The Long March to Evian Begins
by yossarian 2:13am Sun Jun 1 '03 (Modified on 4:51am Sun Jun 1 '03)
http://uk.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=701925:40 am
3-5000 people are marching from Annemasse towards Evian. They will try to block the junction of the two major roads that lead to Evian. The march assembled at 4 am, and has travelled 3 km so far.
As the march began, police tried to block the march but gave up quickly when it became clear that the marchers would go around - or through - the hastily assembled police line. The marchers faced down the police and they got back in their vans and started driving along slowly in front of march. From its current position the march still has to travel 8 km.
During the course of the interview, another van and some police cars drove into view; the presumption of the marchers was that the police are waiting for reinforcements.
The situation as it now stands is this: of the two roads leading to Evian, one of them is now blocked by the march. If the march reaches the next major road junction, all roads will be blocked so the authorities will only have water access from Lausanne, which is on the other side of Lac Leman.
Currently the march is 2km from Saint-Cergues, and the marchers are in high spirits. The march is made up of Italian Disobbedienti, Germans from the uranium transport blockades, Spanish Disobbedienti, the Australian "Ice Bloc", American direct action groups, French Palestinian solidarity people and many others. People are bringing equipment for blockading (tripods, lock-down equipment, etc.), drawing upon their experience of other blockades.
2000 people have said they are prepared to use their bodies to block the roads. As the interview ended, police riot vans disappeared into the distance and we presume they are setting up positions somewhere between the march and the road junction.