dissent! Network Of Resistance

This is for all interested international activists that are already in Rostock:

Tomorrow, Thursday evening (30th May) there will be a workshop on police plannings, control points, demonstration bans etc. It will be explained which weapons police is using, what are their AND YOUR rights. Also it will be told how to cope with being arrested or traumatized. There will be also lawyer attendence for asking more detailed questions.

The workshop starts at 9 pm in the Convergence Center.

On Thurs 17th May we had a G8 preparation meeting in London. Here be the notes therefrom.

REPRESSION UPDATE: RE RAIDS ON GERMAN CONVERGENCE CENTRES:

No one ‘really’ arrested (just ‘detained’ in the after-raid protests). Police do have the right to ask for ID and stop and search at any time. During the German raids a little over a week ago, they simply copied the contents of hard drives instead of physically confiscating items.

June 7th ‘Star’ march: Has been banned, but there are still 3 weeks until then, and legal proceedings have started to challenge this ruling.

BORDER UPDATE:

There has been some talk of closing borders, but this is simply not possible, and has been suggested that people try not using trains and highways, but smaller border crossings. If turned away, try somewhere else. And be sensible and leave the leaflets, black hoodies and masks at home.

Border checks - face checks - seem to generally be more concerned with drug trafficking.

There does not seem to be any indication of cross UK/German sharing of intelligence, but then again, it’s ultimately difficult to ascertain just how anyone can know.

TRANSPORT:

Manchester Bus update: There was some interest in generated in the first meeting about hooking up with some Manchester folks for an ‘illuminating’ coach ride to G8.
Seems that they are pretty much full up, but that someone should maybe email them.

Car Share: Check out English page on Dissent site, or check out www.mitfahrgelegenheit.de/ for ride share info in Germany. It’s a pretty good system of getting rides, but will be expected to pay for petrol.
[See this post :admin]

Eurolines: about £79, cheaper if you book online. still spaces left. 17 hour ride, with a stopover in Hamburg or Amsterdam.

There are ongoing negotiations to have transportation between Hamburg and Rostock running 24 hours.

CAMPS:

3 confirmed camps:

• Rostock, the ‘north’ camp, which can hold about 4 - 5000 people (where it was proposed that maybe english folks initially meet up);
• Weichmanndorf, (or the ‘Wendland camp’) - which will eventually have water and electricity;
• Reddelich - has a contract to use space, can hold about 4000 people. There will be anti-sexist/trauma support there as well.

There are also convergence centers in Rostock, Berlin (decentralised convergence concept, with loads of little convergence centres, but that will close just prior to G8), Hamburg (which can be used by people coming a week or so in advance).

There is also the ‘official’ south camp (the commercial one), which student groups don’t really like as it’s too official, commercial, etc.

There will also be info points in cities like Hamburg to ask for updates, legal info, accomodation info, etc.

LEGAL:

Lawyers will try to be present ASAP at jails once they have been contacted, and there are approx 70 - 100 pro bono (that is, working for free, not pro ‘bono’). There is a well established legal organisation called Red Help that will be present, helping people pay court fees etc, but will be working primarily in post arrest situations.

Look for signs saying EA (Ermittlungs Ausschuss) This means Legal Team.

RUN DOWN OF EVENTS:

Again, refer to Dissent Network website for all details and updates.

Sat 2nd: East demo - anti capitalist groups
West demo - NGOs, anti racist and no borders groups will be at front of march.

Sun 3rd: Anti GM day

Mon 4th: No Borders Day - actions at detention centres, centralised demo in Rostock in afternoon, as well as conferences in evening.

Tues 5th: Anti Military day- actions at the airport in south.

Wed 6th: Blocades (where? everywhere?)

Thurs 7th: ‘Star’ march, from several surrounding cities, converging at fence.

There will be one additional meeting this coming Thursday, 7 to 9pm, and maybe a post G8 meeting on June 14th. As part of this meeting there will also be a get together of people staying in London to discuss and prepare the idea of a ‘London G8 Solidarity and Info Point’ during the G8 mobilisations in Germany. Come if you are staying in London but want to be part of the resistance to the G8!

See www.indymedia.org.uk

7pm, Thursday 17th May

RampART Creative Social Centre, 15 Rampart Steet (off Commercial Road), London E1 2LA

How to get there?

See this post

7pm, Thursday 17th May

RampART Creative Social Centre is at 15 Rampart Street, off Commercial Road, London, E1 2LA

How to get there?

Public Transport

Nearest tube stops are Whitechapel, Aldgate East and Shadwell (which includes the DLR and the East London Line). The distance between them and Rampart is about the same. It takes 5-10 minutes to walk to/from those stations. Shadwell DLR has no barriers or ticket inspectors.

Bus routes that stop just at the top of Rampart Street on Commerical Road include 15 and 115. You can also get the 100 to nearby Shadwell which comes from South London. On Whitechapel High Street (about 5 mins walk away), you have the number 25 (the ‘free’ bendy bus) and the 205 among others.

By Car

Why? But yes, Ramparts is outside of the Congestion Zone and parking is not a problem in the evenings or at weekends. The major roads to navigate by are the A11 (Whitechapel Road) and the A13 (Commerical Road). The A13 comes direct from the M25 way out east.

If you are coming from any other direction other than from the east then you will probably want to use the circular. From South of the river that would mean the A100 over Tower Bridge. And from the North it would be the A501 or perhaps the A10.

Your final aim would be to find the junction with New Road which joins both the A11 and the A13. You should be able to figure out the rest from the instructions above.

1. Camps / Convergence Centres

There are two camps announced/set up at the moment – Reddelich and one at the fishing port near Bad Doberan.

The camp at Reddelich is about 5km from the fence, and can hold about 3-5000 people. It will be open from 1 June. It is a mixed camp – mixed ‘us’ and NGOs, including Attac. Will use the spokes system to make day to day decisions. Big decisions will be made in an assembly.

The other camp will hold up to 6,000 people. It is also mixed. It is in an industrial area and is perhaps easier to contain by the police.

Also convergence centres in Hamburg, Berlin and Rostock from 25th May onwards.

2.Events

2nd June – Rostock demo – the alliance of radical groups and NGOs. 100,000-150,000 people are expected. There is also an anti-fascist demo about 60km from Rostock, where fascists are mobilising for their anti-G8 demo.(police will also be trying to stop the fascists).

4th June – Day of Action on Migration for the Freedom of Movement - Demonstration and Conference

5th June – actions at the Rostock-Laage airfield, about 15km out of Rostock. Blockades of this airport will merge into blockade of the G8 since delegates will be using this airport to fly in.

6th June – go to the fence star-demo. Groups will start in 4/5 different places, come together at the fence and then spread out along the fence making security difficult. OR actions at another major city in the area. Decision will be made on the 6th June.

Interesting rumour going around that they have already moved the beginning of the G8 meeting forward by the day, shortening the length of the meeting by a day, because of logistical/security problems.
Early success!

3.Transport

a) around Heiligendamm…

Basically – don’t rely on provision there and distances are quite far between action sites – make your own plans. Some bikes are being delivered but not many.

b) Getting there from Britain
www.seat61.com will have train options e.g. £80-90 return to Hamburg.

Hamburg to Reddlich costs €29.

Gullivers – bus service – London – Hamburg €29.

Coaches with Eurolines cost £70/80 London-Hamburg return

Globalise Resistance are putting on coaches – c. £80

www.dutchflyer.co.uk – Howich-Holland, and then a train from Holland to the border (where there will be G8 buses) all for £25.

Recommended to get an open-ended return since you might not know when you can get back!

Might be cheaper to hire transport on the Continent – this would also mean you’d have means of transport there.

4.Border crossing/German police

There is no logistical way for the police to close the German borders. They may do stop and searches on the motorways but not on the borders.

Police are more likely to give an order to leave a particular area, and they don’t need much ground – just ’suspicion’ that you might cause trouble (a bit like Section 14 in the UK). Violating this is a minor offence but it is a way to get arrested.

German police can stop and search anywhere in Germany and it is law to carry ID at all times.

German and UK police are not very well networked, because Britain isn’t part of Schengen therefore they don’t have access to the police databases – they would need to get special systems or agreements.

It’s illegal to mask up or wear protective gear in Germany.

Police use water guns, batons and pepper spray (more common than tear gas).

They can detain you for 24 hours on suspicion that you might do something. But they have to bring you to a judge within that 24 hours who will decide whether to continue to detain you.

Worth looking at www.pigbrother.org for more info

two types of German police – local council police and federal (i.e. Nationwide police) who have heavy equipment

The military are forbidden from carrying out police work e.g. Crowd control. But they can help with logistical support.

5.Coordination/communication between camps

There will be daily meetings.
And infopoint system – in both camps, Rostock train station and Bad Doberan

will be a walkie-talkie relay thing – PMR (personal media radio). These can be bought cheaply in shops like Dixons, recommended to bring an earphone. It was also commented that these ‘are a waste of time’.

Worth bringing a portable radio if nothing else.

London Indymedia – will have an information space in London – come in the evening to hear what’s going on, watch footage, plan actions. London No Borders is also putting on an event on the 8th June at
Ramparts.

Next meeting - 7pm Ramparts, Thursday 17th May