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From: "Jo Makepeace" (webmaster@schnews.org.uk)
Subject: SchNEWS 310, Friday 22nd June 2001
URL: http://www.schnews.org.uk/

Report from Gothenburg

SEND IN THE CLOWNS

"An anarchists' travelling circus that goes from summit to summit with the sole purpose of causing as much mayhem as possible" - Tony Blair. It's the Euro Big Top and the main attraction is 'mayhem causing anarchists'. Step right up and try your luck at the 'decipher the EU political bullshit' stall. See three protesters shot with live ammo. Applaud European leaders with their 'time to get tough' on protesters announcements. Boo and hiss the anti capitalist critics and ignore the mostly peaceful rally on the Saturday. Still, that's the name of the game.

Before the European Union Summit had even begun in Gothenburg police had surrounded one of the Convergence Centres - rented from the local council for people to sleep in, organise actions and take part in 'For Another Europe' Conference. One person who was trapped inside told SchNEWS, "They barricaded about 400 activists in by putting up huge freight containers all around the school. They didn't let anyone in or out and said they would arrest everyone in there, which in the end they did." Inge Johansson of the International Noise Conspiracy added, "Everybody involved in the protest saw this as something very provocative and it was clear that the police had set the tone for how they wanted the rest of the weekend to be."

After that, anytime people gathered to demonstrate they were either arrested en masse or attacked with police batons, dogs and horses. Some cops threw rocks and some of the angry protestors replied in kind and kicked in stores like MacDonalds for good measure. But it was during a Reclaim The City street party that the police fired shots into the crowd - injuring three people, one of them critically. At the last update, the protestor was in 'critical, but stable condition', however there has been a blackout on official information about him. Finally on the Saturday 25,000 people gathered in a peaceful demonstration. But that isn't really newsworthy now is it.

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arrested at Gothenburg -

British librarian Paul Robinson

British librarian Paul Robinson was arrested in Gothenburg and has been charged with violent rioting and battery, which carries a maximum 4-year sentence. He's on remand in a Swedish prison pending trial in a few weeks.

He'd welcome letters (please be careful what you say), and newspapers and magazines would be much appreciated. It's also his birthday on 4th July so send him a card!!

Write to -
Paul Robinson
Goteburg Remand Centre (Haktet)
Goteburg Polis Headquarters (Polis Huset)
Box 429
40126 Goteburg
SWEDEN

Friends of Paul are asking people to email the Swedish ambassador to condemn the shooting of three protestors, and to voice concerns that Paul has not been allowed any telephone calls, has received no medical treatment for injuries sustained by police, and is being denied the right to change his court-appointed solicitor for one of his own choosing.

Russian ecologist Artem Chlenov

Artem Chlenov is a 32 year old ecologist from the city of Kasimov, a member of the Rainbow Keepers movement and the International Socio-Ecological Union, who is imprisoned in the Swedish city of Gothenburg after protest actions against the Summit of the European Union organized from 15-17th June 2001. He is accused of throwing a stone against a policeman - a crime which no-one saw him committing. Artem is known to be a peace-loving man who has never used any aggression. Email the Swedish Ambassador Mats Bergquist about these issues.

ambassaden.london@foreign.ministry.se
or
embassy@swednet.org.uk

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