Anti- ESF process action at Trafalgar Square report, Sunday, 17th of October
jojo | 17.10.2004 18:35 | European Social Forum | Repression | Social Struggles | London
"If there would be only one truth, it would not be possible to paint so many pictures about the same topic". - Pablo Picasso
After going to Kings Cross to see how the penned in demonstration was doing and not finding anyone there anymore, we tried to find the demo again. We made our way to Trafalgar Square, when we arrived we saw lots of people around the rally, most demonstrators though seemed to be leaving though at this point and not staying around for the speeches. George Galloway was speaking at this point promoting “Respect”. We tried to find the radical anticapitalist block again, but neither individuals nor group from the penned in “Kings Cross” demo were seen, familiar faces emerged in form of the FIT (Forward Intelligent Team) and police photographer. As we assumed they would know where the others were we followed them a little bit, and whilst talking to an anarchist publication stall, the FIT team questioned one indymedia reporter being seperated and singled out.. According to the indymnedia photographer, the FIT team wanted to take his name and address details, which he refused to give, and they took a picture of him and intimitated him with a warning that they would keep an eye on him and he would be the first to go if something would be happening.
Luckily enough nothing was happening to this particular individual.
The anticapitalist block emerged shouting slogans and encouraged people to join them.
They went round the square a bit and then down the stairs to the fountain and around the fountain. They approached the front of the stage and wanted to make a statement about how they were treated by the police on their way to the demonstration, beaten on the underground and penning them in, preventively arresting some italians and greek, and also to draw attention that the police were violently arresting and treating people after the ESF “Storm the Palace” demonstration from the front of Alexander Palace to the Beyond ESF autonomous space, as well as declare their disappointment and the discrimination of non-hierarchical grassroots groups from the process, involvement, organisation and decision making of the official ESF in london 2004.
When they were in front of the stage, the stewards told them to get to the site entrance to let them in to make their statement.
However, when they were at the side entrance they were refused entry by the stewards. People demanded accesss to the stage. At that point the crowd pushed forward and the stewards pushed them back, the fence nearer to the stage marking the side entrance to the stage was pushed over and some people managed to go in the backspace. The police pushed through the crowd behind the stage and more stewards came to re-enforce the entrance. An announcement was made about people arrested at Kings Cross Police station
The situation calmed down. However the police started to make arrests backstage of everybody the found suspicious of potentially having participated at the anticapitalist block.
Luckily enough nothing was happening to this particular individual.
The anticapitalist block emerged shouting slogans and encouraged people to join them.
They went round the square a bit and then down the stairs to the fountain and around the fountain. They approached the front of the stage and wanted to make a statement about how they were treated by the police on their way to the demonstration, beaten on the underground and penning them in, preventively arresting some italians and greek, and also to draw attention that the police were violently arresting and treating people after the ESF “Storm the Palace” demonstration from the front of Alexander Palace to the Beyond ESF autonomous space, as well as declare their disappointment and the discrimination of non-hierarchical grassroots groups from the process, involvement, organisation and decision making of the official ESF in london 2004.
When they were in front of the stage, the stewards told them to get to the site entrance to let them in to make their statement.
However, when they were at the side entrance they were refused entry by the stewards. People demanded accesss to the stage. At that point the crowd pushed forward and the stewards pushed them back, the fence nearer to the stage marking the side entrance to the stage was pushed over and some people managed to go in the backspace. The police pushed through the crowd behind the stage and more stewards came to re-enforce the entrance. An announcement was made about people arrested at Kings Cross Police station
The situation calmed down. However the police started to make arrests backstage of everybody the found suspicious of potentially having participated at the anticapitalist block.
jojo
Comments
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I was there....
17.10.2004 20:21
Pete
traducción
17.10.2004 21:35
"Si hubiera solamente una verdad, no sería posible pintar tantas pinturas sobre le mismo tema" - Pablo Picasso
Después de ir a King Cross a ver como iba la manifestación acorralada y sin encontrar a nadie más allí, probamos de encontrar la manifestación otra vez. Cogimos el camino a Trafalgar Square, cuando llegamos vimos mucha gente alrededor de la concentración, parecía que muchos manifestantes estuvieran yéndose. En ese momento George Galloway estava hablando promoviendo el "Respeto". Probamos otra vez de encontrar el bloque anticapitalista radical, pero no se veían ni personas ni grupos de los acorralados en la manifestación de King Cross, cara familiares emergieron en forma de FIT (Forward Intelligent Team) y fotógrafo de la policia. Como que asumimos que ellos sabrían donde estaban los demás los seguimos un rato, y mientras hablabamos en una caseta de una publicación anarquista, el equipo del FIT interrogó a un reportero de indymedia separándolo. Según el fotógrafo de indymedia, el equipo del FIT quería su nombre y dirección, que refusó dar, y tomaron una fotografía de él y lo intimidaron advirtiéndole que lo estarian vigilando y que el sería el primero que se llevarian si alguna cosa sucedía. Afortunadamente nada le pasó a esta persona.
El bloque anticapitalista emergió lanzando eslógans y animando a las personas a juntarse con ellos. Estuvieron alrededor de la plaza un rato y después en las escaleras de la fuente. Se acercaron al escenario y querían hacer una declaración sobre como habían sido tratados por la policia en su camino a la manifestación, pegados en el metro y acorralándolos dentro, arrestando algunos italianos y griegos, y también llamar la atención de que la policia estava arrestando violentamente y tratando a las personas después de la manifestación del ESF desde el principio de Alexander Palace hasta el final del espacio autónomo del ESF, así como declarar su desacuerdo y la disriminación de los grupos de base no jerárquicos, implicación, organización y toma de decisiones en el ESF oficial en Londres 2004.
Cuando estavan al principio del escenario, los ayudantes les dijeron que se dirigieran a la entrada para que les dejaran entrar a hacer las declaraciones.
Sin embargo, cuando estuvieron en la entrada, los ayudantes no les dejaron entrar.
La gente pedía acceso al escenario. En ese momento la multitud empujó hacía dentro y los ayudantes los empujaban hacia atrás, la valla más próxima al escenario se cayó y algunas personas pudieron entar en los bastidores. La policia empujó a través de la multitud detrás del escenario y más ayudantes vinieron para reforzar la entrada. Se había comunicado que la policia habia arrestado a personas en la estación de King Cross.
La situación se calmó. Sin embargo la policia en el backstage empezó a detener a cualquiera que fuera sospechoso de haber participado en el bloque anticapitalista.
traducción
Anarchist assholes
18.10.2004 00:52
With speakers like Rose Gentle and Reg Keys whose loved ones have been killed and Palestinians and Iraqis on the bill, should Stop the War just let any Tom, Dick or Harry who felt like saying something storm the stage?
GET A LIFE!
Tonga
Tonga, Tonga, who the fuck is tonga?
18.10.2004 08:31
Tonga would ilke all activists to suffer their repression in silence, he would also like SWPers to beat up anybody who tries to make the crowd aware of the arrests going on around them.
Which member of the Central Committee is Tonga?
I've got my money on Chris Nineham........
ftp
it does not matter "who" but "what" they say
18.10.2004 11:11
The quality, importance and timing of a speech matters, and not who is delivering it.
lavista
How dare you
18.10.2004 12:25
Nonconformist
How dare you
18.10.2004 13:06
Nonconformist
e-mail:
G.Malis@sussex.ac.uk
How dare you!
18.10.2004 19:20
Prole