An Invitation to a 2-Day Workshop on the European-wide Networking of Anti-Repression Structures at the 2006 Anti-G8 Camp in Germany
10th and 11th of August 2006, "Camp Inski", Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (international mobilization camp against G8 2007)
To all those interested, and in particular those involved with the anti-repression structures developed for the last European summits: in Prague in 2000, Gothenburg and Genoa in 2001, Thessaloniki and Evian in 2003, Gleneagles in 2005, Russia in 2006, and the annual EU summit in Brussels and World Economic Forum in Davos.
Structural changes in "the fight against crime" have been apparent in
Germany for a number of years now. No longer is the focus solely upon
solving crimes that have already taken place, but increasingly on the
prevention of criminal offences potentially being planned and to be
carried out in the future.
Thanks, not least of all, to the enormous extension of powers in this area, police work on the production and utilisation of data to be monitored for possible "prognoses" has intensified. As a result, measures are increasingly being taken against those who have not yet committed an offence, but are nevertheless treated as suspicious, at least in part, on the basis of data gathered.
International cooperation has also increased enormously. This year's World Cup football tournament will, most likely, be used as a general experiment in European police and juridical cooperation. What does this mean for us?
The mobilisation against the 2007 G8 summit is intended to be as international as possible. Many activists from other (European) countries have very little experience with German law enforcement agencies. Therefore, information about police strategies and criminal proceedings (and in particular the new Police Act in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the federal state where the summit will take place) needs to be made clear within the mobilisation as early as possible:
Files about supposedly "militant" activists; restrictions on entering and exiting the country; the simplified surveillance of telecommunication; DNA tests; both widespread and focussed video surveillance; clandestine observation; number plate scanners; house searches; intimidation of individuals; high-specialisation of police task forces; the unification of snatch squads and integrated evidence gatherers and documentation teams on demonstrations; body-searches of those wanting to take part in demonstrations; restrictions on the number, size and position of banners which can be carried on demos; continual encirclement of demonstrators; exclusion zones; increased cooperation between the police and prosecuting lawyers in the area; higher sentences and so on... is only some of the relevant information for activists planning on coming to the 2007 G8 protests. That activists from Germany are being prosecuted here for crimes they allegedly committed elsewhere (e.g. during the 2001 anti-EU protests in Gothenburg) is, similarly, a new dimension that people need to be made aware of.
We want an exchange between your and our experiences of repression and counter-strategies before, during and after big events such as the G8 summits that have taken place in different locations over the last few years.
Unfortunately, there currently exists no cooperation between European anti-repression structures. For every summit they are rebuilt anew. At the moment, it is only amongst lawyers that, thankfully, both European and international cooperation exists.
For this reason, alongside anyone else who is interested, we would especially like to talk to those involved with the anti-repression structures established during the last European summits: Prague in 2000, Gothenburg and Genoa in 2001, Thessaloniki and Evian in 2003, Gleneagles in 2005, Russia in 2006 and, of course, the annual EU summit in Brussels and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The following questions could, for example, be discussed during the workshop:
- What experiences have been had in different places?
- What are the consequences thereof?
- Are there different police strategies deployed in different European countries?
- Should we, then, accordingly, deal with these different strategies in different ways?
- Which aspects of police work are, by now, standardised on a European level?
- What does the international cooperation amongst authorities look like?
- What changes are planned on a European level?
- What are the specificities of the German security forces?
- What, of this, is relevant to know before and with reference to the 2007 G8 summit in Heiligendamm?
- What should our response be?
An important goal of the workshop will also be to develop, amongst ourselves, a structure which could exist beyond the 2007 summit.
There are certainly many more issues that we could discuss. We are happy to hear any other suggestions, or for you to offer to prepare concrete aspects of the workshop. Most important of all, however, come to the camp!
The workshop takes place at the 10th and 11th of August 2006 at the "Camp Inski". "Camp Inski" is an international mobilization camp against G8 2007. The place of the camp will be published on www.camp06.org, there you will find also more information on travel etc..
Greetings and solidarity!
AG Antirepression; contact on g8-antirep@riseup.net