On 27th Nov a public briefing / press conferenc was held by the authorities in brussels about the arrangements for the protests around the EU summit. Activists and indymedia were singled out for specific police attention:

The evening of the 27, we go to Auditorium 2000, the palate of the Congresses. Before the beginning of the meeting, a small group from D14 discussing Indymedia in the vicinity are accosted by a group of 4 cops, who want to check the identities of everyone. " Good Ah, why? And you will control all people who come to the meeting? ". They refuse to give their indentity cards, what could be more normal, considering the request of the police officers is illegal. After the refusal, and intimidated by the cameras of 2 video teams, they give up. But when the group moves towards the room of conference, they return and want to search the bags. D14 had announced a surprise for this meeting, but the bags contained nothing very dangerous: leaflets, meeneken-pis (THE SYMBOL OF THE PROTESTS/BRUSSELS) made out of chocolate and large a menneken painted with the colors of D14.

In a room full of a few hundred people the arrangements for street closures, transport and schools, and security zones were explained.

They ignored and did not speak about the events planned for 14th and 15th (like may others who seem to be trying to minimise information about 14th and 15th, especially the street parties etc on the 15th) though did mention that only 15,000 protestors are expected on the 14th. They said 70,000+ were expected for the trade union demonstrations on the 13th which could cause crowd size problems at the meeting place so a staggered dispersal of demonstrators is agreed with the unions.

Activists and sympathizers of D14 made several interventions, placed a large menneken-pis (the little boy pissing statue) at the podium, explaining that "he wants to come to be heard in Laeken on December 14 ". Chocolate flyers and menneken-pis are distributed, the greeting is not too bad, in spite of the irritation. Many people present are tradesmen, panicked a little owing to the fact that the first communication of the authorities is now done only weeks before the summit. But they approve the intervention of a member of D14 which asks why nobody was consulted neither on the question of the euro, neither on the place of the summit, nor on any other decision of the European Union.

But after having declared all the evening the authorities wanted to satisfy everyone, to guarantee the rights to express and the freedom of expression, they show their true face: the following day, during the meeting between the organizers of the manifestation of the 14 (D14, NGOs and ATTAC, gathered under the network name of "Another Europe for another world") the speech of the day before is already forgotten as they object to the routes of the protests and make new proposals.

The route which they wants to impose is ridiculous. They want that the demonstrators to march in the industrial warehouse areas and out of sight of the Palace of Laeken where the summit is being held. However, the thousands of demonstrators of all Belgium and Europe (even beyond) are not coming to Brussels to protest in some excluded area. The organizers had already made significant concessions, by giving up the idea to express to the Stuyvenberg park and while envisaging to make a loop going towards the Palace then setting out again in the opposite direction.

The refusal of the authorities to grant an acceptable route is a pure political operation and a provocation. By doing this they try to divide the movement, but especially they seek to cause a confrontation with all those who feel it is illegitamte and undemocratic to protest far from the summit places. While defending some they seek to set up an aggressive strategy, with red exclusion zones and drastic limitation of the right to protest.

The democrats, the progessives, and the motivated must make pressure so that on December 14 the thousands of demonstrators can demonstrate, safely, towards the Laeken summit. The authorities must make a gesture of goodwill, like the organizers already did.

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We want to protest in Laeken: ACTION E-MAIL

To obtain the authorization for a democratic demonstration,
Small Castle towards the Large Castle, December 14, we ask you to send to this E mall to the Mister Thielemans, Burgomaster of the town of Brussels.

Address E mall: Freddy.  freddy.thielemans@brucity.be

You can even change the letter, or supplement it. Best is to sign it. Thank you for your collaboration...

" Menneken-Pis please go in Laeken! "

Mister Burgomaster,on 14 December thousands of women and men, young and old people, from all over Europe, will be in Brussels to express their criticisms vis-a-vis with the construction of the European Union, at the time of the Summit of Laeken.

These thousands of people have the democratic right to be speak and and be heard. These thousands of people want to express this right close to the place to the Summit. This is why we want to pass by the street of the Artists and the avenue of the Park. But the last news seems to indicate that you refuse the possibility to them of expressing close to the Royal Palate of Laeken.

We regret it and think that the route on which you want to direct the manifestation of December 14, in the medium of a zone deserted and far away from the Summit, will cause frustrations and tensions. That is in the interest of nobody, neither of the demonstrators, neither of the inhabitants, nor of the authorities. Therefore we ask you in the interest of all, to give a democratic signal while reconsidering your decision.

Yours sincerely.

-- signature --

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PRESS

Read in The Times which pretends to have seen Verhofstadt's bluepring for the Laeken-Declaration.

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 30 2001

THE European Union is failing its people and the number of critics of its operation are growing by the day, a damning report circulating among its leaders concludes.
The EU is facing an identity crisis and a wide gulf is opening between the people and Brussels, the current presidency of the EU has concluded. The report will be seized by eurosceptics for use in their campaign against British membership of the euro.

 http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-2001553613,00.html


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PRESS

BBC Article nov 30th on divisions between the EU and it's citizens.

Belgium says the European Union is out of touch with its citizens and has failed to placate its critics in a draft document prepared for the Laeken summit in two weeks' time.

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_1684000/1684815.stm

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 http://www.belgium.indymedia.org

MORE INFO:

Background and more info EU Brussels Protests
 http://uk.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=17276&group=webcast

Actions, Street party & concerts D15
 http://www.bruxxel.org

International Demonstration D14
 http://www.D14.be

"Another Europe for Another World"
 http://www.anothereurope.org

European Trade Union Rally - Brussels 13th
 http://www.etuc.org/en/