Full Feature: G8 Protests. Monday, 2 June 2003
imc uk | 16.06.2003 03:08
This feature includes all links from previous imc uk monday June 2 versions, plus significant links from Dispatch, the imc Belgium overview, and others. imc uk newswire posts from after June 4th are not likely to be included.
Tear Gas, the Smell of Frightened Capitalists
Monday June 2
Monday's actions started peaceful. Activists creatively approached the red zone in Lausanne, and a pirate ship made of oil drums tried to reach Evian via the lake. In Geneva, a mixed crowd demonstrated against water privatisation. Another demo protested about Sunday's police repression. When both demos joined at Pont du Mont Blanc, where 300 had gathered for a sit down blockade, police escaleted the situation. The main Bridge of Geneva was blocked for 7 hours. The night was marked by teargas all over the old town of Geneva. The last protesters were gathered at 4am by a truck from the VAAG village.
Collections and Resources
Summary | Imc Uk Feature | Imc Uk Timeline | Collection of Links
Background on Water & Report]
Geneva Evening Dispatch | Photo Gallery | Videos [1 | 2 | 3]
In Lausanne and on the Lake
A pirate ship made of oil drums tried to reach Evian via the lake. After being chased by 6 police boats, it reached safe shores.
Pic [1], Reports [1 | 2]
Creative actions near the red zone involved barbed wire and dance and blockades. Pics [1 | 2 | 3], Video [1 | 2]
Three Demos in Geneva
A peaceful demo against water privatisation started in the afternoon at the WTO. Pics [1 | 2]
The protesters train from Annemasse was delayed due to police controls. One arrest was made, everybody was forced off the train one by one and belongings were searched. The train left with 45 mins delay after people had re-borded. The train workers, who were scheduled to go on strike at midnight, spontaneously gave all the demonstrators half-price tickets for the ride.
Trying to join the water demo already gathered at the WTO, the protesters were faced with about 100 riot police in army style including two water cannons lined up in front of WTO, to prevent them to join up.
[Video Report from Annemasse Camp (fr)][Dispatch]
A second demonstration protested against the repression of the previous day, starting from Pont Neuve [pics]. A third group of protesters sat down at the Mont Blanc Bridge in the late afternoon and blocked traffic.
Demos Join at Mont Blanc Bridge
At 6pm, all three demos ended up at the Mont Blanc Bridge, surrounded by supportive local residents and tourists. The Sit-down demo was separated by lines of riot cops and soon encircled into a kettle. More and more people surrounded the scene, angry at the police invasion. For seven hours, the bridge was blocked while the police tried to disperse people with ultimatums, teargas, water canons, Concussion grenades, rubber bullets, the lot.
The sit-down demo refused to leave on police terms, which involved separation, searches and dispersal. 2 hours later, lawyers and Swiss MPs were still negociating their release en masse. At 10pm, 500 people were still blocking the main bridge, surrounded by Swiss, German, and Zurich police. Thousands of local residents and tourists were standing by watching and challenging the German "occupying force" as to their right to stop and search people.
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.
Report [1] | Pics [1] | [2]
Tensions and Dispersal
The situation began to degenerate. Police issued an ultimatum: protesters were given 15 minutes to leave the place, to be searched on the other side of the bridge. The bridge-blockers firmly refused to accept the offer. The police changed tactics and turned the water canon against the crowd of about 1000 supporters who intended to join up with the blockade. Further escalating the tense situation, police attacked with tear gas, rubber bullets and water canons. But this stopped as fast as it started - people sat down shouting: "We are evil, we eat babies". Instead, police charged on the bridge. All the streets between bridge and station were blocked, the crowd of supporters was pushed towards the station, separated from each other, chased through the city and dispersed.
The bridge blockers stopped negotiating, since their supporters were not allowed to join them. Police continued firing water canons and flashballs. Although there were injured people on the bridge, ambulances were not let through. Two French activist were arrested and later released, metal barriers were being raised, teargas covered the bridge and large parts of the city. Many reports of injuries.
Reports from Mont Blanc Bridge [1 (it) | 2 (fr)], Pics [1 | 2 | 3 | 4] [Dispatch]
Place Neuve
At midnight, police closed the lines on the bridge. The entire sit-down was to be moved to Place Neuve, where a large contingent of riot cops was situated - but also MPs. Some people were allowed to leave the bridge in small groups. Meanwhile, large quantities of gas were fired at the thousands of people in the surrounding streets, who were being scattered across town. During the next half hour many were driven towards Place Neuve. Riot police and undercover cops were now everywhere.
About 500 demonstraters were still at Pont Neuve at 1am, while the police set out to close many of the Geneva bridges. One injured person was being treated by the medics at VAAG.
The camps sent out cars to pick up those who were still trapped in town starting from 2am, and went savely back [Dispatch]. The last truck cruised Geneva at 4am [Dispatch]. 15 arrests are confirmed [Dispatch].
Two Men Injured on Sunday Protests
In the desperate police attempts to control the situation on Sunday June 1, many people were injured. Two British men are currently in hospital. One of them, Guy Smallman, an IndyMedia volunteer and photographer, needed a two hour long operation after police fired a stun grendade at his leg (report). The other activist, Martin Shaw, is also still in hospital with multiple serious injuries including his legs and back after police cut the rope he and another activist was hanging off a bridge from during a blockade (TV Video and photos). Activists managed to save the other climber on the other side of the bridge (pic). A petition was sent to Swiss embassies in various countries. Both are now stable.
Monday June 2
Monday's actions started peaceful. Activists creatively approached the red zone in Lausanne, and a pirate ship made of oil drums tried to reach Evian via the lake. In Geneva, a mixed crowd demonstrated against water privatisation. Another demo protested about Sunday's police repression. When both demos joined at Pont du Mont Blanc, where 300 had gathered for a sit down blockade, police escaleted the situation. The main Bridge of Geneva was blocked for 7 hours. The night was marked by teargas all over the old town of Geneva. The last protesters were gathered at 4am by a truck from the VAAG village.
Collections and Resources
Summary | Imc Uk Feature | Imc Uk Timeline | Collection of Links
Background on Water & Report]
Geneva Evening Dispatch | Photo Gallery | Videos [1 | 2 | 3]
In Lausanne and on the Lake
A pirate ship made of oil drums tried to reach Evian via the lake. After being chased by 6 police boats, it reached safe shores.
Pic [1], Reports [1 | 2]
Creative actions near the red zone involved barbed wire and dance and blockades. Pics [1 | 2 | 3], Video [1 | 2]
Three Demos in Geneva
A peaceful demo against water privatisation started in the afternoon at the WTO. Pics [1 | 2]
The protesters train from Annemasse was delayed due to police controls. One arrest was made, everybody was forced off the train one by one and belongings were searched. The train left with 45 mins delay after people had re-borded. The train workers, who were scheduled to go on strike at midnight, spontaneously gave all the demonstrators half-price tickets for the ride.
Trying to join the water demo already gathered at the WTO, the protesters were faced with about 100 riot police in army style including two water cannons lined up in front of WTO, to prevent them to join up.
[Video Report from Annemasse Camp (fr)][Dispatch]
A second demonstration protested against the repression of the previous day, starting from Pont Neuve [pics]. A third group of protesters sat down at the Mont Blanc Bridge in the late afternoon and blocked traffic.
Demos Join at Mont Blanc Bridge
At 6pm, all three demos ended up at the Mont Blanc Bridge, surrounded by supportive local residents and tourists. The Sit-down demo was separated by lines of riot cops and soon encircled into a kettle. More and more people surrounded the scene, angry at the police invasion. For seven hours, the bridge was blocked while the police tried to disperse people with ultimatums, teargas, water canons, Concussion grenades, rubber bullets, the lot.
The sit-down demo refused to leave on police terms, which involved separation, searches and dispersal. 2 hours later, lawyers and Swiss MPs were still negociating their release en masse. At 10pm, 500 people were still blocking the main bridge, surrounded by Swiss, German, and Zurich police. Thousands of local residents and tourists were standing by watching and challenging the German "occupying force" as to their right to stop and search people.
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.
Report [1] | Pics [1] | [2]
Tensions and Dispersal
The situation began to degenerate. Police issued an ultimatum: protesters were given 15 minutes to leave the place, to be searched on the other side of the bridge. The bridge-blockers firmly refused to accept the offer. The police changed tactics and turned the water canon against the crowd of about 1000 supporters who intended to join up with the blockade. Further escalating the tense situation, police attacked with tear gas, rubber bullets and water canons. But this stopped as fast as it started - people sat down shouting: "We are evil, we eat babies". Instead, police charged on the bridge. All the streets between bridge and station were blocked, the crowd of supporters was pushed towards the station, separated from each other, chased through the city and dispersed.
The bridge blockers stopped negotiating, since their supporters were not allowed to join them. Police continued firing water canons and flashballs. Although there were injured people on the bridge, ambulances were not let through. Two French activist were arrested and later released, metal barriers were being raised, teargas covered the bridge and large parts of the city. Many reports of injuries.
Reports from Mont Blanc Bridge [1 (it) | 2 (fr)], Pics [1 | 2 | 3 | 4] [Dispatch]
Place Neuve
At midnight, police closed the lines on the bridge. The entire sit-down was to be moved to Place Neuve, where a large contingent of riot cops was situated - but also MPs. Some people were allowed to leave the bridge in small groups. Meanwhile, large quantities of gas were fired at the thousands of people in the surrounding streets, who were being scattered across town. During the next half hour many were driven towards Place Neuve. Riot police and undercover cops were now everywhere.
About 500 demonstraters were still at Pont Neuve at 1am, while the police set out to close many of the Geneva bridges. One injured person was being treated by the medics at VAAG.
The camps sent out cars to pick up those who were still trapped in town starting from 2am, and went savely back [Dispatch]. The last truck cruised Geneva at 4am [Dispatch]. 15 arrests are confirmed [Dispatch].
Two Men Injured on Sunday Protests
In the desperate police attempts to control the situation on Sunday June 1, many people were injured. Two British men are currently in hospital. One of them, Guy Smallman, an IndyMedia volunteer and photographer, needed a two hour long operation after police fired a stun grendade at his leg (report). The other activist, Martin Shaw, is also still in hospital with multiple serious injuries including his legs and back after police cut the rope he and another activist was hanging off a bridge from during a blockade (TV Video and photos). Activists managed to save the other climber on the other side of the bridge (pic). A petition was sent to Swiss embassies in various countries. Both are now stable.
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