Copenhagen: ABC news
ronya | 14.12.2002 16:29
News from ABC Copenhagen
13/12-02
We have now knowledge of five Danish persons who has been released and one German activist has been deported by plane to Germany. More people have now been arrested for minor offences, these include "not complying to police orders" and "violent attitude", whatever that means. The police harassment continues throughout the city. Two young girls who was arrested this night and released from custody this morning were mistreated by the police: They where locked in cold detention cells and denied sleep all night by cops who came into their cells and shook them violently every time they dosed off.
expanded version
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13/12-02
This night the streets of Copenhagen had a striking similarity to a military zone. Thousands of cops made roadblocks and checkpoints everywhere in Copenhagen, especially concentrated on the bridges between the inner city and Christianshavn and Amager, where the summit is being held. All activists were checked up, arrested for no reason, body searched and then released again. Police pulled people out of their cars. They also systematically went in to the all the city-busses crossing the bridges and dragged people out into the street. Some activists where stopped and searched repeatedly every 20 meters by police who were obviously indifferent to the fact that their colleagues had just done exactly same.
At least 28 persons were arrested for minor misdemeanours or for no reason at all. A large group of Italian activists were stopped in the street and when they asked what they were charged with, the police arrested their spokesperson and 5 other people, "for not following police orders". Several people have been arrested for "attempted vandalism", because they were in possession of paint or glue, and we know of at least one person who's been arrested for being in possession of a sticker (!).
The police claim that is has been a quiet night, the mainstream media states that the activist are shocked because the police are so "well prepared". But what has happened through the night is nothing less than a long series of illegal bodysearches, random arrests and severe police harassment.
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13/12-02
Some relevant, if somewhat distorted, news about arrests and other police activities can be found at the police' own homepage (danish & english versions):
www.copenhagenpolice.dk
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12/12-02
During the day, a large number of activists have been stopped and searched by the police. Like earlier this week, the police are making records of peoples shoes and clothing, but also hair colour and jewellery. The police generally do not inform people what they have been charged with, and if people insist on being charged before they are searched, the police come up with their usual flimsy excuse of; "suspicion of violation of the weapon law".
At the controls people are asked where they are supposed to sleep while they're in Copenhagen. You do not have to answer this question. Only give your name, official address and date of birth. If the police insist that you tell them an address and threaten to arrest you, it may be a solution to tell them the address of the major sleeping place at "Magretheholmen".
If you have been stopped and searched in one of these controls, you are welcome to leave your name with the legal aid group. But please understand that these cases will have a low priority for us compared to actual arrests.
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12/12-02
The first person has now been arrested in connection with the summit. A German activist was stopped in the street this morning. The police found a knife that was slightly longer than 7 cm, which resulted in the activist being charged with violation of the weapon law. He is now in police custody and will most probably be deported from Denmark.
It is vital that all activists are aware of what exactly they're carrying in their pockets (check relevant information under bustcards). As the police, as expected, will use the slightest violation to arrest people. It is a bad idea to have full facial masks (ski-masks, motorcycle masks) on your person, as this is a clear "potential violation" of the mask prohibition, and can get you arrested.
Note: When the police measures the length of a knife, be aware that they're measuring the entire length of the blade; from the handle to the tip. Not only the "cutting edge".
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10/12-02
The Danish police have now gotten permission from the ministry of integration to temporally dissolve the Schengen agreements and close the Danish borders (yet another example of how the people in power only play by their own rules when it is convenient). This means there will be control on the Swedish and German borders from now on and until after the summit. The police chiefs guarantee that only "known troublemakers" will be refused entry, but that remains to be seen.
In Copenhagen, police and civil cops have started to stop people who look like travelling activist (people carrying sleeping bags etc.) in the streets and check names and nationality, as well as noting descriptions of clothes and especially shoes. They have not to our knowledge deported anyone yet, but it probably only a matter of time until they can find some lame excuse to do so. A method they have used before is to claim that a person doesn't have enough money to "finance her stay in Copenhagen without resorting to crime". If you get stopped by these patrols and run into trouble, please contact the ABC or Retsgruppen on the phone line listed under "Kontakt".
13/12-02
We have now knowledge of five Danish persons who has been released and one German activist has been deported by plane to Germany. More people have now been arrested for minor offences, these include "not complying to police orders" and "violent attitude", whatever that means. The police harassment continues throughout the city. Two young girls who was arrested this night and released from custody this morning were mistreated by the police: They where locked in cold detention cells and denied sleep all night by cops who came into their cells and shook them violently every time they dosed off.
expanded version
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13/12-02
This night the streets of Copenhagen had a striking similarity to a military zone. Thousands of cops made roadblocks and checkpoints everywhere in Copenhagen, especially concentrated on the bridges between the inner city and Christianshavn and Amager, where the summit is being held. All activists were checked up, arrested for no reason, body searched and then released again. Police pulled people out of their cars. They also systematically went in to the all the city-busses crossing the bridges and dragged people out into the street. Some activists where stopped and searched repeatedly every 20 meters by police who were obviously indifferent to the fact that their colleagues had just done exactly same.
At least 28 persons were arrested for minor misdemeanours or for no reason at all. A large group of Italian activists were stopped in the street and when they asked what they were charged with, the police arrested their spokesperson and 5 other people, "for not following police orders". Several people have been arrested for "attempted vandalism", because they were in possession of paint or glue, and we know of at least one person who's been arrested for being in possession of a sticker (!).
The police claim that is has been a quiet night, the mainstream media states that the activist are shocked because the police are so "well prepared". But what has happened through the night is nothing less than a long series of illegal bodysearches, random arrests and severe police harassment.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13/12-02
Some relevant, if somewhat distorted, news about arrests and other police activities can be found at the police' own homepage (danish & english versions):
www.copenhagenpolice.dk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12/12-02
During the day, a large number of activists have been stopped and searched by the police. Like earlier this week, the police are making records of peoples shoes and clothing, but also hair colour and jewellery. The police generally do not inform people what they have been charged with, and if people insist on being charged before they are searched, the police come up with their usual flimsy excuse of; "suspicion of violation of the weapon law".
At the controls people are asked where they are supposed to sleep while they're in Copenhagen. You do not have to answer this question. Only give your name, official address and date of birth. If the police insist that you tell them an address and threaten to arrest you, it may be a solution to tell them the address of the major sleeping place at "Magretheholmen".
If you have been stopped and searched in one of these controls, you are welcome to leave your name with the legal aid group. But please understand that these cases will have a low priority for us compared to actual arrests.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12/12-02
The first person has now been arrested in connection with the summit. A German activist was stopped in the street this morning. The police found a knife that was slightly longer than 7 cm, which resulted in the activist being charged with violation of the weapon law. He is now in police custody and will most probably be deported from Denmark.
It is vital that all activists are aware of what exactly they're carrying in their pockets (check relevant information under bustcards). As the police, as expected, will use the slightest violation to arrest people. It is a bad idea to have full facial masks (ski-masks, motorcycle masks) on your person, as this is a clear "potential violation" of the mask prohibition, and can get you arrested.
Note: When the police measures the length of a knife, be aware that they're measuring the entire length of the blade; from the handle to the tip. Not only the "cutting edge".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10/12-02
The Danish police have now gotten permission from the ministry of integration to temporally dissolve the Schengen agreements and close the Danish borders (yet another example of how the people in power only play by their own rules when it is convenient). This means there will be control on the Swedish and German borders from now on and until after the summit. The police chiefs guarantee that only "known troublemakers" will be refused entry, but that remains to be seen.
In Copenhagen, police and civil cops have started to stop people who look like travelling activist (people carrying sleeping bags etc.) in the streets and check names and nationality, as well as noting descriptions of clothes and especially shoes. They have not to our knowledge deported anyone yet, but it probably only a matter of time until they can find some lame excuse to do so. A method they have used before is to claim that a person doesn't have enough money to "finance her stay in Copenhagen without resorting to crime". If you get stopped by these patrols and run into trouble, please contact the ABC or Retsgruppen on the phone line listed under "Kontakt".
ronya