[Pressrelease] G8 Germany: 100 Arrests in Utrecht

[Presswork G8 2007 (english)]

G8 Germany: 100 Arrests in Utrecht
Participants from Bicycle Caravan and Protestors still arrested (21.00 MEZ) 

More Information: Bicycle Caravans, Office Rostock, Knut Rasmussen: +49 – 
0179 - 626 8785 

Pressrelease 

100 cyclists and Gr8chaoskaravaan members were arrested at the anti-G8 
demonstration in Utrecht today. 

The arrests began at around 3:00 pm. According to dutch activists, the 
police was well-prepared and had clearly planned this actions aforehand. 
According to one source, the police acted quite violently, although there 
has been no confirmation of this so far. 

All participants in the demonstration were arrested for not driving on the 
bicycle way and disobeying police orders, which apparantly is a heavy 
offence. So far, only one person has been released. As far as is known now, 
50 people carrying passports with them have been brough to court, so far one 
of them has been released. It is yet unclear where the people without 
passpord have been brought to. The police can detain people without valid ID 
for up to 3 days. 

The bicycles have all been confiscated and taken away. The depot will be 
closed on sunday so it won't be possible to retrieve these bikes before 
monday 8:00 am. But it is yet unclear if the police will be willing to 
return the bikes to demonstrators who can not "prove" they own their bike. 

The police claim they detained 93 people for obstruction of movement and 
disobeying police orders - which, according to dutch law, is a heavy 
offence. 

In Utrecht there will be a solidarity action at 9:30 pm. It will meet at the 
station square 7. 

This is clearly an attempt to prevent protest and public activities ahead of 
the G8 protests. Protestors call publish these news, organise protest 
actions in other towns, and in front of dutch embassies “until all 
detainees are released and have their bikes returned”. 

The Gr8chaoskaravaan is one of 6 caravans which are trying to draw attention 
to the G8 protests and emancipatory struggles ahead of the upcoming G8 
summit in Heiligendamm. The Gr8chaoskaravaan was meant to leave for 
Nijmwegen tomorrow where a number of actions were planned to take place. 

More info about Gr8chaoskaravaan:
http://dissentnetzwerk.org/wiki/Bicycle-Caravan_%22West%22 

Regular updates by the Utrecht legal team (in dutch):
http://www.indymedia.nl/nl/2007/05/44231.shtml