Strasbourg Time Line Reports
imc-uk | 26.07.2002 19:25
TIMELINE FOR NOBORDER CAMP STRASBOURG
Friday 26nd July: Hacking the SIS
Today was the day for highlighting the electronic borders and struggles of the Schengen Information System (SIS). This European-wide computer network gives 50,000 police, immigration and government computers access to the personal data of immigrants, political activists and other interesting people. The police provided the most visible actions on the topic by checking ids of everybody and everyone looking 'suspicious': tourists with cameras and people with long hair were among their main targets.
In the morning the Publix Theatre Caravan took journalists for a ride to the Schengen Information System (SIS). A cordon of 7 cars drove through Strasbourg and parked in front of the street where the central computer of the SIS is stationed. There they connected their laptops to symbolic Schengen cables and gave the journalists an introduction to the system. They also installed a plugin that would make the SIS a truly free space, with access for all.
On popular demand yesterday's slave market was extended today.
The courtcase against one of the people arrested on Wednesday took place at 2pm. Illegally, police refused people entry. Supporters of the imprisoned person insisted on attending the hearing. In the end the police allowed fifteen people to enter the Palace de Justice, but not after being searched and their identity checked. The accused has to await his courtcase on the 21st of August in prison.
On the Rue the Maire-Kuss activists in toga staged another bridge action. They installed a border control on one of the main bridges to make people aware of the borders of Fortress Europe.
At the Place Cathedrale a demonstration and exhibition of dispossessed peoples took place, including Palestinian, Catalunian and Eastern-European solidarity.
During the afternoon the Strasbourg police started a major id check. Around every corner in the city centre the boys in blue were ready with their papers to take down passport and other personal details. Six people were arrested. Their evaluation of the people needing checking seemed to be based more on looks than on anything else: cameras and long hair were important triggers. Ironically this highlights the 'selective randomness' the SIS uses to pick the people worthy of storing in its database.
Live audio-video stream tonight at 10pm.
Friday 26nd July: Hacking the SIS
Today was the day for highlighting the electronic borders and struggles of the Schengen Information System (SIS). This European-wide computer network gives 50,000 police, immigration and government computers access to the personal data of immigrants, political activists and other interesting people. The police provided the most visible actions on the topic by checking ids of everybody and everyone looking 'suspicious': tourists with cameras and people with long hair were among their main targets.
In the morning the Publix Theatre Caravan took journalists for a ride to the Schengen Information System (SIS). A cordon of 7 cars drove through Strasbourg and parked in front of the street where the central computer of the SIS is stationed. There they connected their laptops to symbolic Schengen cables and gave the journalists an introduction to the system. They also installed a plugin that would make the SIS a truly free space, with access for all.
On popular demand yesterday's slave market was extended today.
The courtcase against one of the people arrested on Wednesday took place at 2pm. Illegally, police refused people entry. Supporters of the imprisoned person insisted on attending the hearing. In the end the police allowed fifteen people to enter the Palace de Justice, but not after being searched and their identity checked. The accused has to await his courtcase on the 21st of August in prison.
On the Rue the Maire-Kuss activists in toga staged another bridge action. They installed a border control on one of the main bridges to make people aware of the borders of Fortress Europe.
At the Place Cathedrale a demonstration and exhibition of dispossessed peoples took place, including Palestinian, Catalunian and Eastern-European solidarity.
During the afternoon the Strasbourg police started a major id check. Around every corner in the city centre the boys in blue were ready with their papers to take down passport and other personal details. Six people were arrested. Their evaluation of the people needing checking seemed to be based more on looks than on anything else: cameras and long hair were important triggers. Ironically this highlights the 'selective randomness' the SIS uses to pick the people worthy of storing in its database.
Live audio-video stream tonight at 10pm.
imc-uk
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