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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Gothenburg: Police Shoot Protesters-How the shooting occurred |
Current rating: 0 |
by T.R.O.Y.
Email: eerie (nospam) sbbs.se (unverified!) |
15 Jun 2001
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Editor's Note: Reports on the exact number of people shot by police during protests against neo-liberal economic policies vary. This report was the best I could find in text at the moment. Go to the Sweden IMC site for extensive reporting, with text, audio, and video links. ML |
Reclaim the City street party ends in shootings- here's the eyewitness account of the chain of events that led up to the shooting.
It started with a Reclaim the City street party around eight o'clock Friday evening after a day of street battles and rioting. This is what happened according to eyewitness accounts.
The mood was reportedly festive on Vasagatan as people listened to music and danced. It is, however, not legal to dance in the streets and the police chose to go in with riot gear and dogs.
After a period of fighting between police and the Reclaimers a small group of between 5 to 8 police in riot gear enter the area where the Reclaimers were. This, in itself, is not only contrary to normal procedure, it is quite dangerous as they soon found out.
The larger group of 50 or so riot police had moved onward without the smaller group knowing about it and when one of the police in the smaller group picked up a stone and threw it at the demonstrators, the crowd became outraged and threw themselves upon the police beating them and then chasing them.
The police ran away but found themselves cornered. As the demonstrators entrapped them, the police started shooting. According to several eyewitness reports there were about 15 shots.
The end result -so far- is that two demonstrators have been shot- one in the stomach, one in the leg- and there are reports coming in now that a policeman has also been shot. Whether he was shot by 'friendly fire' or not is at this point not known. |
See also:
http://sweden.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=574&group=webcast
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Update on Gothenburg |
by Mike Lehman
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
16 Jun 2001
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Saturday 10:45 CDT
It seems to be confirmed at this point that three portesters were shot and no police. What is unclear is whether one of the protesters has died of his wounds. CNN seems to have announced that he did and then withdrawn the claim. Other reports circulating indicate that there was a death, but this remains to be confirmed officially.
A demonstration today drew over 25,000 to protest the corporatization of the European Union and the police violence against protesters that seems to have been very unexpected by most Europeans. |
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Police Crackdown on Dancing Led to Shooting. |
by subbrian
subbrian3 (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
17 Jun 2001
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Video from IMC Sweden shows that a violent police crackdown on DANCING is what led to the use of DEADLY FORCE against protesters.
Length 6 min. 28 sec.
Link to video:
http://clients.loudeye.com/imc/sweden/reclaim.ram
Link to site of videographer?:
http://kulma.net/katalyytti/
Thanks for your journalism under fire!
This is important video footage.
Most media is placing all the blame on protesters.
This video seems to prove that it was police stupidity, and possibly police hatred of dancing, music, fun, happiness, young people, etc.- that led to the use of deadly force against protesters.
Even if the police shot in justifiable self-defense, which other footage seems to show they did not
(http://clients.loudeye.com/imc/sweden/vrt010616-34.ram),
this video shows that unprovoked and totally unnecessary police violence started the chain of events that led to the shooting:
1. Young people enjoy themselves- dancing, music, smiles, fun.
2. Police decide fun cannot be allowed.
3. Police get in a tight bunch and seem to move to the music in a funny way - as if they can't decide whether to dance or attack people.
4. They decide to attack people.
5. People don't like being kicked, beaten, yelled at, arrested, for dancing.
6. People chase police and throw stones at their BODY ARMOR & SHIELDS.
7. Police shoot people (and possibly KILL person).
8. The police are murderers.
9. George Bush is a mass murderer.
10. The current world economic system and those who control it are mass murderers.
11. Back to the issue at hand...
IMPORTANT NOTE?
From 3:00.0 to 3:03.3 on the video) The person who was trying to get the police to back off and leave the dancers alone (wearing dark gray jacket with black hood/light gray pants) seems to be the same person who was later shot in the abdomen.
This seems significant to me.
What do you think?
Link to other video:
http://clients.loudeye.com/imc/sweden/vrt010616-34.ram
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See also:
http://clients.loudeye.com/imc/sweden/reclaim.ram
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