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Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1997 22:37:48 +0100
From: Road Alert!
To: roadalert@gn.apc.org

There's a meeting to explore ways of defending the right to peaceful protest on Wednesday 14th May, 7 - 9 pm, Conference Hall, The Battlebridge Centre, 2-6 Battlebridge Road, Kings Cross, London.

News from Germany...

> FiN, UmProWe,Yorckstr 59, HH. Berlin.10965 Germany.
> TL ++49 30 789 131 44 email umprowe@jpberlin.berlinet.de
> FX ++49 30 789 131 45
>
> @nti-press release. April 9th.1997
>
> Fascists attack anti-road camp and hut village.
>
> @nti-press release concerning the attack by right-wing extremists against
> the A20 hut village and protest camp in Greifswald, north east Germany.
>
> On Friday the 28th March, 1997 the camp against the A20 road construction
> site,known as the `Baltic sea motorway` was attacked by a group of
> approximately 40 right-wing extremists. The site has been occupied for
> several years since the construction of the A20 motorway was first
> announced.
>
> At 8 o`clock in the evening a group of approximately 40 fascists arrived
> at the A20 protest site. The group imediately began attacking the small
> wooden kitchen vehicle with baseball bats and broken glass bottles.
> Only 5 people were in the kitchen vehicle at the time of the attack.
>
> The occupiers could not escape the vehicle but attempted to leave as the
> sides were smashed. As they did so the fascists attacked the occupiers
> with baseball bats and kicked them to the ground. Two camp occupiers were
> seriously injured and one other was also badly hurt - all three needed
> medical treatment and two are still in hospital.
>
> The fascists went on to attack three more vehicles and one of the self
> built huts which were all toppled over. At the same time they made no
> secret of their views and throughout the attack shouted `Sieg Heil` as
> well as other blantantly racist or fascist slogans.
>
> After an attack lasting twenty minutes, the leader of the fascists
> signaled to the others and the 40 men quickly left the site in their
> cars, driving away in different directions.
>
> First to the scene of the attack were an ambulance crew - even though
> they were telephoned later than the police, the ambulance arived first,
> giving the fascists plenty of time to continue their attack and easily
> escape.
>
> When one of the the cars fully occupied by the fascists returned to the
> camp, they were not even stopped by the police who insisted they had no
> right in law to conduct a search of vehicles. Again the police allowed
> the fascists time to escape and only after the fascists had left did the
> police at least attempt to stop and question passers by about the attack.
>
> The fascist attack left two members of the protest camp seriously
> injured and one other badly hurt but still no action was taken by the
> police. The police arrived later than ambulance crews - even though
> they were telephoned first and on their arrival made no attempt to
> stop the attackers who had been properly identified by the hut
> villagers and came back to the site while the police were still there.
>
> Unfortunately this was not the first attack by fascists, only a week
> before one hut villager was followed by four stick wealding fascists
> and only managed to escape because he had a bicycle with him. The
> fascists threatened him and said "We are now many - You will soon be
> attacked!"
>
> This pre-meditated attack on the hut villagers, which had obviously
> been planned is just part of the esculating violence which has been
> directed at the left-wing scene in Germany by neo-nazi fascists in
> recent months. This culminated with the murder of a young man which
> sparked protest riots in Magdeburg earlier this year.
>
> Inaction on the side of the police allows fascist violence to continue
> and even encourages it. By letting fascists know they will have little
> and in most cases no trouble from the police, fascists are able to
> continue such attacks. At the same time the police have stepped up
> their own violence against protestors. At best protestors can expect
> to end up in court, in cases which are obviously biased against them.
> At worst they are often attacked and injured during demonstrations or
> while under `police care`.
>
> Fighting for a free @ntifascist `society`
> and for the liberation of all People,
> all Animals and the Earth.
>
>
> Produced independently in support of the A20 huettendorf
> (hut village) against the baltic sea motorway, Griefswald.
>
> Please contact us if you want (i)regular info on other protests in
> Germany.
>
> FIN, Umweltundprojektwerkstatt,
> Yorckstr 59.HH,
> 10965 Berlin-Kreuzberg. Germany.
> TL ++ 44 30 789 131 44
> FX ++ 44 30 789 131 45
> Email umprowe@jpberlin.berlinet.de
> ## CrossPoint v3.11 ##



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