Hamburg, march 24 - watercanons against schoolkids
transmitter | 29.03.2003 00:59
Schoolkids were being treated roughly at their demos against the beginning of the war - not only in the UK. Here's a quick and shortened translation of a report from Hamburg, Germany. Also check the excellent picture story.
Hamburg: Police disperses demo of schoolkids with water canons
Hamburg, 24.03.03. A demonstration of schoolkids was dispersed using four water canons. 36 were arrested and 125 held by police. Many kids were injured.
[Picture story, 40MB]
Thousands of kids had started meeting up at 9am in several places in town. They marched to the headquarters of the Social Democrat Party (SPD) and demanded an end of germany's support for the War against Iraq (right to airspace etc). According to police, 8.000 schoolkids out ot the 20.000 who demonstrated went spontaneously to the US embassy. Traffic in the inner city of Hamburg was stopped. The space around the embassy was blocked off by police with three water canons.
Youths started to throw things (branches) at the water canons. At some point, the police started to get fed up. The announcements from the water canons became more formal. Several hundreds of youths were still at the barrier, 2 or 3 thousand were hanging out nearby, but were not aware of what was happening.
Then the police escalated the situation and turned the water canons an. Everybody run away. They were herded in two different directions. Some were arrested. According to Fallak, a spokesman of the police, police were not allowed to use batons. Nevertheless, eyewitnesses report use of batons, which would explain the number of demonstrators injured. The slogans changed from anti war slogans to anti Schill slogans.
After more shuffeling and throwing, the demo was pushed into a kettle. School kids fled the police, some onto the rails of the train. In the end, 125 were closed in. The average age was certainly under 18. They were brought to police stations all over town.
report in german | Picture story (huge file, 4MB!)
Hamburg, 24.03.03. A demonstration of schoolkids was dispersed using four water canons. 36 were arrested and 125 held by police. Many kids were injured.
[Picture story, 40MB]
Thousands of kids had started meeting up at 9am in several places in town. They marched to the headquarters of the Social Democrat Party (SPD) and demanded an end of germany's support for the War against Iraq (right to airspace etc). According to police, 8.000 schoolkids out ot the 20.000 who demonstrated went spontaneously to the US embassy. Traffic in the inner city of Hamburg was stopped. The space around the embassy was blocked off by police with three water canons.
Youths started to throw things (branches) at the water canons. At some point, the police started to get fed up. The announcements from the water canons became more formal. Several hundreds of youths were still at the barrier, 2 or 3 thousand were hanging out nearby, but were not aware of what was happening.
Then the police escalated the situation and turned the water canons an. Everybody run away. They were herded in two different directions. Some were arrested. According to Fallak, a spokesman of the police, police were not allowed to use batons. Nevertheless, eyewitnesses report use of batons, which would explain the number of demonstrators injured. The slogans changed from anti war slogans to anti Schill slogans.
After more shuffeling and throwing, the demo was pushed into a kettle. School kids fled the police, some onto the rails of the train. In the end, 125 were closed in. The average age was certainly under 18. They were brought to police stations all over town.
report in german | Picture story (huge file, 4MB!)
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