginal group, criticized the part of Howard's plan that ends a permit system for non-traditional owners on Aboriginal-owned land. "We believe that this government is using child sexual abuse as the Trojan horse to resume total control of our land," she told reporters. Howard was unapologetic. "What has to be understood now is that the old approach has not worked," he told reporters. "If we are to save generation of indigenous children from the most appalling abuse, we must intervene in the way that I have outlined and we will maintain our position very strongly." http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/jun2007/abor-j27_prn.shtml Australia: Growing opposition to police-military takeover of Aboriginal communities By Mike Head 27 June 2007 Back to screen version | Send this link by email | Email the author Opposition is mounting within Aboriginal communities and among medical and welfare professionals toward the Howard government's plan to impose police-military control over about 70 indigenous communities across the Northern Territory. As troops and police officers assemble in the central Australian city of Alice Springs, ready to move into the first five communities this week, local people and experts are warning that the takeover, supposedly aimed at halting sexual abuse of indigenous children, will only exacerbate the shocking social conditions facing the Northern Territory's Aboriginal population. Last week, on the last day of parliament before the winter recess, Prime Minister John Howard suddenly announced a "national emergency" scheme to pour police and soldiers into townships and camps to enforce a series of punitive measures. Welfare and family payments will be cut off if children miss school more than three days a term, or are considered neglected. Half of all payments will be stripped off all families, and replaced by food and clothing vouchers. Children in "prescribed" zones will be forced to undergo medical checks, many of which will be carried out by military doctors. Possession of alcohol and X-rated pornography will be outlawed, with those breaching the bans likely to be hauled off to prison. "Work for the dole" job programs under the Community Development Employment Program will be scrapped. They will be replaced by forced labour programs, to "marshall local workforces" to "clean up and repair" communities. Communal land rights granted to Aboriginal communities since 1976 will be swept aside, through forced federal government acquisition, and community housing will be abolished, to make way for "market based rents and normal tenancy arrangements". Any semblance of self-government will be overturned by scrapping the permit system that enables communities to restrict access to their lands, and installing "managers of all government business" to take command. Customary law will be removed as a mitigating factor for sentencing and bail in criminal prosecutions, ensuring that many more indigenous people will be jailed. The Northern Territory already has the highest incarceration rate in Australia. Social workers and indigenous MPs in the Northern Territory are being swamped with phone calls from local people wanting to know what will happen in their communities. Lesley Taylor, an experienced child abuse worker, said: "They are scared stiff ... This is creating very stressful environments that could lead to even more children being at risk." Anger in Mutitjulu Residents of the first township targeted for intervention, Mutitjulu, near the famous Uluru (Ayers Rock), have told journalists they are worried that authorities will take their children away, just as they did for many decades, until the early 1970s. Women and children are reportedly so terrified they are considering fleeing their homes. Mutitjulu elder, Vince Forrester, said: "The community are bewildered. Why is there a military operation against the most poverty-stricken community members of Australia?" Forrester said residents were considering a civil disobedience campaign, in response to Howard's intervention, that would target tourism operators by preventing some half a million visitors each year from climbing Uluru. Another resident, Mario Giuseppe, told ABC radio: "This community is in terror-the women and children. I thought the government was here to protect them. They are scaring the living daylights out of the kids and the women. They think the army is coming to grab their kids and the police are coming to help them to take them away." He accused Howard of "calling martial law on his own citizens." Community members drafted a statement that condemns the government for treating them as a "political football," while starving them of health, housing, education and social services. The statement says the Howard government "declared an emergency at our community over two years ago-when they appointed an administrator to our health clinic-and since then we have been without a doctor, we have fewer health workers, our council has been sacked, and all our youth and health programs have been cut". Under federal government control, the childcare centre was closed, and work programs, including rubbish clean-ups and the collection of wood to warm homes during cold desert nights, shut down. A kidney dialysis machine had been donated but not installed. The statement raises a series of questions: "How do they propose keeping alcohol out of our community when we are 20 minutes away from a five-star hotel? ... What will happen to alcoholics when this ban is introduced? How will the government keep the grog runners out of our community without a permit system? ... Where is the money for all the essential services?" At a town meeting yesterday in Mutitjulu, resident Harry Wilson gave voice to the widespread perception that Howard had seized on the child abuse issue in a bid to reverse his government's disastrous polling for the federal election due this year. Wilson compared the government's intervention to its false claims before the 2001 election that refugees aboard a sinking boat had thrown children into the sea. This time it was, "black children overboard ... this government is using these kids to win the election". Howard made his announcement last week just six days after the Full Federal Court overruled the government's appointment of an administrator to Mutitjulu on the grounds that the community had been given only 24 hours notice. Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough had earlier cut all funding for services provided by Mutitjulu's governing committee. The Mutitjulu takeover is part of a wider land grab designed to disperse communities, particularly in financially lucrative tourism, mining and pastoral areas. Central Land Council head David Ross commented: "Under the smokescreen of helping children, the federal government is taking the opportunity to impose its ideological agenda in relation to Aboriginal land. The proposals seem to be a grab-bag of unrelated strategies aimed at a quick fix in a pre-election period." "Trojan horse" About 50 community, church and indigenous groups yesterday issued an open letter to Howard and Brough, protesting against the military plan and asking the government to start consulting indigenous people. They called for the development of a long-term plan that strengthens families and communities and addresses the underlying causes of abuse, such as unemployment, overcrowding and poor education. Pat Turner, the former chief executive of the now-disbanded Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, said: "We believe that this government is using child sexual abuse as the Trojan horse to resume total control of our lands." Turner said there was no evidence to suggest scrapping the permit system for indigenous land would lead to improvements in children's health. "We are totally against tying serious social need to our hard-fought land ownership and land tenure," she said. Others who signed the letter of protest include former indigenous affairs officials Mick Dodson and Lowitja O'Donoghue, former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association, the Central Land Council, the Australian Council of Social Services, Anglicare Australia and the National Council of Churches. One of the letter's signatories, Anglicare Australia's chief executive, Dr Ray Cleary, asked why it had taken so long for the federal government "to recognise something that the wisdom and experience of agencies like ours have been saying for 20 years". Likewise, support organisations that have spent years lobbying the federal and territory governments for more alcohol-related funds and services, questioned the imposition of blanket bans. Tennant Creek's Anyinginyi Health general manager Barbara Shaw said services were needed to support heavy drinkers and their families. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms could include the shakes, depression and, sometimes, fits. In severe cases, withdrawal could be fatal. "(We must) look at the causes of alcoholism, like overcrowding, where 15 people live in one house, people living below the poverty line, people who have no work." Indigenous Doctors' Association president Dr Mark Wenitong raised concerns about the compulsory health checks. He said doctors would not perform an examination on any child under the age of 16 unless a parent had given consent. He warned that sexual abuse check-ups by doctors not familiar with indigenous people could scare patients. "[I'm] particularly thinking of an eight-year-old girl being examined by a male doctor for trauma-vaginal trauma and things like that. That's a real issue and that really needs to be thought through in detail, not to mention the fact that we just don't have the medical work force currently." The doctor shortage flows from the systemic under-funding of indigenous health services by successive federal, state and territory governments. Members of the Close the Gap coalition are calling for an additional $460 million per year to be allocated to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health programs as a first step toward rectifying the large "gap" between the funding of indigenous and other health services. Far from filling the "gap," the government's plan contains no spending on health care, or any of the other essential services long denied to remote communities, notably schools and housing. While it was launched on the pretext of responding to a Northern Territory government report, "Little Children are Sacred", which found evidence of widespread child sexual abuse, the military takeover ignores the report's recommendations. Instead, Howard has seized on the social distress and breakdown caused by decades of deprivation to impose measures that serve his "free market" agenda. Dorothy Scott, the director of the Australian Centre for Child Protection at the University of South Australia, and an expert adviser to the Northern Territory child abuse inquiry, said the prospect of such mandatory checks left her "lost for words". It demonstrated, she said, the "lack of child protection expertise" in the government's response to the Little Children are Sacred report. Professor Scott said the inquiry made 97 recommendations but mandatory checks for sexual abuse was not one of them. Other critics pointed out that cutting off welfare payments for school non-attendance punished indigenous families for the chronic under-resourcing of education. The Northern Territory report noted that "even if all Aboriginal children turned up at their local schools, there would not be enough teachers, classrooms and resources for them". It also condemned governments for failing to meet previous recommendations for guaranteed access to play centres and pre-schools for all children in the three- to five-year age group. In a ham-fisted bid to counter the rising criticism, and intimidate opponents, Brough yesterday accused those who had spoken out of "very typical scaremongering, standover bully-boy tactics and lies" to cause panic in indigenous communities. His comments constitute an accurate description of the Howard government's own modus operandi. Labor leader backs Howard's agenda The intervention will be overseen by an "implementation taskforce", which will monitor indigenous communities, nominate those to be "prescribed" for takeover, and appoint local government business managers. The government's appointees to the taskforce are highly revealing. They include former Woolworths chief executive Roger Corbett, who presided over record profits at the supermarket chain, which relies heavily on paying low wages to its young checkout operators and shelf stackers. Brough said Corbett would be a valuable contributor, "from his business perspective and his logistics perspective". Also included is former senior Australian Federal Police (AFP) officer Shane Castles, who will lead the work of the taskforce on the ground. Castles's last assignment was heading the police contingent of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), a colonial-style takeover of the small South Pacific state in 2003. Last year, the Solomon Islands government effectively dismissed Castles for his active part in a series of Australian provocations aimed at destabilising it. Howard's own department head, Peter Shergold, has also been appointed, along with two members of his handpicked National Indigenous Council, Western Australian magistrate Sue Gordon and Roman Catholic school principal Miriam Rose Baumann. Far from attacking this wholesale assault on the democratic rights and living conditions of the most vulnerable and oppressed layers of the Australian working class, the Labor "opposition" is stepping up its collaboration. On Sunday, Federal Labor leader Kevin Rudd declared that if a Labor government were elected he would establish a bipartisan "national war cabinet" to direct the fight against Aboriginal child abuse in remote communities. Yesterday he called on all Labor state and territory leaders to fully cooperate with Howard. Rudd also announced Labor would spend $200 million over four years on the recruitment of 500 new AFP officers. As well as being deployed in the Northern Territory, the new officers would meet the "growing demands" placed on the force. Just last September, Howard announced the doubling of the AFP's "international deployment group" to 1,200, and the formation of a heavily-armed, 150-strong riot squad. Labor's indigenous affairs spokesperson Jenny Macklin followed suit by backing a plan put forward by Aboriginal lawyer Noel Pearson to extend Howard's welfare cutoff measures to Queensland's Cape York Aboriginal communities. Macklin said Labor had long supported tying welfare payments to school attendance and the proper care of children. Her comments came after Howard and Brough announced their intention to make the Northern Territory scheme a prototype for stripping welfare entitlements from working class families across the country. http://www.guardian.co.uk/australia/story/0,,2109494,00.html Aboriginal abuse plan denounced as racist ? Howard stands by radical response to inquiry report ? Questions over alcohol ban and medical exams Barbara McMahon in Sydney Saturday June 23, 2007 Guardian The Australian prime minister, John Howard, confronted a furious response yesterday to his radical plans to deal with alcoholism and child abuse in indigenous communities, as the Aboriginal question threatened to grow into a major issue ahead of a general election. Opponents accused Mr Howard of seizing on the issue to boost his re-election chances after he announced a ban on alcohol and pornography, and compulsory medical checks for some Aboriginal children in parts of northern Australia blighted by appalling social conditions. But the government showed no signs of climbing down yesterday, announcing that extra police would be deployed in Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory from next week, with the Australian Defence Force providing logistical support. The first officers will be based in Mutitjulu, near Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock), to stamp out the use of alcohol and drugs, and gather evidence about the abuse of women and children. The indigenous affairs minister, Malcolm Brough, said: "We'll be able to make a practical and real difference to that community." The measures, which followed a major report last week that highlighted the chronic mistreatment of children in some communities, have in effect reversed a decade of allowing Aboriginal communities to largely govern themselves. As well as the ban on alcohol and pornography, school attendance will be enforced and restrictions put on welfare payments so parents spend their money on food and not on a "river of grog", as the report's co-author, Pat Anderson, an Aboriginal health specialist, put it. Indigenous communities will in effect come under federal authority for the next five years. But politicians claimed the prime minister was merely trying to look good in the run-up to the general election. Alan Carpenter, premier of Western Australia, said: "If he thinks it's an emergency, one could ask the question: why hasn't he done anything about it in the last 11 years? This is designed to create an issue for Mr Howard to run on." Peter Beattie, premier of Queensland, also called the six-month ban on alcohol a "silly gimmick". He said Aboriginal parents should be involved in any plans to improve social conditions in townships. "Let's not become savages in this; we need to involve the community," he said. There are serious questions about some of the measures. The Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance - Northern Territory said compulsory medical checks on indigenous children were racist and were causing anguish to parents. The Australian Medical Association said there were "nowhere near enough doctors" in the Northern Territory to conduct medical checks for an estimated 23,000 children. The drinks industry has called the alcohol ban "an administrative nightmare" and said it would not stop problem drinkers from getting alcohol. Community health workers have asked what treatment would be made available for sexual abuse victims or people forced off alcohol. Doubts have also been raised about the ability of local prisons to cope with a possible influx of Aboriginal prisoners in already full jails. However, Kevin Rudd, leader of the opposition Labor party, dismissed suggestions that the plan was a political stunt and said he would work with the government on a "positive, non-partisan basis". Mr Howard was standing his ground. "We've been too timid in the past about interfering," he said. "I'll be slammed for taking away people's rights but frankly I don't care about that." Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory have largely refused to comment so far, saying their councils would issue a considered response in due course. In Brisbane yesterday, demonstrators protesting about the acquittal of a police officer charged with the death of an Aboriginal man in custody condemned interference in Aboriginal affairs. The statistics Australia's 460,000 Aborigines make up about 2% of its 20m population. They are consistently the country's most disadvantaged group, with far higher rates of alcohol and drug abuse, and domestic violence. Alcohol causes the death of an Aborigine every 38 hours. Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, who together make up about 2.5% of Australia's population, live on average 17 years less than their fellow citizens. The average life expectancy for Aboriginal men is 59, compared with 77 for non-indigenous males, according to a 2006 report by the Australian institute of health and welfare. An indigenous Australian is 11 times more likely to be in prison than a non-indigenous Australian, and is almost three times more likely to be unemployed. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GreenLeft_discussion/message/44306 Mutujulu statement on the military occupation of their community Leaders of the Mutitjulu community today questioned the need for a military occupation of their small community We welcome any real support for indigenous health and welfare and even two police will assist, but the Howard Government declared an emergency at our community over two years ago - when they appointed an administrator to our health clinic - and since then we have been without a doctor, we have less health workers, our council has been sacked all our youth and health programmes have been cut. We have no CEO and limited social and health services. The government has known about our overcrowding problem for at least 10 years and they've done nothing about it. How do they propose keeping alcohol out of our community when we are 20 minutes away from 5 star hotel? Will they ban blacks from Yulara? We have been begging for an alcohol counsellor and a rehabilitation worker so that we can help alcoholics and substance abusers but those pleas have been ignored. What will happen to alcoholics when this ban is introduced? How will the government keep the grog runners out of our community without a permit system? We have tried to put forward projects to make our community economically sustainable - like a simple coffee cart at the sunrise locations - but the government refuses to even consider them. There is money set aside from the Jimmy Little foundation for a kidney dialysis machine at Mutitjulu, but National Parks won't let us have it. That would create jobs and improve indigenous health but they just keep stonewalling us. If there is an emergency, why won't Mal Brough fast track our kidney dialysis machine? Some commentators have made much of the cluster of sexually transmitted diseases identified at our health clinic. People need to understand that Mutitjulu Health Clinic (now effectively closed) is a regional clinic and patients come from as far away as WA and SA; so to identify a cluster here is meaningless without seeing the confidential patient data. The fact that we hold this community together with no money, no help, no doctor and no government support is a miracle. Any community, black or white would struggle if they were denied the most basic resources. Police and the Military are fine for logistics and coordination but healthcare, youth services, education and basic housing are more essential. Any programme must involve the people on the ground or it won't work. For example who will interpret for the military? Our women and children are scared about being forcibly examined; surely there is a need to build trust. Even the doctors say they are reluctant to examine a young child without a parent's permission. Of course any child that is vulnerable or at risk should be immediately protected but a wholesale intrusion into our women and children's privacy is a violation of our human and sacred rights. Where is the money for all the essential services? We need long term financial and political commitment to provide the infrastructure and planning for our community. There is an urgent need for 10's of millions of dollars to do what needs to be done. Will Mr Brough give us a commitment beyond the police and military? The commonwealth needs to work with us to put health and social services, housing and education in place rather than treating Mutitjulu as a political football. But we need to set the record straight: * There is no evidence of any fraud or mismanagement at Mutitjulu - we have had an administration for 12 months that found nothing * Mal Brough and his predecessor have been in control of our community for at least 12 months and we have gone backwards in services * We have successfully eradicated petrol sniffing from our community in conjunction with government authorities and oil companies * We have thrown suspected paedophiles out of our community using the permit system which our government now seeks take away from us. * We will work constructively with any government, State, Territory or Federal that wants to help aboriginal people. http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/73244/index.php Howard's NT plans will "demoralise Aborigines" Author a.. Anonymous Date Created a.. 26 Jun 2007 a.. More details... Date Edited a.. 26 Jun 2007 07:53:44 PM License This work is in the public domain. Goodooga, northwest NSW, 25 June 2007 - - The spokesman for 16 Aboriginal tribes says the Howard government's seizure of Aboriginal affairs in the Northern Territory will further demoralise communities of people who no longer understand pride and dignity because it was taken away from them a long time ago. Michael Anderson, the only surviving founder of the Aboriginal Embassy in Canberra and elected spokesman for the Gumilaroi nation in northwest NSW and southwest Queensland, writes in a media release that Howard is a past master at finding an emotive matter to disguise his real agenda. "The Australian voting public cannot permit itself to believe that this is in the 'best interest' of the Aboriginal people, in particular the children. "The Australian community cannot accept what is planned and what has been said as gospel. The people of Australia must ask questions and not accept the spins blindly. Wake up Australia." Anderson writes that Howard's intentions re-visit the 1930s assimilation policy. "This was the ploy in 1937 when the Australian government convened a national conference of the Aboriginal Protectors from each of the Australian states which decided that the 'best interest' of the Aboriginal people was to assimilate them into the Australian community, forcing us to have the same beliefs and customs as all other Australians. "Think hard, this move by this little man is nothing but a snow job for another agenda. The real agenda is what was said in that 1937 conference. We, the Australian governments, cannot permit the Northern Territory to be overpopulated by half-castes. "The governments in the 1930s said children had to be taken away from their parents because the influence of their own communities was immoral and they were in danger of abuse and neglect, but the real agenda then was to de-Aboriginalise them. It is about to happen again." Anderson's statement in full follows below. He can be reached at landline 02 68296355, mobile 04272 92 492, fax 02 68296375, ngurampaa (at) bigpond.com.au. MEDIA RELEASE :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Goodooga, northwest NSW, 25 June 2007 Wake up Australia. This is a re-visit to the 1930s assimilation policy. The Australian voting public cannot permit itself to believe that this is in the "best interest" of the Aboriginal people, in particular the children. This was the ploy in 1937 when the Australian government convened a national conference of the Aboriginal Protectors from each of the Australian States which decided that the "best interest" of the Aboriginal people was to assimilate them into the Australian community, forcing us to have the same beliefs and customs as all other Australians. Think hard, this move by this little man is nothing but a snow job for another agenda. The real agenda is what was said in that 1937 conference. We, the Australian governments cannot permit the Northern Territory to be overpopulated by half-castes. In the 1970s the Black Power players argued that what we experienced down here in the south with the expansion of the white male population in the grazing industry will also happen to the people of the Northern Territory. What the sheep industry brought to the west of NSW and southwest Queensland, the mining industry and service industries are now bringing to the people of those isolated communities in the Northern Territory: white men looking for the young and innocent, and with the aid of alcohol and drugs the people are sitting ducks just as we experienced down here. The governments in the 1930s said children had to be taken away from their parents because the influence of their own communities was immoral and they were in danger of abuse and neglect, but the real agenda then was to de-Aboriginalise them. It is about to happen again. Read the report that triggered this knee-jerk emotive and political response. No one condones abuse of any kind but the report does not come right out and say it but between the lines the white men of influence are also held responsible for an unknown amount of the child abuse. And let us not overlook the negative influences the mines may be having as well. Maybe the workers need to be policed not our people. By opening up the reserves to people without the need for permits gives more people access than already exists. Our people are like fish in a bowl. No way out and nowhere to go. Give our people access to their traditional lands and build their communities with the same amenities as all other Australians with the correct infrastructures. The Report does not say that this is a law and order issue, it is a social issue that will not be addressed by massive numbers of police and army. John Howard must retract and refrain from his chosen course. This is not right and we all know it. He is a past master at finding an emotive matter to disguise his real agenda. What he is about to do will further demoralise communities of people who no longer understand pride and dignity because this was taken away from us a long time ago. The Australian community cannot accept what is planned and what has been said as gospel. The people of Australia must ask questions and not accept the spins blindly. What if what is being done to us was planned for you, what would your response be? Just for one minute try and put yourself in my people's shoes, would you agree to this? Child abuse is acceptable to no one, but what John Howard is doing is also wrong. He argues that Aboriginal customary law has not worked - that is because white law will not let it work. What John Howard has done here is to criminalise all Aboriginal men and the Australian public knows nothing else. This is not acceptable in a democratic country where law and order is the main theme. Are my people to forget their right to fairness and due process? Now we have John Howard arguing that he has the constitutional powers to pass laws for any race for whom he deems it necessary, but it seems it is always against the people and not for the people. John Howard would be better served by making it possible to repatriate our people to their traditional homelands instead of maintaining a program forcing us to live in country where we are already refugees. I do hope that he does not repeat the NSW failed resettlement program of the 1970s for the people of the communities in the Northern Territory. I appeal to my people and the fair-minded Australian public, DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN. Let us address the real issues, government neglect to de-colonising Aboriginal people and to establish programs that address the horror of the past. Our people still think that we must do it the white way and that does not compute for many. Our history is being obliterated and wiped from our memories. We are always asked to forget about the past but white Australia has monuments to their past and clubs whose motto it is to not forget. From the past we learn but Aboriginal people do not have this right, and white Australia will never learn because the truth is being hidden. We could not control and manage our own affairs because the government bureaucrats had too much power and control. We had to do things the way they wanted. The truth is not being told here and the public cannot permit the perpetuation of lies and denial. If John Howard is fair dinkum then let's have a Royal Commission into the administration of Aboriginal affairs and let my people have their say about what is the truth. Why not, Mr Howard, maybe you and the rest of Australia can learn what is really going on instead of blaming the victim of Australia's brutal treatment of my people. http://indyhack.blogspot.com/2007/06/elders-speak-out-over-military.html Wednesday, June 27, 2007 Elders speak out: "the dog of white supremacy returns to its vomit" The dog of "white supremacy" returns to its vomit. In a media statement on the 26th June the National Sorry Day Committee says there is now a real danger of the creation by the Howard government of another Stolen Generation. "We are deeply concerned about the policy being articulated by the Prime Minister, and being implemented the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, for Federal Government 'emergency measures' relating to Aboriginal child safety within Aboriginal Communities in the Northern Territory," say the Committee in a statement. The NSDC is the long established premier National Advocate for the Stolen Generations. MEDIA RELEASE 26 June 2007 It is with great sorrow that the National Sorry Day Committee condemns the Howard Government's cherry picking of recommendations of previous Royal Commissions and National and State Inquiries into Aboriginal Affairs concerning the state of Indigenous Health, Education, Child Safety and Family Support with a complete disregard for the Human Rights of Indigenous Australia in the pursuit of an inadequate response to a decade of Federal Government neglect in the Indigenous Affairs portfolio. The National Sorry Day Committee expresses its strong regret, and with the greatest of reproach, that this blind disregard for the Human Rights of Indigenous Australia continues to be the shameful reality under the Howard Government's continuation of a destructive policy in Indigenous Affairs. We call on the Prime Minister, and the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, to address the following facts: - there are the 339 Recommendations from the Deaths in Custody Report, released in 1990. - there are the 54 Recommendations from Bringing Them Home Report, released in 1997. - now there are another 97 Recommendations from the Little Children are Sacred Report, released in June 2007. This makes a grand a total of 490 recommendations. It is agreed amongst commentators that most of the earlier 393 recommendations until June 2007 either have been absolutely ignored, or implemented in an ineffectual manner through inadequate funding, limited resources and insufficient service providers and staff. The 54 Recommendations of the Bringing Them Home Report, released in 1997 have been stonewalled for the ten years in which John Howard has led this nation. There is still no apology. Were the Howard Government to have initiated responsible action based on these recommendations, including a national apology, then the issues facing the Stolen Generations and the consequential trans-generational issues which now so damagingly impact on all Aboriginal communities would have been addressed, and some definite positive change to the Human Rights and the living conditions of all Aboriginal people, and especially Aboriginal children, would have been brought about by now. Instead Prime Minister Howard has refused any adequate response to the recommendations from the Bringing Them Home Report report, with the ongoing damage to human lives we see today. The current realisation by the Federal Government of this National Emergency is a manifestation of the decade of inadequate Child Protection by the Federal Government in Indigenous communities. However, and quite reprehensively, Prime Minister Howard is using this tragic reality to deflect public attention away from the fact that it has been his government that has consistently denied the affected Aboriginal children any adequate access to their basic human rights in: health, housing, education, personal security, safety and well being. But more than that, and in the absence of a genuine national apology from him for his involvement in fostering these vicious circumstances afflicting Aboriginal people across Australia, the Prime Minister is proving himself patently to be insincere. He knows that he has much to answer for his own neglect and indifference to Aboriginal people. Both during his time in the Fraser Government as the Nation's Treasurer and now as the Nation's Prime Minister, John Howard has had the power and the financial capacity under the constitution to remove, alleviate and redress the deprivation and chronically deteriorated living conditions Aboriginal children, their families and communities have had to endure, especially under Liberal administration. The Little Children are Sacred Report thoroughly examines the issue of Aboriginal child sexual abuse. The report recognises the issue as one of urgent national significance, recommending that both the Australian and Northern Territory Governments establish an immediate collaborative partnership with a Memorandum of Understanding to specifically address the protection of Aboriginal children from sexual abuse. Most significantly, the report asserts it is critical that both governments commit to genuine consultation with Aboriginal people in designing initiatives for Aboriginal communities. Recommendations 4, 5, 40 a, b 4. That the government develop a Child Impact Analysis for all major policy and practice proposals across Government. 5. That the government develop a whole of- government approach in respect of child sexual abuse. Protocols should be developed as a matter of urgency to enhance information sharing between agencies and the development of a coordinated approach in which all agencies acknowledge a responsibility for child protection.. The approach might build on the work of the Strategic Management Group and Child Abuse Taskforce but needs to extend well beyond those initiatives. 40. That the Northern Territory Government work with the Australian Government in consultation with Aboriginal communities to: a. develop a comprehensive long-term strategy to build a strong and equitable core service platform in Aboriginal communities, to address the underlying risk factors for child sexual abuse and to develop functional communities in which children are safe b. through this strategy, address the delivery of core educational and Primary Health Care (PHC) services to Aboriginal people including home visitation and early years services (see Chapter on Health). We call on the Prime Minister, and the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, to provide the Australian people with justifiable answers at a minimum to the following pressing questions that arise from the recommendations of the Little Children are Sacred Report: - What consultations and plans have been made in regard to this newest policy for reform that will ensure that it is implemented with and not against the Indigenous population? - What assistance and support if any is there in the areas of detoxification, rehabilitation, counselling, and education? - What resources and services are there to support Indigenous people once these changes are made? - How will people be assisted safely to come off their alcohol or substance addiction? - Where are the rehabilitation services to be established and to what degree will they be effective? - Where are the trauma counselling and support services for families to be instituted? But there is another question that cannot be suppressed regarding the motives behind John Howard's sweeping policy and the significance of the timing to impose such a draconian plan on the run and without prior departmental analysis and comprehensive costings, which relates to the influence it will have on the polls and voting in the next federal election: - Have the opinion polls scared John Howard to the point where he is scrambling to influence votes with the Race Card, at the expense of Australia's Aboriginal Community? With one of the first Aboriginal communities targeted for the immediate introduction of Australia's armed forces in a support role with conscripted police enforcement from all around the country being Mutitjulu Community (a dry Community) at the base of Uluru, not only just Aboriginal people are seeing this as proof of the intention to use "Martial Law". Mutitjulu Community is one of the many Aboriginal Communities that have been directly affected by Deaths in Custody, previous Government Removal Policies and continual trans-generational abuse and neglect through government policy and control. There are three significant interrelated events that have occurred in the Northern Territory since June 15, 2007 and which are of substantial concern to the National Sorry Day Committee: 1) The public release on 15 June 2007 of the Northern Territory Government's report from its Board of Inquiry into Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse. 2) The winning by Mutitjulu Community of its Federal Court challenge to the appointment of a Perth-based administrator by the Federal Government. This means that the community's former governing committee will soon resume its role. In 2006 the Registrar had given only one day's notice, after the federal government said the community's funding would cease unless an administrator was appointed. The federal appeal court judges said that: "There was no evidence of any particular threatened unlawful or imprudent transaction on the part of the (Mutitjulu) Corporation that needed to be urgently prevented". 3) The Howard Government's announcement of a new policy of intended measures against the Indigenous communities through out the Northern Territory claiming it to be "in the best interest of the children". Highly respected Mutitjulu Elder and Stolen Generations Survivor, Bob Randall, producer of the newly released film Kanyini, revealed to the National Sorry Day Committee that following the accusations presented on ABC TV's Lateline in July 2006 by a staffer in the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Mal Brough's, office that members of the Mutitjulu Community were sexually abusing and prostituting children, a full investigation by both local and territory police found nothing to substantiate the accusations. There have been no arrests nor have any charges been brought against any of the 95 community members. Bob Randall further identified that since the policy of self-determination came into practice in the Mutitjulu Community back in 1972, the Department of Aboriginal Affairs removed the staff that were then working there and have starved the community of the competent staff and resources that the community needed to operate effectively. Instead, the government left untrained people to take over. Over the last decade the Howard Government has further withdrawn and reduced funding and resources, with a total neglect of the basic needs of the Community, which was then forced into an unnecessarily bureaucratic form of over-administration and is now being bullied into signing 99 year lease agreements. The plight of Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory expresses the plight of all Indigenous Australians who have been crying out for initiatives and actions that the Howard Government has and continues to ignore. The 1967 Referendum may have recognised Aboriginal people as Citizens of Australia to be counted in the Census, but in reality the present Government's attitude and intent is to continue to enact the "white" culturally dominated Liberal view of administration in disguise for the same old racist implementation of the life threatening and soul destroying manipulation of Indigenous Australian's basic human needs that had characterised the federal view of the constitution up to 1967. This current policy to undertake the drastic measures imposed by the Prime Minister, comes from the same racist and draconian political manoeuvres of past governments stretching back beyond federation that encompass the forceful displacement of Indigenous people using the Policies of Forced Removal of Aboriginal Child as they were progressively implemented under the equally inhumane and discredited Policies of Martial Law, Protection, Assimilation, Integration and now Absorption. All of these policies fomented and implemented national acts of Genocide and it appears the intent for the dog of "white supremacy" to return to its vomit is relentless. The National Sorry Day Committee is horrified that the Prime Minister is apparently intent on unashamedly and deliberately using Aboriginal children in the same way that past governments, through the Removal Policies that created the Stolen Generations, used Aboriginal children to control the lives, lands and rights of Indigenous Australia. The National Sorry Day Committee calls upon each right thinking and fair-minded Australians with a sense of just decency to assume the responsibility to prevent such an outrage from happening again. Helen Moran - Indigenous Co-Chair - 0413 246 470 Tiffany McComsey Non-Indigenous Co-Chair - 0412 391 746 ABC REPORT: AFP team arrives in NT for Indigenous plan http://www.australiansall.com.au/a-statement-from-the-stolen-generations-alliance/ Statement from the Stolen Generations AllianceMalcolm Fraser Lowitja O'Donoghue Brian Butler Elected leadership from specific regions could establish Aboriginal councils with responsibilities to their own communities. Those councils could elect a representative to a national body to advise governments more broadly. This is just one suggestion of a framework that might work. The Prime Minister has declared a state of emergency in the Northern Territory to introduce arbitrary measures for Aboriginal Australians. While we must all hope that any measures introduced will assist Aborigines achieve their rightful place within the Australian community, a place that recognises their own history and culture, we must at the same time ask how the Government has come to this point? The Government has been in power for over 10 years. Over that time there have been many reports about the dire effects of alcohol and substance abuse affecting Aboriginal communities. Thirty years ago Aboriginal communities, on their own account and with the support of their people, did not allow anyone to bring alcohol into those communities. Over many decades there has been awareness of the damage that alcohol can do - and that awareness has been not least amongst Aboriginal leadership. These latest measures have been introduced without any overt sign that there has been consultation with Aboriginal leadership or with Aboriginal elders from different communities. Without respect, without discussion and agreement it is difficult to see any measures working as effectively as we would all want. And there are other elements significantly lacking in this latest statement. Two of the greatest needs for Aboriginal communities, especially in remote communities, are improved health and better access to education. There is a health component to the Government's current program but primary healthcare at the very least needs to be available on a continuous basis. Better availability of health care is needed for all communities and much better availability of education for all Aboriginal children - an education that gives some hope for a future, that there will be jobs, there will be respect and the promise of the 1967 referendum fulfilled. Despite popular perceptions, funds provided for both Aboriginal education and Aboriginal health are far less than they should have been, far less generous than policies adopted by the Canadian Government and far more paternal in their application in recent times. Surely a return to paternalism is regressive. One telling statistic is that there are fewer Aboriginal students at Australian universities today than there were when this Government came to office. Quite apart from adequately providing the common and ordinary services which most of us take for granted, the Government has said that if people want to live on remote communities it will not provide services. Is that a policy of starve them out? Take the example of School of the Air. That was a remarkable initiative for remote white communities. Is that the end of our enterprise? ATSIC did not meet the high expectations many had of it but its abolition, supported by the Labor Party, further eroded hope and belief in the future for many Aboriginal Australians. ATSIC by no means distinguished itself but it could have been very substantially reformed. Elected leadership from specific regions could establish Aboriginal councils with responsibilities to their own communities. Those councils could elect a representative to a national body to advise governments more broadly. This is just one suggestion of a framework that might work. Instead today there is an appointed advisory council, a throw back to past years, to past paternalism which assumed superiority of government and its instruments. That approach did not work then. We believe we are the only western democracy with a significant indigenous minority that has no elected representation of any kind. Trachoma, the leading cause of blindness worldwide, is entirely a disease of third-world countries - except for Australia where it is the scourge of remote Aboriginal communities. Our governments pretend to be generous with aid to the third world. There is a third world living within Australia, to Australia's shame. We can be pleased that the Government accepts there is an emergency which requires action. But their first step needs to be a broad-based approach based upon respect, upon self esteem and on the recognition of a real partnership. Rt Hon Malcolm Fraser Prof Lowitja O'Donoghue Mr Brian Butler Co-Patron Co-Patron Chairman -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: mutitjulu.gif Type: image/gif Size: 633 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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