URGENT: 275 arrested, in runup to WSSD in SA
re-post | 23.08.2002 10:02
Hi - I am from the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign in South Africa, a social movement fighting the government's neo-liberal policies. See 
http://www.antieviction.org.za
I'm sending this email to all the international contacts I could pool together from my mailbox. This is an urgent call to action.
http://www.antieviction.org.za I'm sending this email to all the international contacts I could pool together from my mailbox. This is an urgent call to action.
Over the last 2 days, 275 comrades from the Landless People's Movement and the Soldiers Forum have been arrested in Johannesburg. The LPM is a movement of both rural and urban landless communities who are fighting forced removal and eviction from farms by the state. The Soldiers Forum is a network of ex-APLA and MK (liberation struggle armed groups) soldiers who have been badly treated after their integration into the new 'South African National Defence Force'. They speak for many former liberation struggle combatants who have basically been abandoned after devoting their lives to the struggle for freedom in South Africa.
These arrests are clearly an attempt to stop protests at the World Conference on Sustainable Development (WSSD) over the next two weeks. The government has already denounced social movements who wish to "embarrass the government". In order to stop mobilisation, Johannesburg has been militarised. There are stop and search road blocks throughout the city. As can be seen from the arrests, protest has been criminalised.
The first arrests happened when the LPM staged a march of 4000 people on Wednesday. The Soldiers Forum comrades were arrested when they tried to board a train to take them to Cape Town to protest. Yesterday (Thursday the 22nd of August), more LPM people were arrested when they protested the arrest of their comrades. One of those arrested was Ann Eveleth, an American citizen who has been assisting the LPM as media officer. We have received news that Ann Eveleth is now going to be deported.
Those arrested have not been charged. Under South African law, people who are arrested must be charged and appear in court within 48 hours. The state is using this entire 48 hour period to hold the comrades. When the 48 hours stretches over a weekend (as it does for the comrades arrested yesterday), they will be held for the whole weekend without trial. This is clearly a legal form of harassment.
I am still sitting in Cape Town, where we are busy mobilising solidarity protests for those arrested, but IndyMedia comrades in Johannesburg have whatever details are available (these arrests have broken numerous communications links).
We are calling for international solidarity. Protests at SA embassies. Spread the word widely. I will secure info on where letters of protest must be sent to in South Africa in the court of the day, and will communicate this information to all of you.
Any action or help can be posted to Indymedia SA
Keep watching http://southafrica.indymedia.org
These arrests are clearly an attempt to stop protests at the World Conference on Sustainable Development (WSSD) over the next two weeks. The government has already denounced social movements who wish to "embarrass the government". In order to stop mobilisation, Johannesburg has been militarised. There are stop and search road blocks throughout the city. As can be seen from the arrests, protest has been criminalised.
The first arrests happened when the LPM staged a march of 4000 people on Wednesday. The Soldiers Forum comrades were arrested when they tried to board a train to take them to Cape Town to protest. Yesterday (Thursday the 22nd of August), more LPM people were arrested when they protested the arrest of their comrades. One of those arrested was Ann Eveleth, an American citizen who has been assisting the LPM as media officer. We have received news that Ann Eveleth is now going to be deported.
Those arrested have not been charged. Under South African law, people who are arrested must be charged and appear in court within 48 hours. The state is using this entire 48 hour period to hold the comrades. When the 48 hours stretches over a weekend (as it does for the comrades arrested yesterday), they will be held for the whole weekend without trial. This is clearly a legal form of harassment.
I am still sitting in Cape Town, where we are busy mobilising solidarity protests for those arrested, but IndyMedia comrades in Johannesburg have whatever details are available (these arrests have broken numerous communications links).
We are calling for international solidarity. Protests at SA embassies. Spread the word widely. I will secure info on where letters of protest must be sent to in South Africa in the court of the day, and will communicate this information to all of you.
Any action or help can be posted to Indymedia SA
Keep watching
http://southafrica.indymedia.org
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