2008-07-10
At 6 pm on the 9th of July 30 people assembled in the german town Salzwedel (21.000 inhabitants) in a spontaneous solidarity demonstration with activists facing severe police repression for their protest against the ongoing G8 summit in Japan. The demonstration which was fairly black with some pink spots - the front banner being held by activists with bandannas pulled up - moved through the centre of the town and informed passers-by about the events in Japan via numerous banners and speeches held through a megaphone. After a while (mostly motorised) police tried to escort the demonstration but were repeatedly shaken off.
Apart from trying to take notes of all slogans on the banners (an increasingly common practice clearly aimed at intimidating attendees) and taking photos, the police didn't escalate the situation further so that the activists were able to finish the demonstration as planned and end it peacefully. The free radio program "Roter Bereich" (red area) on the regional station Radio Zusa later aired a report about the demo and interviewed one participant. Salzwedel is situated in the north of the former federal state of Saxony-Anhalt which during the last years has become better known for its militant neonazi groups and the reluctant police prosecution of racist, homophobic or other right-wing attacks. However, despite these daunting events the spirit of resistance and emancipation has not died as not only this spontaneous gathering shows - in April a demonstration in Salzwedel organised by regional activists against nazis and in support of autonomous spaces attracted over 500 participants.
Source: "Roter Bereich", Radio Zusa