Report on Sambista bus antics 5-6th July
absent sambista | 07.07.2005 14:04 | G8 2005 | Repression | Social Struggles
Late in the evening of the 5th July 53 Sambistas from bands across Europe got onto the Berlin bus in preparation for the blockade actions the following day. What followed was a long night in which the bus and everyone on it was searched several times under Section 60.
After leaving the the Hori-zone convergence space in Stirling the coach headed off to a location where it was hoped the Sambistas could spend the night emerging early the next mornign to support a blockade. At Blackford, just off the A9, the bus ran into a large number of police and was stopped and searched under section 60. The police asserted falsely that they were entitled to our names and addresses under this section but didn't press the point or bullshit much when we refused to give those details. They continued to read papers that we had including bits from our wallets.
After a long search we were escorted to Perth railway station all the way at the other end of the A9 (we'd given a story that involved Perth as our destination). Once there 2 police vans waited with us for some time before leaving us to ourselves.
The bus driver had told us he could only continue to drive a couple more hours and wanted to get back to Dunblane just North of Stirling. It was eventually decided to return there but, inevitably, we were stopped on the A9 and searched, photographed and harassed again by a different police force.
This particular incident began by the police taking a girl off the bus who they'd seen put something into her bag. We were told she'd been 'detained' for conspiracy to commit breach of the peace. This seemed to be because she had activist materials and maps in her bag. Of course under Section 60 they werent' entitled to read the materials in her bag...
They gave us escort back to Stirling where the bus driver had to leave us at a petrol station halfway between the railway and convergence space because of a small police roadblock.
It was now approx. 6am and despite the frustrations of the night and general tiredness the band set off towards the M9 where it linked up with a small blockade South of Junction 10.
Hopefully we'll get some pics up soon.
After leaving the the Hori-zone convergence space in Stirling the coach headed off to a location where it was hoped the Sambistas could spend the night emerging early the next mornign to support a blockade. At Blackford, just off the A9, the bus ran into a large number of police and was stopped and searched under section 60. The police asserted falsely that they were entitled to our names and addresses under this section but didn't press the point or bullshit much when we refused to give those details. They continued to read papers that we had including bits from our wallets.
After a long search we were escorted to Perth railway station all the way at the other end of the A9 (we'd given a story that involved Perth as our destination). Once there 2 police vans waited with us for some time before leaving us to ourselves.
The bus driver had told us he could only continue to drive a couple more hours and wanted to get back to Dunblane just North of Stirling. It was eventually decided to return there but, inevitably, we were stopped on the A9 and searched, photographed and harassed again by a different police force.
This particular incident began by the police taking a girl off the bus who they'd seen put something into her bag. We were told she'd been 'detained' for conspiracy to commit breach of the peace. This seemed to be because she had activist materials and maps in her bag. Of course under Section 60 they werent' entitled to read the materials in her bag...
They gave us escort back to Stirling where the bus driver had to leave us at a petrol station halfway between the railway and convergence space because of a small police roadblock.
It was now approx. 6am and despite the frustrations of the night and general tiredness the band set off towards the M9 where it linked up with a small blockade South of Junction 10.
Hopefully we'll get some pics up soon.
absent sambista