A-Infos (en) Poland, Slupsk, More on Protest Against Proposed US Missile Base in Poland: Good public support, politicians and police against the people

On Saturday March 29, about 800-1000 people demonstrated against the 
installation of a US missile base in northern Poland. The base, which the 
governments of the US and Poland would like to build in Redzikowo, just outside 
of Slupsk near the Baltic Sea, would house elements of the American Missile 
Defense program, namely so-called interceptor missiles (which can also be used 
for offensive purposes. Despite the fact that 60% of local residents and over 
half of all Poles are strongly against the base, and only a small fraction of 
the rest support it, the government is intent to go ahead and build the base. A 
radar base is also to be built in the Czech Republic, again despite the 
opposition of most citizens.

The Demo

The demonstration started with a Hyde Park / open meeting in front of the town 
hall. A few hundred local residents came to hear the arguments against the 
missiles, to demonstrate and to speak out. Many people spoke only the meeting 
had to be cut slightly short due to an inpending downpour of rain. The only 
person who spoke in favour of the base was a paid lobbyist, Andrzej Jodkowski 
who was hired by the American Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance to make 
pro-missile propaganda in Poland. He was lously jeered by the crowd and some old 
ladies tried to beat him with sticks.  People of all ages came out but it was 
quite noticeable from both this demonstration and a meeting the day before that 
survivors of WWII are especially angry about the base and concerned about 
militarism and a few elderly people in their 70s and 80s spoke out.

During the Hyde Park, free food was served by Food Not Bombs and some theatre 
was made by the Autonomist Collective and Anarchist Federation group from Torun.

A lively demo followed through the city. Slupsk is a city of under 100,000 
people which very few activists and the only other such demonstration held there 
since the fall of communism was a May Day march organized by the Anarchist 
Federation in 2002. It was quite a sight for local people, many who watched or 
joined in. Two nice samba bands played, a car went with music, people chanted 
"No Missile Shield" and lots of other slogans that don't rhyme in English 
translation.

At the Base

After the main demo ended, a group of a bit over 100 people broke off and 
marched to Redzikowo, the site of the future American base, a former Polish 
airforce base during the PRL times, currently disused but still guarded by the 
military. The police and military started to show their strength, sending out a 
military helicopter and lots of police vans. (Police had to be sent in from 
Gdansk for this action. Although Slupsk is home of a police academy and has an 
extremely large police presence, they were not available as many of them had 
been sent to Kosowo.)

A small action was made at the side entrance and some people removed the 
ridiculous barricade made there and went on the territory, at which time the 
police started to act. However nothing happened since the police claimed to 
demonstrators that there was "nothing there" and "no base there" and therefore 
could not give a legitimate reason to the anarchists why they were not allowed 
on that area. They threatened to arrest people for not following police orders 
but not for trepassing.

The demonstration moved to the main gate of the base where there was some 
symbolic attempt to jump the fence. Some local residents came out to talk 
despite the fact that the large police presence and the cops with dogs could 
look a little scary. Again local residents, despite the fact that many of them 
were relatives of former military, complained about the base to the protestors. 
Mr. Jodkowski the lobbyist, who followed us during the whole march, could only 
walk around sheepishly trying to give the demonstrators cookies.

Unpleasant Actions and Police Violence

The whole action went without incident, accept perhaps not including problems 
with vanguardist frauds from the Young Socialists who openly disregard requests 
not to come with self-advertising, party flags. (They are known throughout 
Poland as being sleazy party-sponsored parasites who fraudently present 
themselves as organizers of other people's demonstrations.) However as soon as 
people left Redzikowo and dispersed, the cops took the opportunity to vent their 
frustration on some scapegoats.

For whatever reason, a small group of people stayed in Redzikowo. Police used 
dogs against them and one woman was bitten. They started to give people bullshit 
fines. One guy was fined for having a black flag on his car. Later, one guy was 
arrested and fined for cursing. The fine was almost 300 dollars US, really an 
incredible exaggeration for something like that which in no way should be a 
punishable offense.

The real problem happened lately on, in the early hours of the morning just 
before 5 AM. There was a concert/ after party. A group of people were followed 
from the party by the police. They returned to one guy's place, where a group of 
people were already sleeping. Shortly later the police raided and attacked them, 
including people who were sleeping. The pretext was "disturbing the peace" 
although clearly sleeping people were not disturbing the peace. People were 
gased and beaten. 23 people were arrested. One guy had his arm badly hurt – in 
fact hey was sure it was broken. (It turns out not to be broken but just badly 
hurt.) The police also thought his arm was broken and he was taken to the 
hospital. He escaped and called people to tell them what happened.

The police at first denied that anything happened or that anybody was arrested 
but later changed their story (more than once). Few people were left in town, 
but those who were went down to the police station to demand the release of the 
arrested. The police are claiming that this brutal attack has nothing to do with 
the demo but present the arrested as being drunk and disorderly. They are 
charged with typical bullshit charges of "not respecting the police" and two are 
being charged with "violating the intouchability of the police", which is more 
or less assaulting an officer. This charge is used against demonstrators quite 
often, usually in situations where the police is beating somebody and they try 
to ward off blows or get the police off them.

As of the time of this report, all but two of the arrested have been released, 8 
of them being charged with "not respecting the police".  (The two still in 
custody will probably have the more serious charges against them.)  They are 
going to file a complaint against the police.

Anarchist Solidarity and Anarchist Black Cross will try to help them: for more 
information or to send a donation for legal help, contact 
anarchistsolidarity@yahoo.com.

The Struggle will Continue

The event was covered widely by local, national and some international press, 
although the American media refused to cover the event. Perhaps the action was 
not big and "spectacular" enough, but surely that's not the only reason. No 
worry though; if they go ahead with the base, which looks to be a strong 
possibility, this will just be the beginning. The next demo will be much bigger 
and louder.

The demonstration was organized by the Campaign against Militarism (started by 
anarchists but open to others) together with big participation others like the 
Anarchist Federation, the Autonomous Collective, some local, non-affiliated 
activists, some members of Greenpeace and the Union of Syndicalists. Practically 
all of the anarchist and anti-authoritarian groups in Poland were in attendance 
as well as some anti-war activists and a small handful of leftists from 
different groups and parties. A good part of the crowd was also made up of 
Slupsk residents.  Probably this was the largest and most successful action we 
have made in a couple of years and undoubtedly the most important action against 
this military base that has happened so far in Poland. Despite the fact that 
most people are against the base, few people publically demonstrate their 
discontent. Unfortunately. The Campaign has decided to continue its work and, 
should the work on the base be started, to organize more radical protests and 
actions.

The campaign can be reached at campaignagainstmilitarism@gmail.com

The website for the action includes lots of info in English about the missile 
bases: www.m29.bzzz.net

Also see: www.tarcza.org.

There are many press reports in Polish as well as photo reports. Here are a few 
links to photo and video:

http://cia.bzzz.net/fotki_z_demonstracji_przeciw_tarczy
http://www.poland.indymedia.org/pl/2008/03/35657.shtml
http://www.poland.indymedia.org/pl/2008/03/35679.shtml
http://www.poland.indymedia.org/pl/2008/03/35692.shtml
http://www.poland.indymedia.org/pl/2008/03/35668.shtml
http://www.kfp.com.pl/index2.html?p=szukaj&klucz=antytarcza&zid=120697782247f1051e1433a&strona=2 
(Commercial photo agency shit)

http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/Wiadomosci/1,80708,5068992.html (Main newspaper in 
Poland, video from TV)

http://www.gp24.pl/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080331/MAGAZYN/393713386 (Voice 
of Pomerania, videos, article. First video (multimedia) has English with speaker 
from Catholic Worker. Second, talking head in Polish, third has part of march.)
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