Gothenburg

This is what (social) democracy looks like - excerpts from a statement from the Swedish revolutionary group Arbertarmakt in Gothenburg, June 19 2000

The brutal police repression dealt out to demonstrators in Gothenburg, from 14 to 16 June, marks a turning point in the anti-capitalist movement. Any illusions that our movement can develop and move towards realising its goals in a context of playfulness, humour and non-violence were rudely shattered.

Despite the Swedish government's claim that it would set a "Gothenburg model" for peaceful protest based on "negotiations" and "dialogue" between the police and demonstrators the state forces acted from the outset to suppress democratic rights, break all the agreements they made with the organisers, and used violent repression - up to an including the shooting of three demonstrators.

Their aim from the outset was plainly to weaken, disorganise and disperse the movement from the very start.

The president of France, the German chancellor and the British prime minister were totally complicit in this resort to brutal repression. Indeed in all likelihood they were its prime instigators when they criticised plans of the Swedish government and called for the strongest measures to "defend" their summit against unarmed and at the outset entirely peaceful demonstrators.

On the morning of 14 June - before the start of the 10,000 strong anti-Bush demonstration, riot police laid siege to the convergence centre before ANY action had taken place. Several hundred people were preparing defensive materials there for the march to the congress centre the next day. The raid was clearly designed to stop those best prepared to protect themselves against police violence.

They militantly defended themselves-White Overalls, Swedish AFA and international Black Block...

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