[Gipfelsoli Newsletter] March 12th: Heiligendamm

[International Newsletter]

March 12th: Heiligendamm

- Move fast, strike harder...
- Protocol g8 workshop at pga wintermeeting 2007 in hamburg
- ATTENTION ALL WHO SUPPORT OUR WORK here at Replacements Needed & PeaceGuard.
We need your involvement today!
- Overview of the Protests Against the G8 Summit
- "Hitler no longer to be an honorary citizen of Bad Doberan"

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G8 Heiligendamm 07: just another counter-summit?
Move fast, strike harder...

The G8 circus is coming to Heiligendamm. As recent summits have moved to more
remote areas, we have felt our strength decline, mainly because they
increasingly control the playground and everything around it. In Seattle,
Prague and Genoa our strengths were in being inventive and surprising the
police. This allowed us the freedom to stage effective direct actions and
disrupt the summits. The time has come to seize back the initiative.

We all agree that converging on Heiligendamm and staging actions there could be
a constructive and empowering experience. However previous experiences with
summit mobilisations have shown the need for us to become more flexible in our
protests. Being fenced in and blocked from taking effective actions as happened
in Gleneagles and St. Petersburg is both unconstructive and disempowering.

Over the last few years the most effective way for the dispossessed to attack
capital has been to directly block the flows of commodity. This was done by the
dock workers on the American west coast in 2002, the unemployed movement in
Argentina since 1997, the Algerian insurgents in 2001 and the CPE struggle in
France, last year. We should learn from this and aim to block the flows of
capital ? be this the flow of numbers in the digital world of the stock
exchanges or the flow of cargo trucks on the motorway.

Our proposal is that we converge on the capitalist fortress in Heiligendamm and
experience the power and energy of acting and living as a large group, but only
for as long as we are effective and it increases our power. It means going along
with the current perspectives of trying to block the summit and the flows all
over Meck-Pomm but to come there prepared for radical changes of strategy: if
the time comes when we are blocked from being effective, we should be prepared
to move and take the battle to the capitalists where they are more vulnerable.

Through this shift in strategies we want to preserve the power and energy that
we have felt in previous summit mobilisations, but at the same time create new
capacity for disruption. Practically, and as a starting point, we need to
create the collective capacity to make quick decisions and to be mobile at any
time. We are not bound to one place as they are, and that is a great strength,
allowing us to force the police to stay one step behind us, caught in their
rigid structures. Our tactics should be those of mobile raids, not of laying an
unwinnable siege.

With this in mind, we encourage activists to come to Heiligendamm prepared to
move the battlefield, which requires us to be our own nomadic base.
Organisationally, we commit to preparing a structure for sharing information
and managing logistics which is able to move along with us.

The flows we propose to block are global and without borders. Many are affected
by them but only few have the resources to be present at Heiligendamm. We
encourage all those who can't come to the G8 to take partin the battle,
blockading the flows wherever in the world they are.

Come prepared!
- anti-G8 international meeting- February, 11th, 2007.


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Protocol g8 workshop at pga wintermeeting 2007 in hamburg

19 people were present, several people also involved in the dissent network.
It was quite a short time and mostly the workshop was raising questions rather
than answering...
Internationals from variouse countries participated, from italy, spain, greece,
swiss, new zealand and uk. But the wintermeeting in general was not focussing
on g8 but on international networking and strategies about continuity.

We started with a round:
What are you interested in about this workshop and what background you have?

- interest in general infos
- infotour in greece
- radio project at anti g8
- interest how to be in touch and to find each other local at the protest
- convergence center rostock: interested in mobilisation in the rest of the
world
- umsonstladen hamburg: go to heiligendamm or not not shure
- local hamburg: interest in practical infos for the affinity group
- swiss: interest in info-input
- dissent and pga: how to bring it together and mobilise international?
- struggle in general and pga as an instrument
- convergence center hamburg: what kind of structure do we need for european
mobilisation
- connection to economical struggle and general system is important
- international mobilisation and what is still needed and what is going on is of
interest for germans
- italy just started
- spain infotour, there was a meeting about international meeting in warsaw in
madrid
- meetings in different cities in spain are planned
- uk dissent: quite frustrating because connections died and network did not
exist after summit but now tendency to reconstruct for g8 in germany
- stockholm fundraising parties and busses
- france: since infotour paris every month a meeting (including attac)
- new zealand: links but only local demonstrations, connection via topics, wto
connection, in scotland was a barrio with a couple of local activists
- greece: infotour last year, lack of information, translations are running,
infoposter project, two more infotours in greece

short update about warsaw meeting
following international anti g8 meeting in rostock 17th of april in rostock
(see: www.dissentnetwork.org)

questions, topics about g8 from madrid
- interest in massiv blockades, because not flexible in the region as foreigners
/ language
- problem with conspiracy, experience in scottland was difficult non english
speaking, so many things and where to go?
- include internationals in decentral blockades when they arrive befor the
summit starts to have propper information about region
- task for locals: inform people where to meet which kind of people, convergence
spaces important, send delegates there for international people
- borderpoints: police interfer and lawyers at borders to make things easier
- costs?
- announcement of shengen agreement shut down in middle of may, bordercontrols
will be reintroduced
- convergence centers are not for sleep, it should be clarified, because some
internationals are irritated

[PGA Wintermeeting]


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ATTENTION ALL WHO SUPPORT OUR WORK here at Replacements Needed & PeaceGuard. We
need your involvement today!

The PeaceGuard Northwest is sending a small group of street medics to the G8
Conference in Heiligendamm, Germany June 6th, 2007 to June 8th, 2007 and we
need your help. We are asking that our supporters help sponsor us in this
endeavor. Also during the months of June through September 10th Mr. Hays will
be going to Mexico and several islands in the Caribbean conducting audio/video
interviews concerning the influence of the G8 upon that region. This is an
expensive and dangerous endeavor and one that is vitally important. These
interviews will be shared with many activists groups at home and abroad and
will help expand our knowledge of how the G8 and our own actions are impacting
the world. If you want to help sponsor this trip or are part of a group who may
be able to help do so please respond by email with your contact information if
you plan on making a contribution to peaceguard at replacementsneeded.com

Thank you so much for joining us on this important and necessary journey.
Without your generous support we would not be able to take our activities
outside the borders of our great nation and to let the world know that we are
not sitting idle while they plot and plunder the very planet that we must ALL
share.

PeaceGuard Northwest and Replacements Needed thank you for your support.
Donations can be made out to: Thomas Hays
In "subject" line please put "PeaceGuard G8 Trip"
Send checks to;
Thomas Hays
Po Box #20798
Seattle WA 98102
Or donate online at http://replacementsneeded.com/id43.html
THANK YOU!

[http://replacementsneeded.com/id56.html]


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Overview of the Protests Against the G8 Summit

Resistance to the G8 summit in Rostock in June 2007 is taking shape. Capitalism,
the imperialist wars of the US - with the active help of the EU -, the Hartz IV
unemployment reforms, tuition fees and more all form part of the
anti-capitalist protests. The Action Plan for the period between June 2 and
June 8 has been carved out. Now, we - or rather, you - have to turn ideas and
plans into concrete proposals for action! Take part in the preparations! Get
active!

The Choreography of G8 Resistance

A rough and incomplete overview.

Friday 1 June
Anti-military actions: www.g8andwar.de.
Opening of the anti-G8 camp.
Opening events in Rostock.

Saturday 2 June
International Demonstration in Rostock: www.heiligendamm2007.de
Concerts: www.move-against-g8.de

Sunday 3 June
Day of Action on Agriculture
Networking and International Events in Rostock
Concerts: www.move-against-g8.org

Monday 4 June
Day of Action on Migration. Actions at detention camps and immigration
departments, as well as a demonstration in Rostock city centre. Followed by a
panel discussion on migration in the evening. http://nolager.de/

Tuesday 5 June
Actions Against Militarism, War, Torture and the Global State of Exception.
Blockade of Rostock-Laage airport as the G8 leaders arrive. www.g8andwar.de

Tuesday 5 - Thursday 7 June
Alternative/Counter-Summit in Rostock. http://www.g8-alternative-summit.org/en/
Additional events at the protest camp.

Wednesday 6 June
'Block G8' blockade of the Summit infrastructure through means of civil
disobedience. www.block-g8.org
Further actions in the area around Heiligendamm.

Thursday 7 June
Multiple marches (the 'Sternmarch') to Heiligendamm from nearby Nienhagen,
Kühlungsborn, Bad Doberan and Kröpelin www.dissentnetwork.org
Demonstrations and 'Block G8' blockades www.block-g8.org
Followed by Herbert Grönemeyer and others' 'Music and Messages' concert
www.deine-stimme-gegen-armut.de

Friday 8 June
Final/closing rally or demonstration (details to be confirmed).


*****************************************

The main planning meetings for the protests against the G8 summit were two
"Action Conferences" that took place in Rostock in March and November 2006.
See: www.heiligendamm2007.de. Several hundred people from Austria, Belgium,
Bolivia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Korea, Nigeria, Poland,
Sweden, the USA and other countries gathered at each conference.

The participants were from all areas of the left. There were representatives
from anarchist and communist groups, leftist unions, Attac, various NGO's,
environmental and ecological groups, socialist parties (Linke.PDS),
anti-fascists, anti-racists and other groups from the social movements.

The conference resulted in the formation of Working Groups ('Arbeitsgruppen', or
AGs in German), which are preparing specific actions separately. Some of the
more important are the following:
1. AG Mass Demonstration - Saturday, June 2, 2007
2. AG G8, Agriculture and Genetic Technology - Sunday, June 3, 2007
3. AG Migration Action Day - Monday, June 4, 2007
4. AG Against Militarism, War and Torture - Tuesday, June 5, 2007
5. AG Mass Blockades - Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Additionally, there are various working groups that are dealing with practical
themes, for example the AG Camp(s), AG Nazis/Extreme Right-Wing and the G8, AG
Culture/Concerts, AG Alternative Summit.

1. AG Mass Demonstration - Saturday, June 2, 2007
The date for the mass demonstration in Rostock is Saturday, June 2, 2007. We
want to create a broad international mobilization and to lay the necessary
foundations for it. The mass demonstration should be an element of the summit
mobilisation that brings together all participants across the political
millues. It should express the multiplicity of the protest and of the
resistance against the G8.
Therefore, there should be political and organisational unity in the
demonstration, expressing mutual solidarity. On the one hand, this means that
we want a demonstration in which everyone - including families with kids if
possible - can participate and feel safe. On the other, it means that the
demonstration will react together and in solidarity in response to any possible
(police) attack against part of the demonstration.
Contact and further information: www.heiligendamm2007.de


2. AG G8, Agriculture and Genetic Technology - Sunday, June 3, 2007

The working group "G8, Agriculture and Genetic Technology," expanded at the last
conference in Rostock. Here are the planned actions:
* Beginning in March, an Info-Tour will head from Austria to Rostock. In the
cities in which the tour stops, actions will take place in public spaces and
information events will be held.
* On April 17, 2007, we will participate in the global day of action of "Via
Campesina" about land rights.
* On May 22, 2007 we will organize a day of action around the topic of "Seeds
and Biodiversity."
* On Sunday, June 3, 2007, we will call for a day of action. We will mobilise in
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern but are also calling for solidarity action in other
localities and for an International Day of Action. Actions around the topic of
genetic technology have already been planned. We want to harvest the fields of
genetically modified produce around Rostock with as many people as possible.
* On Monday, June 4, 2007, actions in front of supermarkets are planned around
the topic of groceries.
Contact and further information:
dissentnetzwerk.org/wiki/Arbeitsgruppe_G8_und_Landwirtschaft
www.dosto.de/gengruppe/g8_2007/index.php
www.gendreck-weg.de
g8_landwirtschaft at yahoo.de

3. AG Migration - Monday, June 4, 2007

The following actions are planned:
Before the G8 summit:
- Numerous information tours with activists from Eastern Europe, Africa and the
US
- Cooperation with EuroMayDay events (Hamburg, Berlin, Hanau and other places)
- Thematise the relationship between migration and precarity
- Caravan tour starts 1-2 weeks prior to the G8 summit and visits sites of
resistance
• During the protest in Rostock
- Bloc particularly dedicated to migration at the large demonstration on June 2.
- Transnational networking meeting on June 3
- Migration day of action on Monday, June 4 - decentralized actions,
demonstration and event in the evening
- Speakers and workshops at the alternative summit
Contact and further information: www.nolager.de

4. AG - Against Militarism, War and Torture - Tuesday, June 5, 2007
A central part is the blockade of the military airport of Rostock-Laage where
the politicians, advisers and other participants in the G8 summit will arrive.
In the summer of 2006 President Bush already traveled to Rostock through this
military airport.
Further dates:
• May 31, 2007 - Arrival at the camp of the "Euro-March" and the "Caravan for
the Rights of Immigrants"
• June 1, 2007 - Occupation of the "Bombodrom" land, in connection with the
actions at Rostock-Laage military airport. (The "Bombodrom" refers to a very
large military base in northern Germany between Berlin and Rostock, which is
used by NATO for exercises. It is the largest area in Europe for military
training with bombs and missiles.)
Contact and further information:
www.freieheide.de
www.g8andwar.de
www.freieheide-nb.de
g8undkrieg at so36.net

5. AG Blockades - Wed., June 6; Thursday, June 7; Friday, June 8 (beginning
Wednesday)
The Working Group was prepared by the Block G8 Coalition.
Block G8, first of all, presented the basis for the mass blockades:
-Effective blockades
-Open for activists with no experience
-Based upon mass participation
-To be followed through in a transparent way

The concrete realisation of this is still in process within the Coalition.
Independent of the concrete planning by Block G8, the fact remains: Lots of
different blockades by different milieus will happen. Block G8 is just one
amongst many. As a result, there is a necessity to co-ordinate and network
different blockade concepts.

Contact and further information: www.block-g8.org

[http://www.g8-2007.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=30&Itemid=21]


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"Hitler no longer to be an honorary citizen of Bad Doberan"

Gipfelsoli Infogroup: Right-wing globalization critique must be rejected
Formally, Adolf Hitler is still an honorary citizen of Bad Doberan. He was
elevated to this status by town officials in 1932.. Prior to the NSDAP coming
to power here, Bad Doberan had been the first municipality to grant Hitler this
title.
Heiligendamm, where this year's G8 summit will be convened, belongs to the
administrative district of Bad Doberan. The two towns are connected by the
Lindenallee (Lime Tree Avenue), which Hitler once praised as "the most
beautiful of Germany". The Dammchaussee ('Dam Road'), the road leading into the
Lindenallee, was subsequently renamed 'Adolf-Hitler-Strasse' (Adolf Hitler
Street).
This Nazi honorary citizenship has already attracted high levels of
international attention. From Iceland to Israel, from Russia to Portugal,
G8-critics attending the Dissent! network Infotour events have been outraged.
At present the Infotour team are on the road in 40 US cities as well as in
Turkey, Switzerland, Spain, Greece and Mexico.
As a result of initiatives of the German left-wing party, 'Die Linke', the
formal recognition of Adolf Hitler as an honorary citizen Bad Doberan will
finally be revoked. However, summit opponents argue that this step does not go
far enough.
"The town of Bad Doberan should make an official statement to the international
protest movement that it endorses left-wing and emancipatory protest against
capitalism and rejects the right-wing globalization critique", suggests Geert
Achterhuis of the Dutch Dissent! network.
In Mecklenburg Vorpommern (the region Heiligendamm and Bad Doberan are part of),
the NPD ('National Democratic Party', the most successful extreme right-wing
party in Germany) is using the G8 summit as an opportunity to circulate their
inhumane nationalistic propaganda. Dressed in anti-capitalistic rhetoric, this
propaganda demands more privileges for Germans at the expense of refugees and
other underprivileged groups.
The NPD has announced their anti-G8 demonstration for June 2nd 2007, parallel to
the large left-wing demonstration that will take place in Rostock. Within the
German left, a broad mobilization against it has begun.
On February 25th 2007 the NPD attended a "citizens assembly" in Bad Doberan,
organised by "Kavala", the special police branch preparing for the summit
protests. "Kavala" has been touring the region around Heiligendamm for the past
two months, informing locals of planned road closures and bathing restrictions..
"No opportunity is missed to warn locals about 'vandalism' and brand left-wing
protests or blockades as 'violence prone', explains Adam Jones from the
Gipfelsoli Infogroup. Udo Pastoers, the NPD parliamentarian in
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, along with 25 other Nazis distributed flyers at the
citizens assembly and stayed until the end. Adam Jones is surprised, "Neither
Knut Abramowski's [head of "Kavala"] PR team nor the citizens assembly of Bad
Doberan seemed to be particularly bothered about this"

[Gipfelsoli Infogroup]

Further (German language) sources:
* Daily Newspaper 'Junge Welt' about the NPD in Bad Doberan:
http://www.jungewelt.de/2007/03-07/007.php
* For a critique of right-wing anti-globalization politics, see for example:
http://projekte.free.de/lotta/inhalt/nr26.htm
* Kavala praises the citizens assembly:
http://www.polizei.mvnet.de/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=3498&Itemi
d=265
* Hitler, honorary citizen of Bad Doberan:
http://www.sjd-falken.de/h/hi30dbr.htm
* Dissent! Infotour dates: http://wiki.dissentnetwork.org/wiki/Infotour

[Gipfelsoli Infogroup, March 9th 2007]