[Pressrelease] G8 Rostock: Video evidence - Police started Fights on June 2nd

[Presswork G8 2007 (english)]

[Gipfelsoli Infogruppe] 

Press Release June 3rd.2007 

* Video evidence: Police started Fights on June 2nd
* Cooperation between civil police and "arresting unit"
* Possible framed arrests? 

Rostock. Today a video appeared on the alternative media portal "indymedia" 
which showed the street battles on June 2nd in a different light. Whilst 
Police claimed to have reacted to attacks, it is quite clear in the video 
that the skirmishes were intentional to create brutal arrests. 

The images initially portray a calm situation.The demonstration march from 
Schutzower Kiez has reached the city harbour and participants are listening 
to a speech about police violence in Brazil. In the Background a standby 
police unit from the state of Thueringen prepare for a snatch. 

Into this visibly relaxed scene two civil policepersons appear suddenly and 
stand near two men wearing scarves on their faces.A large part of the circa 
5000 participants of the "black block" wear scarves on their faces. Suddenly 
the police drag down one of the masked men in order to arrest him. Other 
demonstration participants join and demand that the police desist in their 
provocation. 

Immediately an arrests unit already on site rush in and the shove bystanders 
and supportive eyewitnesses to the side. Following this a brawl developed 
during which a police vehicle was attacked. This setting subsequently 
developed into an hour-long struggle with the police. 

"The video clearly shows that police provoked the clashes", one eyewitness 
commented. "The video is without question open to intepretation: the masked 
guys were so obvious that a framed arrest definitely can't be ruled out". 

Download at:
http://media.de.indymedia.org/rtsp/2007/06/180647.rm 

Contact Gipfelsoli Infogruppe: 0160/ 953 14 023