Brutal arrest of 23 anti-militarist activists in Poland
mo fo//abc poznan | 30.03.2008 22:24 | Anti-militarism | Repression
At night a techno party organized by anti-war activists was organized at one of the local pubs in Slupsk. The activists came back to their flat and around 6 a.m. cops raided their house and arrested the people inside, aged 18 to 35. The police used heavy violence, beating up the activists with batons and using pepper spray. One of the activists had his arm broken and later managed to run away from the hospital.
After an immediate reaction of other activists, lawyers and media cops gave their official version of the event which says that the activists were arrested for „violating the night silence”, some of them are charged with an physical assault and verbal insult of a police officer. First activists were released after 12 hours of interrogation, cops claimed that the activists were drunk and had to sober up before they were questioned. So far (Sunday, 10 p.m.), around 10 people are out, 9 who are charged are still detained and they are said to leave the arrest tomorrow (Monday, 31/03/2008) by 3 p.m. The cops had no legal warrant to come inside the flat. It is not common to send a dozen or so cops to silence people at night, so the argument about them being too loud is clearly a lie.
At 1 p.m. on Sunday around 30 anarchist and antimilitarist activists came to protest in front of the police station where the others were arrested. They shouted slogans against police repression and police violence and demanded releasing all arrested activists. Probably thanks to high media presence, they were not repressed in any way.
The activists will probably need financial help for lawyers, if you want to help contact Poznan ABC (preferably in English/Polish) ackpoznan@rozbrat.org
The demonstration on Saturday in which hundereds of activists and local people, a street theatre, a samba band and Food Not Bombs group took part was organized as a part of a campaign against the installation of missiles and the building of the US base in Poland.
Recent polls in Poland released by State television claim that 50% are against, 36% support while 14% are unsure. When compared to a poll conducted 12 months ago for the daily broadsheet Rzeczpospolita (Republic), those who support (moderately or strongly) the proposal has grown by 6%, those against has fallen by 1% while members of the public who remain unsure fell by 5% to 14%. Opinions are being crystallised, the government propaganda machine is on full steam ahead but the voices and arguments of the majority, those opposed, remain marginalised by the mainstream media.
The Sunday intervention is a clear sign of state repression against anti-militarist activists who are supposed to be shown as terrorists/hooligans/drunk youths, it's a method used to crimiminalize the social movements, a method that is not a new one in our reality. We will not subject to any intimidation!
STOP STATE REPRESSION! SOLIDARITY IS OUR WEAPON!
mo fo//abc poznan
e-mail:
ackpoznan@rozbrat.org
Additions
CORRECTION
31.03.2008 08:25
mo fo//abc poznan
e-mail:
ack@rozbrat.org
Further Report & Vid Links to Anti-Militarist Demo Preceeding Police At
31.03.2008 08:36
Solidarity
Homepage:
http://cia.bzzz.net/peaceful_demo_in_poland_against_us_missile_base_ends_in_police_brutalit
UPDATE: Brutal arrest of 23 anti-militarist activists in Poland
31.03.2008 12:06
The people charged are also not allowed to leave Poland, are under police supervision (have to come to a police station once in a certain period of time to sign the papers that they are still in the country).
mo.fo//abc poznan
e-mail:
ack@rozbrat.org