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From
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Andrew.Bacelis@directory.Reed.EDU (Andrew Bacelis)
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Date
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29 Sep 99 16:04:37 PDT
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Subject
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globe_l: Protesters Beaten in Belgrade; WTO; Arrests after Grenade Attack on Kosovo Marketplace
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(1) Protesters Beaten in Belgrade
(2) Call to Resist the World Trade Organziation (WTO)
(3) Arrests after Grenade Attack on Kosovo Marketplace
(*) In case anyone missed the KBOO radio broadcast (90.7 fm), a UN commander said of Indonesian soldiers' presence in East Timor "they have a right to conduct security in their sovereign territory" [paraphrased], seemingly forgetting that East Timor does not belong to Indonesia... Meanwhile, another UN official from a developed country said the international community "should not pressure Indonesia too hard about human rights in East Timor while there are protesters on the streets of Jakarta" [paraphrased].
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(1)
--- Forwarded Message from Svetlana Djuric <lanadj@sezampro.yu> ---
>Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 23:06:36 +0100
>From: Svetlana
>Subject: News from Belgrade
Earlier events at the bottom of the message - latest on top
22:55 CET (GMT+2) - People in Balkanska and Narodnog fronta heavily
beaten --
People who were in Balkanska and Narodnog fronta street (downhill from
Srpskih vladara
and Terazije street, uphill from railway station) were beaten the most.
One of the
demonstrants told us that police was most brutal there and chased the
people to beat
them. This is so alike 1996 and 1997 when the police used to ambush
people when they
were returning from the rallies.
22:51 CET (GMT+2) - Democratic Party claims 60 injured -- Democratic
Party (DS)
claims that sixty people have been beaten tonight in a brutal police
intervention. The real
number will never be known because most (and I mean most) of the
injured refuse help of
doctors because they are afriad of being reported to the police and
persecuted. This
method was used before to scare the people, but didn't work.
22:46 CET (GMT+2) - Professor Peric beaten -- This is an unfortunate
incident
because I know professor Peric personally and he is a quiet man, not
the least violent.
Obviously the police didn't care who they beat.
22:44 CET (GMT+2) - Another professor beaten -- Radio Index just
interviewed
professor Milicevic who was beaten in the streets and he said that
another professor,
Miljenko Peric, professor of Quantum chmistry on Faculty of Physical
chemistry of Belgrade
University, was also beaten.
22:38 CET (GMT+2) - Our special report -- Our special report will be
posted very soon
on our protest page!
22:37 CET (GMT+2) - Rally is over -- The rally is over, the next one
will be at 20:00
CET tomorrow.
22:36 CET (GMT+2) - Leaders lead the crowd -- Due to the specific route
of tonights
walk the leaders of Alliance for Change were in the front, behind the
flags. They proved to
be right. there are no news about any of them being beating but I guess
that police tried
to avoid this.
22:34 CET (GMT+2) - Leaders speaking on Republic square -- The leaders
of Alliance
for Change are speaking now on the Republic square. Milan St. Protic is
speaking now, it is
not hard what is he speaking about, just like Zoran Djindjic and Vuk
Obradovic before him.
22:30 CET (GMT+2) - Police vehicles blocked streets -- Police vehicles
paralised the
city. The streets are practically closed. There are more than one
hundred buses and many
other vehicles parked in the city centre. This can lead to only one
thing.
22:26 CET (GMT+2) - Studio B coverage -- Television Studio B just
broadcasted a
picture of a man with blooded head. They announced complete report for
later. If you
can, watch Studio B, listen to Radio Index and surf on FreeSerbia.
22:20 CET (GMT+2) - Tanks on the streets? -- We have unconfirmed
information from
one of the demonstrants that behind the battle vehicles were tanks. It
seems that police
was more than prepared to prevent the protest walk, at ANY cost.
22:15 CET (GMT+2) - Rocks thrown at the protest walk -- FreeSerbia
reports that
rocks were thrown at the protest walk in Kneza Milosa street from
rstate buildings: Trade
Court on the corner of Masarikova and Kneza Milosa street.
22:13 CET (GMT+2) - The rally started -- The rally on the Republic
square started just
minutes ago. Zoran Djindjic is speaking.
22:12 CET (GMT+2) - Police from Kosovo used in intervention -- One
person told us
that policemen from Kosovo participated in this brutal police action.
22:11 CET (GMT+2) - All our people are well -- Both our reporter and
photograph are
well.
22:10 CET (GMT+2) - Professor beaten -- Goran Milicevic, professor of
Belgrade
University was beaten, as Radio Index reported, as well as one
unidentified girl. There are
other unconfirmed information about numberous beatings on the streets
of Belgrade. This
is chaos.
22:08 CET (GMT+2) - Republic square full -- Republic square is filled
with people who
fled in front of the police.
22:06 CET (GMT+2) - Our reporter is well -- We just got news that one
of our
reporters who reported from the scene is well.
22:05 CET (GMT+2) - Police infiltration -- Our reporter said that a man
in a leather
jacket and his fourties pointed to the police where to strike at the
crowd.
22:04 CET (GMT+2) - People arrested in Knez Miloseva -- Police is
arresting everyone
left in Knez Miloseva street. A cameraman got beaten and started
running, a man said
that "they are arresting everyone left"
22:01 CET (GMT+2) - Police is taking over the control -- Police forces
took over the
control of the city centre. Our reporter said that about 50 empty
police buses are in the
area of Knez Miloseva and Nemanjina street. There is not many regular
police officers,
most of them are wearing plain clothes (wearing leather jackets, that
is).
21:56 CET (GMT+2) - Four police cars moved through Pasterova -- Four
polica cars
and one empty bus moved through Pasterova street.
21:55 CET (GMT+2) - People are moving to Republic square -- About a
thousand
people are moving to republic square.
21:51 CET (GMT+2) - Radio Index heavily jammed -- Radio Index, only
station with a
full coverage of tonights rally, is being heavily jammed.
21:46 CET (GMT+2) - People are scattering -- People are starting to
scatter in the
streets after police intervention. Police in Nemanjina street beat few
people.
21:43 CET (GMT+2) - Police is chasing the people -- The people
retreating to the
railway station were chased down Nemanjina street by the police, but
the police stopped
now.
21:42 CET (GMT+2) - Police started intervention on Belgrade streets --
Police
started to intervention to break up demonstrations
21:41 CET (GMT+2) - People are retreating up Knez Miloseva -- People in
the Knez
Miloseva street are retreating towards Srpskih vladara street. The
police is pushing them.
The crowd is split in two - one part is retreating towards railway
station and the other
remained in Knez Miloseva and retreating towards Srpskih vladara
street.
21:39 CET (GMT+2) - Police intervention! -- Police intervention
started. They are
pushing the crowd toward the main railway station. People are running
down Nemanjina
street towards the station.
21:37 CET (GMT+2) - Police surrounding the crowd -- Police forces moved
down
Nemanjina from Slavija square, surrounding the crowd. This is not good.
21:33 CET (GMT+2) - New police forces -- Radio Index reported that they
got an
unconfirmed information that another group of police is in Kralja
Milutina street near
Slavija, behind the crowd. It seems that police is cuuting off all the
possible routes for
escape.
21:31 CET (GMT+2) - Four battle vehicles -- Four police battle vehicles
armed with
water guns are currently positioned in front of the people in Knez
Miloseva street.
21:29 CET (GMT+2) - Police reinforcments -- A group of heavily equiped
policemen is
headed down Bircaninova street. This street is above the crowd
protesting aginst
Milosevic. They are shouting "Slobo is Sadam (Husein)"
21:25 CET (GMT+2) - People sat in the street -- People in Knez Miloseva
street sat on
the ground in front of the police forces.
21:24 CET (GMT+2) - Water cannons -- Police vehicles are equiped with
water
cannons.
21:22 CET (GMT+2) - Stones on the demonstrants -- Someone threw stones
at the
people protesting in Belgrade. We have special report that strong
police forces are headed
to Kneza Milosa street from Swiss Embassy and another group is on
Terazije, behind the
demonstrants, at the McDonald's restaurant.
21:17 CET (GMT+2) - The situation is tense -- We have a very tense
situation in Knez
Miloseva street. It is caused by the police who moved in action before
the whole of the
protest walk turned to Nemanjina street. away from the police. Now the
people are pretty
angry and awaiting to resist the possible police intervention.
21:13 CET (GMT+2) - Police intervention? -- Police battle vehicles are
headed for the
demonstrants! It seems that we are looking for riots in the streets of
Belgrade.
21:11 CET (GMT+2) - The protest walk stopped -- The head of protest
walk stopped
shortly after the turn to Nemanjina street, leaving a part of the walk
in Knez Miloseva
street. The police forces are still blocking the way.
21:06 CET (GMT+2) - Police blocked way of demonstrants -- Police forces
have
blocked way of protest walk of Alliance for Change in Knez Miloseva
street, which leads to
Dedinje. The route have just changed and the people turned away moving
to Slavija
square, away from police.
17:25 CET (GMT+2) - Today protest walk to "Forbidden City" -- As
Cedomir
Jovanovic, Democratic party official announced at yesterday's Alliance
for Change rally in
Belgrade, today protest walk will head to Dedinje, populary called "the
Forbidden city".
Dedinje is elite part of belgrade where Milosevic and his party
officials live.
###################################################
(2)
PLEASE CIRCULATE WIDELY!!!
COME TO SEATTLE NOV. 29 - DEC. 3, 1999
FESTIVAL OF RESISTANCE * NONVIOLENT DIRECT ACTION * STREET THEATER
Increasing poverty and cuts in social services while the rich get richer;
low wages, sweatshops, meaningless jobs, and more prisons; deforestation,
gridlocked cities and global warming; genetic engineering, gentrification
and war:
Despite the apparent diversity of these social and ecological troubles,
their roots are the same -- a global economic system based on the
exploitation of people and the planet.
>From Nov. 29 to Dec. 3 in Seattle, WA, thousands leaders of transnational
corporations, governments officials and an army of bureaucrats will come to
the World Trade Organization's Summit to further their drive for profits,
and their control over our political, economic and cultural life, along
with the environment. Their new strategy to concentrate power and wealth,
while neutralizing people's resistance, is called "economic globalization"
and "free trade." But these words just disguise the poverty, misery and
ecological destruction of this system.
Tens of thousands of people will converge on Seattle and transform it into
a festival of resistance: mass nonviolent direct action; reclaim the
streets with giant street theater, puppets, celebration, music, street
parties and pleasure; vibrant sounds of community, creativity and
resistance and glimpses of life as it could be in the face of hundreds of
deadening businessman, bureaucrats and politicians. A new world is possible
and a global movement of resistance is rising to make it happen. Imagine
replacing the existing social order with a just, free and ecological order
based on mutual aid and voluntary cooperation. Join us. Come to Seattle.
Here is some of what is planned and what you need to know to come to
Seattle:
RESIST THE WTO: ROADSHOW
Art and Revolution Street Theater Troupe will join a multi-media, giant
puppet and dance performance, teach-in tour of the Western U.S. and Canada
from September 28 to October 18 (in Seattle October 5) to educate, agitate
and organize against the World Trade Organization Summit. Cosponsored by
Global Exchange.
ACTION/STREET THEATER CAMP NOV. 20-28
We are planning for nine days of street theater, giant puppet, dance and
music making/skillsharing/performing, nonviolent direct action trainings
and affinity(action) group formations, community building fun, meetings to
coordinate it all and prepare ourselves for the WTO, outreach and
performance around Seattle, and more. Come early and help organize and
prepare. Contact us or check the website for more details.
NOV 30 SHUT DOWN THE WTO
MASS NONVIOLENT DIRECT ACTION INFO
We are planning a large scale, well organized, high visibility action to
SHUT DOWN the World Trade Organization on Tuesday November 30. The World
Trade Organization no right to make undemocratic, unaccountable destructive
decisions about our lives, our communities and the earth. We will
nonviolently and creatively block them from meeting. Hundreds of people
will risk arrest, reflecting the diversity of groups and communities
impacted by the WTO and corporate globalization. We envision colorful and
festive actions with large scale street theater as a major element. We
will make space and encourage mutual respect for a variety of nonviolent
action styles reflecting our different groups and communities. The WTO
Summit offers a historic opportunity to halt corporate globalization and to
help catalyze a widespread mass movement in North America.
Cosponsored by the Direct Action Network (Against Corporate Globalization),
Earth First!(Seattle), Global Exchange and Rainforest Action Network.
WHY NONVIOLENT DIRECT ACTION AND STREET THEATER?
It is time to raise the social and political cost to those who aim to
increase the destruction and misery caused by corporate globalization, as
movements in other parts of the world have. Nonviolent direct action can
force corporate globalization onto the front burner of public discussion
and coupled with high visibility street theater, will get national and
international alternative and mainstream media coverage. The time is ripe
for massive nonviolent direct action against the World Trade Organization
(WTO) and the corporate globalization it serves. Demonstrations and protest
have been an essential part of every successful social change movement in
North American history, but they are too often marginalized by corporate
media, too easily dismissed by those we want to engage, and bore
participants. Street theater used as a tool for making social change can
break into people's consciousness, communicate powerfully and capture the
imagination of participants and observers. Well planned nonviolent direct
action can intervene into a process that we have been left out of, showing
the depth of our opposition and forcing the issues onto the public agenda.
There is an incredible opportunity to use street theater-- art, dance,
music, giant puppets, graffiti art and theater-- and nonviolent direct
action to simplify and dramatize the issues of corporate globalization and
to develop and spread new and creative forms resistance. This will help
catalyze desperately needed mass movements in the US and Canada capable of
challenging global capital and making radical change and social revolution.
ORGANIZE YOUR COMMUNITY
The WTO Summit offers an unprecedented historical opportunity to organize
in our communities, build alliances with other groups and communities
impacted by corporate globalization, and help build a movement capable of
standing up to the existing economic and political system at the root of
our problems. Here is a brainstorm of ideas of what you can do in your
community:
* Form, join or activate a local group to organize around the WTO.
Publicize your meeting/s. This is a chance to work with local groups
affected by corporate globalization: labor, eco, human rights, animal,
agriculture, solidarity, etc
* Call or e-mail us and ask us for a local WTO organizing packet and ready
to copy flyer. Or get your computer friend to print it all out from our
website.
* Outreach to your community: get out flyers/posters, put in newsletters
and zines, speak to groups, announce at events, write letters to
editor/guest editorials, send out calendar announcements
* Plan a public event about the WTO (speakers, video, music,
performance..), organize a nonviolent direct action training with local
trainers, or street theater making workshop, or a teach-in. Ask other local
groups to cosponsor.
* Fundraise to help cover costs, especially for those who need $ help for
transport.
* Plan transportation to Seattle: organize drivers and passengers, share
renting of a van, ask to borrow vehicles, check out trains and buses.
* Organize yourselves into affinity groups (5-20 person self reliant action
groups-- the basic planning and decision-making bodies for the action)to
take care of each other and stick together. Pick a name. Make a
banner/puppet. Take a nonviolent direct action training together.
* Plan a simultaneous solidarity event/action on November 30 for those who
can't come to Seattle.
* Make a public send-off event out of leaving, leave as a caravan, send
press release to and call local press (offer to keep them updated and call
from Seattle--"Local residents protest/arrested at WTO")
* Plan a follow up meeting after the WTO to celebrate, take care of any
legal or other loose ends, discuss sticking together as a local group or
affinity group to keep working to overthrow corporate power.
ACTION GUIDELINES
All participants in this action are asked to agree to these action
guidelines. Having this basic agreement will allow people from many
backgrounds, movements and beliefs to work together for this action. They
are not philosophical or political requirements placed upon you or
judgements about the validity of some tactics over others These guidelines
are basic agreements that create a basis for trust, so we can work together
for this action and know what to expect from each other.
1) We will use no violence, physical or verbal towards any person
2) We will carry no weapons
3) We will not bring or use any alcohol or illegal drugs
4) We will not destroy property
JAIL/COURT SOLIDARITY
We will encourage and facilitate jail and court solidarity for the mass
action. This includes: Distributing information about and giving trainings
on jail solidarity (Check the web site, or contact us for solidarity info);
Setting up spokescouncil meetings to plan solidarity; Providing a legal
support team who understands and will help negotiate solidarity demands.
Through jail solidarity we can take power in a situation designed to make
us powerless. We do this by making our decisions as a group, by acting in
harmony with each other, and by committing ourselves to safeguard each
other's well being. Every time there is a choice in the legal process,
activists can either cooperate or things become more difficult for the
authorities. Solidarity tactics mean that people noncooperate as a group
unless the authorities agree to our demands. An overcrowded, expensive jail
and legal system create additional pressure. This can give us some control
legal consequences and get them over with more quickly, protect the
authorities from singling some people out for harsher treatment, resist
fines and probation, and extend the action to the prison and legal system
with the strength and community of a group, instead of as individuals. We
encourage action participants who are able, to clear their calendar in
advance for several days or a week or so after the action should it become
necessary to use a fill-the-jails tactic to win our demands. It is likely
that those who want or need to leave will be able to do so.
LEGAL
We will have legal support for those arrested at the mass action through
arraignment: this includes legal and solidarity briefings, a staffed legal
support office, an experienced legal coordinator and lawyers who can make
jail visits.
AFFINITY GROUPS: Everyone participating in the action is asked to form or
join an affinity group (a self reliant action group of 5-20 people, which
includes some support people who do not risk arrest and are committed to do
support before during and after arrest). Affinity groups are the basic
planning and decision making bodies for the mass action. Form an affinity
group with your friends, people from your town, neighborhood or workplace,
from your organization or community, with people you share some other
affinity, interest or identity with. Two or more affinity groups that have
something in common, or want to do similar actions should work together as
a "cluster" of affinity groups.
Action Spokescouncil: Leading up to the action participants will coordinate
the action and jail/court solidarity through an Action Spokescouncil, with
spokespeople chosen by each affinity group responsible for carrying their
groups plans, opinions and decisions to the spokescouncil and carrying
information and decisions back to their group. Agenda items and proposal
will be available before each spokescouncil so affinity groups can discuss
them. We encourage mass action participants to try arrive by Sunday
November 28, or as early as they can on Monday November 29 to get briefed
and to coordinate.
NONVIOLENT DIRECT ACTION TRAINING: All action participants will be
encouraged to take a nonviolent direct action training to prepare
themselves for both the action and for jail and court solidarity to deal
with the legal system. Trainings are already being set up in many local
communities and will be available in Seattle during the week leading up to
and the day and evening before the action.
HOUSING
If you have any connections in or near Seattle where you can stay, please
pursue them. People for Fair Trade have said they will try to provide some
housing at 1-877-STOPWTO. The Direct Action Network expects to have some
limited housing or camping options during the Action/Street Theater Camp
and possibly during the WTO, but call write first to check and confirm
space- priority will be given to folks who confirm well in advance.
NEEDS:
* Housing: For Seattle area people: can you put up an out of town activists
before and/or during the WTO?
* Puppet supplies: Backpack frames, bamboo and wooden poles (6 feet and
up), large pieces of ripstop nylon other water resistant fabric, white
sheets, latex (water-based) housepaint (bright, not pastel colors-- like
red, yellow blue, green and black only).
* Food to share: call for specifics
* Money: we need money for outreach materials, renting street theater
making spaces, puppet supplies, phone calls, mailing, legal support and
office space. Please send what you can. Make checks to "Art and Revolution
(WTO)" and send c/o CAN, 4554 12th Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98105
DIRECT ACTION NETWORK (AGAINST CORPORATE GLOBALIZATION)
The Direct Action Network is a network of local grassroots groups and
street theater groups across the Western United States and Canada who are
mobilizing our communities to creatively resist the World Trade
Organization (WTO) and corporate globalization. We are organizing and
coordinating mass nonviolent direct action and large scale street theater--
giant puppets, dance, drums, music, spoken word, and graffiti art at the
WTO Summit in Seattle, November 29 to December 3. Our current social and
ecological troubles are rooted in an economic and political system that is
going global. Imagine replacing the current social order with a just, free
and ecological society based on mutual aid and voluntary cooperation. A NEW
WORLD IS POSSIBLE and we are part of a global movement that is rising up to
make it happen. Join us!
(206) 632-1656 <can@drizzle <www.agitprop.org/artandrevolution
c/o CAN, 4554 12th Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98105
San Francisco (415) 339-7801/ (510) 464-5921
Vancouver, BC (604) 254-3145 <vga-van@tao.ca
WTO Radical Cheerlead
they're trying to take control to do as the please
globalizing power for their corporate sleaze
WTO, your plan has got to go
your scheming system we are gonna overthrow
(everyone shout):
take back the power! end corporate greed!
Well there's poverty and misery all over the land
the situations gotten out of hand
when so few own so much
it's time to take a stand
(everyone shout):
take back the power! end corporate greed!
---
GLOBAL ACTION
pob 11703
Eugene, OR. 97440
(541) 302-5020
http://flag.blackened.net/~global
(3)
Link to article :
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_459000/459795.stm
Wednesday, September 29, 1999 Published at 07:38 GMT 08:38 UK
Four arrested after Kosovo attack
A UN investigator checks the site of the explosion
Four people have been arrested by international peacekeepers in Kosovo
following Tuesday's grenade attack on a marketplace, which killed two Serbs
and injured 39 others.
Two of those arrested are ethnic Albanians; the identity of the other two
has not yet been determined, a K-For spokesman said.
The attackers struck at a busy outdoor market in Kosovo Polje, one of the
few towns in the province where there is still a strong Serb presence.
The latest deaths bring to eight the number of Serbs reported killed in
Kosovo in the past week.
Eyewitnesses said two rifle-propelled grenades were fired from buildings
overlooking the market.
One woman injured in the attack had to have her leg amputated, K-For said.
Serbs, who have blamed Kosovo Albanians for the assault, set up blockades on
the road between Kosovo Polje and Pristina airport.
A K-For spokesman said it could take hours of negotiating to persuade the
Serbs to remove the road blocks.
The attack was condemned by the head of the UN adminstration in Kosovo,
Bernard Kouchner.
"This outrageous attack against innocent civilians puts in danger all
efforts at building democracy in Kosovo," he said.
Correspondents say tension is high in Kosovo Polje, a town surrounded by
villages with ethnic Albanian populations.
K-For soldiers from the Irish Guards, part of the British contingent of
international troops, have been patrolling the town.
"In the last few days there have been incidents of stone throwing -
relatively minor clashes but they reveal deep tensions," said K-For
spokesman Major Roland Lavoie.
A planned meeting between Serbs and Albanians to calm tensions was due to
have taken place less than two hours after the grenades exploded.
KLA blamed
In recent days there have also been reports of two Serbs being knifed and at
least 10 businesses demolished.
UN police officers search for evidence in Kosovo Polje
Stanimir Vukicevic, head of Yugoslav government liaison with K-For and the
UN mission in Kosovo, blamed the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) for the
attack.
The ethnic Albanian guerrilla group formally disbanded last week.
"This extremely inhuman act of madness is the consequence of K-For's
tolerant and benevolent attitude towards the terrorist so-called Kosovo
Liberation Army," he said.
Kosovo Polje has a pivotal place in Serb history. The Serb army was crushed
by the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Kosovo Polje in 1389.
Ten years ago President Slobodan Milosevic used the 600th anniversary of the
battle to launch the Serb nationalist project in the old Yugoslavia.
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