Martin Shaw is the activist who narrowly escaped death when the Swiss police cut the rope he was hanging from, in an attempt to blockade delegates attending the G8 summit in Evian, eight months ago. He will be in Leeds and talk at the next Leeds EF! monthly meeting, on February 4, 19:00 at the Adelphi Pub. A video will also be projected. All welcome!
here's the poster
Resisting Repression, Maintaining our Right to Protest
Eight months ago during the G8 in Evian, Martin Shaw narrowly escaped death when the Swiss police cut the rope he was hanging from in an attempt to blockade delegates attending the summit. Martin is now touring with a video of the incident and discussing the wave of both legal and physical repression that has been sweeping across Europe in recent years, and trying to stimulate ideas of what constructive steps we can take in the face of it.
From Gothenburg, to Geneva, to Thessaloniki, to last night in your neighbourhood, this was just one incident of repressive impunity among hundreds from the powers that be. What should we be doing about it - as individuals, as affinity groups, as communities, as networks?
What is the new legislation and how does it affect you? What sort of tactics will the police be using for the G8 in the UK 2005?
What are "communities of resistance," and what are the most practical ways that we can support each other when such repression happens amongst us?
For more information about the tour email martin at resistanceisfertile[at]yahoo.com or call 01865 241097
For more information about the aubonne bridge incident and the campaign against repression, see http://www.aubonnebridge.net
e-mail:
Homepage:
Comments
Hide the following 4 comments
and here is where else martin will be talking
18.01.2004 14:32
19th cowley club brighton 8pm
20th larc london 8pm
27th Nottingham "Schumak"
28th Derby
29th Manchester
Feb
3rd Shefield
4th Leeds EF!
5th Bradford Uni
to contact Martin, ring 07762 252 932
?
RUBBISH
19.01.2004 18:03
This was not 'police repression'. This was pissed off policemen having to do their rotten boring and possibly dangerous job of clearing the road, and doing it very very badly. Why are we turning a horrible accident into some kind of sad propaganda tool? The truth is worse. And I can say this because I have been on the end of police repression and it is not funny.
honest
Um...
19.01.2004 18:45
Have you (previous comment) seen the video? Or have you just read about the event? I think if you see the video you come away with feeling that the fragile bodies of the protestors are saying something far too important for the police to be behaving as dismissively, as aggressively, and as irresponsibly as they do (and that's being open-minded, though at least one policeman did help). They may not be charging in with batons, but there is a feeling that would not be there if, say, the BNP were holding up the road. But then, as we all know, our government placates & forms policy around the BNP (hello Mr Blunket!) while it and other Western governments do not seem to give two hoots about people who are expressing decent popular opinion, or listening to them at all.
Watcher
umm, about repression
20.01.2004 12:00
The situation in Geneva now is that any leftist or autonomous gathering that looks like it might turn into a picket, bit of street theatre or heaven forbid a demonstration is sat on heavily by police. Witness the uber fluffy communication rights campaigners at the UN World Summit in Geneva getting seached, arrested and chased by riot police for simply handing out leaflets standing in the street. That's repression in my book.
pete