Actual state of mobilization against G8 and new security laws

The mobilization in Germany and also internationally runs already on full speed. Many preparation meetings and conferences has been held and different alliances for mobilization founded. An timetable of action is nearly fixed. Security and repression measures by the police and security administrations because of the 100 000 expected demonstrators are already under way. A General view of the actual state of the mobilization against the G8 and the new security and police laws in Germany and Mecklenburg- Vorpommern.

A generall view of the actual state of the mobilization was published in different languages in Indymedia. Antirepression groups like the "Rote Hilfe e.V." (Red Help Association – nationwide antirepression organisation) did start to publish informations and tips what to do in situations of repression in Germany.

• Indymedia Netherland: Smash G8 2007 in Germany!
• Germany: Police powers for the 2007 G8 summit
• Update on security & travel restrictions at Heiligendamm G8

Summit

Smash G8 2007 in Germany!
31.12.2006 | Indymedia Netherland

Introduction

From 4th to 7th of June 2007 the G8-Summit in Heiligendamm, in the proximity of Rostock, in Germany takes place. Also the mobilization of the Leftwing against the G8-Summit already runs on full speed. Different alliances are founded,several nationwide meetings did take place, also with international participation and an approximate plan of action for the protests is already fixed. Already now there are numerous actions, which mobilize to the events of protest against the G8-summit. Because of the 100 000 expected demonstrators at the Main Manifestation in the Rostock City at 2nd of June 2007 the policeforces are preparing since some time their operation and security plan for the whole region and for Rostock. Here comes an overview over the conditions of the mobilization.

The beginning

In October 2005 the first large meetings were held for the preparation of the Anti-G8-Proteste, among other meetings, there has been working groups at the European Social Forum or the first radical left-wing Dissent!-meeting in Hamburg/North Germany. Afterwards further meetings of the Dissent!-Network has been held in Berlin and other cities and later the nation-wide meetings of the so called "Action-Conference" initiated by the Interventionist Left with participation from Attac and some NGO's in Rostock. Apart from these spectra at the same time the "Anti G8 Alliance for a Revolutionary Perspective" has been founded, an alliance which participates like other groups in both of the meetings – the Dissent!-Network meetings and in the Action Conference. Apart from the nation-wide alliances also local Anti-G8-Groups and local allicances has been founded in many cities, which are/feel associated in one or other way with one of the nationwide allicances.

About the different protest-alliances

At the first nation-wide meetings the different nation-wide wide alliances/currents of the Anti-G8-mobilization solidified:

Anti-G8-Alliance for a revolutionary perspective

• www.antig8.tk – nationwide allicance

The "Anti-G8-Alliance for a Revolutionary Perspective" is a alliance of different radical left-wing groups, of anarchists, trotzkists, communists and autonomous groups with internationalist orientation. Also with the slogan "Stop G8. Imperialism. Capitalism. War." the alliance wants to organize a clear anti-capitalist and internationalist as well as anti-imperialist mobilization against the G8 summit in Heiligendamm/Rostock. The alliance campaigns for one big manifestation of all leftwing people in the city of Rostock as well as for a leftradical and clearly anticapitalist and internationalist as well as antiimperialist bloc. The alliance is in coordination with other alliances and groups, which also wants a radical left-wing, anticapitalist and internationalist orientation of the protests, like for example with groups from switzerland (http://www.aufbau.org ) or the Anti G8 Alliance against Imperialism and Fascism (http://www.g8versenken.de ) or the Antiimperialist Current of the European Social Forum (turkish groups, basque groups, etc.).

Dissent! Network

• Homepage – nationwide network /dissentnetworkorg
• Homepage – Dissent! Hamburg

The "Dissent! Network" had a difficult developing phase in the first meetings, in which has been discussed, how to decide and which forms one could develop for an anti-hierachical organization and deciding-form but with a possibility to organize effectively a mobilization against the G8. In the Dissent! Spectrum different radical left-wing, anarchist as well as autonomous groups and different local connections are associated. Among other things the Dissent! Network organized the first large meetings of the Anti-G8-Preparation and the first Anti-G8-Camp (www.camp06.dissentnetwork.org ) in the region where the G8-Gipfel will take place. The Dissent! Network wants to organize Convergence Centers and Anti-G8-Camps and calls to decentralized blockade actions. The framework of the Network is very broad in the meaning of action forms and the topics of leftradical protest, some topics among others are: Migration, the protest against the Military Place "Bombodrom" in the region or e.g. the idea of the Dissent!-Group from Hamburg to organize a radical left-wing internationalist congress on the day of the large demonstration at 2nd of June and the day after.

Interventionist Left

• Homepage – nationwide alliance

The Interventionist Left is a nationwide alliance of anti-fascist groups and internationalists, and they stand for a broad co-operation of a broad left like with Attac, church-activists and different progressive NGO's as well as with Working Groups from the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS). Contentwise this composition was reflected above all also at the nationwide Action-Conferences ( www.heiligendamm2007.de ) in Rostock, organized by the Interventionist Left in co-operation with Attac, NGO's and the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), to which came up 300 or 400 delegated Members of the diverse currents of the left of germany as well es from different NGO's. At this conferences and in the apron of this conferences most of the action plan – the "action choreographie" how it was called there – for June 2007 is already negotiated. The Interventionist Left also calls for blockades around the location of the G8-summit in Heiligendamm.

Labour unions and parties

• Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS)
• Youth of the labour union DGB
• Green Alternative Youth

From the labour unions its above all the union youth who wants to take part also in the Protests of the Anti-G8-activists as well at the Main Manifestation in Rostock City and at blockades in the region. They will also organize a union youth camp near Rostock. From the parties like the Green Party or the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) there will be different protest participation, too, but almost with reformist orientation. Within the Party of Democratic Socialism there are different groups of interests, which depends from Generation or orientation toward participation in local governments. The PDS will also call to all planed protest actions, in some parts it will be the PDS who can negotiate with the local administration for large meeting areas and it's this party who has the possibility to spend more many for the protest-infrastructure.

attac / ngo-platform / churches

• Globalisation-critical Organisation
• NGO-Platform
• "Your Voice against Poverty"

The main focus in the mobilization by Attac as well as by the NGO platform is among other things the planned Counter-Summit/Alternative Summit in Rostock, the days after the main large demonstration will take place, with different globalization-critical contents. Topics how Disencumberment, gene patents, etc. will play a large role. The NGO's stands for a rather reformist orientation, in their understanding of protests they want to organize "citizen-friendly" manifestations. Like during the anti-g8-protests in Glenneagles their will be a Gelldorf-Initiative with a big concert from "Your Voice against Poverty" during the G8-Summit in the region, with the prominent german rock-folk-singer "Grönemeyer".

Discussion of theorie and praxis against G8

Different discussion papers and calls of the different currents:

• Anti-G8-Allicance for a revolutionary Perspektive / Stop G8. Imperialism. Capitalism. War
• 11. November Bewegung / Block Germany! ANSWER to "22nd Ocober collective"
• The 22nd october collective / Towards an inventive strategy for attacking and blocking summits
• Anti-G8 Action Conference: decicions are made from a small group
• Anti-G8 Action Conference Invitation
• NoG8 Kiel | Dissent! Puff Away the G8-summit!
• NoLager Bremen and other antirassist groups / Global Freedom of Movement and Equal Rights for All
• Interventionist Left / News from the Red Planet
• Block the Bombodrom and 2007 G8!
• Antiracist Perspectives in regard to G-8 Summit 2007 / NoLager
• Action Conference Rostock / Small Overview
• A global call written at anti-G8 "Camp Inski / Dissent!

Look at the different websites for more english news and information

The differentiation into different alliances – from radical left-wing to reformist – points out the different discussion lines, which has been discussed in the different nationwide meetings of Dissent!, but which did come more clearly and more conflictive to surface at the nationwide meetings of the Action-Conferences in Rostock.

While during the first Dissent! meetings the discussions mostly concerned matters of the acclamation modus and in some working groups also ended in constructive disccussions about the orientation of the leftradical mobilization – for example point of views about a clear stand against capitalism and imperialism versus focused mobilization for different topics like migration, the bombodrome in the region and about the term "internationalism" or the relation towards liberation movements or against war, in the Rostock meetings fundamental discrepancies in the howto of the practical mobilization showed up. In the discussions of Dissent!-Network practically came out, that the Network will be a Mobilization Network of the different radical leftwing or anarchist currents who will mobilize in the context of Dissent! to different topics – like Migration, Anti-War, gene patents – in reference to each other. Main Activities will bei decentralized Blockades, Camps or Manifestations.

The discussions, working groups and plena of the Action Conference in Rostock did show, that there are many discrepances between the mobilization and activity concepts from the different currents, discrepances which not all will be solved until the actiondays in June 2007. Also there will be no possibility for a collective Slogan of the whole left movement together with the NGO's in Germany.

The range of the differences reaches from clearly anticapitalist and internationalst orientation (Anti G8 Alliance for a Revolutionary Perspektive) to fundamental reformist so-called "globalisation-critical" point of views. In the discussion about the Slogan " For Global Rights" from antirassist groups and some autonomous also differences in the general orientation against the G8-Summit became clear. While parts of the leftradical groups (Anti G8 Alliance and parts from Dissent!) stand for a clear radical opositional attitude against the G8-Summit and for the propaganda of the possibility of massive disturbance of the G8-Summit, parts of the radical left like from Interventionist Left and some parts of Dissent! want to make many concessions for Attac or the NGO's to force these reformist organisations to participate in the street protests. Whether this this concept will gain success is really questionably, because the top management of Attac and the majority of the NGO's already are fixed in their main orientation for the Alternative Summit or "Counter-Summit" which will be parallel to all the street-protests, and Attac like the NGO's are not favourisating one big common manifestation in the city from Rostock, the want a march from different start-points outside from Rostock.

In this discussion about the main demonstration what is planned for 2nd of June 2007 in Rostock before the G8-Summit and before the Counter Summit at the Weekend at Saturday the differences in the practical orientation became clear.

While for example the Anti G8 Alliance for a revolutionary Perspektive argued for one big manifestation of all protesters in the city of Rostock near the railway station, the NGO's and other reformists favourised many different start points and a end-manifastation point outside the city center of Rostock in an area of instustry and motorway.

A big manifestation where all can march together would be better because all currents could represent themselves equaly and all the visitors from the different currents from other countries can participate visible in the major event in the protest-choreographie.

But parts from the NGO's and Attac are frightened about the possibility at a central manifestation of all protesters alltogether with the people from other countries, that the obligations from the police like the famous german police obligation not to have a side-banner at the demonstration, couln't be handled or in worther case that there will be disturbance in the city center.

Other discrepances exists in the orientation of the Counter Summit or Alternative Summit, which until now alsmost only will be prepared by Attac and some NGO's. While at the last Dissent!-Meetings the discussions about the counter summit ended in clear consens not to organize such events parallel to the street-protests, action-day and blockades for not to seperate the protest-movement in June, it became clear that Attac & Co will go on in organizing it parallel to these protest activities and that the counter summit shell take place during the week and not at the weekand, parallel to the official summit, with almost reformist topics.

Because there only is planned a concert in the end of the mass manifestation at Saturday, the 2nd of June 2007, parts of Dissent! – e.G. the Dissent!-group from Hamburg are planing a leftradical internationalist Conference at this day and also at Sunday (see timetable below) to open a space for a fundamental delegitimation of the G8-summit and to open a space and forum to all our foreign Guests from the different countries, which not all can stay all the following days in the region in north-east-germany.

While the timetable of the protests and events is nearly fixed, we can't speak about a definitly protest-choreographie with a definitly fixed practical and theoretical orientation.

After the last Action Conference in Rostock it became clear that many decicions are made from a small group. The group Arbeitermacht, organized in the Anti G8-Alliance described this in a report about the conference.

Mobilization and media reactions in the run-up

The Mobilization in Germany against the G8-Summit starts to speed up, like many homepages and articles are demonstrating. Also in different other countries the discussion about G8 in Germany and the mobilization is starting. Nearly at all demonstrations in Germany the upcoming protest against the G8 is a topic or there are held speeches of mobilization at this demonstrations. The upcoming mass manifestations like against the World Economic Forum in Davos/Switzerland, or against the Nato-Security Conference in Munich/South-Germany, or for the Revolutionary 1st of May Manifestations in Germany will also broach the issue of the mobilization agsinst the G8. There are many Information-Events and Info-Tours in Germany about the G8-topic now. (WEF Davos | SIKO Müchen )

In newspapers and television the police and politicians are agitating against the upcoming protests and the police is prognosing riots because already there are many attacks against houses or cars of representants of the politicians or economy like in Hamburg or the Region of Berlin or in other cities nationwide, not only with declarations against war and colonialism but also with declarations against G8 and for a strong mobilization to the protests in June. Or there has been thrown colour-eggs and stones against the Hotel in Heiligendamm where the G8 will took place. The police declared that threatening letteres has been written to different Hotels in the region where officials from the G8 will sleep.

Repression
The security organs already began with their preparations, and due to an alleged security risk there will be build a two meter high fence several kilometers around the meeting place of the G8. Due to Security Strategies the place of the G8-meeting is at the Baltic sea and in the south sourrounded by far open fields. At numerous ways and roads checkpoints are to be established and there will be a kind of curfew for tourists. Also because of the large security operations the ammount of the costs of the G8-Summit will be over 100 Million Euro and there will be taskforces together with international police forces like Interpol and with civil police groups from the different countries, too.

Pressure is exerted on the local administration, not to allow Camps in the proximity of the security fence and there will be many obligations for the large demonstration or the decentralized manifestations and demonstrations.

Because of the estimated repression the leftwing scene and the antirepression-organizations like "red help" in Germany did join together in working groups to build up a common antirepression structure. During the protest-days and at the convergence centeres information will be provided about german laws and antirepression-tips will be given in different languages. Lawers and a common "Ermittlungsausschuss" will be established ("Ermittlungsausschuss: A central point reachable by telefon round the clock where people can call to report about arrested people, and the "Ermittlungsausschuss" will look for lawers and coordinate the prison-work). In the apron of the events there will be information events about repression in many different cities, the antirepression-information will be published in different languages in the above Internet-Sites from the different allicances.

Action timetable against g8

• Thuesday, 1st of May:


Revolutionary 1st of May Manifestations in different cities.

• from 26th of May:


Convergence Center in Hamburg, in Berlin too, and Rostock

• Beginning of June:


"Block Germany", Decentralized Blockades all over Germany

• Friday, 1st of June:


Opening of the Mediacenter in Rostock
Occupation of the "Bombodrom"
Camp und start of the caravan to Heiligendamm

• Saturday, 2nd June:


Mass demonstration in the city of Rostock, near Central Railway Station
Start of the Camp against G8 and antifaschist demonstration in the city of Wismar
Internationalist Conference in Rostock

• Sunday, 3th of June:


Actionday in Rostock,
Internationalist Conference in Rostock

• Mondy, 4th of June:


Actionday against War and Rascism
Camp against G8

• Thuesday, 5th of June:


Actionday agsainst war / eventually blockade of the airport in Rostock-Laage
Start of the Counter-Summit in Rostock
Camp against G8

• Wednesday, 6th of June:


1st Day of the G8-Summit, Blockade-Day in different Areas
Counter-Summit in Rostock
Camp against G8

• Thursday, 7th of June:


G8-Summit, 2nd day in Heiligendamm
Counter-Summit in Rostock
Camp against G8
Blockade-Actions / March from different small local cities to Heiligendamm
End Manifestation

Friday, 8th of June:


G8-Summit, 3rd Day
End of the Camp against G8