A couple of dozen people picketed the Serbian Embassy in London on Friday lunchtime 11th September. Not bad at such short notice. Members of SF and FAU (German IWA Section) were supported by London Anarchist Federation, libertarian students’ group Autonomy & Solidarity and others.
Anarchists picket Serbian Embassy in London, Friday September 11th 2009
Anarchists picket Serbian Embassy in London, Friday September 11th 2009
Embassy staff were a bit startled but took a keen interest in proceedings, and the police harassment started after we’d been outside the embassy for about half an hour. First the Diplomatic Protection Group – all wearing badges showing their support for the roadside-bomb-fodder in Afghanistan – first told us the demonstration was illegal and we should disperse; then they said it was “a public order situation” in spite of our being relaxed and peaceful; then they claimed we were obstructing the pavement in spite of the almost total absence of pedestrians and told us to cross the road (to a narrower stretch of pavement people were actually walking along). We rotated people arguing with plod as he kept changing his arguments and eventually he retired to talk to his bosses. By that stage there were six armed officer present.
We handed in a letter of protest – the door opened immediately and it was accepted. After another half hour the regular Met turned up, only one, with a Community Support Officer – plastic plod – in tow. We then became a “security risk” because apparently by standing outside the embassy we could provide cover for unspecified criminal activities. Then eventually it came down to the alleged likelihood of our committing criminal damage. Plod’s “reasonable grounds for suspicion” constituted the fact that an act
of criminal damage during the Belgrade picket of the Greek Embassy was mentioned in our leaflet! This was exposed as an obvious ploy when Plod became impatient and dropped the act, threatening us all with being searched unless we crossed the road. We continued arguing while drifting over the road, having achieved what we had set out to do. We stayed to 2 O’Clock, forcing Mr Plod and Mr Plastic (who looked like a building contractor with his bare head and yellow safety jacket) to guard the embassy from the heinous threat of handing in letters until we left.
About four police hours were expended during the course of the demonstration,
plus report writing. Result.
We handed in a letter of protest – the door opened immediately and it was accepted. After another half hour the regular Met turned up, only one, with a Community Support Officer – plastic plod – in tow. We then became a “security risk” because apparently by standing outside the embassy we could provide cover for unspecified criminal activities. Then eventually it came down to the alleged likelihood of our committing criminal damage. Plod’s “reasonable grounds for suspicion” constituted the fact that an act
of criminal damage during the Belgrade picket of the Greek Embassy was mentioned in our leaflet! This was exposed as an obvious ploy when Plod became impatient and dropped the act, threatening us all with being searched unless we crossed the road. We continued arguing while drifting over the road, having achieved what we had set out to do. We stayed to 2 O’Clock, forcing Mr Plod and Mr Plastic (who looked like a building contractor with his bare head and yellow safety jacket) to guard the embassy from the heinous threat of handing in letters until we left.
About four police hours were expended during the course of the demonstration,
plus report writing. Result.
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WHY, what,when,where,how
14.09.2009 18:24
sid
Why, what and how explained
14.09.2009 19:18
On Saturday, Sept. 4, five* political activists were arrested in Belgrade on trumped up charges. The five, Tadej Kurep, Ivan Vulović, Sanja Dojkić, Ratibor Trivunac and Nikola Mitrovic, are activists in or associates of the Anarcho-Syndicalist Initiative, the Serbian section of the International Workers’ Association (IWA). (* The sixth person sought by police, Ivan Savic, was also arrested some days later.)
The arrests are allegedly related to a direct action which took place at the Greek Embassy on Aug. 25. Negligible damage was done; a crack in one window, a tiny burn mark on the facade and a circled A graffiti on the embassy as a act of symbolic solidarity with Thodoros Iliopoulos. The prosecutor however imagines this as an act of “international terrorism” and would like to charge our comrades with such. If the state allows such charges to be pressed, they could be facing 3-15 years in prison.
As it is, the five were arrested, harrassed and are to be held in custody for at least one month while the case is organized.
Although one of the accused, General Secretary of the IWA Ratibor Trivunac clearly and publically declared that he knew nothing of the action, he was arrested. It is not the first time that authorities have come after him or his comrades for no other reason than the fact that they are radical critics of the state.
We are calling on people around the world to take action now!
If you can organize a protest at a Serbian Embassy, Consulate or other Diplomatic Mission, please do so ASAP. Rather than one day of action, we think actions can be spread out over a few days, but we think it’s best not to wait! Try to make an action by Sept. 15-16.
Also, send faxes and protest letters! We are including a list of addresses on this page. If you like, you can also send a letter to the government through this page. You can write your own text or use out sample text. Our page can keep a log of signatorees so we may pass them on to the comrades in Serbia so they know which organizations and people have sent protests.
Please send us information about your demos, protests or articles on the case!
FREE THE FIVE NOW!
ADDRESSES OF DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA:
Luther B
Check the link maybe?
14.09.2009 19:20
A