2007-05-05

May 5th, Heiligendamm

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update: arrests in utrecht

Here is an update on the 100 cyclists and Gr8chaoskaravaan members arrested at the anti-G8 demonstration in Utrecht today.

The arrests began at around 3:00 pm. According to dutch activists, the police was well-prepared and had clearly planned this actions aforehand. According to one source, the police acted quite violently, although there has been no confirmation of this so far.

All participants in the demonstration were arrested for not driving on the bicycle way and disobeying police orders, which apparantly is a heavy offence. So far, only one person has been released. As far as is known now, 50 people carrying passports with them have been brough to court, so far one of them has been released. It is yet unclear where the people without passpord have been brought to. The police can detain people without valid ID for up to 3 days.

The bicycles have all been confiscated and taken away. The depot will be closed on sunday so it won't be possible to retrieve these bikes before monday 8:00 am. But it is yet unclear if the police will be willing to return the bikes to demonstrators who can not "prove" they own their bike.

The police claim they detained 93 people for obstruction of movement and disobeying police orders - which, according to dutch law, is a heavy offence.

In Utrecht there will be a solidarity action at 9:30 pm - meet at the station square 7 if you can come!

This is clearly an attempt to prevent protest and public activities ahead of the G8 protests. Do not allow this to happen! Make this news public, organise protest actions in your towns, infront of dutch embassies - until all detainees are released and have their bikes returned!

The Gr8chaoskaravaan is one of 6 caravans which are trying to draw attention to the G8 protests and emancipatory struggles ahead of the upcoming G8 summit in Heiligendamm. The Gr8chaoskaravaan was meant to leave for Nijmwegen tomorrow where a number of actions were planned to take place.

More info about Gr8chaoskaravaan:
http://dissentnetzwerk.org/wiki/Bicycle-Caravan_%22West%22

Regular updates by the Utrecht legal team (in dutch):
http://www.indymedia.nl/nl/2007/05/44231.shtml

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New seminar!!! Berlin June 2007

A new Networked Politics seminar will take place in Berlin the 3, 4 and 5 of June 2007, hosted by the Rosa Luxembuge Fundation. It will take place as part of the anti-G8 mobilization swarming.

INITIAL PROPOSAL FOR THE PROGRAM
Introduction to the approach in the organization of the seminar:
* We would like to make sure that we have time to keep up with what is happening at the G8, be ready for different scenarios and be prepared to take whatever supportive action might be necessary - using whatever international networks we have. We organised this second networked politics seminar at this time as part of the swarming of resistance to the G8. Info on the mobilizations here: http://www.heiligendamm2007.de/ http://www.block-g8.org http://www.g8-germany.info/ http://www.g8-2007.de/ The seminar will be something of an experiment in combining action - or at least a close connection with it! - and reflection. Connie Hildebrandt and others at the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation are organising a coach to Rostock for the demonstration on the 2nd. She will e-mail details later.
* Context of this seminar concerning previuos seminars: We began to create this inquiry/space for reflection around rethinking political organisation at the beginning of 2006. We have organised it as a shared resource knowing that there are many people working in connected ways on the same or similar themes. So far we have had a very positive response from the different workshops and seminar that we have organised and the `work in progress' pamphlet that we produced. With the Berlin seminar we hope we can deepen and extend our connected work and shared resource.
* A background reader for the seminar is been prepared .
* We would like to find a combination of structure and improvisation: here below is a suggested structure; now we can improvise!
* We would like to have space for small working groups

Suggestion proposal from the prepation working team
We've suggested in this proposal some of the participants to introduce the discussion (if they agree!) but the spirit of these seminars is very participatory and brainstorming in character so these introductions are short, just to get the brain cells working/organised..

Day 1. Consolidation of past work

10 - 11.30 . 1. Principles and Challenges.

a) New participants in the process to present their two key principles and challenges. (See the pamphlet for principles and challenges so far - `old' participants can of course present more!)

b) Reflection on principles and challenges so far e.g. identifying underlying themes; homologies; gaps; contradictions/tensions. Ezequiel Adamovsky and Micha Brie to prepare something to open up and others encouraged to do the same.

11.45 - 1. Dictionary. Marco Berlinguer to chair/introduce.

Concept case study of `social movement'. Frieder Otto Wolfe, Moema Miranda open up discussion. (and background paper from Donatella Della porta) Lawrence Cox gives intro comments on the idea of dictionary.

1-2.30. Lunch

2.30 - 4.30. Case studies. 1 hour presentation - 20 min each. 1 hour small group.

i.Social movement trade unionism: Ant Ince. Discussant: Peter Waterman

ii.Open software movement: Stefano Fabri. Discussant: Felix Stalder.

iii. Feminism and political organisation case of the German Greens; Pia Paust Lassen. Discussant: Judy Rebick.

4.45 - 7.30 We begin the discussion of the four `axes' /lines of inquiry and future work (the idea will be presentations, Sunday evening and Monday am, then working groups and return to a plenary discussion.

A. Ownership and the Commons. .

Intro. Joan Subirats. Discussion presentations: Arturo Di Corinto, Glenn Jenkins ( Background paper in reader- Bruno Amoroso) Synthesiser. Oscar Reyes.

Day 2. The other three axes: lines of future work..

9.15 - 10.45. B. Labour and the movements.

Intro: Marco Berlinguer Carlo Formenti Huw Beynon Synthesiser: Rodrigo Nunes

C.11. - 12.30 The new web communities and political culture:

Intro: Mayo Fuster. Presentations: Dominique Cardon Jamie King Synthesiser: Christophe Aguiton

12.30 -1.45. Lunch

1.45 - 3.15. D. Rethinking Representation.

Intro: Hilary Wainwright Presentations: Christophe Spehr. Jeff Juris. Synthesis: Ángel Calle (Background paper from Geert Lovink and Ned Rossiter)

3.15 -6.15 Working groups

6.30 - 7.30 Plenary discussion

Day 3.

9.15 - 12.30.

Brainstorm style discussion on `Emerging subjects of transformation - their character and conditions of emergence.' (And indeed whether we can honestly argue such a process exists). Everybody - but opening thoughts from Brian Holmes.

12.30 - 1.45 lunch

1.45 - 5.30 Where next discussion?

Website. Mayo to introduce

A resource book/collective product. Marco/ Hilary/Joan to introduce

[http://www.networked-politics.info/index.php/Main_Page]

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