G8 Germany Police Violence

international | anti-capitalism | press release Monday June 04, 2007 01:03 by media g8way - independent g8-press-int at nadir dot org +49 16092437902

G8 Rostock: Video evidence - Police started Fights on June 2nd

* Video evidence: Police started Fights on June 2nd
* Cooperation between civil police and "arresting unit"
* Possible framed arrests?

Rostock. Today a video appeared on indymedia germany
which showed the street battles on June 2nd in a different light. Whilst
Police claimed to have reacted to attacks, it is quite clear in the video
that the skirmishes were intentional to create brutal arrests.

The images initially portray a calm situation.The demonstration march from
Schutzower Kiez has reached the city harbour and participants are listening
to a speech about police violence in Brazil. In the Background a standby
police unit from the state of Thueringen prepare for a snatch.

Into this visibly relaxed scene two civil policepersons appear suddenly and
stand near two men wearing scarves on their faces.A large part of the circa
5000 participants of the "black block" wear scarves on their faces. Suddenly
the police drag down one of the masked men in order to arrest him. Other
demonstration participants join and demand that the police desist in their
provocation.

Immediately an arrests unit already on site rush in and the shove bystanders
and supportive eyewitnesses to the side. Following this a brawl developed
during which a police vehicle was attacked. This setting subsequently
developed into an hour-long struggle with the police.

"The video clearly shows that police provoked the clashes", one eyewitness
commented. "The video is without question open to intepretation: the masked
guys were so obvious that a framed arrest definitely can't be ruled out".

Download at:
http://media.de.indymedia.org/rtsp/2007/06/180647.rm

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