A-Infos (en) Poland, Slupsk, Brutal arrest of 23 anti-militarist activists

On Saturday noon a demonstration against the plans of locating up to ten 
silo-based long-range missile defence interceptors in Poland took place in 
Slupsk, a city in northern Poland. The military base where the shield would be 
placed is located near this city. Around 400 people took part in a peaceful 
march in the city centre, after that around 50 people came to the military base 
and tried to come inside but were stopped by the police. Nobody was arrested, 
one person got a fine for using swearwords and drinking beer. ---- At night a 
techno party organized by anti-war activists was organized at one of the local 
pubs in Slupsk. The activists came back to their flat and around 6 a.m. cops 
raided their house and arrested the people inside, aged 18 to 35. The police 
used heavy violence, beating up the activists with batons and using pepper 
spray. One of the activists had his arm broken and later managed to run away 
from the hospital.

After an immediate reaction of other activists, lawyers and media cops gave 
their official version of the event which says that the activists were arrested 
for „violating the night silence”, some of them are charged with an physical 
assault and verbal insult of a police officer. First activists were released 
after 12 hours of interrogation, cops claimed that the activists were drunk and 
had to sober up before they were questioned. So far (Sunday, 10 p.m.), around 10 
people are out, 9 who are charged are still detained and they are said to leave 
the arrest tomorrow (Monday, 31/03/2008) by 3 p.m. The cops had no legal warrant 
to come inside the flat. It is not common to send a dozen or so cops to silence 
people at night, so the argument about them being too loud is clearly a lie.

At 1 p.m. on Sunday around 30 anarchist and antimilitarist activists came to 
protest in front of the police station where the others were arrested. They 
shouted slogans against police repression and police violence and demanded 
releasing all arrested activists. Probably thanks to high media presence, they 
were not repressed in any way.
The activists will probably need financial help for lawyers, if you want to help 
contact ABC Poznan (preferably in English/Polish) ackpoznan@rozbrat.org

The demonstration on Saturday in which hundereds of activists and local people, 
a street theatre, a samba band and Food Not Bombs group took part was organized 
as a part of a campaign against the installation of missiles and the building of 
the US base in Poland.

Recent polls in Poland released by State television claim that 50% are against, 
36% support while 14% are unsure. When compared to a poll conducted 12 months 
ago for the daily broadsheet Rzeczpospolita (Republic), those who support 
(moderately or strongly) the proposal has grown by 6%, those against has fallen 
by 1% while members of the public who remain unsure fell by 5% to 14%. Opinions 
are being crystallised, the government propaganda machine is on full steam ahead 
but the voices and arguments of the majority, those opposed, remain marginalised 
by the mainstream media.

The Sunday intervention is a clear sign of state repression against 
anti-militarist activists who are supposed to be shown as 
terrorists/hooligans/drunk youths, it's a method used to crimiminalize the 
social movements, a method that is not a new one in our reality. We will not 
subject to any intimidation!
STOP STATE REPRESSION! SOLIDARITY IS OUR WEAPON!
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Copied from infoshop.org
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