World Göteborg Feature Archive

The legal aftermath after the demonstrations against the EU summit and Bush visit to Gothenburg/Sweden last summer display serious evidence of violation of human rights and makes new precedents in Swedish legal history. According to Swedish legal practice, the sentences are ten folded longer and harsher then it's precedents, clearly showing it is a matter of political trials and political prisoners:
- 102 trials, 52 sentences of civilian citizens, 450 people are identified as suspect and awaiting investigation.
- Excessive long incarcerations of the accused people with up to 3 months in isolation cells.
- Sentences of up to 2.5 and 4 years (many of the prosecuted are minors with no criminal records)
- The High Court has, to this date, not tried an appeal of any of the cases pertaining to the occurrences in Gothenburg.
- No enquiries into the police conduct (live ammunition shootings into the demonstrations - leaving a person fighting for his life - neither to the siege of the schools Schillerska or Hvitfeldska and the manipulation of video evidence.

An international day of action in support for the Gothemburg prisoners was called on Wednesday 5 of June. Reports from Moscow and Warsaw.

More info and call for justice | Solidarity Campaign in Sweden contacts. | Indymedia Sweden

UPDATE FROM G�TEBORG Oct 16 2001
On the morning of Tuesday 16th of October, 17 people were arrested in pre-dawn raids at their homes in several cities and towns across Sweden. Of the 17, two were released the same day after having admitted responsibility. The arrests were in conjunction with the protests at the EU Top Meeting in Gothenburg last June. Upon arrest for the crimes of "violent rioting" and "incitement to riot" the detainees were transported to several police stations in Gothenburg. An additional 3 individuals were 'arrested' in their absence and are currently being sought by the police. The rest are awaiting arraignment.

Additionally 4 people are still in custody in police stations since the anti-EU protests last June. Although they were already convicted in the court of appeal, none of them has been moved to prison yet. This prolonged detention has been criticised by many human rights groups around the world as an inhumane and illegal punishment.

- Read full story and contacts for prisoners support
- IMC-UK Gothenburg feature
- IMC-Sweden

Thousands converge in Sweden's second largest city to protest at the European Union summit. Migration, corporate Europe and militarisation are among the many issues raised by protesters.

GOTHENBURG ANTI-EU PROTESTS Jun 14-16 2001


At the three-day anti-EU protests in Gothenburg, Sweden, police have fired with live ammunition at protesters and have seriously injured three people. The incident happened at a streetparty on Friday night, when a small group of police attacked the party but were pushed back by the people. Despite mainstream media claims of police self-defence, the video evidence shows that at least some of the shots were targeted shots aimed at particular protesters from a distance, in a situation where there was no immediate threat to police officers.

More than 20,000 people had converged on Gothenburg to protest against the EU summit and to discuss related issues, such as militarisation and increasing repression against refugees. While on the first day actions focused on the presence of US president George W. Bush, the second day saw widespread attempts to reach the conference centre and to disrupt the meeting. On Saturday, 25,000 people joined a mass demonstration "For Another Europe".

Swedish police escalated the situation from the first day, when they attacked the protesters' legal meeting and sleeping place. Throughout the weekend there were heavy clashes between protesters and police, but also peaceful marches and cheerful streetparties.

[ Indymedia Sweden | Summer of Resistance | Photo of shot protester ]


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