The G 20 in Hamburg was another illegitemate meeting in the framework of bringing forward a neoliberal dogma. Meanwhile the United Nations – wich for sure could be developed a bit more democratic as well – are at least bound to international law and ratificated treaties. Meanwhile the G 20 are just an arbitrary club of the governments of the richest countries. Most of theese Governments are responsible for war, weapon exports, assymetric trade relations, landgrabbing, neo- colonialism and the growing gap in between the rich and the poor. The meetings of the G 20 are stage managed like a circus – they do not solve any problem – they cause the problems.
Many actors, NGOs, some policeman, experts, lawyers and DIE LINKE said that it is a provocation to do a G20 meeting in Hamburg directly in a left wing district. In Hamburg far more than 150.000 people were protesting against the G20 and for a better world, in wich the G 7 Billion – the world population – can live together in respect and with equal rights and without war. Many as well critisized capitalism as a destructive society formation. That protest was a great success.
The police acted against the protest with brutal measures from beginning of Tuesday. They conducted a kind of a manoeuvre to fight protests in a big city. War in the outside and the structural violence of the G 20 is covered by repression in the innterior.
The chief of Police durimg the G 20 was known as hardliner who does not care much about fundamental rights. Some high ranking police officers and criminologists warned that his strategie is based on escalation and will cause a spiral of violence – what happened in deed. Meanwhile many human rights abuses by policeman are documented in the media. The camps were attacked against a court decisison. Police were beating and abusing protesters, journalists, medical personal and inhabitants in many cases during the whole week of protests. Some 100 people were injured, 11 had compound fractures after beeing chased by police over a high fence without any reason. Medical Personal was hindered by police with drawn guns to care for injured people in one case.
Even far before the G 20 Meeting the government and the mainstream tried to reduce the discourse on the „black block“ and violence to detract from the strength of resistance and a political analysis.
From Friday on the police was chasing especially people from southern Europe and other european countries. 51 people remain in prison/remand after the G20 alltogether – more than 50% of them non Germans (Italians, Greeks, Spanish, Basque, Russian, Polonian). Nearly all Germans are released until today – meanwhile all but one „non Germans“ remain in prison/remand until now – even though there are European Regulations wich demand to let them return home and most of them are accused less than the released Germans. Even offering a caution or a residance in Germany until the court case did not help to release them until now. This is a human rights abuse and a signal that the state tries to punish protesters from other countries in contradiction to german and european law.
I could visit three Italiens. Emiliano, Fabio Vetorell and Maria Rocco. All of them should be sreleased imediatly – in their files there is no accuses that legitimate keeping them in prison in Germany. But until now the courts reject to release them. In the prison in Billwerder (where Emiliano and Maria stay) some wards reject to take packages with clothing and give them to the comrades who are inprisoned. One Russian was even was not given a letter from his lawyer six days long. All that contradicts German law and human dignity. Wards rejected as well accces to the library „because protesters need not to read“. That is degrading. In the prison in Hahnöfersand, where Fabio is arrested, the conditions are good.
The lawyers do their best to get the comrads released – DIE LINKE will start a larger campaign on Monday to make more preasure. All people who want to defend human rights should work together to set the political prisoners after G20 free and to end the degrading practise against the „non Germans“.
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