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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Bush-Putin protest in Slovenia |
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by Ronnie
Email: babylonwillfall (nospam) hotmail.com (unverified!) |
17 Jun 2001
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Saturday, George W. Bush and his partner in crime Vladimir Putin held their first of a sequel of meetings, in Slovenia. |
While those two were discussing issues that are concerning the whole globe like missile defence systems, expansion of NATO with Eastern European countries, and trade regulations between both nations behind closed doors in the Brdo castle far away from urban concentrations, concerned people were gathering in the city of Ljubljana to protest against the summit and the issues being discussed.
After a two weeks period of violating human basic rights by the police and government of Slovenia through the rejection and questioning of certain foreigners at the borders, tapping of phones and email, arrests for flyposting, intimidating ‘suspicious’ persons, registering foreign license plates, portraying anti-globalisation activists as terrorists and neo-fascists in the media, excessive police presence in the capitol, unannounced visitation of people’s homes for information, the Festival Of Resistance could finally find its way to the streets. Or at least that’s what the organising platform, Office For Intervention (UZI), had in mind. But due to state propaganda leading up to this manifestation, strong police presence and surveillance was justified and so the city looked like a concentration camp with iron fences and robocops armed with lots of teargas in order to stop any protester from entering the city centre. This totally according to the warning of the Chief of Police, for preventing every possible manifestation or march of actually getting started.
First protestors or just lovers of a free world gathered in the Tivoli Park from 1.30 PM, where some were already being denied entrance for no reason. But slowly all people seemed to enter the park without much trouble, except for all those who were stopped on the streets for identification. This however was a common thing the past week. But since it’s totally legitimate according to the law, there was not a solid basis to oppose this fascist campaign. A van which was carrying a sound system for the demonstration, was being held by the police, including its passengers during the time leading up to the manifestation because in the back was a couple litres of petrol and oil to power the system, but that could also be the source for a possible terrorist attack of course. At a certain point the drivers were given permission to head back to the park where the van was peacefully being taken over by the protesters, and escorted it to the meeting point.
As the music was blowing out of the speakers, and the sun shining on the peaceful and diverse crowd, this gathering of people was already a beautiful contradiction to the highly secured, colourless and faceless summit that was taking place at that time. The wonderful weather, accompanied by the different jugglers, dancers, speakers and fireworks, turned the place into a carnival of decentralisation, happiness, beauty, life and co-operation. Most participants were determined that this manifestation was not a fight against power, but a manifestation of PEOPLE’S combined power to create a different world and not rest in apathy and complaints. The world is ours, and we have to guarantee the future of our children and nature.
While this happened, YaBasta! activists from Trieste, Italy, were being held at the border and refused entrance after four of them got beaten up by the cops on their own bus. In response to this, they blocked the border between Italy and Slovenia with their bodies. And unfortunately they weren’t allowed to get through at all, with big disappointment from the people in Ljubljana of course. The press was being forced to leave the border area, so the world couldn’t held them accountable for their actions.
When the news got through that the Italians were not going to get in at all, it was decided that the manifestation would last till four, and hit the streets and march to the centre. Without much trouble the streets were occupied by the 300 to 400 protesters, but soon it was clear why. Every street leading to the city centre was blocked by riot cops, tanks, fences, horses, water canons, vans and jeeps so they didn’t have to fear the march.
In an attempt to find our way into town we took over one of the main roads leading through Ljubljana and thus shut down most traffic that goes though this town. Our first stop was near the Russian embassy (as it was totally surrounded by fences and robocops), which soon got clear to us to be the last one in that direction. As we stopped, a four lane wide blockade of robocops, tanks, horses and a water canon moved in on us and prevented the whole group from moving forward. In quick response to this, everybody sat down and stopped the police from moving further. This however didn’t spoil the atmosphere but only strengthened everybody to let this protest go on.
Spontaneity and humour made this blockade a success and the police forces look like a ridiculous private Bush mob. To stress this, tanks were decorated with toilet paper, balloons, and a banner which said: ‘Capitalism = Cannibalism’. The crowd kept on reacting creative at this time being and started human conversations with cops, kissed helmets, meditated, danced, juggled, undressed and kissed in front of their lines, threw paper planes at the robocops and screamed slogans like ‘Where are the terrorists? At Brdo!’.
Unfortunately this didn’t end the police blockade of course, and made the march head for Metelkova Mesto, a big squatted old military complex and now the home of several independent, subversive and counter-cultural initiatives. This was actually the only option as the police blocked every other street that was leading to the centre, so there was either the choice between leaving the city or having our own party at the squat. On the way several main intersections were occupied through sit-ins to make our message clear and show the people our intentions and those of the powers that be. And we did it well, as citizens’ reactions were rather positive seeing us, youngsters, marching peacefully and colourful and obstructed to move freely by expensive and excessive police forces who turn the city in a fortress.
So, the repression only strengthened our statements on power, militarism, ecology, capitalism and violence. Thanks cops, we had a wonderful day together! You’re welcome to join us on the other side of the fence next time in Ljubljana or wherever our global movement for a more fair and just world will pop up.
HAVE FUN AND ANARCHY!!!
The Crimethinc Street Party Initiative |
See also:
http://www.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=47253&group=webcast
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