G8 Blockades

The massive blockades June 8 images
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/372723.html

From my column to MRR..

June 4, 2007 Monday

Reddelich Camp, Northern Germany

It is starting to rain again and the sky is a dull flat grey. More people arrive at the camp every hour, more activists wearing backpacks with tents under their arms, checking into the Information Point, finding out where to set up camp, reading the latest news from the actions during the day, pieces of paper forming a timeline on a large wooden bulletin board, handwritten notes from IndyMedia such as, “Monday. 11am. 200 people on the train from Reddelich stopped and searched by police on the way to the immigration rights demonstration.

The camp opened last Friday, and now estimates and rumors say between two and five thousand people are here, all gathered to protest the G8 Summit which will convene June 6-8 about seven kilometers to the north of here, in the tiny seaside town of Heilingendamm. The largest organized group here is “Block the G8” which plans to stop the G8 meeting from taking place by closing the roads to Heilingendamm. In the larger scheme, the anarchists see the protest as a scream of our displeasure at the capitalist beast, a small stone in the eye of a system that destroys our lives. Blocking the G8 leaders from meeting will not stop capitalism, but its worth coming to their party and making a stink.

Fuck the G8! Rostock, Germany June 2, 2007

While visiting Germany I decided to say “Fuck the G8!” along with 80,000 people on June 2 in Rostock. The police attacked the crowd at the end of the march, and the black bloc responded by throwing stones and sticks at the police. The police ran away, then decided to attack again, hitting random protesters with their sticks, kicking and punching them. I was there with my camera, and caught this moment of police violence on tape. Check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f185olt6W4I

Here is a brief look at the march in the beginning of the day. As you can see, there are hundreds of anarchists and many people taking to the streets!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZcJ_MXlgBg 

Here at camp Reddich, there is an IndyMedia tent but the connection is very slow. So for now, only VERY short videos!

Friesen Crew Show Collective - Bremen, Germany

Three members of the Friesen Crew (Nicole, Stivie and Smeagol) talk about how the collective started over ten years ago, and how they operate today. It is well known in the DIY punk community that if you are a band on tour, playing the Friesen in Bremen is a good time!

Barry Pateman, Kate Sharpley Library

Author and historian Barry Pateman talks about the purpose of the Kate Sharpley Anarchist Library and the need to remember and learn from the generations who have come before-and not only the famous anarchists- but the regular women, men and children who fought for freedom in their daily lives. 12th Annual Bay Area Anarchist Bookfair, March 17-18, 2007.