Netherlands: anti G 8 bike rally stopped by police. 115 arrested.

this really happened. most people now have their bikes back. some were damaged (one with a deep cut into the frame) and many lost their locks when the police cut them. some people still have to get their passports back from the police tommorrow. the london lasses are fine, one was aressted but now has her bike back.
most people I spoke to have to return to court in july to answer charges of disobeying police orders (when told to ride on cycle path)
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Here is an update on the 100 cyclists and Gr8chaoskaravaan members
arrested at the anti-G8 demonstration in Utrecht today.

The arrests began at around 3:00 pm. According to dutch activists, the
police was well-prepared and had clearly planned this actions aforehand.
According to one source, the police acted quite violently, although
there has been no confirmation of this so far.

All participants in the demonstration were arrested for not driving on
the bicycle way and disobeying police orders, which apparantly is a
heavy offence. So far, only one person has been released. As far as is
known now, 50 people carrying passports with them have been brough to
court, so far one of them has been released. It is yet unclear where the
people without passpord have been brought to. The police can detain
people without valid ID for up to 3 days.

The bicycles have all been confiscated and taken away. The depot will be
closed on sunday so it won't be possible to retrieve these bikes before
monday 8:00 am. But it is yet unclear if the police will be willing to
return the bikes to demonstrators who can not "prove" they own their bike.

The police claim they detained 93 people for obstruction of movement and
disobeying police orders - which, according to dutch law, is a heavy
offence.

In Utrecht there will be a solidarity action at 9:30 pm - meet at the
station square 7 if you can come!

This is clearly an attempt to prevent protest and public activities
ahead of the G8 protests. Do not allow this to happen! Make this news
public, organise protest actions in your towns, infront of dutch
embassies - until all detainees are released and have their bikes returned!

The Gr8chaoskaravaan is one of 6 caravans which are trying to draw
attention to the G8 protests and emancipatory struggles ahead of the
upcoming G8 summit in Heiligendamm. The Gr8chaoskaravaan was meant to
leave for Nijmwegen tomorrow where a number of actions were planned to
take place.

More info about Gr8chaoskaravaan:
 http://dissentnetzwerk.org/wiki/Bicycle-Caravan_%22West%22

Regular updates by the Utrecht legal team (in dutch):
 http://www.indymedia.nl/nl/2007/05/44231.shtml

Around 100 protestors were arrested. It is understood this was for disobeying traffic regulations, or disobeying the police when they tried to enforce the traffic regulations. In this case using the cycle path, which is strange even in the Netherlands and the local Socialist Party is bringing this up with the municipality.

There are reports of the arrests being heavy handed, and there not being much room once arrested. People and bikes were taken away by the bus load over a period of time. One blind man was arrested by swiftly released. By the end of the day all but four of the detainees had been let out. The four, of whom three were internationals, had still not been released this morning. The bikes were to be collected this morning.