A Polish delegation to the European Social Forum at Malmoe starting today sufferd a crack-down by Swedish police after entering the country. Motives for police intimidation, aggresive behaviour, violent damage to luggage and the denial of basic civil rights of detained persons are not entirely clear.
Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:16:39 +0200
to:
info@esf2008.org, styrelsen@esf2008.org
CC: press@esf2008.org, visa@esf2008.org
Ystad, 17 Septy. 2008 8:20 Swedish time. Testimony by Doctor Marcin Kremer
Our Polish group travelling to the Euroean Social Forum (ESF) in Malmoe integrated activists from the ecologist movement in Szczecin and the Socialist movement in Warsaw. On the morning of the 17th September 2008 we got off the ferry at Ystad. Making our first steps on Swedish soil AFTER leaving the building for border checks, we were caught at 7:38 Swedish time by uniformed Swedish policemen. They approached us aggressively asking wether we were heading for ESF in Malmoe. We were then seperated for intensive search and personal questioning.
I requested to be searched only in presence of a translator speaking Polish and Swedish. A passenger from our fairy with this profile offered his help. Instead of accepting his offer, the Swedish police took the translater as well into detention for intensive search and questioning.
The policemen searching me refused to give their full names or show identification papers. One was male, half bold, blue ezes, about 1,65 m tall and aged about 45 and being called Nilson (spelling not confirmed). The other was female, shoulder long hair, dyed blond, blue eyes, 1,70 m tall and aged about 35. She called herself "Lotta Magnuson" but refused to show her identification or confirm spelling. They both were in permanent telefone contact with their Malmoe headquaters (presumably Sven Hansson 040 6613220, spelling confirmed). The headquater betrayed a certain sense of exitement and announced to drive the 60 km from Malmoe to Ystad instantly to appear on the site before 8:30 Swedish time. Searching was aggressive and refused any offer to co-operate by me. Asked for the reson of this crack-down, I was told that Swedish police suspects us to transport weapons to the European Social Forum.
I offered to open my violin case and my luggage myself but was refused to do so. In spite of my protest, searching went on by both officers on different items simultanuously, so it became impossible for me to monitor their action. After 15 Minutes, they admitted that instead of the weapons they were searching for, we carried three new books fresh from print in Poland for the European Social forum. After close examination, the police officers recorded that the books are:
- an account of militant investigation under the title "Revolutionary Collectives" (ISBN 83-88353-54-3),
- a report on anti-G8 resistance in Russian and Japan ("Sibirian diary", ISBN 83-88353-94-2)
and
- a collection on creative interventions at global convergence spaces under the title "free fresco" (ISBN 83-88353-29-2).
AFTER THIS DISCOVERY, SEARCHING GOT A DISTINCTLY VIOLENT CHARACTER. BOXES WERE BLOKEN UP, GLASS GOT BROKEN BY THE MALE OFFICER. INSPITE OF MY PROTEST, THE OFFICER FROM THE OPPOSITE SEX KEOPT ON TOUCHING ME. THEN, INK WAS POURED OVER SOME OF THE BOOKS.
I asked for a protocol of the search. It was refused. I said that it is characteristic of democratic states to issue protocolls on any police action. The female officer asked the headquarter in Malmoe, then ordered me to shut up. "Its a basic civil right," I insisted. "You are in Sweden, we have our own laws," the officer replied briefly.
The police squad was then hastily leaving the site of the search. They left me with a Post Box number in Malmoe (850), where I could complain to a certain "Jan Hedlund".
After the crack-down, half of our group decided not to go to ESF because this was just too much reminding the days of Gothenburg in 2001.
contact telefone in the Polish capital: +48 22 6202479.
--
to:
info@esf2008.org, styrelsen@esf2008.org CC:
press@esf2008.org, visa@esf2008.org Ystad, 17 Septy. 2008 8:20 Swedish time. Testimony by Doctor Marcin Kremer
Our Polish group travelling to the Euroean Social Forum (ESF) in Malmoe integrated activists from the ecologist movement in Szczecin and the Socialist movement in Warsaw. On the morning of the 17th September 2008 we got off the ferry at Ystad. Making our first steps on Swedish soil AFTER leaving the building for border checks, we were caught at 7:38 Swedish time by uniformed Swedish policemen. They approached us aggressively asking wether we were heading for ESF in Malmoe. We were then seperated for intensive search and personal questioning.
I requested to be searched only in presence of a translator speaking Polish and Swedish. A passenger from our fairy with this profile offered his help. Instead of accepting his offer, the Swedish police took the translater as well into detention for intensive search and questioning.
The policemen searching me refused to give their full names or show identification papers. One was male, half bold, blue ezes, about 1,65 m tall and aged about 45 and being called Nilson (spelling not confirmed). The other was female, shoulder long hair, dyed blond, blue eyes, 1,70 m tall and aged about 35. She called herself "Lotta Magnuson" but refused to show her identification or confirm spelling. They both were in permanent telefone contact with their Malmoe headquaters (presumably Sven Hansson 040 6613220, spelling confirmed). The headquater betrayed a certain sense of exitement and announced to drive the 60 km from Malmoe to Ystad instantly to appear on the site before 8:30 Swedish time. Searching was aggressive and refused any offer to co-operate by me. Asked for the reson of this crack-down, I was told that Swedish police suspects us to transport weapons to the European Social Forum.
I offered to open my violin case and my luggage myself but was refused to do so. In spite of my protest, searching went on by both officers on different items simultanuously, so it became impossible for me to monitor their action. After 15 Minutes, they admitted that instead of the weapons they were searching for, we carried three new books fresh from print in Poland for the European Social forum. After close examination, the police officers recorded that the books are:
- an account of militant investigation under the title "Revolutionary Collectives" (ISBN 83-88353-54-3),
- a report on anti-G8 resistance in Russian and Japan ("Sibirian diary", ISBN 83-88353-94-2)
and
- a collection on creative interventions at global convergence spaces under the title "free fresco" (ISBN 83-88353-29-2).
AFTER THIS DISCOVERY, SEARCHING GOT A DISTINCTLY VIOLENT CHARACTER. BOXES WERE BLOKEN UP, GLASS GOT BROKEN BY THE MALE OFFICER. INSPITE OF MY PROTEST, THE OFFICER FROM THE OPPOSITE SEX KEOPT ON TOUCHING ME. THEN, INK WAS POURED OVER SOME OF THE BOOKS.
I asked for a protocol of the search. It was refused. I said that it is characteristic of democratic states to issue protocolls on any police action. The female officer asked the headquarter in Malmoe, then ordered me to shut up. "Its a basic civil right," I insisted. "You are in Sweden, we have our own laws," the officer replied briefly.
The police squad was then hastily leaving the site of the search. They left me with a Post Box number in Malmoe (850), where I could complain to a certain "Jan Hedlund".
After the crack-down, half of our group decided not to go to ESF because this was just too much reminding the days of Gothenburg in 2001.
contact telefone in the Polish capital: +48 22 6202479.
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