Communique from campaign: 500.000 - 600.000 Bcn demo
pocahontas | 17.03.2002 01:10
According to our own estimations, between 500,000 and 600,000 people have participated in today?s demonstration against the Corporate Europe.
We give this number after having consulted all our sources and after contrasting with other demonstrations.
We send our congratulations to the citizenry and to ourselves for this sign of compromise in denouncing the current European policies and in the creation of a better world.
It has been the biggest demonstration of the social movements in favour of another type of globalization, since the events in Seattle made us all think that we can change the course of history.
Police terror will not be able to stop the party.
With everyone?s participation, another world will become true.
Campaign against Corporate Europe.
pocahontas
Comments
Hide the following 39 comments
Another world is seriously possible
17.03.2002 08:27
Yesterday when i was at an anti-capitalist and anti-war activity, someone asked me this question: "U r right but how many people in this world are saying no to the war as u?" I answered:" Hunders of thousands are marching in Barcelona now!" He was very inspired and his hope was raised as many others. Thanx to Barcelone activists for puring to showing us the moveming is gaining strength and another world is definitely possible! :)
Anti-capitalist activists from Turkey
Activists from Turkey
e-mail:
bunyaminesen@yahoo.com
No Media coverage in mainsteam press
17.03.2002 09:58
We are on to something huge and the powers that be know it. For every one person that attended there are scores more that support the movement.
Keep up the pressure, bring on May Day and lets get the message accross.
Support the World Social Forum for a democratic and peacefull future.
Rory Hodgson
To: Rory Hodgson about the media
17.03.2002 10:42
You said that you were "Amazed to find almost all british sunday papers ignoring the mobilisation of half a million people that passed almost completely peacefully". I just wanted to say:
IT WAS THE SAME IN SWEDEN! It's fucking unbeliveable that no "mainsteam-media" can give a true report about what REALLY happend yesterday in Barcelona! I think that it is the same kind thinking from the journalists i the whole Europe or EU! That don't what people to know that it actually was a very great an PEACEFULL demonstration! No, they want to the people all around Europe or EU to think that it is "terrorists" that have attacked the police all thou they KNOW that it was the opposite!!
Lucky as we are the indymedia exists! Thanks to them we now know what happend!
/Petter - Sweden
Petter
Homepage:
http://www.se.indymedia.org
greetings from the U.S.
17.03.2002 10:59
CW
Pic
17.03.2002 11:41
Pic
Douglas
Breaking News
17.03.2002 12:36
And: "You too can have sex like the stars." ?????????????
And: "Another pretty girl dies from herion abuse."
No mention of half a million citizens, who oppose the rape and destruction of the World, being assaulted by riot police in Barcelona.
U. Burke
What matters..
17.03.2002 12:41
T.Blair (the Butcher of Britain)
In France
17.03.2002 13:00
Become the media !
Lord H2O
Homepage:
http://securis.info
spanish media surprising
17.03.2002 13:30
(well, the police made the mistake of beating up a few journalists in the district of Gracia on Friday, not the best of tactics... *g*)
I was there last night, it was a wonderful demonstration, and from what I saw, violence was entirely provoced by the cops. We were standing there rather peacefully when about 20 helmeted cops came running up, then some more. people were shouting at them but that was about it, and then they started firing rubber bullets and gas. People began to run, but the Ramblas were blocked in the other direction as well. A guy next to me tried to get through the police lines and was beaten up brutally by two cops. They chased us in one direction, trying to intercept us. People were just trying to get out, walking rather quietly up the street. It was impossible to get away from that street, as all the side streets were blocked. Then the police started charging once more, firing all the time. Some hundred people (I guess) got trapped against the wall of a hotel, the police shooting at shoulder level (that´s head level for some of us) from a distance of about 10 meters. People started crowding into the hotel hall, there were several wounded, everyone slightly on the edge of panic. The police outside went on firing, broke the windows of the hotel entrance, started coming in, forcing the people out... they also went into several bars and started beating up people (even innocent bystanders). It went on for quite a while, they had succeeded in dispersing us in the city centre, so there was a lot of punctual action going on, smaller groups of people being chased through the streets, beaten up, and all the time the damn bullets flying over our heads.
well, there´s a short eyewitness report for you :)
as I said, what surprises me, is that the media weren´t speaking merely of violent demonstrators but showed the police brutality - while of course maintaining how hte anti-riot-troups were only doing they´re job... well, but what would you expect...
But with half a million participants, what should they do? There were so many "normal" (normal as in "not young, radical and unconventional hairdo" *g*) citizens at the demonstration, so many grass-root activist groups consisting of "normal" housewives and ecologist groups,so much public support that they couldn´t just go and ignore the demonstration, nor condemn it totally...
Nobody (except for right-wing newspapers) seems to be questioning the legitimity of the demonstration, public opinion is quite in favour of it - but of course they all speak of "a few radicals" who go and spoil it for everyone.
Not that I´m surprised, that´s what they´ve got to say, isn´t it?
We are millions, and this world isn´t yours!
Solidarity with the people arrested in Barcelona!
another media is possible
we are winning!
17.03.2002 17:37
and it's only the beginning!
greetings from Italy.
autout
Do it yourself
17.03.2002 17:52
So when I saw what was going on in Barcelona I didn't browse to CNN or BBC or whatever. I turned to the indy press on the wwweb. But I had difficulties finding anything. Midnight GMT and I couldn't get no confirmation on my suspicion that the police started the riots.
There is a need for indipendent newswire thar tells us what is happening, that is up to date with things. Live wire on the Internet.
So when the tvnews throw this bulls*** at me, I can throw up my browser and "see what's really going on".
There are people on the spot - some of them journalists -that could transmit live to web.
Lets use this medium to get the truth across to people thirsty fornews, not just to talk amongst our selves. For each one marching in Barcelona there are thousands that are either misinformed or not informed at all.
falchen
Inspiring to see the numbers
17.03.2002 20:41
Please keep up the fight against the cruel, exploitative system that the corporate-ruled U.S. --now the ultimate military-industrial state--is trying to foist on the rest of the world.
Also... please have some kind thoughts for those of us who live here and feel such incredible alienation from all that this country represents now. There are, I suspect, many more of us than we realize, but you would never know it due to the absolute control the military-industrial state has now over all sources of information, including those famous polls that claim "President" Shrub has 85-90% approval ratings. I don't know a single person who has changed their negative opinion of this moron or his regime of cronies, even since 9/11. The polls remind me of the elections back in the old USSR, when candidates would always win with 99% of the vote.
Yes, we have totalitarianism here. And the American masses couldn't care less as long as they can drive their polluting SUV's, pull their fat asses up to McDonald's take-out windows and order more high-fat foods, then go home and stare blankly at their televisions for hours. And this is part of their vision of the wonders of globalization.
Don't let it happen. Stay in the streets!
Glenn
e-mail:
gtrshore@hotmail.com
again same comments on media coverage
17.03.2002 23:34
All of you have a lot of complains about this miserable coverage. Oh SHIT!! Anybody expected anything else???
Common we have to go a step higher, we have to compel this fuckin' mainstream media to report about us in a way WE want.
Let's start talking how to do that.
No Offence.
All you brothers and sisters from Barcelona You were gorgeus! Love you all.
Urh form Slovenia
AP photos of protest
18.03.2002 01:49
and then scroll down to the Slideshow headline: Protesters at EU summit (on the right side of the screen)
Solidarity and Well Wishes
Scarlet
Indy Media rules
18.03.2002 02:45
The BBC's online coverage has been thin but given my experience of working in the media not that surprising. The focus seems to be firstly on the EU summit and decision made by state 'leaders'.
Activists don't despair. Anyone whose been involved in the uprising of activism in recent years will know we are getting stronger and the awareness of our activism is growing in the minds of Joe Public.
I would have loved to be in Barcelona this week but commitments to loved ones and the rent have kept me in London. Genoa and Brussels were great, the anti-war demos have been fantastic, the Globalise Resistance and Socialist Alliance conferences inspirational. The movement is growing.
I gonna try to make it to Seville. Reclaim the streets and keep up the Resistance. See you all on the CND demo next Saturday 30 March.
Cheers Gary Jarvis.
Gary Jarvis
e-mail:
yesgaryjarvis@hotmail.com
Why the media don't care
18.03.2002 02:52
The BBC's online coverage has been thin but given my experience of working in the media not that surprising. The focus seems to be firstly on the EU summit and decision made by state 'leaders'.
Activists don't despair. Anyone whose been involved in the uprising of activism in recent years will know we are getting stronger and the awareness of our activism is growing in the minds of Joe Public.
I would have loved to be in Barcelona this week but commitments to loved ones and the rent have kept me in London. Genoa and Brussels were great, the anti-war demos have been fantastic, the Globalise Resistance and Socialist Alliance conferences inspirational. The movement is growing.
The mainstream media are owned by firms interested more in share value and hence circulation than in ground breaking journalism. The beauty of the internet is the infinite space. This means websites can provide more news, if well staffed, than their TV and press cousins. I have only read about the summit demonstrations on Indy Media and BBC online, so far.
I gonna try to make it to Seville. Reclaim the streets and keep up the Resistance. See you all on the CND demo next Saturday 30 March.
Cheers Gary Jarvis.
Gary Jarvis
e-mail:
yesgaryjarvis@hotmail.com
corporate press beaten up at Barcelona
18.03.2002 02:55
corporate press beaten up at Barcelona
Jon Dimis, from Pamplona, Spain,
reacts after getting hit by a riot
police officer during disturbances
following an anti-globalization
demonstration in central
Barcelona, Saturday, March 16,
2002. Dimis was hospitalized with
injuries to the jaw. (AP
Photo/Aranberri)
2 of 47 in the Yahoo series
yahoo website
solidarity from US
18.03.2002 05:11
christian
Is another world really possible?
18.03.2002 06:41
Thanks again
Trish
Trisha Exley
e-mail:
trishexel9@netscape.net
The Media withdrawing Oxygen?
18.03.2002 10:44
Ann-Marie
e-mail:
amgallagher@anarcho-syndicalist.fsnet.co.uk
media is shoulder to shoulder with bush/blair
18.03.2002 12:28
At the same time we should not get too hung up on it. Despite the lack of coverage of our side, we blew the EU summit out of the water. all the leaders were pale, disappointed, pasty faced. They wanted it to be a show case and we fucked that up for them. For them, it was nearly as bad a failure as Seattle for the WTO.
Half a million people were on the demonstration, they have the experience of the police and the media coverage. they don't trust the state any more (if they ever did). Events like Barcelona lead to revolutionary shifts in consciousness.
The western press is not all and you can bet your life that footage is being shown accross the arab world, and probably in other places. And yes we have websites like this.
Barcelona is extemely important, it shows that our movement is even stronger now than it was before 9-11. No wonder they are terrified of people finding this out.
vincent
A new kind of kind of civil war
18.03.2002 15:08
we are 500.000 but no kind of violency in the demonstaters.
Police search the conflit because a small group of cops search the fight, they stand up behind the demonstraters and then they wait the hostilities ( I have the video of it...) . So a little part of the demonstraters answer at the hostilities and police call every cops. And they attack
everybody: women, journalists, people like me who try to shot picture of the incredible violence of the cops.
They want to catch my camera but when they hear that I am French, they let me go.
I had luck, because I am not spanish, they took in jail anybody.
They are affraid of us and they use police and media to say that we are bad people and terrorists like ben laden....
But we know that we are good people with peaceful intentions.
Hasta la victoria sempre,
le pouvoir se construit sans le peuple....
Simon
e-mail:
simon_briand@hotmail.com
WE'RE MILIONS & THE PLANET IS NOT YOURS
18.03.2002 16:01
So i've got to say to you that go out the streets to the next big demonstration in your area. Nobody quiet us!!!!
There are MILIONS OF US and the planet IS NOT YOURS!!!!
Shout against the capitalism and destroy it!!!!
BARCELONA has shout 'fuck off' to the economic power like all the world has feeling now.
BARCELONA was big but no for its European first ministers, no no!! was big for its people. So to the next movilisations say NO against the capitalism!!!.
See you in Rome italian people!! We want BERLUSCONI died!!!!!!!!!!! and Aznar, and Bush, and Chirac, and Blair, and Solana, and...
BECAUSE THERE ARE MILIONS OF US AND THE PLANET IS NOT YOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PERQUÈ SOM MILIONS I EL PLANETA NO ÉS VOSTRE!!!!!!!!!
JOAN
see no,hear no print no evil..british press
18.03.2002 20:55
paul robinson
e-mail:
maddogcraw69@hotmail.com
barcelona
18.03.2002 21:02
paul robinson
e-mail:
maddogcraw69@hotmail.com
We have momentum now...
18.03.2002 22:28
I was in awe at the figures of the protesters in Barcelona. And there was next to NOTHING about this in the main stream media in Canada.
Thanks to all that participated and to the existence of indymedia so l could know that this happened.
I am asking all who can make it (and afford it) to Kananaskis in Canada this summer to do so!
We have momentum now...
Peace to all
Mark Cutler
Toronto CANADA
Mark Cutler
e-mail:
mark@topix.com
Inspiring
18.03.2002 22:56
Here's looking to kananaskis for G8 in June.
Great work everyone for spreading the news. Thanks.
Kelly
more corporate media roughed up by police
19.03.2002 03:10
yahoo news image
Homepage:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/020318/168/19v4o.html
SOLIDARITY!
19.03.2002 05:32
peace, love, and solidarity
matt
anarchomattt
Homepage:
http://revolting.4t.com
Article in TheTimes
19.03.2002 13:59
Zacc
Men In balaclavas
19.03.2002 19:12
Men In balaclavas
Caption
"Mon Mar 18, 3:24 PM ET
Plainclothes police officers search detained protesters in a police station after disturbances during an anti-globalization demonstration march in Barcelona, Saturday, March 16, 2002. The march finished with clashes between some demonstrators and police. (AP Photo/Pasqual Gorriz)"
Interestingly enough some of the people in it are wearing balaclavas. Now Im guessing the the people up against the wall with their hands up are the protesters - So that makes the ones with balaclavas the undercover police. and Hey guess what - in a nearly completely peaceful protest only a small group started the trouble - and they were wearing Balaclavas.
(Ok we all new that undercover police often do this but now we have proof)
Joseph
Lies
19.03.2002 19:27
(sarcasm)
dystopia membrane goldstein, fldc
media coverage
20.03.2002 17:38
internationalist
Homepage:
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk
to anarchomattt: you've got it a bit wrong...
20.03.2002 19:21
i think you've got it a bit wrong by saying the barcelona people completely refuse the EU. i would say most people protesting in barca are in favour of europe, or better the european people growing together, simply because it's essential if we want to avoid war on our continent in the future. however, people here are really pissed about how things go. as it stands, the EU is not much better than the US. in fact, the "behaviour" of the EU is the same as the US's just on a smaller scale (but not much smaller). and the really sad thing is that europe is still in the building (whereas the US is a "made thing") and we actually should have a real chance to go a different way than the US instead of just following them like a blind dog and constantly comparing ourself with them, as if america is the standard we want to achieve. we don't!!!
anyway, keep up the pressure from within the US!!!
it's essential for the success of the worldwide anti-corporate movement! we need you, "different" americans!!!
edd
eyewitness reports from Barcelona +pics
21.03.2002 13:07
the demo in Barcelona was really amazing. Here's another eyewitness report which includes some really good pics of the crowd.
in my opinion the demo had a clear anti-capitalist character, the main banner under which people marched read: against the europe of capital and war - another world is possible.
Jordi
Jordi
e-mail:
jordi@marxist.com
Homepage:
http://www.marxist.com/Europe/barcelona_anti_eu.html
Solidarity and strategy
21.03.2002 15:32
Solidarity.
Hasta la victoria
Nate
Nate
Did this really happen?
22.03.2002 08:30
Manofthenorth
Who cares about mainstream media
24.03.2002 08:04
of this pittyful planet despaired enough to fight till their end.
ONE PLANET,ONE HOME.
Belgrade is world!!!!!
Miroslav
e-mail:
shanticm@hotmail.com
Thank You
28.03.2002 21:25
Andre