Results 1 to 20 of 33
Police violence @ Squat demonstration Netherlands
Today there was a squatters demonstration in Amsterdam at 17:00 CET.
The demonstration took place a year after the anti-squat laws were passed in Holland which prohibit any form of squatting in the Netherlands. THese laws were offcourse completely bogus and only serve to protect speculation on the housing markets which already has a severe lack of affordable housing.
THe protest today was to show that this is still an urgent problem, that the government has done nothing of what they promissed and to show that squatting will continue.
Below is a report about the demonstration and what happened. I will update this thread with pictures and movies later to give you a good impression of the excessive amount of police violence which has been used against the demonstrators and how much Holland has changed int a police state.
Indymedia demonstration announcement (scroll down for English translation)
http://indymedia.nl/nl/2011/09/78666.shtml
Indymedia promeeting announcement
http://indymedia.nl/nl/2011/09/78679.shtml
Prior to the demonstration the mayor of Amsterdam has announced the demonstrationright wpould be severely limited in both location adn what would be tolerated. It was not allowed to bring protective clothing, not allowed to wear face covering and it was not allowed to carry any reenforced banners (which could be used as weapons).
Pre-demonstration meeting.
As I arrived in Amstedram I went to the pre demonstration meeting point in the Vrankrijk squat. I noticed a police helicopter circling overhead and several news crews were already assembling. I hadn't noticed any cops...but as I soon found out...they would be there. In force.
In front of the door of the meeting place a news crew was filming and several photographers were taking pictures of people arriving. I managed to cover my face as I knocked on the door.
Dozens of demonstrators arrived at the location over the course of an hour. The group was diverse...young and old, men and women...I think...all in all there were 100-125 people there. And the mood was slightly nervous but cheerful.
We were given the arrest information. A sheet which stated what we should do if we got arrested, what our rights were and who our lawyer was. We were encouraged to write down the information on our bodies.
The route
After an hour most people had arrived. And somebody of the organisation came to talk to us. She told us that we had rejected the initial police offer for a route and that the police had proposed an alternative route to us.
This route was to go from Vrankrijk over the spui square to the JD Meijer square. This will probably not mean anything to you but it is important for later. This route is very short...but as we planned to hold a peaceful demonstration (since we were with too few people to actually manage a confrontation) we had no choice in the matter. We had a short discussion about this and we eventually accepted the offer to go this short route....and back. We discussed this with the police an were given the go-ahead.
The demonstration itself
So we assembled outside. There were enforced banners and some people had face coverings. We agreed to assemble behind the banners. Leave no gaps larger than 1 meter between demonstrators and would march and guard the sides.
We had a quick speech about why we were holding the demonstration with the sound installation we were carrying with us. People listened to us and the press was happilly snapping away pictures of the group.
We then started to move. Everything was fine. Nobody was violent. We were chanting: "Their laws, Not ours" ; "Fuck the police, Fuck Van Der Laan (the mayor)"; "squatting will continue" and "Revolution now!".
After seven or 10 minutes we reached the Spui sqaure. Which is a reasonably small square with shops and bars. There we noticed the riot police was out in full force.
They were at out sides....mounted police came riding in the alleys,...and several riot police units cut us off in front. We stood still for about five minutes when we decided to turn around. It was then that we noticed the riot police in our backs. We were completely boxed in....with no way to go.
So we just stood there. People all around us on the terrasses.
Nobody...NOBODY used violence.
And that is when they threw several flashbangs at our side and charged. Mounted police charged us. Riot police from almost every corner charged us.
People were beaten and fell to the street....and some (me and several others) were almost trampled by horses.
The demo was split up. I have no idea what happened to the other group.
We were pushed back from the square into the street were we came from. We were attacked from all sides and eventually boxed in completely against the windows of two restaurants. 100 people packed tight.
Riot police and mounted police surrounded us completely....and formed an impenetrable line.
If anybody got too close to them they were beaten.
Further up and further down the street the riot police cordoned the area. Nobody was allowed in or out.
The press luckilly was still everywere and some of them were allowed in the house across the street to continue filming.
We still had the sound installation....and we managed to keep talking.
Now...I will stress again...the group was completely surrounded with their backs against the wall. Both by riot police and military police with automatic weapons!!!
Silent police (the ones dressed as normal people) searched the surrouding bars and restaurants and dragged some people out from there.
Some of use were wounded and bleeding...or had gotten blows to their heads and were ill. NO MEDICAL teams (we had medical staff) were allowed near us and nobody was allowed to leave.
The helicopter still circling overhead.
This lasted for thirty minutes....before arrest teams came....they came window shopping. Looking for people to arrest behind the riot police lines. And when they found a suitable candidate they rushed into us punching and kicking...at the same time the riot police would ride their horses into us and the riot police on foot would bash us with their sticks.
People were scared. Had no place to go. The area we were boxed into became tighter and tighter. And whenever we came to near one of the riot cops we were punched, beaten and prodded.
The arrest teams charged us six or seven times...everytime dragging people away. At one point they wanted somebody next to me. They charged and we managed to beat them back. They grabbed me and almost dragged me away but several people grabbed me and held on to me and managed to pull me back. This was our one success!! ( I did get to elbow one in the face and knee him in the groin...he was wearing a cup) I was punched in the stomache and the girl (16 years old??) was punched in the face. She fell to the ground. I tried to take care of her...but in doing so I got to close to the riot police and got beaten again.
I was hit so often that eventually one riot cop took pitty and urged the others to step back a bit to leave some room so I could take care of the girl. She fortunately had nothing really bad but was just a bit shaken and dizzy.
After an hour the police charged again and demolished our sound system. THe friendly riotcop protected me and the girl from his mates. I have no idea who this cop is...but I was grateful that this bastard had still something left of a heart.
Which couldn't be said for his neighbor in the line. Everytime they charged and people had no place to go he kept beating us again and again saying we should step back and we came to close...while we had NO PLACE TO GO. We were litterally with our backs against the wall.
I tried to take some pictures but was warned to not do so or they would use force.
Eventually after an hour or so...and shortly after they had taken out sound system....the mounted cops were retreated. Which gave us some breathing space.
Eventually the riotpolice were replaced by other riot police...most of these were less hostile. So I tried arguing with them....which is never a good idea....but somehow that made them less tense.
Eventually I asked if the plan was for the whole group to get arrested. And they said that that was not the plan. They told us we would be brought to the original demo location in a short while so we could continue the demo.
It was hot and sunny and our water supply was rapidly depeleted. Some people became dizzy and dehydrated. A person who lived in the houses above the restaurants was friendly enough to throw us som water bottles!
After 2 hours or so a cop finally spoke to us. We were told teh following:
You are not allowed to hold a demonstration here. You are not allowed to stay here. you are not currently under arrest. BUt if you stay here you will be arrested! You are currently not under arrest and we have busses standing at the ready. If you voluntarilly go with the busses we will bring you to the location were you can continue your demonstration. If you do not go with the busses you will all be arrested.
There was some confusion. And nobody believed them. But we had no choice.
The riot cop I talked to earlier told me that we were not going to be arrested. And we should follow the directions and that there would be city busses around the corner.
As it turned out we were left no choice. THe riot police moved us with some violence pushing us foreward with their shields. At that point some riot cops came at the wall side and we were completely and utterly surrounded.
We were marched through the street back to the Spui square were we had been previously driven away from.
There were indeed two busses.
We did not want to be broken up....so we all tried to get into the first bus. Two mounted cops eventually prevented the 20 who were left to do so by blocking the bus with their horses.
This is when panic broke out. Because we were told to get in the bus or get arrested. So the people in gthe buss thought the rest was getting arrested. And they banged on the windows.
This is when one of the horses panicked and charged right into the group of people still standing outside. We were pushed into the riot cops who then offcourse beat us again. A gril got trampled but got away with a broken foot (she told me later).
This time a medical team was allowed to get to her. I tried to take care of her and stay with her but the riot police prodded me with a stick and ushered me on the bus.
the busses had to wait untill the medical team was finished. Then they were ushered into the bus. The girl was still outside. I spoke with one of the mounted cops to allow her to leave. And she radioed HQ and got the ok for that. So she could leave.
In the meantime however three small children thought the bus was there for public transportation and were allowed by the cops to get on the bus!!!!!!
So we warned them to leave.
At that point we were all convinced we would all get arrested and that this was a ploy to just transport us to the nearest station.
The busses left however and brought us to a square outside the city center. THey were accompanied by the riot police. Police on bikes and several police cars.
When we arrived there there was just a lot of normal police there. We were let off the busses and we immediately decided to leave the square. Since the police had wantd us to protest there as a sort of media ploy to be able to say that they did not hinder the right to protest.
Aftermath
I was approached by a guy from the news station. I refused to be interviewd officially but did tell him the story of the demo. He told me his side of the story...that he had spoken out against the police violence. That the attacks were unprovoked and that the police force was unnecessary and escalating.
He showed me his sms traffic with the spokes person for the mayor.
He had indeed asked her about the eccessive violence. Her reply was that several members in the group had broken the law by covering their faces and that there were reenforced banners. This was the reason the police attacked.
And that the arrest teams were being deployed in order to deescalate the violence by arresting trouble makers.
He answered that the group was completely boxed in. That they had no place to go. Standing with their arms up (we were everytime they attacked). And that the only violence and trouble he had witnessed was being made by the police.
Her reply: "whatever"
I kid you not!!
While I was talking with the guy a group of riot police arrived at the square (which was empty of squatters by now...except for me and three or four others who were having a quiet smoke). One of the riot cops pointed to me and several normal cops rushd towards me and grabbed me in an attempt to arrest me. This was only prevented by the journalist who said I was with him and had been all the while.
After that I quickly left the sqaure and made my way back to the starting point. I saw some of the demo arrive there. And eventually I left.
It was then that I first noticed the pain. After the adrenaline rush had subsided. I managed to get back to the station and in the train. I went back to my home town where the hospital is directly next to the station.
I have three dislocated vertibrea. 2 in my back and one in my neck. My foot is severely bruised by that horse...but luckilly not broken. I have soem bruised ribs and an inflamated knee cap. Apart from that I have some scratches....but for now have very little bruises.
Some did not get so lucky. Some were bleeding fro had injury. Broken noses. Some were severely beaten and had consussions. And some had bruises.
All in all the demo got a huge deal of media attention. most of it is distorted. 17-20 people were arrested and dragged off.
Today I witnessed again how much Holland has become a police state. How much violence is being used to silence the opposition to capitalism and how our fundamental rights to demonstrate are beeing violated.
I knew this. But it always shocks me.
I will try to post some pictures when I can. I will also try to link some articles. ..and movies.
My own picturs aren't that good. Unfortunately. the camera is shit but I had very little time to take good pictures.
start of the demo
+ YouTube Video
Dutch news saying everything remained calm and that what did happen was the demo's fault
+ YouTube Video
thanx to Psycho...start of the police violence:
+ YouTube Video
Police horse charging into the group.
+ YouTube Video
When the police told us we had to move into the busses and were not arrested...illustrating how we were boxed in. Do not that a lot of the police had left by this time...
.
+ YouTube Video
some vids and photo's
+ YouTube Video
i was there too, ended up the negotiator with the cops, been talking my arse of for one and a half hour with way to friendly cops, got very clear prommises that we could walk our demo unhindered and within 11 minutes after we started they pulled this ^
ah well, shows you to never trust a cop (not that we ever did but you get my point)
the fuckers arrested my GF though, hopefully she is not injured
most bizare thing of the day, they erected an huge LED information screen on the square we planned to start our demo with revolving multi-langual messages like "no reinforced banners" "no masks" etc etc
The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven. What matter where, if I be still the same, And what I should be, all but less than he Whom thunder hath made greater?
Here at least We shall be free
The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven. What matter where, if I be still the same, And what I should be, all but less than he Whom thunder hath made greater?
Here at least We shall be free
maybe we have to blame ourself a very small bit too with an call out video like this one:
+ YouTube Video
it also didnt help that the queen was in town to open the renovated maritime museum which made the cops a bit edgy
The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven. What matter where, if I be still the same, And what I should be, all but less than he Whom thunder hath made greater?
Here at least We shall be free
apparently there was an so called "noise-demo" an spontaneous support demo for the arrested comrades @ police HQ tonight which on the very short noticed pulled still 40 ppl but they again got chased off by hundreds of cops.
fuckers..
The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven. What matter where, if I be still the same, And what I should be, all but less than he Whom thunder hath made greater?
Here at least We shall be free
The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven. What matter where, if I be still the same, And what I should be, all but less than he Whom thunder hath made greater?
Here at least We shall be free
wow, polizisten sind arschlöcher. thats a fine example of western "democracy".
hope you'll be better soon hindsight, and that psychos gf is allright and free soon.
All i want is a Marxist Hunk.
It is true that labor produces for the rich wonderful things – but for the worker it produces privation. It produces palaces – but for the worker, hovels. It produces beauty – but for the worker, deformity. It replaces labor by machines, but it throws one section of the workers back into barbarous types of labor and it turns the other section into a machine. It produces intelligence – but for the worker, stupidity, cretinism.
Wer hat uns verraten? Sozialdemokraten!
I am currently soothing myself with a nice bottle of Vodka!
I am alright...bruised and battered. But thats ok. I am worried about those who are arrested. Just editted some pictures for upload...which I will do in a minute
17:21 - De demonstrerende krakers lopen momenteel richting het Spui. Het lijkt een ludiek protest te worden met ballonnen en krakers die zich verkleed hebben als ME.
(the demonstrating squatters walk to Spui sqaure. It seems to be a fun demonstration with balloons and squatters whon dressed up as Riot Police)
17:27 - Krakers staande 100 meter voor Spui. Organisatie spreekt kleine 200 man toe.
(Squatters are 100 meters for the square. Organissers hold a speech for the 200 demonstrators)
17:34 - Krakers lopen het Spui op. ME stelt zich op in formatie. Organisatie van het protest roept op tot vreedzaamheid.
(Squatters walk on. Riot Police gets into formation. Organisation calls for non-violence)
17:35 - De ME komt in formatie in beweging. Op paard benaderen ze de krakers.
(THe Riot Police step forward in formation. On horseback they near the squatters)
17:37 - De ME komt ook vanuit de Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal op de demonstranten af. De ME lijkt de demonstranten in te sluiten.
(Riot police seems to box in squatters)
17:39 - De ME sluit alle zijstraten van de Spuistraat af met paarden. De demonstranten zijn omsingeld maar er heerst geen agressieve sfeer.
(Riotpolice blocked all side streets with horses. The demonstration is surrounded. THere is no aggressive atmosphere)
17:41 - De ME slaat in op de groep demonstranten. Het loopt volledig uit de hand. Spandoeken zijn in beslag genomen. Verschillende krakers zijn gearresteerd.
(Riotpolice bashes in on demonstratos. Everything is getting completely out of hand. Banners are confiscated. Several sqautters have been arrested.)
17:45 - Spandoeken waren verstevigd met tapijt en PVC-buizen.
(Banners were fortified with PVC and carpet)
17:47 - Krakers zijn volledig omsingeld. Vragen door een megafoon aan de politie waar ze heen moeten. Krakers willen geen confrontatie maar wel doorgaan met protest.
(Sqautters are complete surrounded. THey ask through a megaphone where the police wants them to go. Squatters do not want a confrontation but want to continue the demonstration)
17:53 - Politie arresteert kraker, terwijl het rustig leek te zijn.
(Police arrests squatter while everything seemed peaceful)
17:55 - Nog ongeveer 50 krakers over. Twee krakers met veel geweld gearresteerd. Krakers staan met handen omhoog bij elkaar.
(50 squatters left. Two squatters arrested with use of violence. Squatters are grouped together with their hands up)
17:56 - Politie reageert: Krakers houden zich niet aan de afspraken. De krakers dragen bivakmutsen en maskers. Waren op een plek waar ze niet mochten zijn en hadden verstevigde spandoeken bij zich.
(Police says: squatters did not conform to agreement. THey wear face covering. THey were at a location they were not allowd to be. THey carried fortified banners)
17:59 - De krakers zijn in twee groepen gesplitst. De politie gaat met paarden op de menigte in. Heftige arrestaties terwijl de krakers met hun handen omhoog staan.
(Squatters have been split up in two groups. The police rides their horses into the crowd. Violent arrests while squatters stand with their arms up!)
18:05 - De krakers worden één voor één afgevoerd. Diegene die zich verzetten worden hardhandig gearresteerd.
(squatters are being arrested one by one. everybody who resists meets violent arrest)
18:13 - Politie roept publiek op door te lopen. Tegen diegene die blijven staan kan geweld gebruikt worden.
(Police calls public to move along. Everybody who stands still ccould be met with violence)
18:14 - De politie heeft bussen klaarstaan voor demonstranten die vreedzaam willen verder demonstreren. De bussen rijden de demonstranten naar de Stopera.
(Police has busses at the ready for demonstrators who want to continue their protest peacefully)
18:50 - Kleine overgebleven groep demonstranten overwegen de mogelijkheid om met een bus naar de Stopera te gaan.
(Small group of squatters who are left decide to take the busses to the Stopera)
19:18 - Twee bussen met demonstranten zijn onderweg naar de Stopera waar het protest verder gaat.
(Two busses are heading for the stopera where the demonstration will continue)
19:45 - De politie meldt dat 17 mensen gearresteerd zijn. Alle gearresteerden overtraden volgens de politie de regels door bivakmutsen te dragen of wapens in bezit te hebben.
(Police mentions 17 arrests. Everyone arrested violated the rules by covering their faces or carrying weapons....BULLSHIT!!!!!!!!)
My own pictures:
We just arrived at the square to find this:
After several minutes we noticed we were not only cut of from the left and front but the police also came up on the right side in the alley and our back
Then they charged...I couldn't get any good pictures because shortly after this I was trampled by that horse I mentioned earlier
We were split up and boxed in...further down the street.
Shortly after this I was ordered to stop photographing...I was also too fucking bussy defending myself....so this is it. I left out some pictures. But this gives a reasonable enough impression.
O right....I forgot to mention this and a friend pointed it out to me!
The mayor said that they were concerned about the welfare of the general public...especially those who were shopping. (duhuh).
But when the police charged they did so through the general public around the demo. They charged without concern of them using violence and force...riding their horses through the crowd.
THAT is how much they care about the general public!
Police charging people who have nowhere to go with horses:
Hindsight in this picture
Hindsight getting beaten by cop in background
Update:
Of the people who were arrested yesterday some were let go and released after paying a fine.
They were charged with violating civil orders (wearing masks or carrying fortified banners) and resisting arrest. please note that video's often show that arrests were made when they were NOT covering their faces and were NOT carrying any banners.
9 still remain in custody. Some of them may be released later today.
Others, those that remain anonymous and can or do not want to identify themselves, will be put in front of a judge on tuesday and could face jail time. Now...this will be quick litigation....or speed justice. This is a new form of trial and means amongst others that the accused forfeits the right to hear witnesses. The judg will only do the speed trials, he said, if all accused agree to this.
Solidarity from Homes not Jails SF! I will be sure to highlight this at an upcoming homes not jails action.
Again, solidarity.
Thank you! That would be very much appreciated!
Is this a way of targeting those who cannot afford to pay the fine, or was it a small fine?
"I'm anti-Republican and Democratic / if they self destruct that's anti-climactic"
...
for those that know amsterdam and its history:
Fokke and sukke need to explain everything to those *derogatory name for non amsterdam people*
"No no, on the spui the tofs and the real-estate agents drink their fancy drinks"
"squatters should be on the nieuwmarkt! (place of some legendary squatter riots)"
(note this is the single most popular newspaper cartoon in the netherlands)
The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven. What matter where, if I be still the same, And what I should be, all but less than he Whom thunder hath made greater?
Here at least We shall be free
I am not entirely sure. I could not find out what the fine was for exactly. So I have no indication about the amount.
5 sqautters have been released for lack of evidence.
But there are 5 arrestees left.
