2007-05-13
Press release
On Wednesday, 16th May 2007 at 2 pm the ShakeG8! Bicycle Caravan will dance down the polish-german border Krajnik Dolny / Schwedt. With an uncontrolled border crossing the activists are declaring their belief in total freedom of movements for all people.
The members of the bike caravan are against borders and nations in general as well as their implications.
"While the average German can just hop over to Czech Republic quickly to fill up on fuel, there are people dying daily, attempting to cross the fences of Fortress Europe" says Paolo, one of the Cyclists. In capitalism, borders serve as arbitrary constructs in order to maintain the divides between rich and poor, Winners and Losers, exploitables and the superfluous. Moreover, borders would deprive the majority of humanity of the essential right of free movement, their self-determination.
The bikers see the summit of the G8 states in Heiligendamm as a symbol for the direction of global developments according to capitalist interests. For example, the lowering of trade duties only to the benefit of the global players, whilst the outside borders of for example the European Union would be hermetically sealed against the unwanted. For Paolo, these developments are closely linked, "The actions of the G8 such as overflowing the african markets with cheap agricultural products or the privatisation of natural resources such as water are some of the reasons for people being forced to flee their homes."
In Krajnik Dolny/ Schwedt the caravan is going to cross the fourth border since it started in Budapest on the 1st of April. The activists want to use the two months of their journey to create a space which is poor in hierarchies and in which everybody can contribute and express himself/herself freely. The ShakeG8! - Bikeride is one of six bike caravans which are on their way to Heiligendamm from all over Europe. They expect problems when entering Germany as the Schengen treaty is going to be suspended before and during the G8 summit. Paolo, who himself is not from Europe, points out: "The border police will notice the different colours of our passports pretty quickly. We don't really care about that - after two monts of cycling all feet are stinking equally."
contact for press:
infophone: (+48) 782 346 786
email: press.shakeg8@no-log.org
internet:
shakeg8bikeride.wordpress.com
g8-bikerides.net