More than three thousand people blocked one of the main access routes between geneva and Evian today amidst hours or tear gas and much resistance.
Awaking at 3.30am more than 3000 people assembled in the dark to march down the road, hoping to get where the highway meets the other major geneva evian route, to block the flow of delegates from the french side.
Meeting little resistance at first, the importance for the authorities of keeping the at least one of these roads open were eventually realised as we were halted after 5km, around 2km from meeting the other highway.
Here we met around 100 police with a water cannon and what seemed throughout the next 6 hours unlimited supplies of tear gas.
People attempted to push through the police lines advancing with stones and other debris. 2 large burning barricades were erected to prevent a polce charge.
Blocking of the highway continued for the next 6 hours with unceasing firing of tear gas and flash grenades from the police. The resistance was equally strong however and police were unable to push us back, a policy of containment seemed to be the plan.
Some 120 people walking through feilds to the other highway and breifly erected barricades before being turned back.
One of the most inspiring things was the level of solidarity from the local residents in the small village. We were brought coffee, tea, food and biscuits. People opened their houses to allow people to go to the toilet and collect water. The level of support was truly inspiring.
Something else to take from this action was also the ability for various groups to work together. There was no infighting or the usual frictions, people worked together providing water for those on the front lines whose dispersed the tear gas and kept the police at bay.
As far as can be assertained there were no arrests, though there are rumours of perhaps five. Nothing like the repression in geneva or lausanne however.
The action blocked one access point in what was a highly difficult task of distrupting the meeting. News we recieved on the blockade was that for a significant time translators were not able to get through to evian due to blockades in geneva, lausanne and where we were, delaying the meeting.
Actions are continuing tonight with 3000 people marching down to the centre of annemasse to protest the police repression. Indymedia centre at L'Usine has also been raided.
Meeting little resistance at first, the importance for the authorities of keeping the at least one of these roads open were eventually realised as we were halted after 5km, around 2km from meeting the other highway.
Here we met around 100 police with a water cannon and what seemed throughout the next 6 hours unlimited supplies of tear gas.
People attempted to push through the police lines advancing with stones and other debris. 2 large burning barricades were erected to prevent a polce charge.
Blocking of the highway continued for the next 6 hours with unceasing firing of tear gas and flash grenades from the police. The resistance was equally strong however and police were unable to push us back, a policy of containment seemed to be the plan.
Some 120 people walking through feilds to the other highway and breifly erected barricades before being turned back.
One of the most inspiring things was the level of solidarity from the local residents in the small village. We were brought coffee, tea, food and biscuits. People opened their houses to allow people to go to the toilet and collect water. The level of support was truly inspiring.
Something else to take from this action was also the ability for various groups to work together. There was no infighting or the usual frictions, people worked together providing water for those on the front lines whose dispersed the tear gas and kept the police at bay.
As far as can be assertained there were no arrests, though there are rumours of perhaps five. Nothing like the repression in geneva or lausanne however.
The action blocked one access point in what was a highly difficult task of distrupting the meeting. News we recieved on the blockade was that for a significant time translators were not able to get through to evian due to blockades in geneva, lausanne and where we were, delaying the meeting.
Actions are continuing tonight with 3000 people marching down to the centre of annemasse to protest the police repression. Indymedia centre at L'Usine has also been raided.
Comments
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Solidarité
01.06.2003 21:05
We experienced the same suport -- water, toilets, food, etc. -- in Quebec City, 2001.
In several instances, Quebeckers opened their doors to give asylum to protesters fleeing police charges.
we can take from this that -- contrary to mainstream propaganda -- there is popular support for the uprising against corporate fascism.
Solidarité
wish I was there
Thoughts from Annemasse
09.06.2003 17:03
One impressive aspect of this action was how well the affinity group and decision-making processes worked, both before and during the action. Different groups provided constant supplies of water and food to the front, teams of people with water and clods of earth were able to put out teargas pellets within seconds of them landing, the samba band provided an important focus and played almost non-stop from when we left the camp at 5 am to when we returned at 2 pm, and collective decisions were effectively made using the delegate system.
One reason the affinity group/ delegate meetings system worked so well however, was undoubtedly the fact that in general we were not really pushed for time; the police did'nt charge or try to force us back (although they surely would have if we'd been less people or had eased off the pressure on the frontline) so there was time for discussion.
Would we have had time for meetings if there was direct clashes with the police and the situation was less controlled?
Also, some complained that the reliance on the meetings system left the group as a whole unable to respond quickly. At one point the police appeared to have temporarily run out of tear gas and people at the front who had been trying to advance were trying to mobilise people for a mass push forward, but by the time people were aware of it, the barrage of teargas had started again.
Although we successfully achieved our objective of holding the road, the police also managed to stop us going further just through sheer quantities of teargas. If we had really been trying to advance, how would we have got through the gas?
Much respect is due to the elderly woman from the village who decided to go and tell the police to their faces, to go away. She then proceeded to march through the clouds of teargas right up to the police line and have a go at them, much closer than any of the protesters got...
bindweed