Press Statement on the Police Repression in Rostock by the Internationalist and Revolutionary Barrio, the Anti-G8 Alliance for a Revolutionary Perspective, and the Anti-imperialist and Antifascist Action Alliance against the G8
June 5, 2007
Yesterday, 10,000 people demonstrated against state racism, one of the biggest ever demonstrations for the rights of immigrants in the Federal Republic of Germany. Comrades and activists from every area of the social movement, from migrants’ organisations and from the radical and revolutionary left, took part in the huge demonstration of solidarity and at the meeting in Rostock Lichtenhagen.
It was precisely because of this that the meeting in Lichtenhagen, which was held in memory of the pogrom against the asylum-seekers hostel that took place there in 1992, and the demonstration in Rostock on June 4, came under massive attack and many comrades were arrested. Water cannon were used and sections of the demonstration, including our block, were surrounded. Above all the state had the blocks of the radical and revolutionary left in its sights.
Even the police’s own account showed that all the dirty tricks carried on against the demonstration, and the ban on it marching through the city centre “ because it was too big”, were decisions taken at the highest level.
These attacks are a continuation of the strategy of the police, public prosecutor’s office and the government, in other words the entire state apparatus, against a growing and increasingly militant protest movement. The state and the bourgeois press libel us and denounce us, they try to criminalise us and divide us precisely because we are fighting against the imperialist war policy of the Merkel government and the G8, the attacks on the workers and immigrants and to defend our democratic rights.
The G8 is organising the plundering and impoverishment of the world, they are building a terror network that is calling forth the justified resistance of the workers and oppressed peoples of the whole world.
They libel us because they fear a united resistance and the ever-growing solidarity and unity of the movement. That is why the demonstration on June 2 was attacked with water cannon, teargas and assault troops and our block in particular was brutally assaulted. In our block alone, 19 comrades, including 10 women, suffered head injuries.
Those of us in the “internationalist and revolutionary block", together with thousands of others, defended our right to demonstrate. In particular, we solidarise with the Turkish comrades and organisations, such as the ILPS, who are at present being criminalised and denounced.
The resistance by the demonstrators was not only justified and legitimate, it was necessary. We condemn the police repression which is one part of the strategy of increasingly harsh measures to spy on, limit and obstruct the actions against the G8 summit and increasing internal repression.
We will not simply accept this but decisively oppose it. We thank all the people and organisations who have supported us. Let us maintain this solidarity and continue the struggles together against the G8, their wars and their imperialism.
We demand:
The release of all those arrested! No deportations!
An end to restrictions on the right to demonstrate!
No criminalisation of legitimate resistance against the G8!
The Internationalist and Revolutionary Barrio
Anti-G8 Alliance for a Revolutionary Perspective
The Anti-imperialist and Antifascist Action Alliance against the G8