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Berlin: 3000 on Ungdomshuset-soli-demonstration. Riots.

smash capitalism! | 12.03.2007 13:17 | Free Spaces | World

Today in the city of Berlin a solidarity demostration for the social center Ungdomshuset of Copenhagen took place. About 3000 activists joined the initiative promoted by the Berlin Ungdomhuset Solidarity Group, making a radical and determined demo that crossed the central streets of Berlin. Windows of banks were smashed, at least one police car destroyed.












A lot of antifascist political realities, squats, cultural organisations and subjectivies of the underground environment of Berlin were involved in this european day of mobilization for Ungdomshuset.

There was a big presence of riot police walking really close to the demo, surrounded it all the way by all sides. When the demo arrived at the end of the authorized path, they stopped the demo and they ordered to the people to leave the street and to go away in little groups.

The demonstrators disobeyed police`s order, trying to keep the demo on. The immediate police`s reaction was a charge in order to split up the demo. Few people were arrested. "Reclaim the street! We all are Ungdomshuset", this was the spontaneuous answer of the activists, that tried to reclaim a new street to continue a not legal demo. Charges developed in trying to catch the demonstrators and arresting them. The demo divided itself in small groups that spread in the area. People were still shouting slogans and trying to recompose bigger groups. The police’s actions continued till 23.30 in this zone. The result was around 30 activists arrested.

Video:  http://www.myvideo.de/watch/1017201

smash capitalism!

Additions

long weekend in berlin

12.03.2007 13:36

Since sometime different houseprojects from Rigaerstrasse and around has been meeting up in order to fight together against the evictions, the luxury modernizations and the sell out of our houses. We therefore called out for a campaign to ones again bring this theme back into the public, as well as the theme of gentrification.
We are fed up to be kicked out from our struktures in order to make space for yuppies, speculators, cruel landlords and estate agencies. We are here since ages, with our autonomous structures in where we try to live free from hierarchy and under the DIY principles, in order to struggle against this grey capitalist society, and we want to stay exactly here to keep on living, loving, hating and fighting.

Therefore our campaign motto is:“ Never give up - never capitulate. Rigaerstrasse fights back!“.
The campaign will be opened with a superlong weekend which will take place here on the street.
The idea behind it is to meet up here for three days for eating voküs (people´s kitchen) or brunch together, to dance our legs of at the parties, to let our ears explode at the concerts, to exchange ideas during the workshops and, at last but not the least, to take some mean direct actions together.

This weekend should become a temporary autonomous zone, in which we will be busy talking about gentrification while thinking out how to trough sand in the mechanisms of this capitalist society. We also want to ask ourselves how we can fight against, and prevent evictions in todays 2007, in such a city as Berlin, without necesserarly having to beg the politicians.

Of course we are also interested to know about the situation of other autonomous projects, what´s going on in the other cities and how we could create better networks between us. Therefore there will also be infoevents and workshops, so that we can confront ourselfs with different themes and at the same time learning something practical...share your skills...

Surely, we also wants to have alot of fun together, see some old faces and meet new ones. Therefore will there be concerts, parties and so on. Nevertheless, for us to have fun doesn´t just mean to party, but also to have fun on the streets (fun for us but we hope a bit less fun for others...), because life for us does´nt just happens behind closed doors.

Therefore we invite you all to take part in the actions or to prepare your owns.
Come and join us in „the long weekend the Rigaer strasse“.

The weekend program looks like this (until now):

Friday:

arriving...from 16 pm skatecontest at Forcki (park close to the Rigaerstrasse). During the day, actions against gentrification (keep your eyes open for some news), at night voküs in Fischladen and XB, afterwards parties: „daddel - disko“ in the Kadterschmiede, karaoke party in beamer84, punkrock bar in Kontrollpunkt, elettroparty in XB, kicker tournament in the Rigaer78 and party in Fischladen.

Saturday:

Brunch in Vetomat, workshops during all the afternoon. At night voküs in XB and Fischladen, afterwards Crust/HC concert in the Scharni38 and Hip Hop and elettro dj´s in the Kadterschmiede...the night will be long...

Sunday:

From 13pm big closing brunch and chilling in XB.

It is up to you as well to take part and shape this weekend...participate, prepare your own workshops or help in the organizing...
Keep your ears and eyes open for the upcoming complete program..
Help us to make Rigaerstrasse known again in Germany (and elsewhere)!

Solidarity with all endangered projects!
Freespaces will be fought for - not begged!
You know where it rocks again - Rigaerstrasse everyday!

rigaer strasse
- Homepage: http://www.rigaer-strasse.blogspot.com


Short Video

12.03.2007 22:28

There's a short video clip at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na7OTQjRFOY&mode=related&search=

I think 2,000 people present is realistic number (the bulls said around 1,000 and we know how they always underestimate).

Also, please do NOT publish photos where people's faces are visible - (black them out first) it's extremely irresponsible.

AutoGnome
- Homepage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na7OTQjRFOY&mode=related&search=


Comments

Hide the following 2 comments

You know the youth house isn't coming back

13.03.2007 00:23

but the German police have had a nice little practice run for the G8 and managed to detain and gather intelligence on then main players.

S


Needlessly harsh

13.03.2007 11:52

What I meant to say is that the Ungdomshuset was sold in 2001 so the battle for it was essentially lost six years ago. The fact that it has taken so for it to actually to be evicted is something that all involved can feel rightly proud of but sadly it has been raided, the people have been evicted and the building has been demolished so it has to be chalked up as a victory to the bad guys.

Alongside that I think it is important for people to remember that the security operation for the G8 meetings is a massive operation involving the security services of all the G8 nations plus the police forces of Germany's European neighbours such as the the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark, who will feed the demostrations. This operation has been "live" for the last 18 months - 2 years.

It is entirely possible the decision to evict the Ungdomshuset at the time they did was taken in order to bring the underground movement out of the woodwork to reveal networks faces and names. The ensuing rioting also gave the German police an oppotunity to practice the UK style riot control stratergies they were taught during the world cup.

That said, after the least two peaceful G8's it's refreshing to see that the movement still has teeth I just hope that those involved are availible for the main event.

Sovereign