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The Long March to Evian Begins

yossarian | 01.06.2003 04:13

5:40 am

3-5000 people are marching from Annemasse towards Evian. They will try to block the junction of the two major roads that lead to Evian. The march assembled at 4 am, and has travelled 3 km so far.

As the march began, police tried to block the march but gave up quickly when it became clear that the marchers would go around - or through - the hastily assembled police line. The marchers faced down the police and they got back in their vans and started driving along slowly in front of march. From its current position the march still has to travel 8 km.

During the course of the interview, another van and some police cars drove into view; the presumption of the marchers was that the police are waiting for reinforcements.

The situation as it now stands is this: of the two roads leading to Evian, one of them is now blocked by the march. If the march reaches the next major road junction, all roads will be blocked so the authorities will only have water access from Lausanne, which is on the other side of Lac Leman.

Currently the march is 2km from Saint-Cergues, and the marchers are in high spirits. The march is made up of Italian Disobbedienti, Germans from the uranium transport blockades, Spanish Disobbedienti, the Australian "Ice Bloc", American direct action groups, French Palestinian solidarity people and many others. People are bringing equipment for blockading (tripods, lock-down equipment, etc.), drawing upon their experience of other blockades.

2000 people have said they are prepared to use their bodies to block the roads. As the interview ended, police riot vans disappeared into the distance and we presume they are setting up positions somewhere between the march and the road junction.

yossarian

Comments

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tear gas at front of demo

01.06.2003 04:34

A few minutes ago the police used teargas to stop the front of the demo from continueing to the second crossroad. People are now slowly going back. At the place they are now it is impossible to go around the police line.

AS


Translate into spanish

01.06.2003 05:16

7.10 - Ginebra, Suiza: IMC UK. La policía ha comenzado a lanzar gases lacrimógenos contra la cabecera de la marcha que se dirige a Evian para frenarla. La gente está retrocediendo lentamente por la imposibilidad de driblar un reforzado cordón de antidisturbios.

6.55 - Ginebra, Suiza: IMC UK. Entre 3.000 y 5.000 personas marchan desde las 6 de la mañana desde Annemasse hacia Evian. Intentarán bloquear la intersección de las 2 carreteras principales a Evian. En un principio, la policía intentó bloquear la marcha, pero los manifestantes driblaron con decisión el cordón represivo. Ante esto, la policía volvió atrás con los furgones y prefirió seguir la marcha de cerca pero sin bloquearla. Aún deben recorrer varios kilómetros hasta llegar.

6.50 - Ginebra, Suiza: IMC Suiza. Varios puentes ya han sido bloqueados en Ginebra. Unas 200 personas están situadas en "pont Butin".

La Haine
- Homepage: http.//www.lahaine.org


how many

01.06.2003 06:51

3 - 5000 doesn't sound like a lot of people... where has everyone gone? is this protest a washout?

sean