A-Infos (en) Swiss, Geneva, [convergence-libertaire] Police violence in the Genčve train station (fr)

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> From: Christophe TAFELMACHER 
Genčve : demonstrators attacked the police sticks with their fore-head 
CORNAVIN train station, decreeted red-zone before the G8 in
GENČVE, by the Swiss police and the French border police 
Texts, reports and photos: see http://www.evian-g8.org/ and
http://ch.indymedia.org/fr/2003/03/6909.shtml 
For other infos, reports and photos (some of those show the blood
stains on the Genčve train station wall, you can see in
switzerland.indymedia.org)

Press release from 29.03.2003 by the [Ed. antiauthoritarian] Anti-WTO
Coordination Lausanne 
Demo against the WTO in Genčve, 29 March 2003 and police
violence in the Genčve train station.

Today, 29th March, a beautiful demo happened under a sunny sky,
against the WTO meeting concerning the GATS (General
Afgreement on Trade and Services). The ambiance was peaceful,
different kinds of expression were present and anti-capitalist and
feminist actions were performed. In spite of the police presence in
a street nearby, no confrontation happened. The demo ended in
the Place Neuve, with speeches against the liberal attack on
agriculture, knowledge, education, and against the southern
countries being preyed. Even before the demo began, there were
identity controls, searching and confiscating banners, posters and
flaggers from a group of people that had called for a meeting
point at the Bastions square, to join the demo from there . We
denounce that, the demo was legal, and the police was allready
exerting repression. 

Once marching away from the Place Neuve, about 150 people
leaved it for the train station to go back home. Some 50 anti-demo
policemen and some police cars began chasing these people that
were going calmly to the train station, on the side-walk. Once on
the platform, this group waiting for the train was surrounded by the
police. In spite of fear, there was no provocation, neither beer
bottles throwing, nor name calling. When the doors opened itself,
to the general surprise (also from american tourists or other
travellers sympathetic with our people) the police charged
this group of 150 people to cut it and to isolate it from the other
passengers. A woman was hit with a police stick in front of the
cameras and with everybody wachting. She was then hand-cuffed
and taken inside a police car where she was submitted to further
sexist humiliations ("sale pute, salope, ..." "dirty hore, bastard"...)
and physical and verbal violences. Other two persons were
arrested and taken to a police car, were they also suffered beatings
and insults. These people went to the hospital to be checked by
the docters. Another violences were performed on the platform, for
instance, a sixty years old woman  trying to resist the beating of her
son got a rubber-bullet shot on the head at a distance of less than
one meter. The demonstrators refused to leave the blocked or
arrested comrades, and blocked the doors of the train. Then, some
15 policemen went inside the train, pushing and hitting the
passengers. They stepped inside the upper part of the wagoon
searching for people who may look suspect. They didn't arrest
anybody at this moment, they just wanted to have fun.  While
leaving the train they critized violently a woman with a 4 years old
child crying with fear, telling her this was not a way to educate her
child ! ! ! The train could not departure because one door was
blocked and the people were told to change to another train, on
another platform. While the group walked between a police double
row, they were punched, clubbed on the limbs and taken randomly
for controls and searches under insults. As a consequence of the
arrests people blocked a second train in solidarity for about one
and half hour aproximately until three people were released. At
about 19:00, the 3 people were released and the train departured
to Lausanne. 

While there was no clash, no action taken during this return in the
train station, therefore no reasons to attack those people, the police
provoked and terrorized the people waiting on the platform for
about 2 hours, insulting and humiliating those people. Tonight at
21:00, the French speaking Swiss chanel RSR reported that the
police justifies this attack and brutalities saying that the people had
thrown beer bottles and were masked during the demo. First, the
people in this group were not all masked during the demo, and
also those that were did it for good reasons: the security policies,
the black listings that are being prepared and are allready
performed in view of the anti-G8 demos, or the previous ones
against Davos, anti-war demos, and others. We claim that we have
the right to mask ourselves and to protect our identities to avoid
political and court repression. And, is the fact that one  is masked
gives them the right to intimidate the people in this way?
We may well fear for the worse about the next anti-G8 demos  as
we've seen the police behavior today. The police is a dog, ready to
attack, that is conducted by a government who sustains and
protects the tyrants who exploit the people and the resources for
profit. They meet together to achieve the GATS agreement under
the protection of the state armed force. We were protesting today
against those agreements and in general against capitalism that
enslaves the whole planet to it's maximal profits goals for the
Northern Countries, and for their financial plutocrats. The police
and this unjustified intervention is the sole responsible for the
chaos provoked in the Genčve train station. Stop the police
violences and the repression. Let's throw down capitalism ! 

Anti-WTO Coordination Lausanne

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