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From	"samizdat.net" <samizdat@ecn.org>
Date	Fri, 29 Sep 2000 14:59:49 +0200
Subject	globe_l: Prague, call to solidarity from INPEG

Prague, call to solidarity from INPEG

On September 26, 2000, about twelve thousand people gathered in Prague to
protest the policies of the IMF and the World Bank, demanding that the two
institutions be shut down. It was a success - their meeting was seriously
disrupted and their blatently exploitative policies were further brought to
public attention.

On the morning of Sept. 26, people from all over the world attempted to
approach the conference to bring their views directly to the delegates, but
were blocked by an army of police. Clashes ensued, and many were arrested.
Throughout the following night police retaliation took place. Anyone
suspected of being a protester was stopped, arrested, and often beaten. By
morning 422 people had been arrested, often for nothing more than walking
down the street. Police were assisted in their persecution by Czech nazis,
who chased and attacked anyone who looked like a protester, and helped to
beat demonstrators while they were held in jail.

Today, Thursday Sept. 28, massive arrests are continuing. A non-violent
demonstration took place in front of the Ministry of Interior against the
police brutality and in solidarity with those arrested. Another 70 people
were dragged away. Official police sources report 892 arrests so far. Many
have been released, and their reports are horrifying. They activists are
systematically beaten, denied access to phone, food, water, and bedding,
and in at least at one police station nazis have been allowed into the
cells to brutalize those being held. Often those released have been so
traumatized that they try to get out of the country as soon as possible,
preventing the recording of their evidence. The mainstream media, as
always, are focusing on the property destruction, creating support for the
police, shrouding the real issues, and increasing repression. They report
angry youth attacking police instead of a more accurate picture of
concerned citizens of the world standing up for an end to the IMF and World
Banks deliberate undermining of social and environmental justice.

And so we need your help. The situation here is critical. The arrested need
international solidarity. We beg you to send faxes and E-mails protesting
the treatment of those arrested. Keep in mind that the vast majority of
those arrested were incarcerated only because of their political
conviction. The police must stop their brutality and release them
immediately.

If possible, organize a protest in front of the Embassies of the Czech
Republic, the sooner the better. If there4s no Embassy in your town, there
may be a Czech cultural center.

We thank you very much on behalf of the arrested activists, and on behalf
of all of us here who are fighting for truth and justice.

Initiative Against Economic Globalisation,
the organizational platform of S26

Viktor Piorecky

INPEG
http://inpeg.ecn.cz
Prague2000_cz@hotmail.com

------

The Presidential office fax number:
00 420 2 24310851

The Minister of Interior:
00 420 2 61433560

Please send faxes and/or emails to

Office of the President of the Czech Republic:
00420/2/24371111
mailto:president@hrad.cz

Ministry of the Interior
0042/2/61433560 or 0042/2/61433555
Press + PR dep <mailto:ssi1@mvcr.cz>

Ministry of Foreign Affaires / fax 0042/2/24182041 <mailto:ministr@mzv.cz>

Office of Government <mailto:posta@vlada.cz>





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