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latest update, blockaded activists on montblanc bridge

sprout | 02.06.2003 19:58

for the last 2 hours activists have been trapped on mont blanc bridge, blasted by concussion grenades - negociations underway to free them, swiss mps and lawyers trying to mediate

at 6.00, hundreds of activists from both the water and the anti repression protests got trapped on the mont blanc bridge in geneva - they have been encircled by the cops - section 60, in a kettle, and had concussion grenades fired at them, by 8.30, local time, still hundreds trapped, lawyers and swiss mp's tryoing to negociate their release en masse.
latest update, received 21h Uk time, 22h local time
500 people blocking main bridge, surrounded by swiss, german, zurich police - thousands of local residents standing by watching - negociations still in progress, will update when more news arrives, from italy imc

sprout

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Water cannon used against local population

02.06.2003 21:02

Hundreds of people, mostly local, have gathered in the last few hours (10.45pm)in Rue Mount Blanc at the front of Geneva main station and elsewhere as German and Swiss riot police seem to block every other corner in the centre of Geneva.

The crowd, mostly apparently local and including families and tourists, seemed particularly indignant that German 'police', unnumbered and in military uniform, searched locals and refused them the right to walk the streets of their city. This started at the lake front in the late afternoon as people sunbathed and sat by the lake and was met with bemusement more than anything else.

People challenged the German occupying force as to their right to stop and search people. Some of the police talked to by local people clearly did not understand French, the local language, and did not apparently understand Swiss law. Journalists filming people objecting to the German 'police' actions were told to stop filming.

After trapping an entirely peaceful and fluffy march along the lakefront calling for free water for the people of the world - yes, those crazy extremists again - the German 'police' joined with Swiss riot cops in creating a riot with water cannon being used to force the city centre crowd to disperse and, well, fuck off home.

People with Yorkshire and Liverpool accents were heard to mutter that it was all a plot by the Germans to get the best spots for their towels. Police sources were unavailable for comment.

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